New Orleans
instantly brings Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street to the minds of many. But my
southern California family thought about exploring The Big Easy, in a different
way. First we stayed at one of the
unique boutique hotels located in the heart of the French Quarter—The Mason
Dupuy. From there we boarded and
immediately indulged in fine Creole dinning on a Mississippi River Cruise—The
Natchez Steam Boat River Cruise. The next day, we ventured into the French
Quarter for more fine Creole cuisine tasting and other indulging experiences.
Finally, we finished our Big Easy trip in the alligator-infested swamps near
Slydell, Louisiana!
Our trip first started from Southern California and was supposed
to end in Florida. But we first had to get from San Antonio, Texas to New
Orleans in about 8 1/5 hours (depending on how many times you stop by the
roadside). We drove past a few
other great American cities like Houston, Beaumont and Baton Rouge to name a
few, before getting to the Big Easy.
The road to New Orleans is a breathtaking one. It is landscaped by marshes, lots of vegetation, bird life
and alligator infested swamps! At
first I felt a bit hesitant about seeing or even interacting with the
alligators—who are the real owners of the swamps. But upon admiring the
scenery, I embraced its beauty and geographically important location in
the history of the United States.
As we drove
past Houston on the ten freeway towards New Orleans, we noticed a swampy area
with a small bridge and stopped by to see if we could spot our first
alligators. We parked and walked
through a small wooden bridge that would lead us to a view of the swamp. At first we marveled at the murky
waters, bromeliad, and moss covered cypress trees with a large Heron sanctuary
full of nests. We also listened to
the cacophony of frogs and the buzzing of insects under the unforgiving warm
and humid temperature of the Eastern most tip of the state of Texas.
Nonetheless, we were determined to see alligators, and sure
enough it wasn’t long before we spotted a pair of eyes just above the water
line--quietly looking at us. It was then
that behind the shield of the wooden railing, I began to take some pictures,
recording the magic of the swamplands through the lens of the camera. That was the first time we saw
alligators in the wild--an absolute thrilling moment!
As we continued our road trip, we kept talking excitedly about
our first encounter with the alligators and before we knew it we had arrived at
New Orleans. A new world came to sight!
We could still see the remnants of hurricane Katrina but with a
surprising touch of steady rebuilding and at times some fast growth of
renovations of the historical buildings in the French Quarter. At first, The Big Easy appears like no
other with its buzzing nightlife, vibrant restaurants, world-renowned Jazz
concert halls, and it’s famous party atmosphere. But upon arriving at our hotel, I immediately felt the years
of history and tradition apparent through the iconic walls of the French
Quarter hotel-The Mason Dupuy. The
boutique hotel is in a class of its own. It offers a classical blend of
history, mystery and sophistication along with the pleasant touch of the much
talked about “southern hospitality.” Surely, there are many other choices, but
the boutique hotel with its lush and tropical courtyard and balconies offered
me a direct view of the quieter side of the French Quarter, igniting another
great inspiration.
Jazz! New
Orleans without jazz would be like the ocean without water. I couldn’t wait to hear some of the
fine musicians that are said to perform at the French Quarter. From my hotel room I had choices to
make: I could sit and absorb the
view from my balcony, go for a stroll and engulf into the New Orleans ambiance
of the French Quarter in less than five minutes, head down stairs for a much
needed splash in the hotel’s outdoor saltwater pool or simply relax listening
to jazz at the casual Bistreaux!
Well, as the curious explorer that I tend to be, I ended up
doing a bit of everything! I spent
some time sitting in the balcony reading pamphlets and traveling materials, and
then stepped out into the cobblestone streets to explore the unique
architecture and historical buildings of the French Quarter. An artist's paradise if you have
an eye for details and colors!
Strolling through those very old streets, I felt as if suddenly, I had
landed somewhere else in the not so distant past. When done and tired from
exploring, we returned to the hotel and immersed into the cool waters
of the pool. The weather in New
Orleans was warm and humid! But
then again it was the start of summer and most of the United States, including
New Orleans, was experiencing a record-breaking heat wave. The day ended at the
hotel’s Bistreaux, where we spoiled our senses with great food and jazz music
from the hotel’s resident jazz musician Paul Longstreth. Later, I would visit
Preservation Hall for yet another enchanting evening of more jazz.
Up and ready to discover more of New Orleans, we boarded one of
the Mississippi River day cruises: the Steamboat SS Natchez, which was built in
1975. We were welcomed by a very
hospitable staff and even shook hands with the captain! Once onboard, we
indulged on a delicious Creole dinner, explored the port of New Orleans,
wondered on the decks and eventually allowed for the current of the Mississippi
River to take us into what would be another splendid sunset—all while listening
to an amazing live jazz band.
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We were rounded up by our guide and escorted into our
aluminum build swamp tour boat. At first, the boats made me a bit nervous as
they appeared rather small and the tour guide shared a few funny jokes about
gators enjoying tourists' flavored meals, LOL! But the further we ventured into the swamps; all we could do
was shoot with our cameras at the moss draped cypress trees, awe-inspiring
wildlife such as a Great Blue Heron accurately spear fishing with its gracious
beak, snakes hanging from tree branches and other birds roaming cautiously through
the embellishing water lilies of the swamps. Then, came the moment we had all
been waiting for and for a while I couldn’t tell who were the main attraction:
the tourists or the alligators who came up close to our boat? “Alligators love marshmallows!”
Announced our tour guide as we giggled nervously. Then, he began throwing a few in the water and like children,
the alligators devoured them.
Until the big ten foot female alligator came up next to our boat towards
the tour guide. He immediately took out a hot dog while petting her in exchange
for more treats. Amazing, that’s all I could say!
As if that wasn’t enough of a fill of gators, we managed to head
on down the road for a second fill of gators at this awesome Insta-gator
Farm. Unlike the swamp tours, the
Instagator farm offers hands-on Eco-educational tours that explain the preservation
of the species and its environment more in depth. Some of the tours
even let you interact directly with alligators by holding them while their
mouths are taped. I learned so
many things about alligators: from how they build their nest to even what
frightens them!
There was so much more to see and do in New Orleans like: the French Quarter haunting, its famous
cemetery tours, Creole cuisine like Gumbo with delightful hot Beignets to
complement the meal, beautiful neighborhoods, museums, art galleries, bars in
nearly every corner—and of course, Mardi Gras in the Spring. But the most valuable thing that will
forever remain in my mind and heart is the highly spirited people
we met while visiting New Orleans. The voices of New Orleans echo a strong
history and whisper an unbeatable and unrelenting human spirit.
Until next time New Orleans…special thanks to the city of New
Orleans, The Mason Dupuy, Cajun Encounters, Instagator Farms, and of course the
gators who entertained us with such scaly hospitality!
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