12 Feb 07 Lake Charles, LA to New Orleans, LA

 

Today we arrived in New Orleans. And Wow! We love it. When we left Lake Charles, we decided to try to drive along as close to the shore as possible. The first choice came at Lafayette, where we turned south and enjoyed some bayou views. Eventually we reached the outskirts of New Orleans. Along the way we certainly saw some signs of hurricane damage, but no real devastation. The closer we came into the city, though, the more empty and badly-damaged buildings we saw. But when we got to the French Quarter, there was no indication there’d ever been a problem. We parked at the first place we found and then set out on foot to find a hotel. Larry had picked up info on hotel bargains and we soon found Place d’Armes Hotel on St. Ann and checked in.

It’s an old and very interesting place. To reach our room we go through the small lobby along a passage way across a courtyard, past the pool, through a door and up a stairway. We have a balcony from which we can see Jackson Square and hear the church bells and music. The room is huge and high-ceilinged with tall windows. Very comfortable. We had a picnic in our room, then decided to rest a bit before setting off in search of dinner. When we went out we did a big loop around the French Quarter and back to

Bourbon Street. After walking the full length of the pedestrian area, drinking beer ( beer’s OK on the street, but only in plastic containers! ), we selected an Italian restaurant with a jazz pianist. Great choice, good food and good entertainment. We lingered there awhile, then wandered back to the hotel. We’re very glad we booked in here for 2 nights.

All Photos 12 Feb 07