A Christmas Dream: New Orleans
It’s a beautiful December day in New Orleans, 82 degrees. I’m going to be doing the Park n’ Cruise package at the Country Inn & Suites in Metairie. First I’m going downtown for lunch and the Krewe of Jingle Christmas parade. Then after checking into the hotel I’m going to City Park to check out the Christmas lights at Celebration in the Oaks. There’s an ACME Oyster walking distance from the hotel so my plan is to park my car for the week then walk over to ACME for beer and oysters.
Krauss Garage
I booked my parking on parking panda. It was only $4 for seven hours. I didn’t print out my receipt. I was thinking I could scan the digital copy at the garage–wrong. You have to put it on your window or risk being booted. I parked high and away from other cars because I don’t want any door dings. There’s no elevator at this garage which is fine. I don’t mind stairs. I get downstairs and everyone is at a machine getting a ticket to put in their windshield. I explain my plight to one lady. She suggests going to the library, just a few blocks away, to print out my receipt. I say I’d rather just pay again. As I’m standing there watching people struggle with entering their license plate into the keypad and inserting single dollar bill after single dollar bill, I decide it may be quicker to go print it out. There are six people in front of me.
New Orleans Main Library
I get to the library and I’m amazed how many people are in there. I haven’t used a library in 15 years. Even at the end of college I was able to use online sources. I don’t have library card so I have to wait for a guy to get me a guest pass. I go queue up my receipt and to print I have to go to another part of the library to get change because the printer doesn’t take cards or 20’s. I get my printout and get back to the car. I was running a half hour behind where I wanted to be–now I’m an hour behind. I’m still going to try for lunch before the parade.
Mother’s Restaurant
This is one of my lunch spots–Mother’s restaurant. There is usually a line to get in. Today was no different.
Debris po boy and Jerry’s jambalaya
Canal Street
I looked for a spot where I was bigger than all of the kids and stronger than all of the adults in the event we came to blows over parade throws.
I’m in the middle by the streetcar tracks so I have the ability to catch the parade coming and going.
I don’t know what this is. It looks like just Port O Potty on a trailer.
You may have noticed I moved to a different spot on the other side of the street. I had a bunch of kids jump in front of me at the other spot so nobody was throwing me anything. I found a spot between two cars where nobody was standing–a honey hole. There’s nobody else to throw to here. The people who are constantly throwing things have no choice but to throw them to me.
I told this trumpet guy stop being lazy. Look like you’re doing something. I’m trying to take a picture here.
After the parade I decided to check out some of the nearby hotel decorations.
Crown Plaza
The Roosevelt
The Ritz Carlton
Country Inn & Suites Metairie
This dark corner my room is in is kind of creepy, but at least I won’t have neighbors on that side.
What’s up with this? Conditioner and lotion? I’m not a hair washing expert but I think you need to shampoo before you condition.
This is a park and cruise hotel. It offers a shuttle to the port but not back. The shuttle runs twice at 9:45 and 11am. With my 12pm check-in, I’m signed up for the 11am shuttle. They have free breakfast here and if it’s anything like the country inn and suites downtown, it’s going to be a good hot breakfast.
City Park
There’s something about this pirate ship. I don’t know what it is, but I like it.
“oh yeah. Let’s take our shoes off and get in the water.”
Roast your own marshmallows.
These kids are playing around–not me..I’m getting straight to business. I call this marshmallow flambé.
This was at the parade earlier.
Mushrooms anyone?
I don’t know what’s going on here.
ACME Oyster
Best seat in the house. I thought that going in but had no idea what was in store for me.
Abita Amber
A dozen chargrilled oysters.
I totally intended to have Banana’s Foster Cheesecake for dessert. But these oyster bar guys kept slipping me raw oysters as they were shucking them. Check this cup.
Boom…oyster
At one point I was like “I just won’t eat the one in the cup and they’ll stop giving me oysters”…boom… two oysters.
I have no idea how many oysters I ate. After my dozen chargrilled, I had at least another dozen raw–maybe more. I was there for awhile. I had 5 or 6 beers watching the college football championship games. The oyster guys got a very good tip.
I’m slinging beads poolside tomorrow, ladies.
These are the best beads I got.
Shafted again! Baby Ruth? The other kids got Snickers and Twix! “Twix is the only candy with the cookie crunch.”
Embarkation Day
Good Morning! This is what’s going on in the breakfast area. They also have a waffle iron, fruit, breads, fruit cups, yogurt, apple juice, fruit cocktail juice, and community coffee.
I forgot to cover the pool area yesterday.
Here they have a seating area.
Here is the main pool.
And the kid’s pool.
I was going through my packing list and I just noticed I left my cleaning supplies at home. So I drove over to Kmart and picked up some Lysol wipes. Really I was going to walk. It’s almost across the street. But better parking spots opened up in the hotel lot so I wanted to re-park anyway. This is nice. You can walk here and they have Kmart, Steinmart, and Rouses (local grocery store chain) you can walk to if you need to pick anything up.
Ready
Checked out and just waiting on the 11am shuttle.
Shuttle driver just came in and said she just has room for 5 people. Something about luggage. Said she’s coming back. So I’m probably looking at a 30 min wait here. Not a huge deal to me. I don’t check in until 12 and the chair in this lobby is much more comfortable than standing in the early arrival line.
By my calculation the shuttle should be here any minute. I’m going to migrate outside to get a jump on these other people.
A guy just popped his head out. I hope they aren’t going to follow me out here. It’s nice and comfy in the lobby.
Ugh…here they come… all of them.
And it’s here
Pulling out at 11:50.
There are like six spots available on the shuttle but they don’t have luggage space for six more people. Maybe not for one more unless it’s a small suitcase.
We have arrived. 12:08
