Welcome to 2021!!! Looking forward to all the good things to come this year.
Update on Packing!
My first concern with this adventure we started was that we wouldn't feel at home anywhere. We've already pretty much confirmed that that won't be an issue. The second concern that has come up over the past few weeks was missing out on our hobbies. Eric likes to golf; I like to sew. These are things that I could foresee us not wanting to be on the road a long time if we can't do. At the same time, we didn't think there was any way we could fit it all in the Rav4 with us. Well, I'm happy to say that we re-evaluated what we have with us and were able to bring the clubs and the sewing stuff so YAY!
One huge piece of advice for anyone wanting to do this would be to take a test trip where you pack what you think you need and then see if you need it and see what you are missing. Going to Oregon and then getting the chance to get back to our storage space was priceless for us!
What We Did - 2nd Half of NOLA Trip
AHS "Coven" Tour
I suppose I have a lot of favorite things but one of those is for sure American Horror Story ("AHS") and Season 3 - Coven - is definitely in my top three. Being able to explore some of the places that served as inspiration for the show or even where the show was taped was pretty cool for us.
First up is - The LaLaurie Mansion. There are many different stories here, some more exaggerated than others. The basic premise is that the house is haunted by the spirits of those that Delphine LaLaurie tortured in the house. The house is said to bring very bad luck by anyone that owns it and no one has yet lived it in longer than the LaLaurie's given all the crazy, and crazier stuff that happens there (though, I hear the current owner is close). Nicolas Cage even lived in the house before a whole host of bad things happened to him, including bankruptcy. Whatever you do, don't walk under the gallery (aka balcony) of the house or bad luck may befall you as well! As for me, I'm hoping to somehow score a ticket to the Halloween party the owner throws here every year.
Fun Fact! The owners of the LaLaurie Mansion wouldn't allow AHS to even film outside the LaLaurie Mansion so they used the Gallier House that is just a few doors down. The house is usually open for tours but has been shut down due to COVID since March.
Next up is - Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies. In real life, it is called the Buckner Mansion. Now a private home that you can apparently rent for $20,000 a night (anyone want to donate?!), for many years it was a well-known business school, which helps explain the mosaic outside the front gates. Truly an incredible home and it would have been incredible to see the inside!
We also were lucky to get a private tour of the Hermann-Grima house which is what AHS used to tape the inside scenes of the LaLaurie Mansion. This is my idea of a museum! So much history and they do such a great job of going through the different decades in the house. Incredibly, over 40% of the furniture was the actual furniture used by the families that lived there. The house and the rooms in it are huge so they are still doing tours in groups of four. The cost for the tour is so reasonable that even if you have less than 4, buy out the 4 tickets and go for it. It's worth it.
Not from the show but still ties to the storyline were a few things we weren't able to do. We weren't able to go into the store Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo. It always had more people in it then we were comfortable with.
We also weren't able to visit any of the cemeteries. The tombs are above ground because the water level is so high. If you were to try to dig, a few feet below the ground is water and the tombs would float. A lot of the cemeteries are currently closed so we weren't able to go in. You can find a lot of great information on the cemeteries here.
Private Bayou Tour on an Eco-Friendly Boat
We were able to take a private tour of the bayou on an eco-friendly boat, meaning they use a quiet engine to reduce noise pollution. It's hard to describe here and I don't think it comes out in the pictures, but the bayou was really beautiful.
Look, I've heard some bad things about bayou tours and was a little worried about ours before we went on it, but we saw no issues. Our guide was very involved in wildlife preservation and was so knowledgeable about the animals and the environment. He even showed us a picture of him snuggling a raccoon at his house that he was rehabilitating.
We didn't see any alligators because apparently, they hibernate! We did see an amazing raccoon! Who knew raccoons and otters lived in the bayou! Didn't see any otters but the raccoon made up for it!
Fun Fact! Spanish Moss got its name from the Indians. They didn't have facial hair and when the Spanish came they had beards! In the past, it was used to stuff pillows, seats, etc. It was also great for insulation in places that had hurricanes, though they aren't allowed to use it anymore since the government decided it doesn't pass code.
Have I told you I really like run-down buildings yet? Well, the bayou had some pretty cool ones.
And I know we've talked about bridges. Look at this cool one! It was built in 1933. They are replacing it with a more modern bridge within the year. Lucky us we got to see it!
It is a pulley type bridge that can be lifted with a car battery! And I can't say I'm surprised by the fact that you need 4 hours of advance notice to get it opened!
MORE FOOD!!
Oh yes, and there were lots of grilled oysters in my week. I miss them now. I was also able to find some amazing gumbo but couldn't find any vegetarian red beans and rice. There is so much amazing food in New Orleans, it's really impossible to go wrong.
NYE!
We thought we were in for a huge rain and thunderstorm which I was looking forward to. Unfortunately, that didn't happen but we still got to eat a lot of homemade apps and play Pandemic Legacy. If you haven't played it, I highly recommend it. Season 0 or 1, skip Season 2. It was a much different NYE for us this year but fun just the same. We've now had 5 years of NYE's in a different time zone with our friends Mike and Hannah. How cool is that?!
NOLA Overall
NOLA is incredible. From the architecture to the food to the history, I was surprised at how much I loved it. It was sad to see how many houses were for sale or lease and I really hope this community, and so many others, has the strength to recover quickly.
This picture is of St. Louis Cathedral, incredible.
This Week
Well, the first hope is that my Instagram doesn't get shut down again for no reason. The jury is still out on that one, but I'm glad it was restored with all of the pictures still there!
We will be having a relaxing week eating tacos and hanging out at home rewatching Coven! Since we are going to be a little boring for a bit, expect the next couple of blog posts to be Tips for Trips style!
Happy New Year! Here is to health, happiness, and safety for everyone for 2021.
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