Day 4 - FINALLY made it to NOLA!

Breakfast at the Camellia Grill


Short wait - we lucked out! everyone else is at the Jazz Fest
 

This place serves the best breakfast EVER!  Forget the calories! Just enjoy the food, the ambiance and people-watching.  I didn't make the CPC - Clean Plate Crew.  The omlette was delicious, but just too much (or maybe I filled up on the hash browns, which were cooked just the way I like them).  Dawn, how were those pecan pancakes? 



I love this!



They let me in the kitchen - BIG mistake!



It took me a while to scramble all these eggs



 



 

It was great fun riding on the St. Charles streetcar. It let us out on Canal just as the clouds darkened and we felt a few drops of rain.

Guess who we ran into fight before the rain?  Forrest.  Forrest Gump.  We had so much in common.  He and I discussed all the wisdom our Mamas had shared with us.

"That's what my mama told me too!"



 

About that time, the skies opened up and the rain poured down.  I'm sure there were many, many people terrifically disappointed by the delay of the morning session of the Jazz Fest, but it didn't faze us a bit.  We rushed to the French Market, pausing only to partake of our second meal of the day, a bloody Mary.  We decided all those veggies counted as a salad.

We meandered through the market, happy for the covered shopping area.  This portion of our journey turned into the working part of the trip.  We talked with several of the vendors about the possibility of a business relationship for our forthcoming upcale on-line boutique adventure, Zelda - Be Legendary. (I know you'll want to hear ALL about it; just ask one of us.) 

The skies soon cleared and we enjoyed more shopping.  Veronica bought a stylish pink hat!  Doesn't she look lovely!



Pit stop at the Omni Hotel...only the finest Ladies Rooms will do

We had a muffaletta (meal 3) at Frank's, then beignets at Cafe du Monde (meal 4) and stopped in at Aunt Sally's Pralines (we only counted the free samples as a snack).  Realizing we needed a little culture on this trip, we walked a couple of blocks down St. Louis to the museum, Hermann-Grima House, a plantation home built in the early 1800's, which once occupied an entire city block.  Unfortunately, it was closed.  Dang it.  It's one of my favorite places near the Vieux Carre'.

We were slow to leave the Cresent City, but we knew this was our last night on the road and a treat was in store.  We headed west out of NOLA on I-10. Our destination, Henderson.  We'd planned to be brave and stay in a houseboat that is towed out into the middle of the Atchfalaya...



This is where we'll stay next time

...but I waited too long to make reservations.  Instead, we drove to Pat's Fisherman's Wharf for dinner (meal 5) and a night at their new Edgewater Inn. 



Dinner was delicious (as always).  Veronica was adventerous (as always) and ordered turtle soup.  She and Dawn swooned over the raw oysters.  I had the biggest stuffed shrimp ever.  All the while we listened to live Cajun music coming from the Atchafalaya Club next door.



Sunset on Henderson Swamp

The hotel was interesting. Only two other rooms were occupied. Ms Flo was our sweet Cajun hostess.  She had a little bedroom behind the front desk, smoked like a chimney, and wore a hot pink moo-moo.