This post will be just random facts about NOLA. They will either be stuff that I like, dislike, find interesting, or different. You'll have to check back often - I plan to update it every time I am enlightened.
1. Taxis! I come from a big city where taxis weren't used. We would only see them at the airport. Here in Nola they are everywhere, and I love it! If I want to have a girls night, it is only $10 to get me home safely from the French Quarter. This is extremely cool for me, since I was always the DD.
2. One way streets. This is more on the annoying side of the city. First, it's hard to determine which streets are one way since there are usually no signs and cars are parked on both sides of the street. Secondly, it is just a nuisance to have to go down one street in order to come up another. I'm slowly getting used to it though.
3. Potholes! Since we are on the topic of streets I can't forget to mention the potholes. They are absolutely everywhere and can catch you off guard.
4. Street vendors/performers. They are always a blast to watch! There are so many different varieties too. Silver men, tap dancers, jazz bands, singers, artists, palm readers, crafters etc....
5. Cash Only. If you're going to the French Market or Cafe Du Monde it's cash only. In today's society, one can easily forget to bring cash. If you're going towards the French Quarter, remember to bring cash! You'll especially need it for parking in the lots or bring lots quarters for the meters if you're lucky enough to find street parking.
6. Groceries. There is an aisle in Wal-Mart labeled "Red Beans & Rice" - no joke! The amount of spices, fish frys, seasonings, boils, hot sauces, rouxs, stocks, beans, and rices are incredible. I would love to try them all! You can also buy a kings cake for whatever holiday you need! Just today, I saw a few for Halloween! Then of course you have a huge variety of seafood and sausages!
7. Tourists. Living in Florida, I thought the amount of tourists here couldn't ever bother me. Of course I was wrong. It isn't horrible, just another annoyance. They walk in front of your cars and don't know where to cross the streets. It's hard to walk anywhere down by the quarter, especially on weekends. If you don't like crowds, you may have an issue.
8. Antiques/Consignment. Nola has so many different stores! If you love antiques and second hand shops this is the place for you! Stores range from clothes, furniture, records, music/movies/games, antique knick-knacks.
9. Beignets. These delicious pastries are sold at Cafe Du Monde (cash only). They are sometimes called a French Doughnut. It's basically like a funnel cake on steroids. They are big and puffy topped with powdered sugar! YUM! You get 3 in a serving. We learned the hard way that sharing a serving is not an option!
10. 3 for 1. Everybody likes happy hour 2 for 1 right? Apparently that is not good enough in NOLA. Here they serve 3 for 1's!! Elsewhere you can end up paying $6 just for one drink, here you can get 3X's the amount of alcohol for that price! Cha-ching!!
11. Crazy Drinks. Ever had a craving for a 72oz beer? No problem! We got em'! Here in Nola the drinks are endless and so is the hangover. Some drinks you HAVE to try before leaving: Hand grenade, Pat'O Brians Hurricane, (more to come)
12. Drive Thru Daiquiris. Staying on the topic of alcohol, here in NOLA you don't even have to leave your car for it! They have drive thrus everywhere! If that wasn't heavenly enough, you can order a gallon of your favorite daiquiri and take it home with you! and for the real daiquiri lover - they sell daiquiris at the movies AND the mall!
13. Drinking in the Streets. Lastly on alcohol, you can drink legally on the streets! As long as it's not a glass container, you can rome the streets with your booze. I LOVE this about NOLA! I no longer have to chug my drink just to leave an establishment. It was a culture shock when I got here though. The bartender would say for here or to go, and I just starred at him. There are many "to-go drink stations" downtown. They are pretty neat, you just walk up to them get your drink and walk away.
14. Music. Let's get off the topic of alcohol here. I swear I'm not a drunk. haha. The local music here is fantastic! Who wouldn't want to see and hear the birthplace of jazz? I'm going to buy some local cd's before I leave. I always want to have that wonderful feeling that only jazz can bring.
15. Below Sea Level. I was leaving Wal-Mart on Tchoupitoulas (say that 3 times fast!) and a boat was pulling into a dock on the Mississippi and it freaked me out! The boat looked like it was gliding on the street past the levees. It was just so funny looking. Then I remembered how low we are - which also affects the humidity here. PHEWIE! It gets hot!
***Keep Checking Back For Updates!***
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Audobon Aquarium
But since we have only gone to the aquarium let me tell you a little bit about it. The aquarium is located downtown next to the river. For an adult it is $18.50 and children 2-12 it's $11.50 (military members get $2.00 off a ticket). It is a two story establishment, but are stroller and wheelchair friendly.
This is a wonderful place to beat the heat in NOLA! It isn't the biggest aquarium I've ever been to, but there are tons of fishies! They even have otters, jellies, penguins, sharks, sting rays, gators, and turtles! They also have a few specialized exhibits; Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River, and Caribbean Reef. This aquarium also offers sting ray feedings. If you aren't brave enough to do that, you can catch one of the many feeding/educational shows they offer! There is also a little interactive play zone for the kids!
The gift shop is rather large and stocked with loads of goodies! The prices are typical for a tourist spot, but not horrible. We bought Marissa a penguin that we named Tuxs, and she LOVES him! It's actually her "lovey" she sleeps with at night. We of course had to buy a magnet and shot glasses for our obsessed collections! The aquarium also offers a food court.
We had a fantastic time and would recommend this place to anyone who wants to see and learn about a variety of sea life.
Double the Pleasure, Double the fun!
If you drive about 15 minutes outside of New Orleans to Metairie, you'll be amazed at what you see! A two story target on Veterans Blvd! I have never heard of such a beautiful thing before! It was absolutely amazing!
The first floor looks like your typical Target. It has the furniture, clothes, home decor, etc... The only difference is that it has a neato escalator for both you AND your cart! It was just so exciting to watch your cart go up the escalator right next to you. We all laughed b/c of how amused we actually were and how much fun we had going up and down on it.
The second story had baby items, groceries, food court, toys, cleaning supplies, and more clothes! This Target is a MUST see if you love Targets, or if you are just fascinated easily. I know I enjoyed myself for hours!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Booze, Beads, Boobs, & Baby!
It seems fit that the first entry would be all about Bourbon St. The one street where you can find booze, beads, boobs, and yes, sometimes even babies - which i'll explain in a bit. John and I came to NOLA on a house hunting trip a month back. We really wanted to see what all the hype was about over this street. Surely one street can't be all that cool. It truely is out of this world and nothing you've ever experience before or will ever again. Let me start with the normally 3 "B's" of Bourbon"
1. Booze! and lots and lots of it!!!
You know New Orleans is awesome if Ludacris gives a shout out to it in his song - Pimpin' All Over the World. Here are Luda's words: "Then at night I'm in New Orleans drinkin' hand grenades". What does this have to do with Bourbon St. you ask? HAND GRENADES! This drink is on everyone's to-do list, sold by tropical isle. It's supposed to knock you off your booty and comes with a cute souvenir cup! Click Me for a Picture of a Hand Grenade. Bourbon St. has countless bars, for all kinds of taste! A few we went into are OZ - a fantabulous gay bar, Beach, Howl at the Moon - a fun piano bar, tropical isle, and a few others I'm not sure I can remember names! haha The point is, if you are looking to get wasted Bourbon St., definitely has the booze for you.
2.Beads!
They say you can spot the tourists here easily... they are the ones wearing Mardi Gras beads out of season. But I found on Bourbon, everyone is wearing beads out of season! It just adds to the fun! But you have got to keep on your toes when they are being tossed. Happy people just toss them from the balconies (no boobs required yet) to the crowd below. People go CRAZY for these thing and will knock you out of the way for them. So try not to get hit by random flying beads and stay away from random flying people fighting for them.
3. Boobs!
Bourbon St. is notorious for its nudity. There are a lot of advertised "live sex", strip clubs, cabaret and burlesque shows going on at Bourbon. As you walk down Bourbon you have women in thongs and other barely there attire luring you into their place. It is unbelievable what you can see on the Street alone, so we decided to check a place out. The place advertised live sex acts. - Don't judge us! The sign said no cover charge, so we thought "when in Rome, right?" They did rape us with booze though, we paid $24 for 2 beers and a bottle water! AND it was just a strip show. Maybe it's was because we were there fairly early, who knows. But the strippers weren't all that good, and by that I mean most were texting and talking to one another instead of really putting forth an effort. Just avoid these kinds of places, just stay on the street near the balconies that throw the beads. You're sure to get a glimpse of boobage for free sooner or later.
and finally.....
*Baby on Bourbon
So during the week days Bourbon St. is actually calm and quiet. You can drive on it and walk around without the bands and workers competing for your business. John, Marissa, and I went to the aquarium (review/experience coming soon) last weekend and decided to do lunch on the French Quarter. We ended up on Bourbon St. around 1pm. and it was a madhouse! The bars and nudity were already out for fun. One of the workers from a strip joint even tried to entice me into their buisness. All I could think was, "Oh my God! I have a baby on Bourbon!!!" I felt so awkward being back with my baby, to the street that had offered me such a devilishly good time last time. I just couldn't believe how packed it was at 1pm, but it WAS the weekend. Don't get me wrong, maybe early in the morning on the weekends, or during the week I wouldn't have minded being there with Marissa. It just felt wrong to me. But now that I have learned that, I'll just try to avoid Bourbon during the weekend with her. This is just a warning to the newcomers to NOLA. This street (or city for that matter) is party central, especially if it's a weekend! Just be careful and remember what day it is and where you are.
1. Booze! and lots and lots of it!!!
You know New Orleans is awesome if Ludacris gives a shout out to it in his song - Pimpin' All Over the World. Here are Luda's words: "Then at night I'm in New Orleans drinkin' hand grenades". What does this have to do with Bourbon St. you ask? HAND GRENADES! This drink is on everyone's to-do list, sold by tropical isle. It's supposed to knock you off your booty and comes with a cute souvenir cup! Click Me for a Picture of a Hand Grenade. Bourbon St. has countless bars, for all kinds of taste! A few we went into are OZ - a fantabulous gay bar, Beach, Howl at the Moon - a fun piano bar, tropical isle, and a few others I'm not sure I can remember names! haha The point is, if you are looking to get wasted Bourbon St., definitely has the booze for you.
2.Beads!
They say you can spot the tourists here easily... they are the ones wearing Mardi Gras beads out of season. But I found on Bourbon, everyone is wearing beads out of season! It just adds to the fun! But you have got to keep on your toes when they are being tossed. Happy people just toss them from the balconies (no boobs required yet) to the crowd below. People go CRAZY for these thing and will knock you out of the way for them. So try not to get hit by random flying beads and stay away from random flying people fighting for them.
3. Boobs!
Bourbon St. is notorious for its nudity. There are a lot of advertised "live sex", strip clubs, cabaret and burlesque shows going on at Bourbon. As you walk down Bourbon you have women in thongs and other barely there attire luring you into their place. It is unbelievable what you can see on the Street alone, so we decided to check a place out. The place advertised live sex acts. - Don't judge us! The sign said no cover charge, so we thought "when in Rome, right?" They did rape us with booze though, we paid $24 for 2 beers and a bottle water! AND it was just a strip show. Maybe it's was because we were there fairly early, who knows. But the strippers weren't all that good, and by that I mean most were texting and talking to one another instead of really putting forth an effort. Just avoid these kinds of places, just stay on the street near the balconies that throw the beads. You're sure to get a glimpse of boobage for free sooner or later.
and finally.....
*Baby on Bourbon
So during the week days Bourbon St. is actually calm and quiet. You can drive on it and walk around without the bands and workers competing for your business. John, Marissa, and I went to the aquarium (review/experience coming soon) last weekend and decided to do lunch on the French Quarter. We ended up on Bourbon St. around 1pm. and it was a madhouse! The bars and nudity were already out for fun. One of the workers from a strip joint even tried to entice me into their buisness. All I could think was, "Oh my God! I have a baby on Bourbon!!!" I felt so awkward being back with my baby, to the street that had offered me such a devilishly good time last time. I just couldn't believe how packed it was at 1pm, but it WAS the weekend. Don't get me wrong, maybe early in the morning on the weekends, or during the week I wouldn't have minded being there with Marissa. It just felt wrong to me. But now that I have learned that, I'll just try to avoid Bourbon during the weekend with her. This is just a warning to the newcomers to NOLA. This street (or city for that matter) is party central, especially if it's a weekend! Just be careful and remember what day it is and where you are.
Intro
Hello!
For those of you who don't know me, I'm Carina. I have been a part of the military life style for almost 6 years now, as part of the silent ranks. I have been married to my Marine, John, for almost 3 years now. We have a beautiful daughter who will be mentioned often, Marissa, who is almost 10 months. Being with a Marine has its challanges, but can also be very exciting and rewarding. Like our recent move to New Orleans from Beaufort, SC (Parris Island).
I decided to start this blog to write about our adventures as a family. I will be sharing, reviewing, and explaining my family's experiences while in NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana). I'm hoping just to enlighten other military or civilian folk on what we have learned and are definetly learning about the culture and places we have enjoyed (restaurants, areas, bars, entertainment, etc...) in this wonderful city.
For those of you who don't know me, I'm Carina. I have been a part of the military life style for almost 6 years now, as part of the silent ranks. I have been married to my Marine, John, for almost 3 years now. We have a beautiful daughter who will be mentioned often, Marissa, who is almost 10 months. Being with a Marine has its challanges, but can also be very exciting and rewarding. Like our recent move to New Orleans from Beaufort, SC (Parris Island).
I decided to start this blog to write about our adventures as a family. I will be sharing, reviewing, and explaining my family's experiences while in NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana). I'm hoping just to enlighten other military or civilian folk on what we have learned and are definetly learning about the culture and places we have enjoyed (restaurants, areas, bars, entertainment, etc...) in this wonderful city.
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