I recently took a trip to New Orleans to meet with friends and explore the city for the first time. I looked forward to the trip for some time, not always sure that I would actually be able to go. My Significant Other, John, could not go with me, so I ventured alone to the Big Easy. On this particular trip I was counting pennies so I wound up with two plane changes on both the trip down and on the return trip.
Thursday
I started my adventure by leaving home at 3:00 a.m.!! When I fly, I dress in comfortable, loose clothing including a sweater or jacket for the occasional cold airplane. It was a half-hour drive to the local airport and by 5:15 I was comfortably ensconced in my window seat, armrest down, with enough seatbelt length to buckle up and not have my feet go numb. Thank you Northwest for the comfortable jet!
My first plane change put me on a Continental Boeing 738 in a miserably narrow window seat with a seatbelt that was 6-8 inches short of meeting the buckle. The flight attendant and I played the seatbelt game. For safety reasons, airlines have seatbelt extenders available for larger passengers. I flew without asking for an extender for the seatbelt and she didn't offer one. A seatbelt extender can be added to an existing seatbelt to extend it two to three feet. I slept most of this flight and since no one was in the seat next to me, I kept the armrest up.
My next plane change put me on another Continental flight, on a Boeing 737, in the same uncomfortable seat but on the aisle. This time the attendant very discretely asked if I cared for an extender and brought one to me in an equally discrete manner. I put the armrest up and the young lady next to me didn't complain when I explained that we would both be more comfortable that way. The crew on this flight seemed to be much more upbeat and friendly than the first Continental flight. The friendly attendant seemed very surprised that I returned the seatbelt extender to her at the end of the flight.
Despite the fact that it was very busy, I met several helpful people at the Louis Armstrong Airport in New Orleans. Once I found all my luggage, a porter directed me to the Airport Shuttle and for $20 I obtained a round trip ticket for a shuttle to my hotel. There was a School Board convention in New Orleans and I rode in a shuttle full of members from Kansas. They were a very friendly group who gave me lots of tips on where to go and what to see.
My friends and I were staying at the Baronne Plaza Hotel and I was so glad to arrive. My back was killing me from the Continental seats and I staggered in with all my luggage. Everyone was friendly and helpful as I checked in and found my room. I unpacked, took a quick shower and laid down for a nap since I hadn't had much sleep the night before. I slept several hours and was awakened by John, calling to see if I had arrived safely and wanting to know what I was doing that evening since my friends weren't scheduled to arrive until Friday morning. My plan was to order in and watch TV but he said that since I was in New Orleans I should get out and see something. He was right, so I ventured out on my own.
The hotel was only a couple of blocks from Bourbon Street, an easy walk in my comfortable shoes. My back was still sore and I was hoping a walk would help. Unfortunately, many of the sidewalks slanted from the buildings to the curb, making walking difficult. I had been told that Bourbon Street was narrow and shabby in spots but it was still a surprise. I had to watch where I was walking as the brick sidewalk was missing bricks here and there and I often walked in the street with others as the sidewalk was blocked by groups looking at menus posted in front of restaurants. There was a wonderful mix of souvenir shops, restaurants, bars with loud music pouring out the doors, slushy shops, a few 'adult' oriented shops and lots of people.
I found a restaurant named Seaport and, after explaining to the hostess that I could not climb the stairs to the upper dining floors, was seated near a window in a fairly quiet spot. The waiter suggested a combo platter and I settled down to people watch. Right outside the window were two young boys, about 12, tap dancing for donations from the passersby. Across the street was a man dressed entirely in silver, including silver face paint, performing his mime act and having his photo taken with tourists. Dinner was a platter of new foods, BBQ shrimp, deviled crab cakes, jambalaya, blackened fish, shrimp entoufee and hush puppies. I could only eat about half of the food. I sampled each dish and enjoyed the new foods, however I found the entoufee had an unfamiliar seasoning and a flavor I didn't favor. I paid the bill and wandered out to see more of Bourbon Street.
My son had suggested I try something from one of the slushy bars so I stopped and got a margarita and continued on my way down the street. I sipped my margarita through a straw as I wandered from store to bar to restaurant. I felt quite adventurous touring Bourbon Street by myself, alone in a strange city, far from home. The loud music, changing from bar to bar, drew my attention and kept me standing and listening for quite some time at each stop. Wonderful smells emanated from the restaurants, adding another layer of interest to my walk. There were hundreds of people, walking along, stopping to listen to the music, laughing and talking under the lights and neon in the warm Louisiana night.
I eventually made my way back to the Baronne Plaza, having walked more than I had planned and seen as much as I wanted of Bourbon Street on my first day. I took a quick shower, snuggled into my bed, and drifted off to sleep with the television on.
Next - Exploring with Friends.... Stayed Tuned!
