Entry Seven: The Last Hoorah!

This past week FLEW by!  It seems like just yesterday that I was getting on that giant bird, to fly to some place I've never been.  I would never of guessed I would have had such a great time!  I've experienced so much in just seven days! 

My last day in New Orleans was spent doing just a little bit more sight seeing.  First, I went on a long road trip to a place called Baton Rouge.  One of my friends had some work to do and I went along for the ride.

Honoring our veterans

Once we got back to New Orleans, we headed to the French Quarter again to do some final shopping.  We also got to see New Orleans' pharmacy museum.  It was really cool!  Did you know Louisiana was the first state to require a licence to practice any type of medicine?  I definitely didn't!

The cool sign at the museum

Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral

The Mississippi River

A cat welcoming in visitors into an antique shop

Me and the river

After a long day, we went back home and got ready to fly back to Sacramento.


These past few days have changed my little squash life for the better.  Everything I've experience has been fresh and new and exciting and completely wonderful.  I'll never forget my time in New Orleans and I look forward to my next visit!


Sincerely,

Goldie, your little squash.

Entry Six: Gourdgeous Art for All to Enjoy!

After a crazy day at the Dome, I guess my friends needed a calm day to recover.  So to the art gallery they went!

Before the gallery, they took quick pit stop at another cemetery.  This one was very special.  It is the final resting place of Marie Laveau, the most famous Voodoo queen ever!

People flock to her tomb and place three Xs, make a wish, and leave a penny.  If their wish comes true, they need to come back and circle their Xs.

Nicolas Cage's future resting place.

Next stop, the New Orleans Museum of Art.  The NOMA has a very cool and vast sculpture garden that can not be missed.  It has pieces from Rodin to Rodrigue, from classic to modern, basically any artistic era.  Here are just a few photos from the collection:

Me and Diana

SWANS!

This is a pond in the garden.  So pretty!

I like turtles.

After the sculpture garden, we headed to Lake Pontchartrain.  WOW is all I can say.  IT IS HUGE!  It is the largest lake in Louisiana and spans 40 miles across at it's widest.  It looked more like an ocean than a lake!  There is even a 23 mile bridge that goes across the lake so commuters don't have to drive around the lake.  That was a bit too scary for me, so we didn't drive across…

Later in the day, my friends stopped and got some shrimp for dinner.  Seafood AGAIN.  Well, I've heard people say "when in Rome….".  I guess this is what they mean.

While the day was very relaxed, it was still very fun.  I got to see more of New Orleans and Louisiana, and I loved it!


Unfortunately, my next post will be the last :(  Tuesday will be our last full day in NOLA, and we'll make it count!


Sincerely,

Goldie

Entry Five: Sometimes a sinner, always a Saint.

Today was an EXTREMELY exciting day.  I got to see the Saints play the San Francisco 49ers!  I don't think I could write anything that could truly describe how amazing this was.  I was not exactly a big football fan (that's mostly because I'm a squash and I don't really follow football), but you can't really come to New Orleans and not hear about the Saints.  So I guess I can say, especially since I've been to a game, I'm a Saints fan now.

Here I am at the Superdome!

A panoramic of the Dome.  I was so cool seeing it in person!  I'm not very old (can you believe I'm just a few years old?! Peculiarly considering I'm how articulate I am…), but I do remember hearing about Hurricane Katrina and the devastation it caused.  Thus seeing the Dome was very emotional.

This statue commemorated the beginning of the Post-Katrina Saints.  It reads: 

"On Monday, September 25, 2006, Steve Gleason was responsible for one of the most dramatic moments in New Orleans Saints history. He blocked a punt in the first quarter of the team's return to the Superdome following Hurricane Katrina. That night, the Saints defeated their rival Atlanta Falcons, 23-3. It would kick-start an improbable run for a team that would go on to win the NFC South crown and play for the NFC Championship that season. That blocked punt, that season, symbolized the 'rebirth' of the city of New Orleans."

Finally in the Dome and at our awesome seats!

Inside the Dome

Me, in my spirit color GOLD!

Jimmy Graham and Drew Brees hit the field!

The game was so intense!  Up and down with emotions.  Unfortunately, the Saints lost :((  But they played a good game and worked hard up until the very end.  The crowd was incredible and never stopped supporting and rooting for the home team.


After the game, we went to dinner at a restaurant called Jamila's owned by an old friend, the great Monsef.  The Girls were so excited to see him and have an excellent meal.  And it was an excellent meal for sure!!  Definitely not a place to miss in New Orleans!

Yummy yummy yummy muscles.  DELISH.

Today was a very long day!  I'm so tired and I just sat in a plastic bag all day!

Sadly, my trip is nearing its end, but I still have a few days left.  Stay tuned for more updates!


Sincerely,

Goldie

Entry Four: New OrSCREAMS

So far on my adventures in New Orleans, I've experienced a lot of the city.  I've been to the famous (or should I say infamous) Bourbon Street, seen the Columns Hotel, gone on a swamp tour, and eaten a lot of BBQ.  However, this entry is about an other side of New Orleans, and that is the supernatural side.  SPOOKY.

First, we went to a New Orleans cemetery called Lafayette Cemetery Number 1.  All cemeteries in New Orleans are above ground because the ground is too wet to dig and it floods a lot.  Not a great place to bury a body.  See the tombs?

Pretty trees

A firemen tomb

Look at how moss and ferns grow on the tombs!

What's that green light?  Maybe it's just the sun, or maybe not...

Lounge Lizard

After that, we headed towards the French Quarter, specifically Jackson Square.  This is where we hopped on a carriage and took a ghost tour!  Well, it was actually more of a New Orleans history tour, but we covered a lot of scary things too.  But before that, I got some beignets and coffee at the famous Cafe Du Monde.  SO GOOD!!!

OMG.

Then we got on the carriages and headed off to learn about the city and some of its creepy history.  I wasn't able to get any pictures during the tour because it was so dark:(  So, you'll just have to use your imaginations!!

One of the more creepy things was the story of the Lalaurie Mansion.  This is where Madam Lalaurie tortured and killed many of her slaves.  Look it up.  She was nuts!

The house is said to be super haunted and you can still hear screams from the house to this day.

This is a picture I found, just so you can see what it looks like.  Trust me, it's much more creepy at night...

It also just so happens to be right down the street from Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's house.  Coincidence?

After the tour, a few of us stayed out and went to Frenchmen Street.  A lot of jazz clubs and cool restaurants are on these few streets.  I got to see some great groups.  Here is one in particular…

The crowd is really into it.  Especially, that guy in front.

Later in the trip, I visited the same area and took some pictures of the buildings.  I'll add them so you can see what the area looks like.  Such a beautiful and historic place!!

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more!

Sincerely, 

Goldie

Entry Three: Me and My New Friend, Gatorade.

With little time to recover from the previous night's activities, I started the next day very early.  I was off with my friends to Lafitte, LA to go on an exciting adventure, an air boat adventure to be exact.  I was a little timid about going on a swamp tour, considering I am very small and very delicious.  But I had the time of my life!!  I met a very nice man named George who showed us around the swamp.

This is George.  He was a hoot and a half!!

One of the most beautiful parts of the tour was seeing all of the Spanish moss.  George told us a lot about it.  Apparently, it was used to stuff pillows and beds during the colonial era.  However, it carries a lot of little, gross bugs.  So that didn't last very long….  George also told us that when you take the fluffy part off the moss, a very thin and durable string like thing is left.  That was used as an early version of surgery thread!  Imagine that!  

Some Spanish moss on the beautiful swamp trees

A super cute, baby gator.  

Some part of the swamp.  George told us the swamp we were in is actually man made!  People dredged the area and found oil.  End of the dredging!

More amazing moss!

SO BEAUTIFUL!!

About half way through our tour, George took us to a little cove and introduced us to a friend of his.  A baby gator named Gatorade!!  SO CUTE!

Gatorade was very comfortable with George.

Me, George, and Gatorade.

Once we got back to the harbor, I got to meet some more friends!

This guy is an albino alligator.  They are EXTREMELY rare.  One of his eyes has a double pupil! 

After the swamp tour, we were soooo cold!  A cold front had moved in the night before, so being on the water was really chilly.  Plus, going 60 miles an hour, in an air boat, isn't exactly the warmest thing to do.   Therefore, what is the most logical thing for us to do?  DRINK.  The Girls told us about a spot called The Columns Hotel where we could get some hair of the dog to warm us up.

Hi there!  That's me!

 

I'm on a column!

Did you know Pretty Baby was filmed here?  Neither did I!  But I've never seen it.  I'm just a gourd.

What a day!  A very long day….  Hopefully, I have some time when I can show you our house. I need a rest!  I'm not use to all this excitement!  We just have a few more days in NOLA.  I really love it!  I've seen so much amazing stuff!  

Stay tuned for more posts!

Sincerely, 

Goldie