March 31 - Day 15: On to New Orleans

We awoke to another lovely day. Amy embarked on a run atop the levee. It was not quite good, as the rocks defining the pathway were rather large, making for a difficult run. She completed her run on the highway between the levee and Nottoway, our estate for the night. The highway was under-utilized in the early morning.

We decided to skip breakfast and instead take the tour of the Mansion. We were the only guests on the tour, so we had a very private visit to this grand place. Safe to say the Randolph's were very rich. If you get a chance, this is probably the top Mansion in the area to visit. It is so grand and the grounds are very well maintained.

Nottoway Entrance During Daylight

View of the Mississippi from the second floor:

The tour was a lot of fun, especially noting the extravagances of the estate.

Having OD'ed on Plantations, we decide to skip the one other notable spot in this area and head straight to New Orleans.

It was an easy ride until we got into town. We were on Toulouse Street, just 3 blocks from our Hotel, when the traffic jam hit us. It is a Saturday, and it is very festive all around us. Our hotel is in the block south of Bourbon Street, which is closed to traffic. It takes us about 20 minutes to go the remaining 3 blocks, but we happily unload our bags and I head out to park for a couple of days while Amy checks in and waits for me to show up. Long story longer, 40 minutes later I am back to the Maison du Ville, reunited with my sweetie and we are heading off to lunch. Even at 2:00 in the afternoon, there are long waits at the more popular spots, so we opt for the Corner Oyster House. We have Poboys and all is well.

We walked around Jackson Square and environs when it dawns on us, this is the day before Easter!

St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square

We head back to the room, which has a balcony over Tolouse St. While we are resting, there is a raucous disturbance outside: it is a Jazz Wedding March. The Bride and Groom are marching/dancing in front of an 8-piece band and leading a couple of hundred people around the French Quarter. The Bridal Party looks great in White and Gold! This happened again another hour later. Is this a great town or what?

After some more resting, we head out for dinner at The Bourbon House. At 7:00 it is a little early as only half the tables are occupied. Over the next hour, the tables get filled. Amy had the Gulf Fish (Mahi Mahi) and I had the Seafood Sampler. Both very tasty. With smiles on our faces, we stumble along Bourbon Street back to our room for a good night's sleep.