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Here you’ll find travel reports about Orleans Parish. Discover travel destinations in the United States of travelers writing a travel blog on FindPenguins.

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  • G'schtnAusmPeruanergartenWeltreise
    Day224

    New Orleans - Caroline's Home

    August 12, 2017 in the United States

    Em Ei Es Es Ei Es Es Ei Pipi Ei!
    Wir sind am Mississippi angekommen, der Hauptader der amerikanischen Flussschifffahrt. Doch damit nicht genug, wir waren auch sehr amerikanisch unterwegs.

    Denn heute ging es mit David in seinem Ford F-150 XLT Pickup Truck Richtung New Orleans. Dieser ist riesig und hat einen 5,7 Liter V8. Sehr standesgemäß. Wir freuten uns wie die Schneekönige auf der Fahrt. Gleichzeitig lernten wir auch die Vorteile eines solchen Gefährtes kennen. Auf der rechten Spur direkt vor uns platzte der Reifen eines LKWs, das hat geknallt wie Sau, dann flog der Mantel des Reifens in die Höhe und landete direkt vor uns auf der linken Spur. Mit unserem Mietwagen wäre das ein Problem gewesen. So haben wir uns zwar erschreckt, aber sind dann direkt drüber gebrettert ohne das etwas passiert ist.

    In New Orleans angekommen fuhren wir direkt ins bekannte French Quarter. Dieses sieht tatsächlich nicht typisch amerikanisch aus, sondern eher europäisch. Die Leute wiederum, die heute hier herum liefen, erinnerten uns an Köln. Sowohl Männlein als auch Weiblein hatten rote Kleider an. Sie nahmen an einer Charity teil. Dabei ging es allerdings weniger darum gutes zu tun und mehr darum viel zu trinken.

    Wir besuchten Caroline in ihrem Shop für teuren Schmuck und parkten danach den Truck in einem Parkhaus. Zu Fuß machten wir uns auf den Weg durch das Viertel. Alle Menschen waren voll, laut und gut drauf wie an Karneval. Es war ehrlich gesagt sehr anstrengend. Wir merken, wie sehr es uns schafft, wenn hundert Leute im Weg stehen, rumschreien oder betteln, besonders wenn man nüchtern ist. Ohne rotes Kleid gehörte man eh nicht dazu.

    Wir gingen etwas abseits ins El Gato Negro, einem Mexikaner und hatten Margaritas, Sangria und Guacamole mit Tacos. Sehr lecker und echt lustig. David ist einfach ein entspannter Kerl und wir hatten ein gutes Gespräch. Danach sind wir am Mississippi entlang zurück zum Auto. Dieser sieht sehr vergleichbar mit der Elbe aus.

    Am Parkhaus nahmen wir leider die falsche Treppe und gingen den Notausgang hoch. Hier hatten es sich über die Jahre wohl einige Obdachlose gemütlich gemacht und Essensreste, Cent Stücke, Tücher, aber auch leider Verdauungsendprodukte auf dem Boden verteilt. War ziemlich widerlich, aber auch ganz schön witzig, wo wir da wieder reingeraten sind. Es war aber keiner der Bewohner zu Hause.

    Wir fuhren schon mal zu Caroline's Wohnung und warteten dort auf sie. Ihre Katze und Julia haben sich auf Anhieb gut verstanden und es wurde wie verrückt gekuschelt. Die Katze genoss die Aufmerksamkeit sehr.

    Zusammen ging es dann abends in ein schickes Restaurant. Hier hatten wir sehr leckeres Essen. Am Anfang waren wir stark erschüttert von den Preisen, aber am Ende haben wir doch noch etwas passendes gefunden. Sowohl Fisch mit grünen Tomaten und Salat, als auch eine Fischravioli und das Gumbo (typisch New Orleans und ähnlich eines Gulasch) waren top. Wir schnackten erst viel über die schönen Seiten des Weltreise und nach dem Essen dann über die ekeligen oder schlechten Geschichten. War sehr amüsant das Ganze nochmal Revue passieren zu lassen.    Read more

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  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015
    Day104

    New Orleans (NOLA)

    July 3, 2015 in the United States

    It's time to party! After another long day of multiple flights and buses we arrive in NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana).

    We're staying about a 15min walk from the French Quarter in the Seventh Ward. It's a lot more 'authentic' then we expected as we cautiously walk through the majority Africa American neighborhood to our airbnb place! It's pouring down rain and it's takes a while to get a hold of our host. Dhileep and Emily arrive late after flying in from Vancouver and are perplexed as to why we are staying in the Ghetto........

    The accomodation is what they call a shotgun apartment. A very narrow apartment with 1 row of rooms throughout. Our room is at the front followed by a utility room, the hosts bedroom (separated by sheets hanging from the roof), another airbnb room, the kitchen and then the bathroom. It's a very weird setup having to walk through a makeshift corridor (demarcated with sheets) just to get to the bathroom. Our hosts are weird and act like hermits so we don't see them much.

    Day 1
    We hungrily stroll into the French quarter and make the mistake of stopping at the first Po Boy joint (popular over stuffed sub) we see. We started saying hello to all the locals in our district and suddenly realized how stereotypical we had become. Everyone was so friendly and all of a sudden we felt welcomed to be in this neighborhood.

    Suki signed us up for a walking tour which was way too informative for the blistering heat and humidity - so we all agreed to bail and had cocktaiks on Bourbon st before returning home to drink beer all arvo. We make friends with Erin (the other airbnb guest) and she plays some live music with a guitar we found in the house as we manage to drink all the beers in the fridge.

    It's time for dinner and we're ready to go after researching all the fancy restaurants. The French Quarter is alive and starting to look like a street festival so it's time for a round of the infamous 'Hand Granedes' (1L cocktails in a grenade shaped plastic yard glass). It's worth noting that one of the perks NOLA is the ability to legally drink in the street! The hand grenades certainly did their magic and our ambitions of eating over priced ribs in an expensive hotel are unanimously substituted for take away monster pizza slices and chicken wings. Another hand grenade and we decide to head home. It's only 1030pm but feels like we've been awake for days.

    Day 2
    Slow start with minor hangovers, we went for another stroll into town for brunch at a place called the Rose Piroud. The food is incredible and we got the eggs benny with alligator sausage. Later that arvo we had a stuffed seafood and sweet 'bignets' (donut shaped pastries) before we went on a swamp tour (see our separate blog).

    Got back to town at 7pm and went to the Royal Oyster Bar and had a New Orleans tasting plate showing case the creole highlights of jimbolaya and gumbo with a side of a half dozen oysters. The booze kept on flowing and we walked over to Marigny district and checked out the nightlife in Frenchman St popping into a few different jazz. Def a much better place for nightlife then the crowded drunken French quarter! Suki demanded fried chicken so we walked all the way back to Bourbon St.

    Day 3
    Another slow start. Got a cab to the posh 'garden district' and had a nice brunch at Coulis then walked around checking out the fancy mansions and the cemetery. A quick afternoon nap was required to get ready to celebrate 4th July.

    We wonder back to the French quarter expecting mayhem but it's almost dead. We crowd alongside the Mississippi River and watch the fireworks. The vibe just isn't alive as we try to find some busy bars with live music. 1L frozen margaritas all round as we slowly wonder back home.

    Time has flown the last few days as we say goodbye so Dhilleep, Emily and our new friend Erin. It's the end of another adventure for Team Brown. #TB    Read more

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  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015
    Day104

    Swamp Tour

    July 3, 2015 in the United States

    With a recommendation from a friend, Dhilleep convinced that we had to do the 'swamp tour' in the Bayou river. With low expectations we jumped on a bus and headed on a 1 hour trip outside of town. We arrived and the info centre and were amazed to see a Albino alligator! These white chocolate looking reptiles are only ever raised in captivity due to inability to camoflague from predators, poor eyesight and the fact they get sunburnt haha

    It's time to board the pontoon boat and we meet our redneck captain Louis who has spent his whole life living here and hanging out with alligators. We slowly cruise down the river and onto to offshoots to track them down. We come to a little bay and Louis throws marshmallows all around the boat whilst making his gator call 'errrrrr yup yup yup'. Instantly a few gators start approaching the boat. The marshmallows are the perfect snack to attract the gators due to the vibrations they make when the hit and float of the surface of the water and the white colour.

    Further down the river we bank against a small island and Loius does his famous gator call and jumps off the boat (armed only with a knife) into the island and to our surprise hand feeds the gators raw sausages.

    It's time to head back and along the way Louis pulls out two tiny baby gators that were in a bucket in the back of the boat and hands then round for everyone to hold - best pet ever!

    Back on the bus and it's time to head back to the city. What an awesome afternoon and brilliant tour!    Read more

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  • Mash and MaliceWings & Shakes
    Day63

    Day 63 - The Day After The Night Before

    November 9, 2016 in the United States

    So it wasn't a dream! Why can't life be as predictable as lazy story writing.

    We had breakfast which was luxuriously rich waffles and bananas soaking in syrup. The B&B we were staying in was incredibly welcoming and we were free to pop into the dining room and take any snacks we fancied. The owners were both generous and warm and it didn't feel appropriate to bring up politics over breakfast. Although Louisiana is traditionally Republican, the cities and New Orleans in particular are primarily Democrats. We just mentioned we stayed up late watching the election and as the response was fairly muted we left it at that. We were feeling perky after all that sugar and caffeine for breakfast and we were now ready to hit New Orleans.

    We took a taxi to the Riverwalk and the driver was so friendly and funny Alice and I were laughing all the way in. A big tip for him! We started the day with a bit of shopping, but as per usual turned out to be mainly window shopping. We walked a short distance and found ourselves in the French Quarter. The architecture is striking and is a mix of Hispanic, French and Caribbean influences from a variety of periods. Like so many other areas we have visited, the trees and other foliage add another layer of detail. Whether it has been the Spanish Moss in Savannah, the huge Redwoods of the West Coast, the bare and haunting trees of Yosemite or the multitude of colours of the New England fall, the variety in tree types has been of particular note. In New Orleans, the surrounding swampy marshes and tropical trees (not sure what they are called) ensure that nature has stamped it's identity on this area just as much as the various cultures have.

    We walked down the main 'party' drag, Bourbon Street, and it reminded Alice and I of those Mediterranean resorts for Brits and other Europeans looking for a fun time. People are trying to get you to go into their bar with happy hours and other alcoholic offers. We hadn't even had lunch! So it was time to get some food. We ate at Oceana which is a seafood restaurant in the mould of Bubba Gump Shrimp. Not sure which came first, but they both provide shrimp and fish in various brand friendly formulas. It was very nice and just as important, healthy.

    My birthday was the next day and as we were driving the day after that, we thought it wise to celebrate the night before so we had a whole day to recover. This turned out to be a wise decision! We popped to the B&B and relaxed for a bit and then headed out for an evening in New Orleans. We started at a restaurant that was recommended to us by the B&B owner, Mr Bs (the name of the restaurant by the way). We were advised to go with the barbecue shrimp that would change our world. I had to go with it. To say that it changed my world would be an exaggeration, however, it was close to changing my world. The sauce was buttery smooth with the right heat and not too rich. There was also ample bread to mop up this wonderful sauce. Alice had fish, rice and beans that she really enjoyed. Sitting next to us were two guys who it turned out were surgeons and they were friendly and chatty. We started talking about our travels and then politics came up. They were surprised that we had heard about the finer details of their election which only added to their admitted embarrassment. As the conversation moved to UK politics, there was enough embarassment to go around. One of them also noticed that our waitress had accidentally delayed Alice's and my dinner which we weren't fussed about. However he mentioned to the waitress that we should get a free dessert for that. And we did! Alice and I didn't expect anything from the waitress and it was nice of the guy to even mention it. Dinner was a fantastic suggestion and experience.

    Next came the drinking. We started at Pat O'Brien's which is a bar famous for creating a cocktail called Hurricane. It has lots of different types of alcohol, it is very sweet and everybody in the bar seemed to be drinking it. We were in the garden area and glasses of red liquid were on every table. The generosity of people continued as a table near us had ordered an extra one by mistake and gave it to Alice and I. We ended up sinking five of these before leaving. Walking down Bourbon Street at night was a totally different experience to the day. It was busy, bright and in the spirit of the moment Alice and I got daiquiri's to walk down the street with. We then decided it was time for a dance and we passed plenty of bars and went to the one with the music we liked with enough people inside. We stayed here all night. A day and night to remember (alcohol permitting!).

    Song of the Day:
    R.E.M. - It's the End of the World as We Know It - And I Feel Fine    Read more

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  • Mash and MaliceWings & Shakes
    Day64

    Day 64 - In Bed With Sore Heads

    November 10, 2016 in the United States

    It was my birthday today. Yay! But we both felt like crap. Boo! There was only one thing we could manage. Turning on the TV and dozing in and out of sleep.

    By the evening (yeah that's right) we managed to regain our appetites and were ready for dinner that Alice had booked. It was an Israeli/Mediterranean Restaurant and the food was amazing. Alice had falafel and cheese and I had the chicken. For dessert we shared the babka that was also wonderfully rich. After we ate, we had a stroll around the Garden District and then headed home. There was not much else we could manage and we spent the rest of the night relaxing.

    Song of the Day:
    Zayn - Pillowtalk (there's a line about being in bed all day. Bed all day. Bed all day)    Read more

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  • HerbAvoreCoastal Crescent, 2018
    Day39

    The big easy [New Orleans]

    January 31 in the United States

    We could almost say, another ferry, another fort. We visited the swamp hangout of the "entrepreneur" (pirate) Jean Lafitte and the 1815 battlefield of his earstwhile buddy, Andrew Jackson.

    Lafitte is quite the mythical figure. We don't quite know when or where he was born. Or when or where he died. But in between he was larger than life.

    New Orleans truly is one if a kind. A cultural melting pot like no other in America. Strolled around the French quarter with a ferry ride over the mighty Mississippi. Lots of exotic meats here to our vegetarian horror: gater turtle soup, and other helpless seafood. Passed on ding here.Read more

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  • Richard EllisThe Americas
    Day16

    New Orleans, LA

    November 2, 2016 in the United States

    Gators and Po' boys, that's the word.

    At last a stop long enough to catch our breath! Have thoroughly enjoyed this city and it's culture. The effects of Katrina almost 11 years ago are still vivid and the city breathes it's lessons learned. The Mississippi is largely invisible, due to the tall levees which constrain it's flow - a weird feeling given the significance it has for the city.

    Two (of many) unique features of this city took me. The first is that the majority of the city is built below sea level. It sounds ridiculous but you rarely see the river as the levels are several stories tall and most of the buildings aren't. Built on a delta created by the river itself, there's literally not a hill in sight. The bridges are probably the highest points in town, built that way to allow giant supertankers to pass underneath. Instead of free draining storm and waste water, all of these are directed to pumping pits which pump the water back up to the Mississippi. I needn't paint the picture in heavy rain, or worse; a levee breach.

    The second is above ground cemeteries. Due to the relatively high water table, burying bodies below ground was not a viable option. Instead, bodies are buried in above ground tombs, 2-12 feet high. Each tomb can contain multiple corpses, which are entombed individually in coffins and decay in approximately one year. When a relative dies, the tomb is reopened, coffin removed, bones layed in a hole at the back of the tomb and the tomb shelf restacked with the 'new dead'. So what happened during Katrina when the cemetery was in flood? Floating tombs. Ew.

    We managed to book ourselves into a swamp tour at Honey Island, just on the outskirts of the city. Until now I struggled to see the interest in a swamp. The word itself just wreeks of awful connotations; mosquitos, mud, flies, gators, stench...I'm sure I could go on. Zapping around on the boat in the wider stretches was actually really pleasant. All the wildlife cane out to party - alligators, turtles, and a myriad of birds and the scenery was unique. Little fishing are vacation homes dotted the rivers edge to make just like the movie sets. A great way to blow out the cobwebs from the night before.

    We also visited the WW2 museum which came as a surprise in two ways. One - it was in located in Luisiana (significance still unknown), and two - it was top pick on trip advisor of over 50 museums. Needless to say it was impressive! Three buildings big with a few more to come!

    One thing I couldn't get over the whole time we were there was the infrastructure. The current population is around 450,000 people which is slightly less than that of Wellington. It'd be fair to note is was about 650,000 before Katrina but we'll keep that aside for some hyperbole. The roading network is absurd. Two to six lane freeways extend in every direction leading out of the city - almost entirely suspended. To put it simply - their whole freeway system is a network of really long to really freaking long bridges. One of the lake Pontchatrain bridges was the longest in the world until Macau surpassed it. Where these freeways converge, roads tier four levels high in numerous locations. Yet public transport is close to non-existant, and public rail IS non existant (save for the trams which have 2 short lines). It absolutely baffles me how this system stacks up, especially with the evidently large low socio economic areas.

    Such a unique city. Go figure.    Read more

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  • Lena Eileen Josefine G.AIDAvita Cruise Gulf of Mexico
    Day4

    New Orleans

    March 12, 2016 in the United States

    It's absolutely amazing! Unfortunately it keeps raining all the time, but we enjoy this atmosphere of times gone by in the french quarter. Sitting at St. Louis with national flags all around and meeting some real americans on our path, blingbling wherever you gaze, because of the bright colorful necklaces for mardigras - we used to know this only from the movies. A colored guy greets my man who's holding our crazy expensive and pretty pink umbrella: "Nice umbrella, Bro!" (I could have screamed with laughter)Read more

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  • Ivan's Travel BlogChicago, New Orleans, Cruise
    Day4

    A Streetcar named....

    December 3, 2014 in the United States

    Arrived in NOLA! It was pretty foggy in the morning so just wandered around the French Quarter. Pretty seedy in places, load of strip joints and in your face bars full of neon but just a street away it can change to high end antique shops and real fancy hotels. The architecture is pretty cool. Loads of buildings with the balcony's just like you see in the films. One thing that doesn't come across is how narrow the streets are. Must be mental at Mardi Gras, with hundreds of thousands of people crammed into the tiny streets.Read more

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You might also know this place by the following names:

Orleans Parish, Paroisse d'Orleans

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