Ahhh, New Orleans

There's so much to write about I don't even know where to start. I think I may break this up into separate posts, we'll see how it goes. This was a crazy weekend - not only because it was my first trip to New Orleans, but there was also a wedding and a huge falling out with a friend of 20 or so years (not Stacie). I won't be mentioning her in this post even though she was a part of some of the activities. She will get a whole post dedicated to her. So, that sounds like 3 posts to me - NOLA, Wedding, Falling out.

Friday, Stacie and I got in to New Orleans about 3:30. After checking in we decided to take a quick nap to recharge knowing it was going to be a long evening. I awoke refreshed and ready for a Hurricane (the drink, not the storm.) We headed to Pat O'Brien's for their world-famous drinks and patio. I had a Hurricane and a new drink called a Category5 which is basically a margarita/Hurricane hybrid. YUM!!

We wandered aimlessly up and down Bourbon before stopping to get a Hand Grenade. Drinks in hand, we continued down the street, stopping in the little shops here and there. The more I drank, the more I wanted to try things on like pimp hats and boas. Luckily, I was the only one with a camera, so there is no evidence.

We ventured off Bourbon and headed for Cafe du Monde. I've heard about their beignets for years now and had to have them. When the waitress brought them over, the plate looked like it was piled high with cocaine. I love powdered sugar, but this was ridiculous! After overdosing on sugar it was time for bed.

The next morning we went to Cafe Beignet for breakfast. I have to say I had the BEST cinnamon roll I've ever eaten! Sweet, but not too sweet. It was perfect. We headed out to do a little shopping. Stacie remembered a lapidary she loved, New Orleans Gem and Lapidary, but didn't remember exactly where it was. She knew it was in the French Quarter, but that was about it. After hours and hours of wandering aimlessly, we found it - and I'm glad we did. They had all kinds of things priced very well. We each bought a few things and we headed out.

We decided to stop by the Bourbon Pub on the way back to the hotel. It was hot and I felt the need for another Hurricane. Since we didn't get a chance to stop by a gay bar the night before, I felt the need to be around my people. We had our drinks and stopped by Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo to pick up a couple of t-shirts and voodoo dolls. We grabbed some pizza and another hurricane on the way back to the hotel for another nap. We had a wedding to attend.

That evening, after the wedding and the falling out, Stacie and I headed to Lafitte's for drinks and to unwind after such a long day. It was down Bourbon a little ways, away from the insanity and was pleasantly quiet with great music. We were even treated to some gay porn while we were sitting on the balcony (the apartment across the street had their windows wide open and a big screen tv.) We grabbed a bite at the Clover Grill, a great little diner across the street with a lot of personality. Then it was time for bed.

The next day was very low-key as we prepared to go home. We got to the airport about 1:00 for our 3:00 flight. Unfortunately, storms in Dallas caused delays at the airports. We didn't get out of there for another couple of hours. Once on the plane, I passed out and awoke as we were passing over the Dallas skyline. I loved New Orleans, but it was good to be home! Oh yeah - Pictures!