New Orleans bound...

We're on our way to New Orleans!  This trip has been on the books for more than a year, and it's finally here.  We had an afternoon flight, which was a lovely change.  Usually we have to be up in the middle of the night to get to the airport.  This morning we had time to run a few errands, mow the lawn, and walk Harley before the taxi picked us up about 11:30 am.  We breezed through security courtesy of TSA pre-check (thank you Nexus/Global Entry).  I do love not having to take off my shoes or empty out my carry-on of laptops & liquids.

The last year, or so, we've started arriving a little early to the airport so that we can stop at Ike's for breakfast (actually lunch, in today's case) and their famous bloody Mary.   As you can see from the photo, it's a whole lot going on!  

Ike's "Weekender".  A cocktail (or two) and a meal!  

The flight was without incident, which is my favorite kind.  Delta has a new class of seating called "Economy Comfort".  For about $30 extra (each), you get the joy of 3-4 inches of extra leg room, and you get to board in Zone 1.  For those of you who haven't flown lately, early boarding is critical if you plan to put anything in the overhead bins.  Since the onset of paying to check bags, people carry the most ridiculous amount of crap with them on to the plane.  We still pay to check bags because we don't like to have to drag them around the airport with us, but we also like to be able to squeeze a camera bag or something similarly small in between the masses of roller bags clogging up the overhead bins.   

We arrived at Louis Armstrong International Airport about 3 hours later, and jumped in a cab to the vacation rental.  We love to use the Vacation Rental By Owner (VRBO) website to find places to stay because 1) we like the extra space and amenities (kitchen) of an apartment or house, and 2) they tend to be a much better value than hotels.  Lanata House is no exception.  It's in the heart of the French Quarter, just three blocks from the French Market and five blocks from Jackson Square & St. Louis Cathedral.   It's far enough away from Bourbon Street that we don't have the noise and crowds, but close enough to everywhere that we can easily get around on foot.  Oh, and did I mention that it's less than $100/night??  Most places in the quarter are at least double that, so we feel like we got a great bargain! 

We were met outside by the manager of the House, Bob.  I've spoken to Bob on the telephone several times, and had a very clear image in my head of what I thought he would look like (Google "Leslie Jordan", if you're curious).  Of course, he looked nothing like what I had envisioned, but he was gracious and Southern, nonetheless.  He toured us around the apartment and grounds (photos of the grounds tomorrow) and gave us some dinner recommendations before leaving us to our own devices.  I promptly commenced unpacking which, if you're a regular to this blog, you'll already know is one of my favorite things to do.  For those who are kindred spirits in their desire to feel at home while on holiday, you'll understand my delight when I discovered there were about FOURTY hangers AND a hanging organizer in the closet, in addition to a dresser.  Squeeee!   

Living room.  The window is two stories high! 

Huge door!  

Spiral stairs up to the bedroom.  Note to self, limit the number of cocktails close to bedtime!

Bedroom in the loft.  Check out my new suitcase!  

Window from upstairs.

Once everything was neatly stowed in it's proper place, we headed out in search of dinner.  New Orleans is known for it's food, and I have spent the past two months carefully researching and compiling the most perfect list of places to eat.  It is a work of art, quite frankly.  Categorized by meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner), distance from the apartment, ideal mode of travel (walk, streetcar, taxi), and type of food (seafood, Southern, creole).  I've also listed what each place is most known for and any tips I was able to sleuth out.  In short, I'm about to gain 10 pounds, and that's if I show a considerable amount of restraint.  

A short walk led us to El Gato Negro - a rare Mexican establishment in a land of Southern cuisine.   We ordered Margaritas (orange/lime for me; Devil's Blood (spicy!) for Andrew) and fresh guacamole with fresh jalapeños made table side.  

We also shared a combo platter, but ended up bringing most of that home with us it was just too much food!  On the way home, we swung by Verti Mart (a tiny 24-hour corner store) to pick up some cereal for breakfast.  We're doing a 10-K running tour in the morning, so needed something quick to eat here before we head out.