Hi and welcome to the blog.  We’ve returned safely from our 21-day tour of the east coast.  It was quite an amazing time and best summed up by Chase (our road manager and friend since childhood) as “Four months of life in three weeks.”  So , I’m going to be recounting our  happenings with pictures and videos. I hope you enjoy them.  Feel free to leave comments. Especially if they come at Alejandro’s expense.  :D

 

June 14, 2009:  I don’t think I’ve ever more eagerly awoken from a five hour sleep than I did on this morning.  We quickly packed up our bags and loaded in the car with the excitement of knowing that the next time our feet touch the ground, it will be in one of America’s greatest cities.  

But first, we had to say goodbye to a town that treated us so well…

 

 

You know that scene in Swingers when Vince Vaughan and Jon Favreau are driving to Vegas and they keep screaming for the sheer excitement of each other, ”Vegas! Vegas!?”  

 

That was totally us.

 

The musical history, the architecture, the food!  We got a great deal on a hotel on the west side of the French Quarter.  Once we unpacked, we all went out for a stroll.  The city was rustic and (pardon my ignorance) didn’t look very damaged at all.  I really wanted to talk to the people about Katrina.  Were we walking on ground that had been submerged just a few years before?  Realizing the sensitivity of the subject, I never asked.  We asked a local for a lunch recommendation and it was the best move we made all trip.  ”Mother’s,” they said.  We were game.

 

Looking back at the video, the food doesn’t actually look that special.  In fact, some might even say it looks bad.  But it wasn’t.  Oooooh it wasn’t.  It was honestly one of the greatest meals I’ve ever had.  Shrimp Po’boy, Seafood Gumbo, Jambalaya and all the fresh bread you can eat. AND our waiter was even forgiving when Chase spilled his drink all over the table…can’t take that Chase anywhere I tell ya.  

 

There were pictures on the walls of all the famous people who had come to Mother’s.  George Bush, Lil’ Wayne, Brad Pitt.  They asked for Colin’s photo but he declined.  

 

 

We ordered our food and sat down, waiting patiently with empty bellies and talking about how hungry we were.  That’s when Dan told us he ordered a chicken salad.  We found out he wasn’t joking and told him that he absolutely HAD to try some New Orleans’ own cajun food.  We offered him some gumbo but he wasn’t really into that.  So we settled for spicy jambalaya and he was still very hesitant…

 

 

 

We all left very full and very happy. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walked around, Dan sat in with a couple of dixie land bands and then we walked around some more.  We saw some very interesting stuff on the streets, including this coffin.  We  couldn’t quite figure the artwork out but it was pretty nonetheless.  Why it was in the middle of the street?  Because…it’s New Orleans.

 

 

Eventually, we found our way to the river and funny enough, it took us straight to the casino.  Imagine that.  We didn’t have a lot to gamble but we did anyway and I actually can’t believe this but I got four blackjacks in a row.  I don’t know what the odds are but I can imagine they’re similar to jumping off a 98-story building into a bed of spikes and actually surviving.  I like to think I’m a smart gambler and that I know when to walk away and basically, I took that fourth payout and got the hell out of there.  

 

Four Amigos in the NO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the casino we found ourselves on Bourbon street.  We had heard stories about the famed street with Mardi Gras etc. but honestly, I was slightly disappointed.  It was interesting, don’t get me wrong.  And I did enjoy it but it was so touristy.  Couldn’t walk for some pimp or strip club dude trying to sell you something.  But we met some interesting people and saw an absolutely amazing band in this whole in the wall bar.  We jotted down a few songs on a $5 bill and they jammed it out on the spot.  Very cool.  

 

I’ve only had crawfish a couple of times but I’ve always loved it and had a sudden craving.  We asked around and found a couple places only to be turned away because they ran out.  Then we hit the jackpot.  This restaurant on Bourbon had “A Pound of Crawfish” on the menu.  Says it all, eh?  Both Colin and I absolutely went to town.  I think everyone else at the table was kind of grossed out but whatever.

 

 

 

After dinner, we went to a few bars and clubs.  A perfect ending to a perfect day.

 

 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 21st, 2009 at 12:06 am and is filed under Four Months In Three Weeks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.