My previous post (Eating Through NOLA 2023) was all about the great food we enjoyed during our visit to New Orleans.
This post will include cigar shops, a cemetery, local parks and, most of all, Kilo and Harley’s exploration of NOLA!
Meet Kilo & Harley Quinn
Kilo, a nine-year-old pitbull mix, is a seasoned traveler. From California to New York, he’s visited nearly 30 states over the years. But this was his first time in New Orleans.
Harley, a Catahoula Leopard, was 15 months old when she took her first major road trip – from Central Texas to NOLA. She’s a great road dog, always eager to sit up front and see what’s ahead! And since her breed (Catahoula Leopard) is the state dog of Louisiana, it was the perfect destination for her first trip!
Dog-Friendly Parks
Although there was a small park down the street from our Airbnb, Harley and Kilo needed more space to be able to explore and expend some energy.
The pups love to go to the park each day, so we did a bit of research to find places in and around New Orleans where they could safely run and play!
City Park and Besthoff Sculpture Garden
During our week-long stay we frequently took Kilo and Harley to City Park, located five miles northwest from our home. There were many grassy areas where the pups could run, a lake where we could watch the birds, and plenty of sidewalks for easy walking.
Besthoff Sculpture Garden is located within City Park, and while it was “too peopley” for Harley’s comfort, Kilo, Leah and I enjoyed wandering through the sculpture area. (I had been there before during my first visit to New Orleans, and was delighted to return and see even more sculptures!)
Parc Des Familles in Marrero
Twenty miles south of us, across the Mississippi, was Parc Des Familles, a part of Jefferson Parish Parks & Recreation. There’s a dog park (which was closed for rennovation), an 18-hole disc golf course, and a 2,000-foot elevated boardwalk through a cypress swamp.
Park signage warned us to beware of alligators and snakes in the area, so we kept the dogs leashed and we watched out for swamp creatures.
One of the boys pointed out a group of turtles sitting on a log in the water along the golf course. Always on the lookout for a cool nature photo, I composed the shot to include many turtles.
To my surprise, when we returned home and I uploaded the image I found that I had photographed more than just turtles!
Saint Bernard State Park
Traveling 15 miles southeast, and staying near but not crossing over the Mississippi River, we also visited Saint Bernard State Park in Braithwaite.
According to the website this small state park, where woodlands meet wetlands, offers a diverse habitat for wildlife and birds.
Following the nature trail we enjoyed the peaceful beauty, and were grateful that birds were the only other creatures we encountered!
Other Adventures in NOLA
In addition to taking the dogs to various parks, we also visited a nearby cemetery . . .
. . . two cigar shops . . .
Spencer, Leah, Tracy (owner) and George
. . . and saw a parade!
(No photos, though, as (a) it was too dark for good photography and (b) it was a bit too risqué for this blog.)
And, of course, we spent plenty of down time in the Airbnb fixing meals, playing games, and relaxing with the pups.
We all enjoyed our time together in New Orleans. The food was amazing, the scenery was colorful, and Kilo and Harley had many new sights and smells to explore! Thank you, NOLA!
(All photos ©Jeri Murphy Photography)
Anything Is Possible Travel 