Tag: New Orleans

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US travel

Kilo and Harley Visit New Orleans

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

Pitbull sleeping on orangish-colored easy chair.

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.

Headshot of Catahoula Leopard dog looking straight into camera

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.

Man and woman walking two white dogs in park, with green grass and trees on each side of sidewalk.
Adult man standing in grassy area with trees in background, holding the leashes of two dogs. Taken at City Park in New Orleans.
Spencer, Kilo and Harley at City Park, New Orleans

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!)

Woman and white dog on sidewalk adjacent to tall bronze sculpture in Besthoff Sculpture Garden, New Orleans.
Leah and Kilo in Besthoff Sculpture Garden
Woman sitting on bench next to two white sculptures of people, with white dog sitting nearby on sidewalk. Taken at Besthoff Sculpture Garden in New Orleans
Large blue metal sculpture of Corgi dog, with white pitbull sitting in front of sculpture. Taken at Besthoff Sculpture Garden in New Orleans

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.

Two men and one woman, with two resting white dogs, on the boardwalk at Parc des Familles, Marrero, Louisiana
George, Kilo, Harley, Leah and Spencer on the boardwalk at Parc des Familles.

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!

Image of numerous turtles sitting on a log in a swamp pond, along with an alligator watching them. Taken at Parc des Familles, Marrero, Louisiana.
Zoom in!

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.

Man and woman with two large white dogs, standing in small meadow at St. Bernard State Park, Braithwaite, Louisiana

According to the website this small state park, where woodlands meet wetlands, offers a diverse habitat for wildlife and birds.

Two white ibis birds, perched on a fallen tree branch, with
Two Ibis

Following the nature trail we enjoyed the peaceful beauty, and were grateful that birds were the only other creatures we encountered!

Woman, man and two dogs walking along wooded nature trail at Saint Bernard State Park, Braithwaite, Louisiana

Other Adventures in NOLA

In addition to taking the dogs to various parks, we also visited a nearby cemetery . . .

Collage of two photos, including woman and man standing on roadway in cemetery, and red car driving along roadway in cemetery. Both taken at St. Louis Cemetery #3 in New Orleans
Kealoha and George at St. Louis Cemetery #3

. . . two cigar shops . . .

Three men and one woman standing in front of Crescent City Cigars store in New Orleans
Crescent City Cigars
Spencer, Leah, Tracy (owner) and George
Cuban Creations

. . . 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.

Two men and two women sitting at small table and eating breakfast, with two dogs laying the floor at their feet.
Breakfast time! (Kilo and Harley are hoping someone will share the bacon!)
Two black and white dogs curled up together and sleeping on light-colored quilt with pictures of apples.
Exploring New Orleans can be exhausting. Time for a nap!

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)

Categories
US travel

Eating Through NOLA 2023

I first visited New Orleans with my daughter in April of 2015. (See previous posts regarding Layfette Cemetery, a swamp tour, visiting Laura Plantation, and, of course, the fabulous food!)

During that visit I was especially mindful of, and mentioned, wheelchair accessibility.

I returned to New Orleans in February of 2023, this time with my two sons and their ladies, and our two service dogs.

Four adults - two men and two women - with two black and white service dogs, standing on the riverside pathway between the French Market and the Mississippi River.
(Left to right) Spencer and Leah, with Harley and Kilo, and Kealoha and George

Our main focus was finding great food throughout the day, and taking the dogs to new and welcoming places!

(Note: Although I had visited some of these locations previously, Leah researched and suggested many of the restaurants, and George found two out-of-area parks for the dogs to explore.)

In a future post – “Kilo and Harley Visit New Orleans” – I will focus on the dogs, parks, cigar shops, cemeteries, and parades.

But this post is all about NOLA food!

BREAKFAST

Bearcat Cafe – Uptown

Plate of four biscuits, with small containers of jelly and butter

Although Kealoha had to work online during the week, her 11:00 am start time on Wednesday allowed us to travel to Bearcat Cafe on Jena Street for breakfast.

We were seated inside, where Kilo and Harley were able to lay quietly under the table and out of the way. Our server was patient with our questions, gave good suggestions for gluten-free / special diet entries, and even shared the recipe for the outstanding cauliflower grits!

(To read more, see my TripAdvisor review of Bearcat Cafe, and more yummy photos!)

Cafe Du Monde

Since this was the first time Leah and Kealoha had visited NOLA, of course we had to take them to a New Orleans classic: Cafe du Monde.

We were staying in an AirB&B on Frenchmen Street, an easy 30-minute walk to Decatur Street and the powdered sugar-coated goodness of beignets and cafe au lait. Again the dogs lay at our feet, unfazed by the people, the boisterous jazz ensemble on the corner, or the little birds seeking sugary crumbs.

Two-photo collage, each with black and white dog lying on ground underneath chairs at Cafe du Monde, New Orleans

To accommodate Kealoha’s work schedule, we went early on a Tuesday morning and were delighted to find many empty tables. We each ordered a cafe au lait and a plate of beignets: three freshly-fried puffs of pastry heaping with powdered sugar. Yum!

Two-photo collage of beignets, cafe au lait, and a man sitting at a table and eating a beignet, taken at Cafe du Monde, New Orleans.
If you don’t end up wearing some powdered sugar, have you even really been to Cafe du Monde?
Two men and two women sitting at small round tables, eating beignets and drinking cafe au lait at Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans

LUNCH

Commander’s Palace

In 2015 Amanda and I had a birthday lunch at Commander’s Palace, and I wanted my sons to have the same great experience. So I encouraged them to have a “day date” with their ladies and take them to a fancy lunch.

Image of two men and two women sitting at table and ready to order lunch at Commander's Palace in New Orleans.
Bird's eye view of restaurant table, with four entries and beverages, and a man and a woman eating. Taken at Commander's Palace, New Orleans

They all ordered the special “Mardi Hog” pork belly lunch, George imbibed in the 25-cent martinis, and the four of them shared a strawberry shortcake for dessert. They came home full and happy!

Two-photo collage, one of "Mardi Hog" lunch plate of pork belly, and one of martini glass with strawberry shortcake dessert in foreground, Commander's Palace, New Orleans

District Donuts, Sliders and Brew

Two plates of desserts on a table, including donuts, cinnamon roll and cookie, with District Donuts, Sliders, Brew box in the background.

One afternoon we grabbed lunch at District Donuts on Harrison, another suggestion of Leah’s. Although we missed breakfast and the Hot Chicken and Honey Butter Biscuit, we were delighted with the sliders and desserts we ordered!

Click link for TripAdvisor review of District Donuts on Harrison.

Coop’s Place

Traveling from Florida, Kealoha and George arrived in New Orleans a few hours before we Texians did. Kealoha had to work, so George found a cigar shop (Crescent City Cigars) and chatted with Tracy, the owner, who recommended we eat at Coop’s Place on Decatur.

We had lunch there the next day, and found Tracy’s recommendation to be spot-on! Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Sausage, Steak Po boy, Cajun Pasta, and Blackened Redfish. All delicious!

Two-photo collage of red beans and rice with smoked sausage, and a steak po boy, taken at Coop's Place in New Orleans.
Close-up view of plate of blackened redfish with green beans and a wedge of lemon on the side, taken at Coop's Place, New Orleans.

And the pups were comfortably tucked under the table, enjoying the smells!

Camellia Grill

Image of a bBowl of gumbo and rice, taken at Camellia Grill in New Orleans.

As we were planning our trip – and our food destinations – I had only one request: Gumbo at Camellia Grill! And it was as delicious as I remembered!

Click here for TripAdvisor review of Camellia Grill plus more photos of deliciousness!

DINNER

Cochon Butcher

Image of muffaletta sandwich, cut into four wedges, on a white plate marked "Butcher," taken at Cochon Butcher in New Orleans.

The only eatery we visited twice in one week, Cochon Butcher’s sandwiches and sides were worth the cross-town drive!

In fact, our second visit was on a Saturday and many streets near Cochon Butcher were blocked off for the Krewe of Pontchartrain parade. That didn’t deter us; we circled tighter and tighter until we were within walking distance, then found a parking spot and walked in the rain to get to our muffaletta and cubano sandwiches. THAT’s how good they were!

See my TripAdvisor review of Cochon Butcher for yummy details!

Clover Grill

Image of white plate with open-face hamburger, fried onions, and waffle sweet potato fries, taken at Clover Grill in New Orleans.

The guys went to the cigar shop and the ladies went to a wine bar. And afterwards, at the bartender’s recommendation, we walked a block or two down Bourbon Street to Clover Grill for great diner food!

See my TripAdvisor review of Clover Grill for more details.

Cooter Brown’s

Tray of raw oysters on the half shell, with a bottle of hot sauce in the foreground, taken at Cooter Brown's in New Orleans.

Another of Leah’s suggestions, noted to have “yummy bar food, po boys, oysters, loaded fries, wings,” was Cooter Brown’s. And the food was, indeed, yummy!

Kealoha was especially excited about the Tuesday Night special – Louisiana raw oysters on the half shell for half-priced dozens. After sharing with the rest of us, she enjoyed nearly 2 dozen!

Image of man in bar slurping raw oyster, with assorted bar food on table before him. Taken at Cooter Brown's in New Orleans.
Spencer enjoyed some of Kealoha’s oyster bounty!

Please go to the end of this blog post for a special tribute which includes raw oysters.

AND FOR DESSERT …

Along with cheesecake and pecan pie at Camellia Grill, and sweet treats from District Donuts, we did seek out one other fabulous dessert shop.

Angelo Brocato

This tiny shop offers the best specialty Italian desserts. We brought home Lemon Ice, rum-flavored Sciallotti gelato, and an array of sweets – including freshly-made cannoli that reminded me of my visit to Sicily a dozen years ago!

Image of two bakery boxes filled with assorted Italian pastries, including fresh cannoli, from Angelo Brocato in New Orleans.
Image of two bakery boxes, tied in string, from Angelo Brocato in New Orleans.

A SPECIAL TRIBUTE

When I started this blog in April of 2012, one of my greatest fans – and a frequent commenter – was Ted Hess, Carrieanna’s uncle and my sweetheart’s older brother.

Ted’s remarks were always encouraging. He appreciated my adventures and, especially, my photography.

Frankly, one of the reasons I’ve maintained this blog is because I knew Ted enjoyed it so much, and it enhanced his connection to Carrieanna in a special way.

Image of standing man and seated young woman, with water and trees in the background. Taken in West Virginia.

Oysters

When I visited New Orleans in 2015, Ted encouraged me to have oysters on the half shell and a beer on his behalf. Alas, I could not bring myself to eat raw oysters, and Ted teasingly commented about that omission.

Ted passed away last November, and I have lost a great fan and supporter.

So when given the opportunity, at Cooter Brown’s, to have a raw oyster in his honor, I had to do it. Kealoha was happy to share her bounty with me.

George suggested I have a Vodka Oyster Shooter. Kealoha and Leah joined me in this toast.

Image of three women, standing at table in a bar, holding raised shot glasses, at Cooter Brown's, New Orleans.
Image of three women, standing at table in a bar, drinking from shot glasses, at Cooter Brown's, New Orleans.
Image of three women, standing at table in a bar, making faces after drinking from shot glasses, at Cooter Brown's, New Orleans.
Yum?

Cheers and Godspeed, Ted. Thank you for your humor, wisdom, and enduring support. We miss you.

Categories
US travel

City of the Dead – Lafayette Cemetery No. 1

Lafayette Cemetery, New Orleans, Garden District, aboveground, burial, stone crypts mausoleums, tombs, family, historic, preservation, wheelchair accessibility, City of the Dead, ©2015 ImagesByRJM

Visiting one of the “Cities of the Dead” was high on my “must-do in New Orleans” list.

Lafayette Cemetery, New Orleans, Garden District, aboveground, burial, stone crypts mausoleums, tombs, Cities of the Dead, ©2015 ImagesByRJM

Our hotel was in the Garden District, so while Amanda was doing homework I went exploring, camera in hand, and found Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.

I visited midmorning on a Saturday and found very few people there – although one man did approach to tell me about the open crypt (see below). I’m pretty sure he was hoping I would ask questions and then give him a tip for being a “tour guide.” I did neither, just politely thanked him.

Continue reading “City of the Dead – Lafayette Cemetery No. 1”
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US travel

Laura, A Creole Plantation

Laura Plantation in Vacherie, Louisiana, New Orleans, April 2015, ©2015 ImagesByRJM

Laura Plantation in Vacherie, Louisiana, New Orleans, April 2015, ©2015 ImagesByRJM

Because “visit a plantation” was one of Amanda’s bucket list items, I asked her to share her thoughts about our tour of Laura, a Creole plantation located along Great River Road in Vacherie, about 35 miles southwest of New Orleans.

Continue reading “Laura, A Creole Plantation”
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US travel

Alligator Cheesecake

swamp tours, Lafitte, Louisiana, April 2015, ©2015 ImagesByRJM

hanging moss, swamp tour, Lafitte, Louisiana, April 2015, ©2015 ImagesByRJMWhen my daughter and I decided to spend a week in NOLA in April, I told her one of my bucket list items was to go on a swamp tour. “Not me, Mom,” she said; she had no interest in going.

But I wanted to go, and didn’t mind making a solo trip.

Continue reading “Alligator Cheesecake”
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US travel

A Taste of New Orleans – Dinner in the French Quarter

French Quarter, ©2015 ImagesByRJM
Crawfish Boil, Original French Market Restaurant, New Orleans

When my firstborn, Amanda, suggested that we travel to New Orleans to celebrate our spring birthdays I quickly said “Yes!” Because hers is in late March and mine is mid-May, we decided that April would be a great meet-in-the-middle time to go.

Plus, the French Quarter Festival was scheduled to be held during the second weekend in April, which was the perfect time for us to visit.

Decatur Street, French Quarters, New Orleans, ©2015 ImagesByRJM
Jackson Square, New Orleans, one of the French Quarter Festival sites.

Whenever we travel we each designate two or three things we “must do” at our destination, ensuring that we’ll experience some of our bucket-list items.

My top two desires: Go on a swamp tour, and walk around the French Quarter and take photos. Amanda’s two wishes were to visit a plantation, and to experience the food for which New Orleans is famous.

Continue reading “A Taste of New Orleans – Dinner in the French Quarter”