parks – Anything Is Possible Travel

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.

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

. . . 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!