Day 16: New Orleans, LA (Rest Day)

Beautiful church in the French Quarter

Laissez les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll)!! Today Mary and I spent a GREAT day in New Orleans. We started the day early with a stroll through the French Quarter, including a stop at the Cafe Du Monde for breakfast. We had to wait a little while in line, but their world famous beignets, French donuts covered in powdered sugar, and cafe au lait were well worth it. While eating we watched a group of Jamaican acrobat street performers that were awesome.

Impressive street performers

Afterwards we visited a local artists' cooperative and then continued our walk down famous Bourbon Street. By the time we had taken everything in it was almost 1pm, and we were already ready for lunch! We once again had a little wait for a table at Acme Oyster House, but once again, it was well worth it. Mary and I both agreed that their char-grilled oysters may be the best thing we've ever tasted. We both had the seafood gumbo and po' boy combo, and they were both delicious. After lunch we explored a little more and I did a little shopping before coming back to the room to rest up. Before we knew it, it was time to hit the streets again to watch the St. Patrick's Day parade. The parade started in the 9th Ward at 6pm, but I had a feeling it wouldn't make it out near us until at least 8pm. 

Bagpipe band in the St. Patrick's Day Parade

We went down around 7:30, and about an hour later the parade came by. There were a lot of floats and people marching in the parade and we got tons of beads without compromising our moral integrity. All in all, it was a super-fun day and a great experience for both of us. Tomorrow we're heading back to the trail, but we'll be leaving New Orleans with a lot of great memories!!