| Miles | MPG | Avg. Speed | |
| 1326.8 | 42.1 | 60 |
| Priceline* | Hotel* | $ Savings | % Savings | |
| New Orleans Downtown Marriott At The Convention Center (4-star) | $73.46 ($61) | $178.08 ($159) | $104.62 | 59% |
* New hotel data format. Priceline amount includes all taxes and fees paid while hotel amount includes the hotel’s web rate plus an average 12% room tax. In parentheses is the hotel’s base-rate from their website and my Priceline winning bid, respectively.
Friday – Arrival
Within minutes of arriving in New Orleans I learned a Cardinal Rule:
Thou Shalt Learn the Parade Schedule and Keep It Holy
As I blithely followed the directions given by my GPS app toward my hotel, I discovered that someone had dumped a big ol’ party in the way.
Worse, it wasn’t just one parade, it was two – following much the same routes but with staggered start times. The GPS offered the suggestion of cutting through the French Quarter … via Bourbon Street … on a Friday night … during (albeit oddly scheduled due to the Super Bowl) Mardi Gras. Yeah … that would end well.
So I backed and filled my way down the city looking for a way through and, eventually, made my way around the crowds at the starting point of the parade and got to the river. Once there I had a clear shot to my hotel, but the traffic and crowds had turned the ten-hour drive from Orlando into something closer to twelve.
My plan had been to drop my things at the room and then park at the Harrah’s garage down the street, since they offer 24-hours of parking with thirty-minutes of gambling. Since I was going to gamble over the weekend anyway, this was a much better deal than the $31/day the hotel wanted. But with the drive and stress of getting past the parades I decided to call it a night.
So I got a mediocre shrimp po’ boy from room service and called it a night.
Saturday
I started Saturday early by walking into the French Quarter and having First Breakfast at Café Dumonde – beignets and black chicory coffee. Then I spent some time walking around the Quarter early enough to be out before the day’s bread deliveries were brought in.
The GPS turned itself off early that day, so no track, but I walked down through the French Market to the Old Mint, then farther up into the Quarter before heading back through it to Canal and then took a stroll down Bourbon Street.
Bourbon Street was empty, but those who were out … including these guys and their eight friends who passed me … were already hitting the Bud Light at 9:30 AM.
After browsing through some galleries and shops, it was time for Second Breakfast, which was a bacon, egg, and cheese po’ boy at Johnny’s, followed by more wandering through the Quarter.
Apparently New Orleans turns me into a Hobbit, because it was soon time to combine Elevenses and Lunch with another stop at Johnny’s – this time for a shrimp po’ boy that was significantly better (bigger shrimp and not as powerfully seasoned) than the one I got at the hotel the night before.
I caught the streetcar to the cemetery district and spent a peaceful afternoon touring the tombs.
On the way back from the cemeteries, I got a second lesson in learning the parade schedule when the street car stopped and it was announced that the rest of the line was closed and we all got to walk from there.
If you look closely, way far in the distance, past the last, tiniest palm tree, you can see Harrah’s, my destination.
So I went back to my room, showered, and moved my car to the Harrah’s parking garage to avoid further parking fees, then spent the evening at the tables.
After gambling I wandered around the Quarter for a bit, but the average blood-alcohol level was too high for my taste, so I headed back to the room for the night, stopping at Mulate’s near the hotel for dinner.
The BBQ shrimp were average, with more heat than flavor, but the fried crawfish tails were wonderful.
Sunday
The GPS worked Sunday and I wish it had been working Saturday, because I know I covered more ground Saturday and I’d like to know how much more than seven miles it was.
The morning started the same, with First Breakfast at Café Dumonde and then a stroll through the Quarter. Sunday’s Second Breakfast was at Stanley near Jackson Square where I got an Eggs Benedict po’ boy.
Such a simple change to replace the english muffin with french bread, but it made a very tasty difference.
Full of food, I headed for the National WWII Museum.
WWII Medal of Honor Recipients Wall
Monday
Up at 6:00 AM to get out of the hotel and retrieve my car from Harrah’s, then into the Quarter for breakfast – driving this time. Parking was difficult even this early, because much of the parking lots were covered with equipment for the Super Bowl the next weekend.
All of that enclosed by the temporary wall and cones should have been open parking spaces. Even Jackson Square was mostly closed to the public while they built the CBS event spaces for the game.
I finally found parking near the French Market before walking back for beignets, coffee, and a final eggs benedict po’ boy to tide me over for the drive home.
