24 Hours in New Orleans

This week Mom and I made our way south for a quick visit in New Orleans and to see Gramps in Covington. We arrived in New Orleans at 2:30pm on Tuesday, and by 3:30 on Wednesday we were on our way across Lake Ponchetrain towards Covington. Although we only had 24 hours in New Orleans, we made sure we experienced the best the town has to offer, from "World-Famous" French Quarter bars to traditional French-Creole cuisine, Oysters on the half shell to Shrimp Po' Boys, we made the most of a short trip. Here's how the trip broke down:

2:30PM Halloween comes early in Uptown

We checked into the Hampton Inn, Garden District, on St. Charles Avenue, conveniently located about halfway between Uptown and the French Quarter. We took a drive around the area, through Tulane and Loyola's neighboring campuses, through Audubon Park, past Audubon Zoo, and past many traditional Uptown homes. A city known for cemeteries and Voodoo culture, New Orleans takes Halloween seriously! Many of the homes had decorations on porches, in yards, on the house, and these were not amateur, store-bought cobwebs and such, but rather well thought out Halloween experiences. A yard full of Skeletons all with clever names, or a haunted house that had transformed its entranceway into dilapidated columns, with a sign "Nightmare on State Street" across the front. Halloween decorations were not limited to Uptown, and in fact, were more prevalent and canny in the Quarter.

5PM My First Hurricane

Mom made sure that our trip included a visit to the famous Pat O'Briens bar on St. Peter Street in the French Quarter. She also made sure to let me know a trip to Pat O'Briens wasn't complete without a Hurricane. I wasn't sure what was in a Hurricane, but it was 26 oz of something very sweet, so sweet that I was unable to finish it!

Pat O'Brien's Hurricane:
In a 26 oz. Hurricane glass, mix
4 oz. of Pat O'Brien's Hurricane Rum or a good Dark Rum
4 oz. of Pat O'Brien's Hurricane Mix
Fill with crushed ice
Garnish with an orange and cherry

Pat O'Briens has been around since the days of Prohibition, but in 1933, it was converted into a legitimate establishment. In the 1940's, the Hurricane Drink was created, due to a shortage of Whiskey. Since Rum was available, and bartenders began creating new drink

We sat outside at tables in a beautiful courtyard, with a large fountain that had a fire coming out of it in addition to water! The clientele was a mix of locals and tourists, eager to experience the tradition. Inside, there is still dueling pianos, with a show either during the day or at night, every day of the week.

6:30 An Oyster Appetizer

From one New Orleans tradition to another...Mom and I walked a few blocks to the Acme Oyster House in search of some Oysters before heading to our 7:30 dinner reservation. the original Acme Café was opened on Royal Street in the French Quarter in 1910, but moved to Oberville Street in the 20's. As their website says,"Acme has been pleasing the palates of discriminating diners ever since." When we arrived, there was a long line outside, but we jumped to the front in hopes of getting a seat at the bar. Just our luck, there were 2 seats available!

We each ordered martinis and a dozen chargrilled oysters on the half shell. The cafe was packed, with trays of fresh seafood being carried around, and men shucking oysters just a few feet away. These men were truly showmen, chatting up those sitting at the oyster bar, showing off their mastery of shucking an oyster - of finding the best place to insert the blade and pry open the shell in a matter of seconds.

Our oysters arrived within 15 minutes, steaming hot with a gorgeous aroma of butter and cheese! The recipe is simple, and effective:
Top raw oysters with Creole Seasoning (Tony's or similar), garlic butter and Romano cheese. Grill on high 2-3 minutes, add more garlic butter, grill ad additional 2-3 minutes and serve hot with lemon and french bread.


7:30PM The Tradition of Galatoire's

I grew up hearing stories about the famous restaurants in New Orleans that my mom and her family frequented while growing up. Places such as Antoine's, where walls are filled with memorablilia and dining rooms have themes, such as the Rex Room, named for the elite Mardi Gras Krewe, featuring pictures of my grandfather and other family members hang.

Galatoire's celebrated 100 years in 2005, and six years after Katrina, it has remodeled and received a face lift, but the menu, service and ambiance are exactly the same and full of time honored customs and traditions. Located at 209 Bourbon Street, the French-Creole restaurant has a nondescript facade, no neon signs or loud music, no tourist drink offerings or cabaret girls lingering outside - instead, patrons arrive in dresses and jackets and often come for lunch, and stay for dinner.

We

Fall in Highlands, NC

Atlanta finally starts to cool off in late September and the mornings become cool and crisp. However, even in October temperatures can soar into the 80's and it seems that we go straight from summer to winter without much opportunity to enjoy the transitional weather (and clothes!). I have found a solution. Well, actually my parents are the ones who have, but I have taken advantage of the situation. They are building a home in Highlands, North Carolina about 2h15 north of Atlanta, close to the GA/NC border. Temperatures are 10-20 degrees cooler in summer and fall, and a perfect retreat from the Atlanta heat, and to enjoy magnificent fall foliage!

At 4,118 feet above sea level, Highlands is a mountain town in the southern Appalachian Mountains, and a neighbor of Cashiers. Highlands was founded in 1875 and by the 1930's it had become a golfing mecca when Bobby Jones and friends founded Highlands Country Club. I have had the opportunity to play the course many times, as my parents are members. It is a beautiful course, with tight fairways, beautiful vistas and sometimes you'll even see the family of black bears between the 5th and 6th fairways!





In addition to the spectacular views around Highlands Country Club, the area boasts many hiking trails, located in The Nantahala National Forest. One of my favorites, is the easy hike up Satulah Mountain, where the summit is part of the 1909 Highlands - Cashiers Land Trust. The 1,700 acres are protected from any development for all time.




I also really enjoy the short Glen Falls hike, which is a steep trail descending to great mountain views, and zig zags along a waterfall, so you stop at the top, middle, and bottom to see different views of the cascading falls. At the bottom section, visitors are advised not to go over the railings, but because water levels were low, we sometimes break the rules and got closer to take pictures.



If we get up early enough, we'll drive towards Cashiers and do the 2.5 mile loop hike up Whiteside Mountain. It's a great way to start the day, before the mid day and afternoon crowds flood the trail. The trail leads to a ridge with magnificent views, and on a clear morning you can see many miles. As we hike the ridge, we always make sure not to get close to the edge, as the cliffs drop straight down. There are several overlooks along the trail, and sometimes we'll even see rock climbers repelling.





A couple weekends ago, I visited my parents at their temporary residence, a condo at Highlands Mountain Club. It had cooled off some in Atlanta, but reached low 30's in the mountains! We spent Saturday on the golf course, and although it was in the mid 40's, the sky was a deep blue and the sun was out. Later that afternoon we played croquet, layered in every piece of white clothing we had!


Sunday, I decided to take Franklin road out of town, to follow the Cullasaja river past the waterfalls and to explore an area of the National Forest I had not seen in a while. The road is steep at times, with hairpin turns, but a wonderful drive for those interested in following the Cullasaja river, seeing the waterfalls and enjoying fall colors Bridal Veil Falls is a small waterfall located on a curve off Franklin Road, that offers visitors the chance to walk behind the falls and stay dry. These falls are the first of a series of waterfalls on a 9 mile stretch of the road, ending in Cullasaja Falls. .



I continued north west towards Franklin and stopped a few times before getting to Dry Falls. Recently, they added a large parking lot and toilets to encourage visitors to stop and walk down to the falls. It is a little too touristy for me, but it is very family friendly and a pleasant activity for anyone who likes standing behind a waterfall and being sprayed with mist!



On my way back to Highlands, I stopped on the side of the road a few times just to step into the woods and get a closer view of the Cullasaja River. On one such exploration, I stumbled upon two fly fishermen who were waist deep in the river, having a conversation about work. They were surrounded by the changing colors of fall, in a serene place, with only the sound of cars passing on the highway, and yet they still couldn't seem to escape from their work.



My final stop that day was on the shoulder of the road, right at a sharp turn (probably not the best place to park) where sunlight bouncing off rocks and a waterfall hit my eye. I swerved off the road, jumped out of my car and climbed over several huge rocks until I found the perfect vantage point. From onlookers, it may have appeared like I was a little crazy: balancing on the edge of a boulder, halfway across the creek, switching lenses on my camera and hunched down to get the right angle. I don't care, though :-)



As I wait for the leaves on trees outside of my apartment window to loose their chlorophyll, change to yellows and reds and embrace fall, I wonder if all of the leaves have changed in Highlands. Have I missed it? Will all the leaves be gone by the next time I visit? Only time will tell. Until then, I'll be patient and wait for the cool nights and shorter days that bring Autumn colors

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Welcome to Miami...

We were long overdue for a W&L girls reunion, and after much debate on locale, Kara finally won with her choice of Miami Beach. We planned our trip for June 24-24, 2011- a long weekend in South Beach! I have never been, and while Miami isn't on my travel wish list, it was sure to be a great weekend with my favorite girls. The 6 of us settled on a boutique hotel in the Art Deco area of Miami Beach called The Blue Moon Hotel. When the trip got closer, we soon found out Elizabeth was pregnant, and would not be able to make the trip. Slammed with work, Rebecca also had to bow out so the magnificent 6 shrunk to 4.





I met Kara on Friday evening and quickly realized that we did not fit in with the South Beach crowd. Perhaps we were better suited for West Palm or Naples? Due to bad weather on the east coast, Audrey and Allison had delayed flights and Audrey didn't make the trip. Allison arrived at the hotel at 4am! So, Kara and I spent Friday evening walking the most touristy strip, up Ocean Drive past restaurants that started to look the same. One after another, we were stopped by hostesses with eastern European accents who did their best to convince us that we should eat at their establishment, and they each had an offer for us - 20% off all drinks, 30% off dinner, etc. None of which we fell for, but ultimately our stomachs won and we stopped at one that felt the least touristy. I cant even remember the name of it, but the food wasn't memorable and the drinks were too big!

Saturday we spent a couple hours at the beach but it was very hot so we decided to walk around town and grab lunch and window shop on Lincoln Lane. The street is blocked off to pedestrians and is essentially an open air mall with restaurants sprawling on the sidewalks. This was a great opportunity for people watching, and we were amazed by the colorful array of personalities, ethnicities, and wardrobe choices that pranced in front of our front row spot on the promenade!




We decided on the Big Pink for dinner, part of a family of restaurants that came highly recommended. We should have selected one of the sister restaurants, as this diner had a menu the size of my bed, with every dish under the sun - obviously they had no specialties.

We left dinner hoping that we would have better luck on our 3rd night! We had been told that Nikki Beach Club was THE place to see and be seen, so we walked over there around 10pm and it was empty. Well, maybe 10 people leftover from afternoon drinking, but that was all. We quickly found out that Nikki Beach Club has events on Sundays and that is the day to go!

Strike 2.

We asked the bartender for a recommendation and she looked us up and down and said "try the Delano Hotel". Bingo. It was the most spectacular hotel I have seen in a while. The lobby was a bar in itself, with well dressed men and women sipping cocktails and eating sushi. We made our way through the lobby and out back down staris that descended into a large backyard of palm trees, lifesize Chess sets and finally, a pool with lounges and bungalos and a tikki bar. It was wonderful. We sipped our mojitos and danced in the shallow pool and lounged on beds. Until the thunderstorm came and we luckily made it inside before we got soaked!




Sunday we spent most of the day at the beach, despite heavy clouds and a looming thunderstorm. We rented an umbrella and it was very peaceful with the breeze from the ocean. We made a reservation at BLT Steak for dinner, knowing that we would be happy with our final dinner choice, and also aware of the price we would pay for it! It was absolutely delicious! The wine was overpriced, beginning at $12 a glass, upwards of $20! The steak was perfection. All three of us ordered the small filet, an appetizer salad and plenty of sides to share. And the sauces..oh the sauces!




After dinner we moved outside to the patio for dessert and coffee. What a wonderful meal - so wonderful that we decided not to try out a club, but instead return to the hotel!

I very much enjoyed being with Kara and Allison, but wish Audrey, Elizabeth and Rebecca had been with us. I did not love South Beach, and probably will not return, but it was a nice escape from the ordinary, and definitely an adventure!