Strolling On Royal

Ask anyone from outside the area what they picture when they think of New Orleans, and chances are their answer will have something to do with crazy parties on Bourbon Street. I think this is unfortunate because, for me, Bourbon Street is the least interesting part of the city. Of course, when visiting New Orleans, you have to experience Bourbon, and it's not unlikely that you will leave there with a great story or two, but to really get a feel for the charm and culture of New Orleans, you have to branch out. 

My two favorite streets in the French Quarter are Chartres, where you can dine at K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen http://www.chefpaul.com/kpaul, browse in some cute boutiques, and catch a glimpse of St. Louis Cathedral, and Royal Street, an art and antique lover's paradise with amazing shops and some fantastic little street bands, including my favorite duo, Tanya and Dorise. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOJAAvLT5YI

I've spent a great deal of time on Royal, but until a few days ago, I had never experienced the Royal Street Stroll, an event that brings together wines from all over the world, some great New Orleans food, jazz music, and, of course, a parade...because nothing in New Orleans is complete without one. My friend Tiffoney and I decided to go, as our husbands were both occupied with other things. At $89 per ticket in advance, and $109 at the gate, it's not an inexpensive event, but the price of entry gets you a wine glass and all the wine samples and food you care to consume. 

We arrived when the event began at 5:30, with our tickets in hand. Although it did move quickly, the line for wristbands was incredibly long, which allowed some time for people-watching. One of my favorite things about New Orleans is the bizarre mix of people that you encounter when you're there, and I immediately noticed while waiting that this crowd was different...different in that we were all kind of the same, that is. While that is the norm on the Northshore where I live, it was a little surprising to me in a city where weird is, well, normal. I missed the weird.

Once we were in and wearing our official bracelets, we made our way down Royal, taking advantage of the fans we were given, which not only served as a map for food and beverage stops, but also helped cool us off on this warm, sticky, South Louisiana night. We sampled several wines and checked out some local art...we even met Michael Mondavi, who was pouring samples of his wine. The lines for wine were fairly short, however, the majority of the food lines were quite long...a dangerous combination. :) Because of this, we missed out on some of the more popular food items but still found some great stuff without enduring long waits.  

While the wine was good, and the food that we did consume was tasty, the highlight for this parade lover was the Krewe of Cork http://www.kreweofcork.com. Decked out in wine and grape costumes, they paraded alongside a jazz band, handing out wine-themed beads and other assorted goodies. The parade route was short, with members basically walking down Royal Street, then meandering back up again. We even heard one krewe member ask someone if he could have his beads back so he would have something to throw when they turned around! The parade was cute and low-key, and everyone in attendance seemed to enjoy the fun. 

The stroll was over at 8:30, although attendees could stick around for as long as they wanted to after it ended. There would just be no more "freebies." As someone who looks for any excuse to hang out in the city, I found this to be a very enjoyable way to spend a Thursday evening. I showed some restraint and didn't buy any artwork, and I was home early enough that my 4:30 a.m. alarm was no more painful than the roundhouse kick to the ribs it normally is on a Friday.  

While the Royal Street Stroll won't be back until next May, there are always plenty of things to do in this quaint and beautiful area of the Quarter. If you come to town, make sure you spend some time exploring the galleries and antique shops on Royal and getting to know some of the local artists. And don't worry...if you have a hankering for a hurricane, an offensive t-shirt, or bad karaoke, Bourbon Street will still be there when you're done.

Krewe of Corks

Tap dancing, banjo playing street performer. 

Post-Fest Blues

Ever get the holiday blues? You've wrapped up the Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities, and while there are exciting possibilities for the new year, there's that inevitable letdown. The "what now?" lull. I used to fall victim to this...then I moved to New Orleans. It's difficult to be too blue with King cakes filling every grocery store, bakery, and even some boutiques beginning the 6th of January, Mardi Gras parades rolling in February, and French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest brightening our (sometimes rainy) days just a few weeks later. I come alive during the first few months of each year. Last Sunday evening, I stood in the front row at the Acura Stage, while the incredibly talented Trombone Shorty (go see him if you can!) brought the most wonderful time of the year to a close for me and thousands of other festers. And for me, it is now that the funk creeps in. The "now what?" begins. I start feeling a little blue...not navy or even royal, but at least a little aquamarine. Sky? Maybe baby blue. I try to cheer myself up with thoughts of crawfish and po-boy festivals, hanging out on Royal Street, crazy races, and other enjoyable events that are certain to take place. It is New Orleans, after all, and there's always something entertaining, if not completely bizarre, going on somewhere. But my two main events are over for the year, and yes, I'm a little sad. I've decided to focus on experiencing some things I haven't tried in my fifteen years here. Checking out some restaurants where I have yet to dine...and there are many. Grabbing my camera and checking out a crazy swamp or voodoo tour. Maybe even exploring a museum or two, although I'm not very museum-y. (Ask me how to see The Louvre in under 30 minutes.) I am sure I will discover some new gems in the city that I love, but for now I'm just going to spend a few days mourning the end of the season that brings me so much joy...those four months that make me absolutely certain I will never want to live anywhere else. I think it's time to go hunt for a meat pie or some crawfish bread. Or maybe there's a stray King cake out there somewhere. A little comfort food couldn't hurt, right? And hey, if I strike out, Fat Tuesday is just a short 300 days away. 

What I think is the most beautiful of all the Mardi Gras floats.

Fat Tuesday with my fellow parade lover...and boy, do I look tired!

Willie Nelson on a rainy day at Jazzfest...still sounded great at 80!

Trombone Shorty. He really puts on a fantastic show.

Ben Harper...one of my favorites.

Festin' in the Rain

When you live in South Louisiana in early May, your two weather choices are basically hot and sunny or rainy, which can turn into hot and sunny (and steamy) in an instant. We've been lucky the past few Jazzfests. I really only remember one rainy day in the three years prior to this one. Sunday, however, was a different story. I had told myself I would stay home and catch up on all the things I had ignored while I was gone all day Friday and Saturday if the forecast for rain turned out to be accurate. But the music called my name, and my 15-year-old and I donned our cute rain boots, threw some trash bags in my "festival bag" in case we chose to sit, grabbed some new rain ponchos from Walgreen's, and headed across the bridge. It was pouring when we arrived at the fairgrounds, so, forgoing fashion, we put on our yellow ponchos, even utilizing the very unattractive hoods, and headed in. The silver linings...no line at the gate and the very nice man who gave us his extra ticket, saving us $65.

The grounds were wet when we arrived...not as wet as they would be later in the day, but wet enough for us to give ourselves a good pat on the back for wearing our boots. I would guess that perhaps 10% of the crowd had on boots. The rest were wearing sneakers, flip-flops, or (gasp) nothing at all on their feet! Truthfully, if you're wearing flip-flops, you may as well just go barefoot, and most flip-flop wearers ended up that way, with shoes sunk so deeply into the mud that they could hardly lift their feet.

We did have some sun during the middle of the day, but the rains returned just as Dave Matthews began playing. It wasn't a rain for sissies, and it seemed to gain momentum each time he sang a hit song. The amount of mud increased, but so did the fun. I won't lie and say we stayed until the end. We became a little cold, then a little miserable, then we just wanted to be home. We had a great rainy day, and we were glad we went, but washing off Jazzfest in a hot bath was pretty good too. 

It's supposed to rain Thursday and Friday of weekend #2. And even though Saturday and Sunday look like sunny days, the grounds are going to be a sloppy mess. Here are a few tips for those of you heading out this weekend. 

Rainy Fest Do's
Pack a poncho.
Bring trash bags or a tarp to sit on.
Bring a Ziploc bag for your cell phone
Don't forget about sunscreen...we only had two hours of sunshine in between rains, yet we both ended up with a mild sunburn.
Bring your sunglasses for the same reason.
Invest in some boots!  *Ladies, a cute pair will make your plastic poncho a little less awful.
If you opt to not wear boots, try to find a grassy spot early in the day so you're not standing barefoot in a mud pit.
Ignore the rain and enjoy some great music. You did pay $65, after all.

Rainy Fest Don'ts
Don't wear white!
Don't wring out your skirt in front of a crowd if it's very short and you have on a thong.  Or do if you want to...it's Jazzfest. :)
Don't bring your infant! (Seems like common sense, I know.)
Don't go in a port-o-potty barefoot! Just eew!
Don't bust out a giant umbrella when you're in the middle of a large crowd.
*On a related note, umbrella hats...not a good look. Don't buy one.
Don't assume the people around you will think kicking mud all over your friend is funny. It gets on us too, and we just think you're kind of a jerk.
Don't bail too early. Watching Dave Matthews play while thousands of people danced in sideways rain was really pretty darn fun.

*With regard to plastic bags over shoes...I'm not sure whether that's a do or a don't, but it reminds me of the kids who wore bread sacks over their shoes when I was in elementary school...and it makes me giggle a little. 

Happy Festing!