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The pandemic was winding down and we had traveled domestically in 2021, but still weren't ready for International travel. Even though Minneapolis had given us Covid in the summer.
So, why not New Orleans? For 10 days starting the end of November.
Our hotel was on the northern fringe of the French Quarter, making it easier to go in there for meals, beignets and atmosphere. We took in a show at Preservation Hall and ate gumbo. The Christmas Parade was held while we were there. More beads than we really needed. As is our habit in a new city, we took a walking tour that started around Jackson Square.
The City, Audubon and Louis Armstrong Parks are really nice green areas. City Park hosts the sculpture garden with its unique objects and the Christmas Lights show is held there, adjacent to the amusement park. It's been a while since we’d been on a ferris wheel.
Audubon Park features the Zoo which features local wildlife.
We took a commuter ferry over to Algiers and walked the Jazz Walk. And did a riverboat paddle wheeler cruise that featured a small jazz band.
We rented a car and drove out to the Barataria Preserve and saw alligators alongside its boardwalks.
We took in tours of two plantations - Laura and Oak Alley. Laura was more upfront about the slave era; it didn't really come up at Oak Alley.
And of course we did three kayak outings, an urban paddle at Bayou St John with Trishelle of Kayak-iti-yak, and then two rural outings with Jessica and Honey Island Kayaking on the Pearl River cypress swamp and the Cane Bayou.. bayou. We were treated to a tiny gator on Cane Bayou.
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