In 2009, our road-trip plans included a swing through New Orleans in part to experience the delectable cuisine that this region had to offer. Due to the job offer at the time, we detoured and never made it to the Big Easy. As a reward of sorts to surviving our first home buying experience and our renovation to follow, we picked up two tickets South to visit the missed destination from two years ago. Before we headed South, Kims father Rizalde and his wife Mila had also decided to make the trek to join us on our culinary excursion, making this a family adventure with like minded food connoisseurs. With Rizalde and Mila arriving before us, they had the advantage to scope out the area prior to our arrival and sample some of the world famous cuisine prior to use, admittedly, making me a bit jealous. Staying at the W Hotel downtown, we were only two blocks from the French Quarter, making it an easy jaunt to the famous area of New Orleans. Upon arrival, family hugs and celebration were at hand with a couple of cocktails to boot at the hotel.
Our first evening included a walk through the Quarter, one of many as I had found out that the French Quarter is all about walking, walking, and more walking. I found the area to be a bit dirty compared to Toronto and DC but in line with New York City. Yes, I know, Katrina happened here big time but come on, it's 2011 and as the locals told us, the trucks of donated money to the region went to the 'tourist' areas to generate future growth but at least buy some vacuum trucks I have seen in other major cities. Moving past the trash, we enjoyed an excellent first dinner in New Orleans with a locally recommended hole-in-the-wall place that is known for the best fried chicken. Can't say the fired chicken was the best at all, even a bit over-done, but they did feature the best fried pickles I have ever experienced. The night ended up with a tour back along the famous Bourbon Street, accompanied with stops at various bars to keep the to-go cups full as it is truly legal to have open container! 
New Orleans provided my wife's father and his wife with a great opportunity to attend a time-share presentation, allowing us to experience a bus tour of the city, all parts of the city. This opened our eyes to the famous 9th ward in New Orleans where Brad Pitt has a project and where little recovery money was spent, but after understanding why this would just return to another ghetto, the money was spent better elsewhere, democracy in motion. In addition, it gave us some quick insight into the crazy history of New Orleans, prompting us to take a ghost tour and a visit to a true Voodoo shop.
The ghost tour itself opened our eyes to some crazy history and stories in the French Quarter. Kim having an experiencing of seeing a ghost at a hotel property during a bathroom stop prior to realizing it's history, made the walking tour that much more interesting. Hangings, slavery, rape, dismemberment, torture, and overall craziness were all parts of story during this tour. The Blacksmith shop was quite interesting with being the oldest operating bar in the United States and a history of a child death on it's premises. Our picture from the other side of the road showing a child figure and an adult figure in the foreground, made this trip well worth it and landed Josh's ass back in the seat of realism and some belief in the super-natural.
This ghost tour led us to a palm and tarot reading in the square. If we did not believe in this 'junk' before as Josh did, this left us with way to many thoughts and beliefs to ponder. Her accuracy was beyond explanation and left us knowing that there is something beyond and perhaps there truly is a Twilight Zone. This evening also included a trip to an Absinthe bar which may have attributed to the experience with the traditional serving of the liquor, but in the end, I truly believe that there is more out there, call it supernatural or not.
Cocktails, family, great dinners of Frenchman's street, fantastic Jazz bands, and plenty of walking, made this excursion well worth it. From visiting a scene from the Bond movie (Live and Let Die (see below)), to the famous beignet (Kim and father Rizalde), a true Absinthe bar, and great family time, we will hit this road again with the next stop being the Philippines.
