When we last left off we were happy as clams, leaving Savannah for New Orleans. The drive was easy - only 3 hours - and we were feeling good. As we drove it got more interesting to look out the window, but sadly pictures really can't do it justice. I can't get a good panoramic shot on my phone. But one spot I think I could capture was this super long bridge across Lake Pontrachain.
It was so neat! You can see the city far in the distance. We went over a whole lot of bridges, though this was the longest over a body of water. I think because it's the low country they have to make the roads more secure and most of the them are higher up.
When we arrived in New Orleans we were both thrilled because it was officially farther west than either of us had been in the US and therefore novel to us both. Unfortunately this is about where it started to go wrong. The hotel we checked into looked lovely on their website, and was listed as a top choice in our Lonely Planet USA guide. I will say with complete confidence that I hope no one checks in there again, ever.
The Columns Hotel is listed on the national historic register, and it is/was really beautiful. You can tell that in its time it was gorgeous with character. Not anymore. Now it is visibly dirty and undergoing renovations which begin at 7:30 in the morning, LOUDLY.
We knew our room would be small because we are on a budget, but we were in the far back of the hotel in a tiny, loud, sad little room that was so far from the lobby our internet didn't work. They kindly suggested we use our laptop in the lounge. I think if you advertise in room high speed internet, you should provide it. This isn't the 1800s. This is why I haven't put anything on here. Whatever, these were annoyances but not the worst things and we were still happy to be in the Big Easy.
By now Matt and I were both hungry and we had been told by a couple people to go to El Gato Negro for their fresh margaritas and Mexican food. I don't usually like this type of cuisine because it is so hard for me to find anything on the menu I can eat, but I don't say no to a good drink! We had a lovely time. The margaritas were yummy with fresh squeezed juices.
I ordered ceviche which they prepare table-side and our waiter was a good sport and let me take his picture.
This was our first meal in NOLA
After our arrival snack we went back to the room. The plan was to hang out for a while and decide what to do for dinner. We never got that far though because my head cold that had been kept in check so far picked this time to rear its ugly head. I had all the yucky symptoms and slept fitfully till the next morning. I felt bad and wanted Matt to go out but he is such a doll he stayed with me even though I'm sure it was no fun at all. In the morning I felt loads better (20 hours of sleep can do that to you) but not perfect, yet I wanted to go explore. We only had one more day and night and I didn't want to waste it. I took all the dayquil and mucinex I thought I could and we went down to breakfast.
Here is another place where the Columns really screwed up. They advertise a complimentary full southern breakfast. What they actually put out is prepackaged danish and hardboiled eggs with either coffee or juice to drink. That's it. I feel generations of southern women turning in their graves at the outrageous notion that this pitiful display is anything close to a full southern breakfast. Besides being laughable it is also dangerous. Matt eats everything. I swear he has a cast-iron stomach with all that he can put in there. Yet, all it took was 1 damn egg at a run down joke of a hotel to lay him flat.
At first he thought it was a little indigestion and we kept to our plan of exploring the french quarter. There was a lovely restaurant we found called Green Goddess that had innovative cocktails as well as food we could both eat and enjoy. Even though he felt kind of gross at this point he looked at the menu and picked out brunch. He had a hash of duck confit, fingerling potato hash and boudin with a poached egg and sweet potato biscuit. I had a vegan curry with fresh coconut slaw. For drinks Matt tried a mint julep and I got a smoked tomato bloody mary. Everything here was delicious and the location (down a hidden alley we would not have found without my iphone's GPS) was calm and perfect.
As soon as the meal was done though, we had to haul ass back to the hotel because Matt was not at all well. This is one of the very few times I wish I could drive only so he wouldn't have to. He was hot and cold, back and forth. It was not good. We got to the room around noon and didn't leave it again till 8 that night. Clearly something was wrong. I was worried but all I could really do was try and push fluids and be there. I think Matt saw more of our bathroom than anything else in NOLA.
He felt a little better around 8 so we walked to a neighborhood restaurant called Lillette which was tasty but I don't think Matt was feeling tip top yet (I still don't think he is all better and I'm writing this on Friday - it began on Wednesday).
Not much to say after that. We checked out Thursday morning and drove to a random town in Texas called Beaumont. Nothing there but flatness. And I swear their non-smoking hotel room had been smoked in very recently. We both had sore throats and stuffy noses almost instantly.
Today (Friday) we drove to Dallas. In our original plan we were going to go to Austin, but I made the suggestion that we skip it this trip. My cousin Andrew lives there but he is in Colorado this weekend. I think I didn't want to go there and love it and have to leave. We only allotted one night and because of our budget we would have to stay in a hotel way outside town. After driving all day and having to check out in the morning I thought instead of being disappointed I would rather head north and check out Dallas and leave Austin for when I have more that 20 hours. So thats what we did. This new plan means we have time to go to Oklahoma city now. I don't know if Matt realizes what he is in for, but it is gonna be show tune central up in here tomorrow. OOOOOOOO kla homa, where the wind comes whistling down the plain . . .
While we drove to Dallas today we passed a freaking tall statue of Sam Houston:
The picture doesn't do it justice - this is an enormous white figure by the side of the road. Most of the other things we saw weren't easy to photograph. The endless fields of cows and trees don't come out as epic on film as they are to fly past as 75 MPH (that is the speed limit here almost everywhere!! I spend most of my time clutching the door handle for no reason).
When Dallas itself was in the distance I tried for a couple shots because I think it is actually a pretty city
Now we are in a best western near the airport about to get ready to go to dinner at the Dallas Nobu. I am excited!!! So excited that I am classing it up with a pre game of Sutter Home Chardonnay bought at a gas station on the way here.
Must get this show on the road . . .
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