And that's where Nicholas Cage lived.....

When Matt and I travel, we like to pick up little tidbits about cities that you wouldn't know unless you had been there. Tour guides, whether downloaded, podcasted or in person are helpful to accomplish this task. In New Orleans we found a bus tour. It was a two hour (or was supposed to be a 2 hour) tour that would show us the French Quarter, a traditional cemetery, City Park, the Garden district Magazine street, the Warehouse district, and some of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina ( can you see why it really turned into 3 1/2). Along the way the guide was to impart witty repartee and historical facts that impressed us. Worth $49? Sure!

So we arrived at the designated spot at 2:30 as instructed and waited. While waiting we scoped out the people we would be trapped, stuck, riding along with on our tour. They were normal enough (duh duh duhhhhh)

Also while we were waiting we chatted with a lighting coordinator from the movie "Now You See Me" which was being filmed in New Orleans that week. We saw several crews working on our trip around town. Apparently New Orleans offers a 30% tax rate on the film industry as opposed to a 10% in Low Angeles, so it makes more sense and money to shoot there. The incentive must be working because our guide said more movies were filmed in NOLA than LA this year.

Anyway back to the bus. We climbed aboard just in time, because as we got situated, the rain moved in. 

First we toured the French Quarter, and while passing Jackson Square we got to see a little of an acrobatic routine. I didn't catch the guy in action, but the one in the green bandanna had just flipped over (lengthwise) that line of people!

From there we saw homes that were 300 years old and learned the differences/reasons for Creole and Cajun culture. But the best part was the lady behind us that would NOT stop talking. She was a hot mess. She was having the best time. She could care less about the difference between a balcony and a gallery or how slave owners bought townhouses for the mistresses. But when our guide said "And there's Brad and Angelina's house" OOOOWEEEE, she got so excited. In fact that is the only time the people on our buses ooooed and awwwed, when they past a movie set or saw a "famous" person's home.

I mean you are looking at a monastery that survived a fire because it magically started raining the minute it was at their doorstep, but you only get our your camera when we pass Nicholas Cage's house, that is being foreclosed?!?!?!

Then we passed Louis Armstrong park, where Jazz music was literally invented....crickets....but the guide mentioned Lion King was coming to the theatre there and  Lord, "Oh! Lion King, that is an amazing show...oh we need to get tickets.....is it here this week?" 

It didn't hinder my enjoyment in any way, Matt and I just joined in to make it fun for us. Every time the guide pointed out something historically cool, as in Degas' house we would whisper "I wonder if Brad Pitt's been there?" Or when we saw the Creole mansions we would say "I think that's where Double Jeopardy was filmed!" Hehehe.

Here are a few cool things we really enjoyed on the tour.

The Cemetery. The big tombs are family owned and hold all the members of your family. There is a long explanation of how they can do that, you can google it. But that is the reason you see several names outside one tomb. The wall around the cemetery had tombs for the poorer citizens of NOLA, they could be used again and again as well, the only difference is they push the previous "owners" remains to the back when they need to put a fresh friend in, instead of stacking them on top of each other.

This sign was under the wall section, just thought I'd let y'all know....

Next we went to City Park. I didn't even know this place existed! It was gorgeous. In fact we went back on our own the next day because the 10 min stop was no where near enough. It had amazing Oak trees with the infamous spanish moss and resurrection ferns everywhere. Plus lakes, swans, statue gardens and an Art museum. The pictures do not do it justice at all....

This was about 15-20 ft tall and called "Karma" so cool!

 Can you tell those are violins!

 This was called, "No Escape" and was dedicated to Katrina Victims.

 Oak trees.

After all that beauty, we headed to the 9th ward and saw so much blight and destruction. It was very hard to look at and imagine what these people endured in 2005. 

There is some rebuilding going on, including a musicians village funded by Wynton Marsalis, to bring back local musicians. And the famous "Brad Pitt" homes which are "green." Meaning their utilities bill is about $18 a month! Here are some shots of the good and bad. The pictures are rough because a. we were moving b. it was raining and c. it's a phone camera. Sorry, yo.

House that is mostly washed away.

House in Musician's Village. They were told to pick bright colors, but they all selected their own.

More musician's village..

A memorial that displays the water levels the floods reached throughout NOLA. (blue columns)

Green (Pitt) homes, super funky looking...some in a good way...some eh?

And then....Archie and Olivia Manning's (Peyton and Eli's parents) house! OHHHHHHHH!  ( In the Garden District, not the lower 9th)

There was obviously so so so much more. Those were just the things I got shots of and remember.

I highly recommend going on city tour in a new town. In Charleston, SC I did a carriage tour that was fascinating....in Chicago a river/architecture tour...NOLA it was a bus. But as hokey as it sounds, you really learn so much. Especially when you only have a few days to take in a whole city, it's the best way to get a lot in.

 Tomorrow.....how to eat 8 meals in a day AND drink at the Roosevelt!