Hey all. I am home after a trip back to New Orleans. The actual travel was a bit rough (I didn’t board any of my original flights), but all-in-all everything went as well as one could hope. For those reading this blog for the first time, my family and I just went to New Orleans this past March during the school’s spring break.
When I got back home from that trip, my last post on New Orleans was about the things I wanted to do on my next trip to the city. I named it When I Go Back to New Orleans… Yes, very creative. It just so happens that things worked out for me to go back this month, less than a year after my last visit. My goal was to do everything in that post and more. Let’s see how well I did!
Finish the national World war II Museum
The museum is extremely well done and also very large. If you have any aspirations of getting the whole experience, then it takes a time commitment. Since I didn’t see the whole museum last time, I dedicated a whole day to the museum, open to close (9-5). Guess what? That still wasn’t enough! Fortunately, the bad weather outside the next day made for a great reason to go back to the museum. That extra day is what it took for me to see every exhibit on display. I finally saw the whole thing!
That is not to say it is impossible to get through the whole thing in one visit. It just depends on the depth desired in looking at all the exhibits. I am one who is thorough in my reading and watching. I have a post or two coming in the future about the visits. For now, brush up on the museum with my post, National World War II Museum: A Must Visit in New Orleans.
Did I meet my goal? Yep, with the help of an extra day!
Battle of New Orleans Reenactment at Chalmette Battlefield
I vaguely remember hearing about the Battle of New Orleans. It was years ago from a documentary about the War of 1812 I believe. I wanted to learn more about the battle before traveling to New Orleans, so I read a book. It is a fascinating battle. There is the underdog aspect, great quotes, and even pirates. Seems perfect for HBO or Netflix!
Anyway, I couldn’t quite make good on this one exactly and may never be able to do so. That’s because the organizers discontinued the full reenactments. Yes, very sad. There was a commemoration on January 8th, which was the date of the main engagement at Chalmette Battlefield. Hence why I went back to New Orleans when I did. It was still worth attending though even staff there felt it was strange I made the trip for it. I’ll get more into the experience in a separate post. Check out Visiting Chalmette: 7 Interesting Things About the Battle of New Orleans for more info in the meantime.
Did I meet my goal? Yes, with a caveat since a full reenactment isn’t done anymore.
Jazz Jazzy Jazz
Listening to live jazz in the place of its birth struck a chord with me last time. I only made it to one venue then, but this time made sure to visit several. Nights equaled jazz. Literally, it was every night including four nights of Jamil Sharif. Glorious, glorious. I even made it to the New Orleans Jazz Museum one day to learn more about this culture-defining music.
It’s hard to put into words because I don’t listen to jazz much at home. Attempting to explain this to someone at one of the clubs, the guy stopped me midsentence and knowingly just said “I know.” If you get it, you just get it. Here’s what I wrote about it last time: Jazz Up Your Trip to New Orleans and Life at Home.
Did I meet my goal? Affirmative, five times over!
Beignets and Au Laits
Oh, boy. Is there any doubt that a trip to Cafe Beignet would be one of the first things I do? That amazing sugary fried dough washed down with a perfect cup of au lait. That’s how you start your day. I’ve had both back home and it just isn’t the same.
Did I meet my goal? You know it!
Was the trip a success?
Let’s see. I accomplished all my goals, experienced some new things, and met some interesting people. That is definitely a recipe for a successful trip! Another unstated goal was to provide better content for posts to motivate you to plan a trip to New Orleans and experience these things. I do this for fun, but hope it benefits you as well. History is amazing and experiencing it in person takes it to another level. And come on, it’s New Orleans. Do you need any more convincing?
Until next time, check out the previous posts on New Orleans.