The “planning” was accidental. Six months ago, Mick started the process of booking the various stays along our big journey, most of which were one-night stays during the process of travelling down to the Florida Keys. When she called the campground in New Orleans, they wouldn’t let her book a one-night stay, requiring a 3-night minimum. When she asked why, the voice on the phone guffawed slightly, and “reminded” her that the date she wanted was during the Carnival leading up to Mardi Gras, which apparently begins shortly after the new year and builds steam leading up to the actual Fat Tuesday. Our planned stay was only one week before the big day, so of course we immediately agreed to the three-nights minimum, and this became a new highlight of the trip.

We arrived Saturday afternoon after a 9-hour trip from Columbus, Texas. The trip should not have taken that long, but we made a few stops along the way, including a trip to West Marine in Lafayette to buy a new terminal block fuse (oh yes, again ….. we bought two this time), a stop at another Buc-ees, and some unscheduled time in a traffic jam. So after we arrived and got set up, the first thing we did was to relax for a few. We decided not to go crazy our first night in New Orleans – the rain and wind made that decision easier – but we nonetheless wanted to dive into some local cuisine for dinner.

A friend passed along some good recommendations, including thenadvice to eat where the locals eat: Frankie and Johnny’s.

This place was amazing. The food felt authentic and uncompromised, and the people were exceptionally hospitable. We decided to focus on things we hadn’t eaten, because when in New Orleans, do as the New Orleanians do.

Starting with crawfish. Micki had them as a kid, but I hadn’t. Our server was gracious enough to walk us through the tableside dissection process, which is part of the fun. First, separate the head from the tail and discard the head portion (optional: suck out the juice first). Next, pull the tip off the tail, then shell the remainder of the tail. What remains will be a small chunk of meat reminiscent of a tiny lobster tail. It’s a fun appetizer, but we were just getting warmed up.

next was this fried oyster Po Boy, which was by far the best thing we ate that dinner. It’s a type of sandwich typically made with sausage or seafood on a toasted hoagie roll, and it was delicious at Frankie and Johnny’s. We’ve since learned that not all Po Boys are created equal, so it depends on where you get it, but this one was amazing.

We also got the onion rings. These were different from other onion rings we’d had; they seemed baked instead of fried. They were very flavorful, but the texture didn’t have that fried crispiness I tend to prefer.

Another Louisiana standard is seafood gumbo, which was also very good. Not as spicy as we’ve had in other places, but definitely a shade spicier than what Micki makes at home.

We slept well that night, and Sophie stayed in bed a bit longer the next morning.

For breakfast Sunday morning, we headed down to the French Quarter for the classic NOLA beignet. This had been on our bucket list for a long time, and it was incredible. We arrived early enough the line was short, and the atmosphere light, and the traffic was almost nonexistent, although piloting the truck through narrow streets of the French Quarter was tight.

The Cafe Beignet had these special Valentine’s Day beignets on special, and we could not resist. They were every bit as good as I hoped, and then some. The dough and the preparation are akin to the Elephant Ears I enjoyed as a kid, but shaped and cooked as a ball of dough rather than being stretched flat. We will remember these for a long time. They are very good.

Micki sagely advised that we add a bit of protein to the morning, so we also ordered a bacon egg croissant. As expected, this was also delicious, with the bacon chopped up into an omelet/scramble mix inserted into the croissant with cheese. Not the healthiest breakfast we’ve ever eaten, but we were so grateful for the opportunity and the experience.

The Cafe Beignet has a courtyard seating area just outside, which was pleasant albeit a tad chilly on this early February morning. I had Cafe au Lait, and Micki had the classic southern sweet tea.

We then set off to see some of the sights in the French Quarter so close to Mardi Gras. On a Sunday Morning you won’t find stereotypical Mardi Gras drunken crowds of people throwing beads, but it turns out this was the ideal time to peruse the art and architecture of the French Quarter.

The architecture of the French Quarter is remarkable. It started in the early 1700s as a French settlement on the shore of the Mississippi, and these buildings were originally houses. Only after the passage of a couple hundred years of restless history did this area become more commercial and touristy. The buildings are packed tightly against one another, each with a slightly unique facade, and almost all with a gallery/balcony of its own from which occupants may observe the street below.

Some were decorated specifically for Mardi Gras, but many were just charming in their natural state, without seasonal adornment.

We intended to visit this museum, but they were closed on Sundays. 😦

The Jackson Square cathedral was imposing as you look up to take it all in.

The statute of Andrew Jackson astride a horse was also breathtaking, whit the sun and the American flag paying tribute in the background.

The view to the Mississippi River from Washington Artillery Park was also worth taking a moment to appreciate.

But it’s Mardi Gras, and even on a Sunday Morning the buskers were out. The purity of the rhythm and the simplicity of this group’s cohesiveness was inspiring. You can hear a very casual give-and-take in the form and a lazy, almost dismissive, call and response between the trumpet and trombone. You can hear that these guys have done this a very long time. It was magnificent. We definitely threw some cash in the bucket.

We would have stayed longer, but the street parking ends at 11:00am sharp, and we saw the army of tow trucks that awaited the heedless. So we started walking back the way we came, found the truck, and headed toward a couple other stops we had in mind.

This art installation across the street from the convention center caught my eye. I can’t tell if it’s a playful take on the treehouse or an optimistic take on the aftermath of a storm. Either way it’s hard to walk by this without stopping for a movement of appreciation.

Also based upon a recommendation, we visited a gift store called Dirty Coast, and I’m glad we did. They create and produce many of their own NOLA-centric designs on t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, and more. They also carry items from authentic local artisans and other kitschy local items.

This one caught my eye as a bit of playful satire. We were feeling the truth behind this after driving New Orleans streets for a while. And this pothole lesson really set over the hour that followed our visit to the Dirty Coast.

We planned simply to drive back to the Mouse House and grab lunch nearer to our base, but NOLA had other plans. Mardi Gras means lots of parades – two at this particular time – and to this we add a departing cruise ship and some construction very near the French Quarter. The result was a mess of traffic and closed street, none of which were accurately reflected in any of the various navigation apps were ha

We rested up for the afternoon with a decision to make. On the one hand, we really wanted to head back down to the French Quarter in the evening for dinner and some of the Carnival nightlife. On the other hand, we couldn’t find any reservations available at the recommended places, and we were a bit gun shy after being traffic-trapped earlier. We decided against going out. Instead, we sat inside the Mouse House and watched the Super Bowl.

The doggies enjoyed having us home and on the couch for their comfort.

For dinner, we got take-out from a local shop called Smiley’s. We got another round of fried oyster Po Boys, and although they good, this round was not as good as those from Frankie and Johnny’s. Still a treat.

Monday morning, we woke early and continued our gastrointestinal self-destruction. We tried yet another recommended place called Cafe du Monde. Like Cafe Beignet, they also specialize in coffee and beignets for breakfast, and we were excited to try another version.

These beignets were slightly smaller than those from Cafe Beignet, although also less expensive. The texture was not quite as doughy as those from Cafe Beignet either. All things considered, these were delicious but we preferred those from Cafe Beignet.

We ate them on the way back to the Mouse House, enjoying a welcoming sunrise along the way. Upon arrival, we realized that eating beignets while driving was a mistake. It’s probably the type of stereotypical rookie mistake that makes locals chuckle at newbies like ourselves. Deservedly so.

Monday being a work day, we did nothing touristy, but we did decide to have lunch as a final recommended restaurant – Cochon – and we’re glad we did. We managed to cross off several amazing local delicacies from our list.

Cajun oysters.

Fried alligator.

Grits.

Fried boudin balls.

And finally cracklin’, which is akin to hand-made chicharrónes.

As we wrap up our time in New Orleans, we’ll need some time to recover our diet. we’ll be back to Micki’s home cooking, which is always delicious. Monday night’s dinner was shrimp fajitas. Before New Orleans, we hadn’t eaten out on this trip hardly at all, because the Mouse House has the best food around.

But we’ve decided we really love New Orleans, and not just because of the food. We want to come back, but this time we’ll be more experienced visitors. Spontaneity requires planning. That may sound oxymoronic, but bear with me. A visit to New Orleans during the Carnival before Mardi Gras should be granted the flexibility of wandering shops, restaurants, and parades at will, and spending time absorbing local architecture and music without a predetermined schedule.

But all that spontaneity requires advance planning around logistics and contingencies. Have Transporation or parking. Have lodging close if possible. Know which parades are happening while you’re there, so you can attend the ones you want, and avoid the ones you don’t. Plan to be in the French Quarter all day if possible, so that you don’t risk traffic issues causing stress to dilute the experience.

We’ll know better next time. We’ll be more experienced tourists. But we’re fairly certain there will be a next time. This place is special.