Cajun Country and New Orleans

We left Lafeyette, Louisiana with some new brakes and one new rotor- the mountains of the west have taken a toll on the Dodge.  We headed southeast into "Cajun Country" or the swamplands of southern Louisiana.  We cruised through small historic towns like New Iberia, Jeanerette, and Franklin.  Little seafood shacks advertised southern fixins like crawfish and boudin sausage.  Sugarcane fields lined the roads, and the sugar factories spewed sweet smelling steam into the air.  We made it to our campsite that night and spent the next two days exploring The French Quarter and the Garden District of New Orleans.

 

 

We stopped for coffee at Cafe Du Monde, which has been in business in The Quarter since 1862.  We were surprised to find that the cafe only serves coffee and beignets (fried dough covered in powdered sugar- yum!).  No mochas, espresso, caramel frappacinos, or decaf available.  The coffee and beignets did not disappoint, both equally delicious.  And the street performer who was serenading us with gospel & blues music made it a perfect New Orleans experience. 


The Garden District of New Orleans is home to the city's millionaires- movie stars, authors, and famous musicians call it home.  Along St. Charles street, giant aged oak trees shade country mansions with perfectly manicured lawns.  The main attraction of the area are the historic mansions and plantation homes, but the newer mansions are just as extravagant and beautiful, especially with Christmas decorations draping the monstrous porches and pillars.  Even though we were in the sophisticated part of town, you could tell drunken-craziness was not far away- Mardi Gras beads hung from every tree along St Charles.  

Before Leaving Louisiana for Mississippi, we took another drive into sugarcane land to see Oak Alley Plantation.  The plantation is famous for it's 28 perfectly aligned oak trees on it's grounds.  The trees are thought to be more than 250 years old.