Houston/Louisiana/Alabama (Days 13-15)

Whew, we have been doing a lot around here! I'm enjoying my one day off to recharge in Atlanta before we head to Knoxville tomorrow for the Big Ears Festival. We've woven through the Deep South over the past few days (Alex's first time in LA, MS, AL and GA), and done our best to soak it all in. 

Day 13: Houston to New Orleans

We set out from Houston after some great coffee/pastries from Mercantile and a moment of contemplation at the Rothko Chapel (an inter-denominational chapel with murals by Mark Rothko). After crossing the Louisiana state line, our first stop was in Lake Charles at Steamboat Bill's on the Lake for (you guessed it) seafood. Steamboat Bill knows what's up - although surprisingly, the chicken tenders were the star! The very photogenic Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge is also worth a stop (Geaux Tigers). After arriving at our hotel in New Orleans' Garden District (The Quisby - loved it), we had a bite at the Avenue Pub before hitting the hay to rest up for a big day in NOLA the following day. 

Day 14: NOLA

Since we got into NOLA rather late the previous day, we really only had ONE day to make the most of our time in the city (definitely not enough time) - but we sure did our best to cram in as much as we could! Alex really leaned in and busted out his best Cajun accent the entire time we were there, as well...

As tourists do...we spent the majority of our day in the French Quarter (#noregrets). Our first stop was the French Market, which we perused while waiting for the New Orleans Jazz Museum to open, where they were hosting the 3-day Danny Barker Banjo & Guitar Festival. We were lucky enough to follow the opening parade through the streets with Michael Brooks and the Sons of Jazz Brass Band, look through all of the exhibits at the museum, and attend another fantastic performance by Chris Thomas King (who was featured in O Brother, Where Art Thou?). Definitely a major highlight of our trip so far!

​We worked our way through the rest of the French Quarter, visiting as many historic spots as we could:
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- Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar (dates back to the 1720s), is known for allegedly being the oldest bar in the U.S., with a wickedly potent Voodoo Daiquiri (or Purple Drink) to match.
- The Voodoo Museum was small, but full of many interesting wares.
- Pat O'Brien's has a lovely courtyard, a killer muffaletta, delicious red beans and rice, and of course their most famous/dangerous invention - the Hurricane cocktail.
- Cafe du Monde is best known for their beignets and coffee - a tourist trap if there ever was one...but you have to go!
- The Old Absinthe House is indeed, very old and full of absinthe (which sadly, I can't stand), but Alex enjoyed sampling the sazerac and planter's punch in our second oldest haunt of the day.
- We took a much needed rest at our hotel before heading out to dinner in the Garden District at Beggar's Banquet (which as you might guess, pays homage to the Rolling Stones). A newer spot with exceptional drinks, entrees, and dessert.

Day 15: NOLA to Birmingham

Officially on the road for two weeks, we reluctantly said goodbye to NOLA and spent the day tackling everything we could in Alabama (an exceptionally daunting task). Having not been to Alabama for a couple of decades prior, I was initially struck by how beautiful of a state it is to drive through, and the odd juxtaposition of somewhat empty towns adjacent to an influx of major historical landmarks. After a quick stop for donuts and kolaches in Gulfport, MS (shout out to Jelly Donuts and Kolaches No. 2), we arrived in Montgomery. There are a number of civil-rights related stops throughout AL, and many of them are located in Montgomery. Unrelated, they also have the Hank Williams Museum. We also drove the beautiful road to Selma, before having to navigate the less beautiful backroads of rural Alabama to Birmingham after dark (would not advise). All in all, while this was a heavy, sobering day, I highly recommend making the effort to visit and be immersed in this vital history, and would gladly return to check out more of the beautiful landscapes in AL.

Next up: Atlanta, Great Smoky Mountains, Big Ears!