Rainy Days and Saturdays...
Before the sun came up, I could hear the wind howling… the rain beating against the windows and lightening flashes in the sky. Considering it was 6am-ish, I decided to turn off my alarm and roll over. This was not going to be a fairgrounds day for me. Walking through mud might be adventurous in normal times, but with my boo… not so much.
We all decided to get a slow start and create a “Plan B”. It was actually quite fun to watch the rain fall and Kentucky Derby from the warmth of my bed. Texting back and forth, we decided to meet in the lobby restaurant for the buffet. Starting with a full belly was a good plan!
After filling up with all the yummy food (made to order eggs/omelette , fresh fruit, bacon, sausage, oatmeal, lox and cream cheese, beignet), it was time to take a nap. Never mind we JUST got up… Looking out my window when I got back… a cruise ship! It looked to be a Carnival Cruise. What an unfortunate day to be in port… rainy and windy. But it would be fun to have a perfectly timed cruise that your “excursion” was a day at the Jazz Fest fairgrounds! I’ll have to keep that in mind for the future…
Does it matter that we JUST ate? No… we decided to meet in the bar to watch the Kentucky Derby races. It was a few hours before the final. Ordering our cocktails, we noticed the oyster bar staring at us. They were as good as they look! While eating, we got the urge to place a bet on the final game… based on the names, absolutely having nothing to do with the horse, the jockey or past successes. The odds did not play a factor. Barry went back to the room while the three of us took an Uber to Harrah’s to place a bet.
Betting turned out to be a challenge. First, an account was necessary. All three of us tried to figure out how to open an account using the app. Fail… we quickly lost interest and left the building to go for a coffee. It was REALLY windy and “P-dub” was having an issue with her umbrella!
When I say “challenge”… it’s true! Check it out! The wind was not our friend. Thankfully, it was only sprinkling. It was nothing like this morning!
This is a little embarrassing… as I’m posting these pictures of our day, it occurs to me… We were walking along the Mississippi River! Why did that not click before now??? I was so enthralled with the magnolia flowers and statues, that I didn’t connect the river’s significance.
In all fairness, there was so much to distract me! Paddlewheel boats, beautiful buildings and the nearness of our destination. Mind you, all of this walking was in my boot! My foot was feeling pretty good but my little toes were cold.
We arrived! Established in 1862, this family owned business has several locations. We chose the Riverwalk store on Decatur Street. At 4pm, the open-aired, covered room was filled and lines out the door to order. Our order was taken quickly… chicory coffee and beignets (sadly not for me! They look amazing!). As we looked across the waves of people, we did a quick calculation of what amount of money must be generated all day long. It’s mind blowing!
The table is looking pretty good… before the powdery beignets arrived! We were quite patient, basically thankful we had a table in the very crowded room! When the coffee arrived, my first taste was oh so satisfying! Perfect for a windy, rainy day. French Quarter has it’s own vibe, it’s own energy and doing something as simple as an afternoon coffee seems special.
Historical in design, very eclectic mix of visitors and locals. Music everywhere… amazing food. Initially hubby only had minor interest in visiting, now he’s ready for a return trip!
Of course, as soon as we got back to the hotel and up to the room… the clouds parted and the sun came out! But that works, there’s still much to do this evening! Due to a very late show, we decided to take a little nap and meet for a late dinner.
Once again, the birthday boy picked a fantastic restaurant! Tonight… Palm & Pine on Rampart Street. Wow! First impression… charming room, friendly service and an excellent menu. We ordered cocktails first and settled in for a delicious meal! Traveling with these two has been special… we’ve enjoyed similar types of food, love a pre dinner cocktail and a simple “play it by ear”, flexible pace. We ebbed and flowed, for lack of a better description. We did things together, apart and flowed back together again. The restaurant choices were crazy! From very local, to a bit more upscale and then tonight… a small, intimate venue with a small but spectacular menu.
It’s truly not often that I can enjoy a meal without feeling like I’m settling to accommodate my eating restrictions. THIS! This was bursts of tastes… sweet carrots, saffron rice, citrusy sauce and a flakey piece of fish. The only thing I couldn’t eat was the tomato and that was an easy avoidance! What an experience!
As usual, I attempt to document as much as possible… it’s how my brain works. We needed a little group shot in the Palm & Pine to remember the evening. Caught hubby with his eyes closed… blurred the Mr and Mrs Birthday Boy. A meal I will never forget! This will definitely be visited next trip!
Walking out fully content, we awaited our Uber driver. Such an easy way to travel around the city. Much cheaper than a taxi. We did our “waiting for a ride” pose. haha. Then, in the car, through conversation, we discovered that our driver had just moved to NOLA and was actually a published writer
Next stop… Chickie Wah Wah! This event was a fundraiser for the wife of recently deceased, David Lindley. So many local musicians wanted to participate! Lindley, known for his work with Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Curtis Mayfield and Warren Zevon to name a few. A master of many instruments, he was obviously well respected in the music community.
Arriving around 12:15am, most people were mingling outside the venue. We walked in, ordered cocktails and were surprised to secure a table for four right in front of the stage! Bird’s eye view!
With more musicians volunteering than expected, it took quite awhile to set up the stage! Fortunately, the sound man was skilled… he used to work at Crystal Bay Club at Lake Tahoe… He definitely had his hands full! The second photo is a very unique instrument. With the sounds of Hawaiian steel guitar, the owner played it with a smooth, shiny, solid silver round thing. That’s my technical term for it… but it played some beautiful music! And finally, before we had to make an early exit… we watched this talented player. Just loved the instrument itself… I’m guessing it has quite a history!
We had to leave the event a bit early because we had tickets to Santana… in Houston. Our flight out was scheduled for 5:15am! So, we raced back to the hotel, grabbed our luggage and headed out.
Made it to the airport on time… got a seat and flew back to Houston. Immediately, we headed home to climb into bed! A much needed nap was in order before starting all over again… We arrived in The Woodlands early to enjoy a bite to eat and our favorite outdoor bar. First stop, Bar Louie for tacos and a Lemon Drop. Hubby had a burger and beer. As we walked toward the Pavilion, we stopped at The Blend. One of our favorite places… We sat outside on the wicker furniture. I ordered skewered bacon, despite the fact that I had just eaten… and we both decided on an Espresso Martini. Actually, we had two… now we were ready to get into our seats at the show…
This show had been rescheduled twice, once due to Covid and once because Carlos collapsed on stage. Originally, we were to see Earth, Wind and Fire perform with Santana. Interesting that I was able to see an awesome cover band called Earth, Wind and Power AND Santana at Jazz Fest!
Opening act? Arc Angels out of Austin. They put on a great show… played for about an hour. They pretty much rocked the house down!
After a short break, we were treated to about 90 minutes of Carlos!
THIS! Mrs Carlos… Cindy Blackman. Holy cow! This woman absolutely stole the show. Cindy is a musical BEAST! She was super human… With all of our travels and of all the talented musicians in the past week… this woman wins the prize. Unbridled energy…she throws herself into her drumming… The entire audience was mesmerized by her powerful performance!
And now… onto the next adventure!
