Self guided tour of the Garden District

Here's some pics from my self tour of the Garden District.

It was pretty quiet here but the roads for walking or for driving were horrible!  Really cool examples of the types of homes in NOA.

Christmas decorations in a random street tree

So cute!

Weird tree with a really smooth and shiny texture.  It looked like plastic!

Side view of the old wall lining the Lafayette Cemetery #1.  I really wanted to visit, but it was only open until noon. :(

The buildings are very tall here, I wonder what they look like inside...

It's for sale! Lets move in!  Its across the street from the next house....

Nice right?  All these homes had lanterns with flames burning in them...in the day....when its over 100 degrees.

Like a dolls house!

This one was neat because of the double stair cases and the door on the bottom

Really pretty iron work

Melting to death at the zoo!

I visited the Audubon Zoo on Saturday...during a heatwave...without a hat.   The website for this place shows that its a zoo, aquarium, waterpark? and has a big insect exhibit as well as IMAX.

I drove all the way to NOA, go to pay for aquarium + zoo when I'm informed that the aquarium is across town.  What the???  So you pay on one part of town then drive to another part to see the aquarium?!  No thanks.  So I payed for the zoo and went in.  First of all, this place is more Disneyland than it is Zoo.  A big emphasis is on buying things and rides/waterpark than there is on the animal exhibits. 

Many of the animal areas lead around winding paths that go nowhere but to benches and statues, or force you to go through a store to see the other animals.  While I was pleased to get some A/C to cool me in between bouts of sweating to death, it seemed really consumerist and strange. 

This was in one of the stores, I wish it was for sale.

Also some of the animals didn't have what I would consider a big enough habitat or nice enough.  It did seem like they were updating some things though, such as the Elephant area. 

Also it was SO hot that many of the animals were out of view or away (elephants, male lions, and about 10 others).  So While I get that these poor animals were too hot, I was also bummed that I drove so far and didn't get to see lots of them.  Oh well.  On to things I DID manage to see!

I really liked the primate exhibit, lots of really cute little guys playing.

Not easy to see but this one was sooo tiny and adorable, I want one!

These two were so adorable, the baby kept flopping into the black bucket there under them.

Snapped a pic because you can literally see the fear in the eyes of the prey :p

All the turtles were covered in algae/moss/something

Biggest turtle I have ever seen

People actually started to walk away from this giraffe because he was "judging them" lol

I look ok...but I'm going to perish...its too hot.  I am sweating from areas that NO human should sweat from.  I'm talking its running down my legs...this is terrible.  How did people live in New Orleans during the civil war? Or before there was air conditioning....I cant even imagine.  This place is mostly shaded and I am losing like 10 pounds of water weight and salt.  Crazy!

YAY!  Nutrias!  Finally get to see some swamp rats!

Huge alligator with the below sign beside him...

I like how they need to remind people not to harass the animals ><

Crawfish!  Get in my belly!

The famous Albino Alligator!  In truth he had a small enclosure and looked sad to me...also I presume because of the albinism, he was in the dark.

Now this guy has the right idea!  Sit your ass in that fountain and take a damn bath.

A Tapir.

This is exactly how I felt, I'm with you!  I give up, too hot!

Things about Louisiana part 1

Here's just some random things about this state that may or may not be true. 

Just some observations

1:  Everything food related is fried or covered in butter, batter, or oil.

2:  it is not uncommon to find someones (ripped out??  Dropped??) hair weave on the ground (I have found 3!)

3: In New Orleans you can drink in public.  There are Daiquiris "To go" as well as Drive Thru drinks.  TRU FAX

4: You will see at least 1 dead animal on the way to or from any destination in the city.  Usually you will see more than one.  People will not try and avoid re-running over the carcass.

5:  Frozen Yoghurt for Louisiana is like our Starbucks.  They are everywhere.

6: Nate-Nate and Shanequa are real names

7: Strangers will call you Miss "yourname", alternately you will be called Honey Child, Child, Sweet Darlin', etc

8: If you are a white woman from teen years to 35, your uniform is a baggy t-shirt and nike shorts. 

9: Every animal you encounter might murder you.  in the very least they will attempt to maim or bite you.  Stay away from all insects.

10:  There is no where to eat a good salad. 

11: Everything you drink will contain 10X more sugar than you though possible for human consumption.  When you water the drink down, people will look at you.  Sweet tea is the worst offender of this.

12:  You MUST love the football team or you will be taunted.  Also you must wear clothing in football teams colours.  If not the towns football team colours (Purple and yellow/orange), you must wear Saints logos and colours

13:  Must stop spelling color as "colour"

14:  You will be taunted if you say "Eh" at any point.  Taunting them for saying y'all does not seem effective.

15:  There are more red haired people here than anywhere else

16:  Geaux is an acceptable form of spelling Go, Who Dat apparently means some kind of greeting???  "Anyway, doe"  is a real sentence

Naw'lins, an assault on all your senses

Today i drove all the way to New Orleans!

I ALSO love cats!

 Boats on the river

So its pretty neat here architecturally speaking, but New Orleans is a really strange place otherwise.  Again I wish i could accurately convey the type of smell that exists here.  It smells strongly of both garbage and cheap cologne.  So basically leave a diaper in the sun, then spritz some CKone all over it, as if that would dissipate the nastiness.  THAT'S what it smells like on most streets.

I think this ended up being a cathedral

The French Market was close by.....Everything around was crazy touristy. 

This market is outdoors....but MY GOD there is NO airflow.  Tons of shops trying to rip everyone off

There are a surprising amount of places selling Christmas decorations.  This set made me laugh.  in retrospect I should have bought one.  There was one I didn't snap a pic of that looked like the Fonz.

Alligator heads were all over.  Feet for sale too.  pretty gross.

I was laughing pretty hard when i took a pic of this. 

I feel like I should get wasted here and then buy the shirt.

Hey look!  Its like that beetle in Vancouver!  This one is equally annoying and also has things for sale on it.

Art walk, The artists didnt like anyone taking pictures. 

Somewhere around this point I think I began to get heat stroke.  Not good.  They moved all the horse drawn carriages away becuase it was over 100 degrees before humidity. 

Next time maybe I can take a street car!

Looks quiet here but there is an assault of jazz music from all over.  CRAZY noisy.

More T-Shirts.  This one is jsut plain offensive.  Lots of other ones said "Hookers" on it like Hookers Fishing tours etc.

Bad picture becuase it was taken while driving.  This is apperently the Super Dome

Again - forgive the picture quality.  this is actually the tops of trees that look damaged.  This bridge goes over a body of swamp water.  maybe these were damaged in a hurricane.

Goin home!  Too hot to function!

Good day but a little too touristy, next time Ill try something a little different