Showmar Photography

We arrived in New Orleans on Saturday night, unloaded our bags and walked up to the French Quarter.  We stayed in the Drury Inn and Bourbon Street was a straight shot and only about a mile and a half walk.  We scouted out the area and then stopped in to a restaurant called Red Fish for dinner.  We had delicious BBQ oysters for appetizer.  That was my first experience with BBQ Oysters and we loved it!  For my main course, I had pasta topped with  sausage, crab and shrimp Jambalaya.  The food was excellent and the restaurant was jammed!  It seemed to be one of New Orleans favorites.

As we left the restaurant, we noticed a crowd of people surrounding a group of guys playing trombones and trumpets.  The music was just  as I had imagined one would hear on the streets of New Orleans.  As I approached the crowd, I noticed several people dancing in the street...really getting into the mood of the atmosphere, I pulled out my camera and started shooting, hoping to capture the feeling of the moment.

After listening and watching, we bought one of their CDs and started checking out the shops along Bourbon Street.  I couldn't help but notice the numerous adult stores in the area and how women, barely dressed,  were standing just inside the doors, inviting people in.  There were so many unusual characters walking these streets!  There were people in costumes, people with painted faces asking if you want to take their pictures for a buck.   There were people so drunk they could hardly walk.  As a matter of fact, one guy was so intoxicated that he kept banging into walls and tripping all over the place.  He finally fell smack down on the pavement and banged his head so hard he knocked himself out.  The parametics came and made sure he went to the hospital, in spite of his arguement that he was just fine.  It was clear that he was far from fine.

On Sunday morning, we walked down to a breakfast restaurant called "Mother's".  It was a short walk from our hotel and it was on my list of places to try.  When we arrived, we stood in a long line.  This place came highly recommended by a friend and she suggested that I order "Grits with Debris".  I had no idea what debris was and intentionally didn't ask.  I wanted to be surprised and I was!  The dish is grits served with a heaping mound of shredded beef.  The juices from the beef are served over the grits, like gravey on potatoes.  At first, I was disappointed, because there went my "no red meat" rule, but it was a tastey dish.  My husband ordered an omlet and grits...wanting to play it safe.

We spent the day walking up and down the streets of the French Quarter, stopping in art galleries and novelty stores.  We also visited a voodoo shop, which was interesting.  Another suggestion that I added to my list was not to miss the voodoo shops, so I made sure to visit a few.  They kind of gave me the creeps, but I figured since it's October and Halloween is close....why not?  Again, a source of interesting people. 

We found a photography gallery that really excited me!  There were pieces by my favorite photographers; Diane Arbus, Annie Liebovitz and Ansel Adams.  I could have spent forever in there.  The name of it is "A Gallery for Fine Photography", located on St. Charles.

As we continued our walk, we realized that musicians in the streets are very common.  There were musicians or performers on almost every corner!  There was jazz, country, rock, classical guitar and dancers.  There was a family (mom, dad and daughter) playing jazz music.  Mom sang and the little girl played the drums.    We also met a man who called himself "Doc" Lewis.  Doc told us that he graduated Oxford with a Phd.  He also travelled with Miles Davis and many other of the older jazz musicians,  He travelled the country and could tell us the streets and locations.  He was so interesting to listen to.  Now I have no idea if it was all for real, but I had a feeling that it was true.  Then I asked why he was here, playing on a street corner, he said..."It makes me happy". 

We were on our way to a restaurant that was recommended called Acme Oyster House.  We asked Doc where it was and he told us to go to Oceana, a local favorite.  He said Acme was good, but Oceana was even better.  He said that Acme had atmosphere, but Oceana had great Jambalaya and Gumbo, so that's where we had dinner.  Doc was right....the food was out of this world!  We both had the New Orleans sampler.  The dish consisted of jambalaya, shrimp and crawfish gumbo, red beans and rice and sausage.  Great meal!!!

After dinner, we stopped to watch a couple of guys doing the old robot move thing.  One painted himself gold and the other was painted silver.  I think I was more interested in how silly they looked rather than their talent (or lack of).  They were not that good at what they did, but they were entertaining and a little goofy.

As we walked, we saw a clump of people moving about.  Again, with my camera....I got right in the middle of it to see what was going on.  There were camera men following an attractive girl as she walked down the streets.  I heard them asking for releases as they went.  When the people asked what it was for, they were told that they were making a music video for a group and the story line is about a girl who grew up on the streets.  If anyone sees something like that, let me know.  My husband said that it was probably a porn movie!  Her pictures are in my slideshows.

Next, we saw a fight break out.  During the day, there was a football game, New Orleans Saints v.s. New York Giants.  The Saints won, so the streets were really bursting with energy!!!  So, the police were mounted high in the air on look out.  They were prepared for riots!  When they noticed the fight, they were right there on the spot, breaking up the dispute.   I have to say that I was impressed with their law enforcement!   Anyway, the streets were getting a little out of control, so we made our way back to the hotel and called it a night.

The next morning, we headed to the famous cemetery, just outside of the French Quarter.  After spending some time there, we thought about heading to Dookie Chase's for the best fried chicken in America.  As we started walking in that direction, we realized that it was not a comfortable environment, so we stopped in at the visitor's station to make sure we were going the right way.  Well...the lady there was very clear about that not being a place where we would want to go and pointed out a great place for gumbo, strongly suggesting that we try it, so without her really saying not to go there, we got the message and dropped the dookie Chase idea and went where she had suggested.  I have to say.....I was not in the least bit disappointed!  We enjoyed chicken andouille gumbo, french bread and a nice Pinot Griggio at a place called "Gumbo Shop".  It was incredible!  French atmosphere, very artsy and great food!  

As we walked the streets, the mixed aroma of garbage, urine and stale vomit was beginning to get on my nerves.  It was over whelming, probably because of the large crowd that filled the streets post game the night before.  We decided to get out of there and head to the French Market for the rest of the day.  It was a long walk, but we needed to walk off all the calories we had been eating.

French Market was a fun experience!  Artists line their work up along the outer perimeter of the square where the St Louis Cathedral stands.  We walked along the river and entered the French Market area, dropping in to a few of the little shops and then to all the merchants inside the market.   On our way back, we went inside the cathedral to view the beautiful murals, stained glass and artifacts.  The photos do not do it justice!  It is simply amazing.

Having had enough of New Orleans, the crowds, the strange people and the stench, Monday evening, we decided that we would get back on the road and head to where ever the car took us.   I am very glad that we experienced New Orleans, but I don't think I'll ever go back.  There was so much to see, but half of it was depressing and a little too "on the edge" for us.  Too much drinking, drugs and poverty.  Then again, we are not young and we tend to be on the conservative side.  While I truly loved the culinary arts, the fine art galleries, the cathedral and the French Market,  there was just too much that we didn't enjoy.  It truly made me appreciate my life style and environment.

We headed out of New Orleans and headed west toward Baton Rouge.  Along the path, we noticed a sign for Houmas House and we happened to have a brochure. It looked like a great find, so we turned off to tour it.

It's an old Louisiana sugar plantation. The first owners of the plantation were the indigenous Houmas Indians, who were given a land grant to occupy the fertile plain between the Mississippi and Lake Maurepas to the north. That's where it's name came from.

The Houmas sold the land to Maurice Conway and Alexander Latil in the mid 1700's

The original French Provincial house that Latil erected on the property in is situated directly behind the Mansion, adjoined by a carriageway to the grand home described during its antebellum heyday as "The Sugar Palace." The original home was later used as living quarters for the staff that served the great house.

For complete history, click here: http://www.houmashouse.com/history.htm

We toured the gardens and enjoyed an awesome lunch in their restaurant. Our lunch was the best meal of the trip, believe or not!  I had pumpkin bisque soup with corn and crawfish with a smoked turkey sandwich with brie cheese and fig spread on multi-grain bread. The food was absolutely delicious!

The gardens were filled with exotic plants as well as those native to the area. I enjoyed shooting there.

Once we finished our tour of the plantation, we headed north on highway 65. My husband thought it might be cool to find a river boat and travel down the Mississippi.  Highway 65 on the Louisianna side is a disasterous road to drive and pardon me to all those both living in Louisiana and those who love the State, but the roads are poorly marked and difficult to travel.  We found every road that we travelled in that State to be poorly marked and mostly in rough shape.   I guess it's evidence of the fact that the State is poor and road funding must be the last on their list to budget.

Since we hated that drive....long stretches of empty land, no gas stations and no food stops...we crossed over to highway 61 in Mississippi as soon as we could. That's where I found Mammy! It was an old structure that was probably built in the 40's. The building base was round and formed the skirt of a black woman. The building advertised jams and jellies and appeared to still be in business.

Next, we found ourselves in Natchez, Mississippi where we saw the Mississippi National cemetery and the Isle of Capri river boat. Both sites made great photos!  Unfortunately, the Isle of Capri was a gambling boat and since we don't gamble, that find was basically useless.

That night, we scrapped the idea of following the Mississippi, because it was a pretty dull drive. We found ourselves missing the Mountains and headed for Chattanooga, TN! We just can't help ourselves....the mountains were calling our names!

When we FINALLY arrived (about 7 hours of driving...), we had a difficult time finding an available hotel and finally settled in at a Ramada Inn.  We had become spoiled on this trip, because every hotel we stayed in was very nice....new suites with comfortable beds.  This place was clean and decent, but way below our standards for this trip.  Sleeping was very difficult because of the noise of traffic and lights that blasted in around the cracks of the curtains.  We woke up the next day just as tired as we were the night before.

We headed up Signal Mountain for some apple cider and to buy our usual jams and jellies.  From there, we went to Look Out Mountain where I got some great shots from our cave tour at Ruby Falls.

By this time, we had all the travelling we could take and just headed home.  That drive was the most difficult drive of the trip!  We went straight home and arrived at 6AM after an all nighter! 

All was not lost, however.....my husband and I had fun just being together.  Since we were both miserable, we bonded.  As my son said.....Misery loves company.   Well....that's it.  I can honestly tell people that I would not travel to Lousianna again and trying to find a river boat on the Mississippi that isn't used for gambling will take some careful planning and preparation.  There is a great river boat on the Lake in Chatanooga though!

Here are a few more recipes for you.  Hope you enjoy the slideshows!!!!

By the way....photo tour is just another term for vacation photos, so excuse the quality of the shots! 

New Orleans - French Quarter

http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/dcLPCK0M/1/4401264#imageID=84259573

New Orleans - Cemetary

http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/FXHUrnHi/1/4401628#imageID=84319635

New Orleans - French Market

http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/g9kS5X2T/1/4402491#imageID=84329118

The Drive:  Houmas House, Mississippi Route 65 and the river, Ruby Falls in Chatanooga

 http://albums.phanfare.com/slideshow.aspx?i=1&db=1&pw=TOvxCp3f&a_id=4404243&s_id=4822086

NEW ORLEANS RECIPES:

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Gumbo with chicken, ham, sausage and shrimp

6 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup chopped celery

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/2 pound cubed cooked ham

1/2 pound cubed cooked chicken

1/2 pound cubed smoked sausage

2 (14.5 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, with liquid

2 cups beef broth

2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

2 cups uncooked white rice

1/2 pound salad shrimp

DIRECTIONS

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp. Remove bacon pieces with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Add celery, bell pepper, and onion to the bacon drippings, and cook until tender.

Add the ham, chicken and sausage to the pot, and pour in the tomatoes, beef broth and chicken broth. Season with thyme and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil, and add the rice. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the rice is tender.

Stir in the shrimp and bacon just before serving, and heat through. If you use uncooked shrimp, let it cook for about 5 minutes before serving.

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Cajun Style Red Beans and Rice

1 Pound Of Dry Red Kidney Beans

1 Or 2 Ham Hocks, smoked are okay to use

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper

1 Teaspoon Black Pepper

2 Bay Leafs

1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Large Yellow Onion Diced Fine

2 Celery Stalks Diced Fine

1 Tablespoon Fresh Ground Garlic

Canned Chicken Broth As Needed

2 Pound Of Smoked Sausage Cut Into 1 Inch Pieces

Place the beans in a large pot or bowl and cover with water. Soak your beans over night adding more water as needed.

Okay now that you have soaked the beans over night drain your beans well and place in a large pot with lid. Into the pot place chicken broth until your beans are well covered. Add in your salt, pepper, ham hocks, and hot sauce and start to cooking on low heat. Saute the onions, celery and garlic in olive oil until the onions are done but not brown. Add to the beans. Cook on low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours stirring often to make sure your beans don't stick. Add your sausage in during the last 1 hour of cooking time. Do not add water. If you need more liquid add chicken broth. You want to serve these beans over hot buttered rice. And guess what you just made the worlds best red beans and rice.

During the last 30 minutes of cooking time stir in powdered cayenne pepper.

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Chicken and Andouille Gumbo

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

3/4 Cup A.P. Flour

4 Tbsp Creole Seasoning

1 Cup Onions, Diced

1/2 Cup Green Bell Pepper, Diced

1/2 Cup Celery, Diced

1 1/2 Cups Andouille, Cubed

1 Cup Fresh Okra, Cut into 1/2 inch rounds

3 Tbsp Garlic, Chopped

6 Cups cold Chicken Stock

3 Fresh Bay Leaves

1 1/2 Cups Bite size pieces of Raw Chicken Thigh*

2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Hot Sauce to taste

Kosher Salt to taste, if necessary

2 Tablespoons Italian Parsley, finely Chopped

1/4 Cup Thinly Sliced Green Onions

Mix your onion, celery, and bell pepper together: The Holy Trinity

Heat the oil in a cast iron dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to make a milk chocolate Roux (making a Roux). Add the Andouille, 1 Tbsp of Seasoning, and 3/4 of the Holy Trinity, cook, stirring often, for about ten minutes or until the vegetables soften. Add the Okra, cook for about 2 minutes. Add the cold stock, remaining seasoning, and Garlic. Bring to a Boil. Bring this down to a simmer and let it go for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. About 10-15 minutes before you're ready to serve, add the Chicken, Worcestershire, Hot Sauce, Parsley, and 1/2 of the Green Onions. When the chicken is cooked through, garnish with Green Onions and serve with Boiled Rice, Crusty French Bread, and a good cold beer (I like Dixie or Abita Amber).

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