Seasonal Variations
I got the ways and means, to New Orleans,
I’m goin’ down by the river where it’s warm and green
I’m gonna have a drink, and walk around,
I got a lot to think about, oh yeah…
Today was at least more entertaining than yesterday.
Slept in, and then got brunch at a local place called Schaeffer’s. A lot nicer, in my book, than yesterday’s restaurant. It was friendly, open, reasonably priced, and well-lit. You can tell it’s popular, the place was packed, but they still seated us quickly. I had turtle soup and an alligator-sausage po-boy (sub sandwich, for those that don’t speak Southern dialect). The food was good, but in typical Cajun fashion, everything is so spiced you can’t quite tell what was under all that seasoning. I assume that the meat was what they said it was. I have no reason to doubt it. How can you tell? One thing is for certain; they’ve got no concept of a low-salt diet down here!
After that I got taken for a Honey Island Swamp Tour. The tour was actually fun. Saw a few gators and snakes, and lots of turtles, egrets and herons. Most of the big critters hadn’t emerged from winter hibernation quite yet though. Too early in the year. There are definitely places around here still fixing up after Katrina, and we saw that as well. But the place is recovering.
Everywhere we go, though, the Goodloes are who they are. We’re staying at the hotel tonight rather than going into New Orleans, because there’s ‘nothing we like to do open after 5pm’. They admitted the jazz clubs are okay, but over-priced (although given what they’ve spent on dinners and whatnot here already, I have to question what their criteria is for that). But Susan complains about the fact that Bourbon Street is basically a sleazy neighborhood and the clubs are all bars. She’s afraid to go out after dark, and seems to have implied that taking me to a bar would result in me getting drunk, since I’m the only one in the party who isn’t a teetotaler (as if). And her boys dutifully agree with her every time. I wonder if it would be different without her along? Hard to say. These two are so ingrained with her habits it might not be.
I could probably guilt them into going out tonight (after all I’ve never been down here before), but I’m not going to. Going to a club with a bunch of anti-social folks who won’t enjoy it would only ruin the whole experience. Better to stay in the room and read, and preserve my long-term working relationship with the family. Heck.
At least Dan is championing my cause to find local restaurants, not chains. I mean, if I wanted to eat at Applebees or whatever, I could do that at home. I’ve driven hundreds of miles, and I want to eat something I can’t get everyday. Hence, Shaeffer’s this morning.
Dinner was at another place recommended by the locals; Carreta’s Grill. A Mexican place. It’s a small restaurant, but clean, bright, well-lit and with a friendly staff. The food was reasonably priced, and tasted wonderful (finally, someplace down here that doesn’t salt everything!!!). They even had live entertainment. It was a cover band, but they weren’t bad, and the music was cheerful. Loud though… I could hardly hear anyone else talk. Overall, two thumbs up.
Having gone from Toledo to New Orleans in less than two weeks, though, has been like driving through time itself. Toledo is still in winter’s grip. When I was there, there was snow on the ground, and ice on the roads. No leaves on the trees, and no flowers. Once we got below Dayton, the snow was gone, but winter wasn’t quite done yet. As far south as Birmingham, we were driving into spring. The flowers were starting to bloom, and the trees to leaf. Down here, I’m in short sleeves, without even a jacket. Of course, Susan took a jacket on the tour today. They’ve spent all winter in Florida, so they still think it’s chilly.
I’m goin’ down by the river where it’s warm and green
I’m gonna have a drink, and walk around,
I got a lot to think about, oh yeah…
Today was at least more entertaining than yesterday.
Slept in, and then got brunch at a local place called Schaeffer’s. A lot nicer, in my book, than yesterday’s restaurant. It was friendly, open, reasonably priced, and well-lit. You can tell it’s popular, the place was packed, but they still seated us quickly. I had turtle soup and an alligator-sausage po-boy (sub sandwich, for those that don’t speak Southern dialect). The food was good, but in typical Cajun fashion, everything is so spiced you can’t quite tell what was under all that seasoning. I assume that the meat was what they said it was. I have no reason to doubt it. How can you tell? One thing is for certain; they’ve got no concept of a low-salt diet down here!
After that I got taken for a Honey Island Swamp Tour. The tour was actually fun. Saw a few gators and snakes, and lots of turtles, egrets and herons. Most of the big critters hadn’t emerged from winter hibernation quite yet though. Too early in the year. There are definitely places around here still fixing up after Katrina, and we saw that as well. But the place is recovering.
Everywhere we go, though, the Goodloes are who they are. We’re staying at the hotel tonight rather than going into New Orleans, because there’s ‘nothing we like to do open after 5pm’. They admitted the jazz clubs are okay, but over-priced (although given what they’ve spent on dinners and whatnot here already, I have to question what their criteria is for that). But Susan complains about the fact that Bourbon Street is basically a sleazy neighborhood and the clubs are all bars. She’s afraid to go out after dark, and seems to have implied that taking me to a bar would result in me getting drunk, since I’m the only one in the party who isn’t a teetotaler (as if). And her boys dutifully agree with her every time. I wonder if it would be different without her along? Hard to say. These two are so ingrained with her habits it might not be.
I could probably guilt them into going out tonight (after all I’ve never been down here before), but I’m not going to. Going to a club with a bunch of anti-social folks who won’t enjoy it would only ruin the whole experience. Better to stay in the room and read, and preserve my long-term working relationship with the family. Heck.
At least Dan is championing my cause to find local restaurants, not chains. I mean, if I wanted to eat at Applebees or whatever, I could do that at home. I’ve driven hundreds of miles, and I want to eat something I can’t get everyday. Hence, Shaeffer’s this morning.
Dinner was at another place recommended by the locals; Carreta’s Grill. A Mexican place. It’s a small restaurant, but clean, bright, well-lit and with a friendly staff. The food was reasonably priced, and tasted wonderful (finally, someplace down here that doesn’t salt everything!!!). They even had live entertainment. It was a cover band, but they weren’t bad, and the music was cheerful. Loud though… I could hardly hear anyone else talk. Overall, two thumbs up.
Having gone from Toledo to New Orleans in less than two weeks, though, has been like driving through time itself. Toledo is still in winter’s grip. When I was there, there was snow on the ground, and ice on the roads. No leaves on the trees, and no flowers. Once we got below Dayton, the snow was gone, but winter wasn’t quite done yet. As far south as Birmingham, we were driving into spring. The flowers were starting to bloom, and the trees to leaf. Down here, I’m in short sleeves, without even a jacket. Of course, Susan took a jacket on the tour today. They’ve spent all winter in Florida, so they still think it’s chilly.