Monday, September 20, Day 14 of my 30-day JetBlue All You Can Jet Adventure.On the move again, I leave NYC on the E train subway, to connect to the AirTrain at JFK. This is my first time spending any time at Jet Blue's Terminal 5 at JFK, JetBlues main hub, home base. It looks like they have a special area for AYCJ pass-holders, but it's pretty full. The computer stations with WiFi were great, and I spent some time catching up with my emails, until it was time to board my flight to New Orleans.
When I planned this trip to visit Friends And Family Across America, I realized that I'd be visiting places that I've been to before. Nothing wrong with that. But I decided that this 30-day adventure had to include at least one new place. Somewhere I've never been. New Orleans.
I picked up my checked bag, then went to the airport shuttle desk (which I had researched on the web, and had in my pages of notes). A round trip ticket to any downtown hotel from the airport (and back) is $38. The van filled up and we headed off to New Orleans, at about 5:30pm. Out shuttle driver was also part tour guide, and shared some local New Orleans tips, and his own personal Katrina survival story.
After checking into my hotel (free WiFi in the room is very helpful!) I took off walking, looking for a relatively inexpensive place for dinner. In New Orleans there's no open carry law here, so people can walk around the streets with alcoholic drinks in their hand. And they do. And there's an interesting mix of sports fans and music fans. New Orleans was playing in Monday Night Football tonight in San Francisco, so TV's everywhere had the game on. (They won.) And there are musicians scattered around the city, in clubs and also on corners, just playing music.
Bourbon Street is an interesting mix too. Some of the restaurants are fairly expensive, and on the same street, are many places offering, how shall I say... adult entertainment. Can someone tell me why they're called "Gentlemen's Clubs"?
"That was no gentleman, that was my husband."
That would be my own twist on the old joke, "Who was that lady I saw you with last night? That was no lady, that was my wife."
Okay, sorry... where was I? I was amazed how hot and humid it still was, at 7 or 8 pm. When we landed in New Orleans, the JetBlue pilot reported that conditions were clear, sunny, and... moist. Boy was he right.
As I walked around, I found a few art galleries, and in one of them, I asked for advice for a not-too-expensive place to eat. He recommended the Gumbo Shop, around the corner, and it was a good choice.
The Gumbo Shop, housed in a 1795 building looked casual and was busy. I couldn't decide between the shrimp creole and the jambalaya, so the waitress suggested I get the combination plate with those two dishes plus red beans and rice. It was perfect. With only 2 nights in a city, you need to sample as much food as possible, so why not try several at once! With a glass of wine, it was a perfect dinner. I really wanted to try the hot bread pudding with whiskey sauce, but just couldn't eat another bite. Maybe next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment