United States | The Travel Lady In Her Shoes

Photography 101: Day 19, Double

Two old friends in conversation and relaxing with wine in Charleston, South Carolina! The Double Duo! Today’s assignment twosie’s! Notice the bottle tree? It is believed that the spirits are dazzled by the colors of the bottles in the sun. Once they enter the bottle, they can’t find their way out, much like flies. Legend had it that empty glass bottles placed outside the home could “capture” roving (usually evil) spirits at night, and the spirit would be destroyed the next day in the sunshine. Enjoy!

Two Old Friends, Charleston, SC

Absinthe, Pirates, History and the NOLA Charm

St Louis Cathedral

There are two ways to get to the center of The French Quarter from our spot in Marigny; stroll the seven blocks on Chartres St to St Louis Cathedral or take the Loyola-UPT Streetcar that ends near us at the French Market.

The French Market Streetcar

During our stay we do both. From the French Market we get off the streetcar at Dumaine St and walk a couple of blocks to our first stop, the Cafe Du Monde, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week!

Cafe Du Monde

A large area of indoor/outdoor seating, the cafe is packed. The menus are imprinted on the napkin holders. The choices are coffee, soft drinks, orange juice and two sizes of beignets, either 3 or 6, smothered in powdered sugar. That’s it! I really can’t see what the hub-bub about the place is, but every time we passed by the cafe it was full. It’s been a landmark in New Orleans since 1862.

Jackson Square

Jackson Square, NOLA

Continuing on we come to Jackson Square and behind that the beautiful St Louis Cathedral, the oldest continuously operating church in the US, built in 1720, rebuilt in 1789, becoming a cathedral in 1794.

St Louis Cathedral, NOLA

In front of the church on a wide band of street there are small booths of fortune tellers, ice cream vendors and musicians. Stepping inside the church we get relief from the heat and humidity which is quickly rising. Leaving the church and turning right and then right again we are on a small cobblestoned alley with St Anthony’s Garden behind the church. This alley is known to the locals as Pirates Alley. 600 feet long and 16 feet wide it is not listed on many of the maps of the French Quarter. The smell of New Orleans is more intense here, a smell of damp vegetation and a faint woodiness lingering with the latin rhythms, salsa music and blues coming from the corner. This corner was infamous for settling duels and debts of honor. Jean Lafitte, the famous pirate, who provided services to any country at war against another by attacking their ships, brought the booty to town and the goods were sold in the alley. Eventually the Spanish Colonial Prison called the Calabozo was built on this corner in 1769. Lafitte and his men were jailed here by Governor Claiborne of New Orleans. The prison was demolished in 1837, and the land was sold to make a long creole house which was the home of William Faulkner, where he wrote his first novel ”Soldiers Pay.” The creole house is now home to the Faulkner House Books. Now at the intersection of Pirates Alley and Cabildo Alley, where the prison was, is the Pirates Alley Cafe, known for caribbean drinks and absinthe.

Pirates Alley Cafe

Traditional absinthe was made of anise, fennel and wormwood (a plant) with added herbs and flowers making it green in color. The herbs and spices were soaked in alcohol and then distilled. The drink called la fée verte, (Green fairy) in French, was thought to be highly hallucinative also. Yes, drinking a couple of those today one might see fairies and pirates!

One afternoon, not far from Pirates Alley, we made our way to the Grape Vine Wine Bar and Bistro. We spent a lovely afternoon wine tasting and choosing cheeses from the cheese board. Then we were served large portions of appetizers. I had the crab cakes and they were fabulous. The ambience and service in this bistro is outstanding. With seating indoors or out this was our favorite spot in the old French Quarter.

Grapevine Wine Bar and Bistro

Another highlight of New Orleans is the WWII National War Museum. Traveling by way of the Canal Streetcar, switching to the St Charles Streetcar, we got off at Lee Circle and walked the rest of the way to the museum. The large museum is separated into different buildings and exhibits. Upon entering the ticket building in the Louisiana Memorial Pavilion we were greeted by veterans who are here every day and volunteer their services at all of the different venues. It was truly inspiring to see so many retired serviceman still giving of their time. Our first stop was the “Train Car Experience” where we boarded a train re-creating the tearful farewells and bittersweet returns of the men and women who went to war. Then we went upstairs to see the “America Goes to War,” “D-Day Invasion of Normandy,” “The Landing Beaches,” and the “D-Day Invasions of the Pacific.” All the exhibits were interactive and very interesting. One of the highlights of the museum was the short movie, “Beyond All Boundaries” produced and narrated by Tom Hanks. The movie is a journey of words and stories of actual WWII participants. The Solomon Victory Theater, where the movie is shown, has a screen 120 feet wide, with 9 digital cinema DPL Projectors. (a regular theater has only one) There are 27 surround sound custom speakers and 250 special effects theater seats that shake when the tanks are rolling by! Many of the props used to make the movie come alive are authentic pieces of equipment. There are 305 archival photographs and 517 film clips of actual footage shot during the war. You will not want to miss this special attraction.

Going outside the exhibits we looked at a WWII Victory Garden complete with posters!

The National WWII Museum

The Marine Corps Band, NOLA

Victory Garden Poster

Victory Garden

Victory Garden Poster

WWII Museum, NOLA

The other feature that I enjoyed was the “USS Tang” experience. Upon entering the submarine we are given actual sailors’ ID cards. Using the ID of the sailor, we were assigned to his station and duty in the sub.

Submarine Sailor ID’s

We had an interactive encounter recreating the last war patrol of America’s most decorated submarine in WWII! What a great time we had visiting the museum! There is the Stage Door Canteen and the American Sector Restaurant to eat in and then to wrap up our day we were entertained by the Marine Corps Band of New Orleans, part of the Memorial Day Concert Series. New Orleans has so much to offer; great food and drink, stunning architecture, history and perseverance. I think you will enjoy including NOLA to your list of “Not to Miss.” Enjoy!

To B or Not to B: That was the Question

Marginy BnoB

Fleur-de-Lis

In the past week I returned from a 5 day stay in New Orleans. I have never been before. When I first mentioned going there, SB’s remarks were, “I went there in college, you won’t like it.” My daughter went this winter for a conference and texted me, “Mom, you won’t like it.” Really? “What’s there not to like, I asked?”

“The drinking, that’s all anyone does there.”

“You mean like during Mardi Gras?”

“Yep.”

Then I started to check out the hotels. Hmmmm…….. They were very expensive with more than the average reviews by unhappy campers. After spending many hours pouring over reviews I decided to look at a different venue. Hmmmm….. What was the AIRB&B website? Now this was interesting! People rent out rooms in their house? Hmmmmm… I felt uncomfortable about showing up in a strange town AND at somebody’s house, who I didn’t even know! “Knock, knock, I’m here, glad to meet you, show me my room!” So I typed in “private apartments.” One looked very promising, the Marginy BnoB in the Frenchman Area.

The listing stated, “I am and have been a “New Orleans Public School Teacher” for 27 years. I have 3 children and 1 grandchild. I own a double shotgun house in New Orleans. I converted part of it as a bedroom for my daughter. When she moved out I converted to a Bed no Breakfast. I look forward to meeting new people ”

I liked her sense of humor and I liked the reviews I read about her place, so I booked it. The owner, Ginger, sounded responsible, the location in a residential neighborhood looked good, and the price was VERY REASONABLE. I looked forward to the trip!

Marginy BnoB was perfect! It was a Double Shotgun House, a long narrow house with a door at each side of the rectangle, revealing twin houses, divided by a center wall, one of the very popular style homes here. Our side consisted of a private entrance, large living area, with TV, microwave, coffee pot with tea/coffee and bottled water, and large bedroom area with a bathroom. Everything was spotless.

Marginy BnoB

The Living Room

Marginy BnoB

Showing us around and making sure we had everything we needed, we asked her if her house had been affected by Hurricane Katrina. She told us how the Marigny Neighborhood was the highest point of land in New Orleans, but she knew that so many others had not fared as well. She was very proud of her Cajun heritage and the recovery process of so many people, especially the children she taught. Then she showed us her fleur-de-lis tattoo on her arm and told me we would see many people with the tattoo. The tattoo represented perseverance and solidarity after Katrina. Talking with Ginger was like going to an old friend’s house, and after giving us the layout of the land she returned to her home next door. She was there if we needed anything. Perfect! For an interesting background on the Marigny Neighborhood read my photo narrative HERE!

Artwork in Marigny

I was excited about exploring my new digs. I loved all the different styles of homes jumbled into long skinny lots. AND the color! It was a spilled paintbox of brightness! It was like a box of chocolates, you never knew what to expect.

One of My Favorite Houses in NOLA

My Other favorite House

We were close to some of the best rated restaurants in New Orleans. One of our favorites, The Praline Connection, was one block from the apartment. Soul Food/Cajun at its finest! BBQ ribs, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, catfish and one of the side dishes was my favorite, crowder peas and okra with rice, rice, rice! The restaurants were frequented by locals, standing room only, and the crowds (drink in hand) did not mind waiting in line to get in. New Orleans, allows the possession and consumption on the street of any alcoholic beverage in an open plastic container. I want to think this started due in part to the intense heat and humidity.

Another of our favorites was the Port of Call Restaurant. Here they served their famous Monsoon Drinks (tropical juices, with or without booze) with their specialties of steaks, hamburgers and scrumptious huge baked potatoes with all the trimmings! It was very dark and cool in this restaurant, especially in the heat of the day. You will notice closed shutters on all the windows in New Orleans, even on the doors, which I though a bit odd at first. The shutters are kept closed to keep the cool air in because the heat and humidity are fierce here. We walked the neighborhood at night to get a peek at the chandelier ceilings and the tiny romantic interiors of these homes. It was the only time of day you could actually see inside. Many of the homes had outdoor gas lamps which also added to the charm.

Our favorite morning spot was the Cake Cafe and Bakery. Further up the street we walked through the charming neighborhood to reach this icon on the corner for breakfast. Clearly a local favorite, I could have sat here all day (well until 3pm when they close) just to watch the people. One gentleman and his friend was here every time I was. He walked with the assistance of a walker and his friend would park the car near the entrance whether there was room or not. When the servers saw them coming they went out of there way to open doors and help him into the restaurant and would quickly find him a seat. He clearly was a favorite and well known. I was struck by his features, his style of dress, his jewelry, his soft spoken demeanor and the reverence the locals had for him. As I was snapping shots of the cafe, he watched me. He knew I wanted to take his picture and was hesitant. Then he nodded and I clicked twice. I just love his picture and I bet he has a fleur-di-lis somewhere too! I can’t begin to tell you how many people would pass us on the street and start up a conversation. The people are clearly proud of New Orleans and wanted to make us welcome.

Cake Cafe and Bakery

Interspersed among the restaurants were the jazz clubs, crayfish boils, and a small neighborhood grocery that would have given the small Italian markets I love so much, a run for their money.

So, I was very impressed with our first venture with AIRB&B. But, I was greatly moved by the people of New Orleans and their motivation to keep their lifestyle alive and well. Next…… What else did I do and see in New Orleans? Yes, I reluctantly left Marigny to see other neighborhoods in the city. Part 3 NOLA is next to come! Enjoy!

A Word a Week Photo Challenge: Orange

I’ve just returned from NOLA! What a great time we had there! So here is my post for “A Word a Week Photo Challenge”: Orange! Check out the post I did on Exposure with more pictures of New Orleans! It’s Part 1 of a series! Enjoy! I certainly had a fab time!

“Shotgun House” in Marigny District, NOLA

Visiting Carmel, Indiana: Heaven on Earth

Monon Depot Museum, Carmel, IN

Carmel, Indiana, located in Hamilton County, just north of Indianapolis, is a paradise for the young and old. In 2012 Carmel was selected as the Best Place to Live in America by CNN Money Magazine and I totally agree! Until 1874, the town where Carmel now sits was called Bethlehem. In 1924, one of the first automatic traffic lights in the United States was installed at the intersection of Main Street and Rangeline Road. The signal that was installed was the invention of Leslie Haines and is currently in the old train Station on the Monon. Today, Carmel has become the unofficial roundabout capital of the World, due to the installation of over eighty roundabouts and demolition of seventy-eight sets of traffic signals! That is huge compared to the small town that I live in, Davidson, North Carolina, where we have three! The roundabouts are user friendly (once you get the hang of them) and places for beautiful landscaping design as well.

Carmel Arts and Design District promotes small businesses and local artisans and walking down Main Street there are fifteen bronze life-size sculptures, part of the “Man-on-the Street Series, created by J. Seward Johnson, Jr., “The Norman Rockwell of American Sculpture,” starting in the 1980s. These sculptures look so real and are placed in front of store fronts that depict their actions.

“Eternal Spring””

Fun in Town

“Holding Out”

“Sidewalk Concert”

“Ambassador of the Streets”

“One Man’s Search”

“Unconditional Surrender”

“Whose In Charge?”

“There Now You Can Grow”

“Confusing Predictions”

“First Ride”

Walking past the storefronts in “Old Town” you come to a crosswalk where the sculpture of the policeman is. Look both ways here because the Monon Trail crosses this section of Main Street and is always busy with bikers, walkers, joggers, skate boarders, men and women walking dogs, families with prams, you get the picture, it is WONDERFUL!

Oh, It’s You Welcome!

The Monon Trail, completed in 2003, measures 10.4 miles from 10th Street in Indianapolis where it connects at 96th Street, to the 5.2-mile Monon Greenway in Carmel. Used more than 1.2 million times in 2005, this makes the Monon Trail one of the busiest in the nation. The inviting part of the Monon Trail in Carmel is the restaurants, coffee shoppes, shopping and the Carmel Farmers Saturday Market, to be found along the trail. One can walk, bike, or jog and stop along the route for a cuppa, lunch, or shopping and then return to the trail! Also, along the trail you pass lovely kept turn of the century neighborhoods sprinkled with the pastel cottage and arts and crafts style home. For the newbies there are new townhouses built within a few yards of the Monon Trail too. Just walk outside your door and here is the trail, the restaurants, the shopping! Who wouldn’t want to live here, is my question!

The Streets in “Old Town” Carmel, IN

“There Now You Can Grow”

The Streets in “Old Town” Carmel, IN

“The Monon Trail”

Carmel City Center is a one million square foot mixed use development located in the heart of Carmel. The Monon Greenway runs directly through the project. Here is the location for the Center of Performing Arts which includes a 1600 seat concert hall named “The Palladian” and the 500-seat theater named “The Tarkington” and a 200- seat black box theater. The large park located next to the city center is the location for the Carmel Farmers Market, so it is easy to get there on the Monon Trail on Saturday mornings or park your car in the covered parking garage just 150 feet from the Market. The Market, founded in 1998, is a growers and producers-only market with over sixty vendors. There are fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, cheeses, jams and salsas, COFFEE, eggs, honey, plants and prepared foods. (like the Walking Waffle, one of my favorites) In addition there are cooking demonstrations, children’s activities and live music all in one place. All workers are volunteers and there is even a bike parking lot that is manned by local youth organizations so you can park your bike and go!

The Bike Lot

The Police Vehicle

The Walking Waffle

The Carmel Farmers Market

In 2007, a 24.5 million dollar water park and mega-fitness center was opened in the 55 million Carmel Central Park. You guessed it, situated right on the Monon Trail! The Outdoor Water Park consists of two water slides, a drop slide, diving board, a lazy river, a kiddie pool, a large zero depth activity pool Flowrider and a lap pool. The state-of-the-art fitness center consists of an indoor lap pool, a recreation pool with it’s own water slides, snack bar, gymnasium, 1/8 mile indoor running track and the Kids Zone Childcare Center. The building is connected by an elevated walkway over the Monon Trail, where the Carmel Clay Parks Department offices are located which has a banquet center and activity rooms that can be rented out. Carmel is truly one of the special small towns in the US and I hope you make it a point to check it out! It makes a lovely Weekend Getaway, or a week for that matter! Enjoy!

A Word a Week Photo Challenge: Carry

This week I am starting a series of posts about small towns in the USA. Here we are in Carmel, Indiana, one of the most charming towns to be found in the midwest! For this week’s challenge: “Carry,” let’s get the Walking Waffle at the busy Saturday Market!

The Walking Waffle

One of the features of the town is the fabulous “arts” district. The Carmel Public Arts Collection includes a variety of media and supports community interests. J. Seward Johnson, Jr., an American realist, was born in 1930. He is the grandson of the founder of the Johnson and Johnson Company. After a career in painting he turned to sculpting in 1968. Johnson has designed and created more than 250 life-size bronze sculptures in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. “The Man-on-the-Street” series began in the 1960’s and continues as Johnson creates new ways to express his subjects. Fifteen of these sculptures can be be found at different locations throughout the Carmel Old Town and Carmel City Center. See a map of sculptures Here! Walking through Carmel’s “old town” is such a delight! The sculptures look so real and are located in front of shoppes that relate to the sculpture. For more about Carmel, IN, follow my postings on “Small Towns in the USA” that begins tomorrow! Enjoy!

“Whose In Charge?”

“Who’s in Charge”
A young boy in overalls and hat sitting on a man’s shoulders

Located in front of Simply Sweet Shoppe at 30 N. Range Line Road, one block north of the Main Street & Range Line Road intersection, Carmel, IN

Charleston For Easter

Some of the window treatments and planters in Charleston

The Windows of Charleston

This post is a break of sorts from the Italian vacation prep. Well sort of. My husband and I just returned from Charleston, one of the greatest cities in the United States. It has everything…… cozy neighborhoods, fantastic architecture, history, cobblestone and cannonball streets, terrific shopping, sea breezes, did I mention the food? Fabulous! We spent the weekend walking, walking and more walking the neighborhoods, which I never tire of. I love the vibrant colors on the homes, one of my favorites is the tangerine color of these shutters. Or maybe the cameo pink of the skinny house. Or maybe the pigeon white of the antebellum. I really can’t decide which one I like best! Temperature in the seventies, the azaleas were in bloom, the fountains gurgling. Around every corner is a hidden garden, certainly one on the side of the Charleston House. We peek through the wrought iron gates. The flower boxes are overflowing at the windows. The churches, especially St Michaels and St Phillips were decked out in fine Easter greenery and floral arrangements were going up on the doors, along the pews and at the altar on Saturday. The ladies stroll Market Street in Easter parade outfits wearing beautiful flowing dresses, pastel hats and gloves. It’s been a while since I saw women so dressed up. Reminded me that I do own a fancy hat!

I also had a method to my madness. I was breaking in a new camera. I wanted to make sure I could take the shots I wanted without fiddling with the camera for ten minutes. I like to shoot and go. My current Canon camera has an eye problem. The shutter won’t shut all the way or it catches sometimes and won’t close at all. So I opted for a Nikon with lots of buttons, settings and zooooooom. I have my friend Katy from PraguebyKaty to thank for even thinking about getting a different camera. She takes wonderful pictures. She takes unusual shots and great videos too. Who knew a camera could have twenty scene descriptions alone? I know indoor and outdoor, ha! This camera has a close-up, food, snow, beach, fireworks, museum, dusk/dawn, sunset, party/ indoor, panorama and pet portrait, to name a few. For the first hour or two I had the camera on auto select. It kept telling me I needed the flash, but it seemed really sunny out to me. So I snapped away with the flash on. The pictures looked washed out. Then I switched to the scene mode. Much better! I didn’t get the really flashy camera, with different lenses and such. Too much to learn before I leave for Italy. I’ll keep playing with this one until I get it right. Here are more of the pictures I took in Charleston.

There are plenty of great restaurants here. This time we tried out some that were new to us and we were not disappointed. Now I must add here that I have been on Nutrisystem since January 1st and eating out in Charleston was a delight I had been saving up for. I love low country food. Shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, mustard roasted brussels sprouts. The first place we went to was The Dixie Supply Bakery & Cafe. A hole in the wall place, that could easily be passed by. The locals eat here, need I say more? We just wanted a no fuss lunch and to eat outside in the nice weather. The place was packed both indoors and out. The Dixie Burger is a hamburger with fried green tomatoes, bacon and pimento cheese. AND homemade pickles on the side. Awesome! The other items that caught my eye were the tomato pie and the bacon pecan pie. I didn’t try those, but I wanted to. Oh and they serve Nehi Orange in the bottle. Can’t remember the last time I had a Nehi. I was in heaven!

Going to Charleston was also a chance to break in shoes. The shoes I am thinking about taking to Italy. I wanted to get some mileage on those shoes. Would they be comfortable after walking three to six hours? I test all shoes before I pack them in the suitcase. Many hours, many miles. It will save me heartache and foot ache later. My favorite shoe shop is the Charleston Shoe Company. They specialize in the cobblestone to cocktail shoe. The shoes are very stylish, come in a bazillion colors and styles and are very comfortable. They are machine washable!!!!! I am showing some of my favorites here that I am narrowing down for the trip. I really am leaning toward the red to wear as my dress up shoes. Maybe I will see the Pope and we can compare shoes!

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Travel, Gardens, Food, Photography, Books, Shoes

Posts from the ‘United States’ category

Photography 101: Day 19, Double

Absinthe, Pirates, History and the NOLA Charm

To B or Not to B: That was the Question

A Word a Week Photo Challenge: Orange

Charleston For Easter

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