"Mission muffin top"

Thursday, 09.19.2013

Finally arrived in New Orleans later that evening. Met our host Pat, who works at Tulane University. He is also part of this bicycle organization that has been around for years and has events all over. He is one of the few members that have been to an event in all 50 states, this I found to be really interesting. Pat explains how he must head to Florida for the weekend but had no problem leaving us with the keys, very generous of him. He gives us the tour of New Orleans via iPad and we our own our way out to wander. 

*living room

*dining room with some cool artwork

*guest room with crazy costumes and a pretty awesome collection of hats 

We end up on Frenchman St. It is Thursday night and very crowded. The New Orleans music scene varies from jazz to blues to rock & roll to reggae...all of which I love. We stumble upon a Bob Marley bar with a band playing a mixture of all the music genres I just mentioned, pretty rad. 

After a beer and some delicious fish tacos we walk around to an artists market that is going on. So far every city I've been to is doing amazing things with art, a lot I have seen before but also a lot that I have not seen. (This being said after I've also visited Austin, Albuquerque and currently in Santa Fe) It definitely reassures me that wherever I end up for how ever long it may be that I will definitely be diving back into my art. 

We walk around Frenchman a bit more and get to a tiny bar, I wouldn't necessarily call it a dive bar but definitely close to one. The band is awesome. The people are great. Mostly older crowd but still so alive, dancing and singing and just all around good vibe. 

There are definitely sketchy parts of this town just like any city but if you're smart about it, it is nothing but a good time. 

Friday, 09.20.2013

Woke up and headed to the French Market. Typical market just on a bigger scale. Seeing everything in the daylight is always different. 

*delcious Jameson Bloody Mary 

We head back to eat and relax before we make our way out to Bourbon St. Oh Bourbon St... It is the end of September and it is still crazy. I don't know why but I thought New Orleans had a tourist season, maybe they're still in it or maybe it's just all year long. The bars are crazy; bachelor/bachelorette groups, couples everywhere of all ages, guys on balconies throwing beads. I will leave some details unsaid but overal pretty awesome time. 

Saturday, 09.21.2013

Wake up and relax for a while. Toward the middle of the day we realize we should start heading toward Austin. We still have no place to stay and it is a pretty long drive. We pack up, push the keys through the mailbox slot in the front door and head out. Fifteen/twenty minutes into the drive I turn to Chris in a panic realizing I left something in the fridge. The MUFFINS! When leaving Asheville, Ross gave us muffins he made..."special muffins." I thought it was a smart idea to put them in the refrigerator during our stay in New Orleans. We don't really know what to make of the situation because we didn't have the chance to get to know our host as well as we would have liked to. So I turn around and see if it is even possible to get back into the house. It's not...it later became a parting gift for our host. This worked out, I try and leave a random gift for every host. Hope he liked it...

On our way to Austin we stop at an interesting rest stop. Tiger rest stop...and guess what is there. A tiger! I couldn't get a good picture but I thought it was a unique way to get customers, even though I felt bad for the tiger. 

We find a host in Houston for the night but that eventually falls through. We get a cheap hotel and crash. Austin the next day!