Last Friday I kicked off a fun quiz and invited y’allΒ to guess where in the world I was. Many of you guessed correctlyβ€”the Big Easy: New Orleans! A special mention goes to T.B. Markinson and Lorraine Kleinwaks for guessing right on the first day.

I’d been to New Orleans once before, during Mardi Gras. I was 18. The city has a decidedly different feel when masked people aren’t throwing plastic beads at you from atop floats. I hope you enjoy a short photo tour of the city.

Mardi Gras beads adorn fences and light posts all year long.

Mardi Gras beads adorn fences and light posts all year long.

Home in the Garden District

Home in the Garden District. I could show a dozen photos of homes — each more gorgeous than the next.Β 

This is one of the few surviving "cornstalk" wrought iron fences in New Orleans.

This is one of the few surviving “cornstalk” wrought iron fences in New Orleans. This style was one of the most expensive to produce.Β 

Having drinks on the porch at The Columns hotel and watching the streetcars pass.

Having drinks on the porch at The Columns hotel and watching the streetcars pass. Highly recommended!Β 

Reggie hanging out on the Mississippi River levee.

Reggie hanging out on the Mississippi River levee. The levees on the Mississippi River have been expanded since Hurricane Katrina.Β 

Lovely French Quarter digs.

Lovely French Quarter digs.

Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral on a rainy morning.

Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral on a rainy morning, but…

that didn't stop me from waiting in line at Cafe du Monde.

that didn’t stop me from waiting in line at Cafe du Monde for beignets. Cafe du Monde might serve other items, but I never thought to look at a menu.

Word of advice: do not wear black while eating beignets. Beignets are fried dough covered with powdered sugar. They might serve other items at Cafe du Monde, but I never thought to look at a menu.

Word of advice: do not wear black while eating beignets. Beignets are fried dough covered with powdered sugar.Β 

Grilled pecan pie at the Camellia Grill, a greasy spoon in the Carrollton neighborhood. This was easily the best thing I ate in New Orleans.  The best time to go is after midnight. Even then, expect a line.

Grilled pecan pie at the Camellia Grill, a greasy spoon in the Carrollton neighborhood. The place was closed after Hurricane Katrina until April 2007. The front door was covered with hundreds of notes from neighbors who missed it.
This was easily the best thing I ate in New Orleans. The best time to go is after midnight. Even then, expect a line.

Sinful.

I was told this was calorie-free. What?!?

Hansen's is a hole-in-the-wall bungalow on . They serve snow cones to which you can add a variety of flavors...

Hansen’s is a hole-in-the-wall bungalow on Tchoupitoulas Street opened by Ernest and Mary Hansen in 1939. Now the place is run by their granddaughter. They serve snow cones to which you can add a variety of flavors…

I chose cream of nectar. It doesn't look like much, but it's refreshing on a hot day.

I chose cream of nectar. It doesn’t look like much, but it’s refreshing on a hot day.

I can't leave you without a grainy photo from a night out in the Marigny neighborhood, listening to the well-known Kermit Ruffins on horn.

I can’t leave you without a grainy photo from a night out in the Marigny neighborhood listening to the charmingΒ Kermit Ruffins on horn. Yes, he is wearing blue suede shoes.Β 

Thank you for posting your answers. You helped raise $54.00 for Rebuilding Together New Orleans, an organization that helps repair and rebuild homes for people in need using a combination of volunteers and professional labor.

Have you been to New Orleans? Have a great weekend, everyone!Β 

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