In case you don’t already know this, the city motto of New Orleans is “Laissez les bons temps rouler,” which is French for “Let the good times roll.” And roll they did during our month-long stay! I provided a pretty clear picture of what our life was like in New Orleans in my prior post, so this one will be dedicated to recording some of our best times there.
Lovely Normalcy
We had numerous lovely neighborhood walks, discovered a great picnic spot in Audubon park, and completed our third jigsaw puzzle in the week following my prior post. We also worked a lot. We enjoyed a fabulous date night out to a Vietnamese fusion pho restaurant in our Mid-City neighborhood and were especially impressed by the special, which Chad ordered, which was pho with a Creole twist highlighted by lemongrass sausage and a seafood stock base. My veggie pho included grilled eggplant and mushrooms and was also really good. We didn’t really get photos that night, but the restaurant had a lovely courtyard area that the weather was just warm enough to enjoy.
Our picnic with the waterfowl was a real highlight, and I’ll let the photos tell the story.
Bench to enjoy a picnic with the ducks in Audubon Park 
Bird stalking our picnic 
Fun Friend Times
Then my dear friend Sara came to visit us for nearly a week. It meant Chad giving up his dedicated office space and moving his table out to the living room, but totally worth it. We had a great time, especially our Sunday girls-only brunch, fun COVID-safe times in the French Quarter, an exciting Chiefs playoff win outside an Irish pub, the inauguration of a new president and our first woman vice president, and completing our fourth puzzle. It was so great that Sara was able to come stay with us and was a big highlight for me. One of the things I’ve missed most during COVID is easily hanging out with friends.
Jackson Square 
Iconic photo 
COVID-safe in the French Quarter 
French Quarter slushies 
The FQ was pretty dead the Monday night we went out with Sara 
Fun band we listened to for a bit 
Yummy creole meal for three: shrimp Étouffée, duck with seafood sauce, and crab cake fettucini
Another puzzle completed 
Beignet picnic in City Park 
Sara capturing the historic swearing in of Vice President Kamala Harris 
Our inauguration feast
More Normalcy, But With House Floats
After Sara left, we settled back into the routine of lots of work, lovely walks, and occasional date nights. But, more and more Mardi Gras house floats began emerging around the city, including our own neighborhood, giving us something new and interesting to seek out. Because it is COVID-times, the city of New Orleans canceled all its parades and typical Mardi Gras celebrations. So a few really creative residents came up with the idea for people to decorate their porches as Mardi Gras floats. The idea took off and now there are hundreds if not thousands around the city. It is a fun, COVID-safe thing to lift people’s spirits and we had the opportunity to visit a few of the great ones and just stumble across some really good ones in Mid-City.
The house floats are even more needed now because the city has really had to crack down on bars and gatherings in the lead-up to Mardi Gras. On our last night in the city (Jan 30) we went to the French Quarter and saw firsthand how unsafe people were being, hanging out in big groups, walking around big crowds without masks, etc. We avoided Bourbon Street that night and went early after seeing all the bad behavior. But now New Orleans is closing the bars, banning people from much of the French Quarter, and banning to-go drinks (one of my favorite things about New Orleans!) beginning the weekend prior to Mardi Gras. I kind of feel like we left just in time.
Summary
We really had a terrific month in New Orleans and I’m so glad we picked it as our January home. While it wasn’t quite as warm as we hoped, the weather was good enough to enjoy lots of walks and meals out, and we really fell in love with our Mid-City neighborhood and our Airbnb home (review below). And it was far warmer than Missouri! As our honeymoon spot, New Orleans has always held a special place in our hearts, but now we feel we truly know and appreciate the city. I’m certain we’ll be back!
Bayou walk in Mid-City 
Chilly walk at Lake Pontchartrain 
Pretty park near the lake 
Friends from another bird picnic 
Goose and swan
Airbnb Review
There is a lot to love about this place and my husband and I spent a wonderful month here. The kitchen (with a gas stove!) was the best Airbnb kitchen we’ve ever had, wifi was fast and reliable, and we absolutely loved the Mid-City neighborhood. Cleanliness was good and the bed was comfortable, and we were always able to find a place to park on the street right in front of the house. Communication from the host was good. The bedrooms share a wall with the other part of the duplex and there is some noise. It wasn’t distracting enough to complain about, just good to know in advance. And, pro-tip: the smoke alarm is pretty sensitive and on the very high ceiling, so if you set it off, you have to get the broom from the laundry closet to reach the button. We definitely recommend this place for a long or short stay in New Orleans!