The Big Easy

Flying with masks wasn't that fun but the rest of the trip was a blast. Even when the Uber driver warned us to be careful on Bourbon Street and that Mardi Gras was starting too. And he said no flashy watches.  

Nice quiet first night with some great Jazz from the Brass-a-holics, gumbo and some cocktails sure started things right!

Coffee and Beignets for breakfast with enough powdered sugar to cover a mountain or two. Then off to the Cigar Factory for some hand rolled cigars in prep for a few days of jazz.

Fun facts:

• The first Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans was held in the 1800s
• Masks are mandatory on New Orleans Mardi Gras floats
• Hurricane Katrina was the US' costliest natural disaster
• A haunted mansion sits in the French Quarter
• New Orleans features many above ground tombs
• New Orleans was the Louisiana state capital before Baton Rouge
• 25% of the United States' fish species live in the Mississippi River
• New Orleans was the largest Confederate city during the Civil War
• City Park was originally used for dueling 
• Located in New Orleans, City Park is one of the largest parks in the nation and was once a popular spot for Creole men to meet and duel.
• Bourbon Street isn't named after the  alcohol
• Dental floss was invented in New Orleans