New Orleans Architecture

Here are some samples of the amazing architecture from different areas of New Orleans including the Garden District, Esplanade Drive, Oak Alley Plantation, and the French Quarter. Many of the homes in the Garden District belong to well known authors, actors, and others among the rich and famous, but for the most part, the plantations have been turned into museums, with docent led tours where tourists can learn much about the history of New Orleans. Some of the older neighborhoods still have homes with architecture from a bygone era, and many have been restored to retain the regional look and feel.

New Orleans (The French Quarter)

For one reason or another, despite having been through the state of Louisiana a few times, it wasn't until May 2015 that we finally made it to New Orleans. From what I hear, waiting as long as we did after Hurricane Katrina, which hit in 2005, was probably a good idea. Much of the devastation has been repaired, although from what many say, New Orleans might never be the same as it was before disaster visited the city. Well known for its distinct French and Spanish Creole architecture, cross-cultural and multilingual heritage, and famous for its cuisine, music, and annual celebrations and festivals, the city is often referred to as the "most unique" in the United States.  With so much to see and do, the one week we spent there only gave us a peek of all it has to offer. One of the most captivating (and famous) areas in New Orleans is The French Quarter (known locally as "the Quarter" or Vieux Carré), with numerous hotels, bars, and nightclubs as well as eclectic cottages and apartments. This neighborhood is vibrant and colorful, never sleeps, is filled with the smells of regional cooking, the sound of music floating out of half-closed doors, and something catches your eye everywhere you turn. Notable tourist attractions in the Quarter include the flamboyant Bourbon Street, Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, the French Market, and Café du Monde, just to name a few. The pictures below are from the French Quarter. (More to follow in posts on The Garden District, Plantation Houses, and a Swamp Tour we took.) 

Wild Flowers of The Natchez Trace Parkway

I imagine every season brings its own style of beauty to the forest, fields, meadows, rivers, and streams that make up the 400-mile Natchez Trace Parkway. We were lucky enough to be here in the middle of Spring, and were treated to a fantastic display of wildflowers! We delighted in flowers of red, yellow, white, purple, and blue, showcased in fields, on decaying logs, in shady groves, and popping up in sunny places on the forest floor. Wrapping up my Natchez Trace blog entries is this wildflower display of Butterweed, Crimson Clover, Daisy Fleabane, Dogwood, May Apple, Ox-eye Daisy, Scaly Blazing Star Thistle, White Daffodil, Wild Blue Phlox, Wood Ear fungus, False Solomon's Seal, Bluebells, Wild Rose, and others I was unable to identify, but are beautiful none-the-less.