For Christmas, my brother and sister-in-law, gifted me, my husband, and our parents tickets for a New Orleans ghost tour. Now, I am not a fan of history, nor do I believe in ghosts. But New Orleans? On a beautiful Saturday in March? Count. Me. In.
We started our day with lunch at Pierre Antoine Restaurant. It is located on the corner of Royal Street and St. Ann with open-air seating for views of the French Quarter and serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This was my second time here, and both times, the food was delicious. They serve classic Louisiana cajun and creole cuisine. I had the fried shrimp and oyster platter, which did not disappoint. We also had their famous, and yummy, Beignet Fries with powdered sugar.
We then made our way to the start of our tour. The tour we did was the French Quarter Ghosts and Legends Tour with Haunted History Tours of New Orleans. It is a 2 hour walking tour, departing across the street from Pat O’Brien’s. So with a drink in hand from Pat O’s, the tour began. Our tour guide was amazing! He was so lively and animated, and it was obvious history is his passion. A majority of the tour was spent at various sites along nearby streets, as our guide pointed out murder mysteries and rumors of ghost sightings. There was one stop on the tour – a tucked-away bed and breakfast style building, where we could enter into one of the rooms and check for ghosts. While we didn’t see any ghosts, we learned a lot about the history of the French Quarter and thoroughly enjoyed the tour.
After the tour was over, it was time for the Italian-American St. Joseph’s Parade! This parade celebrates St. Joseph and passes directly through the French Quarter, just a block from where our tour ended. The parade is filled with local marching bands, a hand full of floats, and (most importantly) men in tuxedos with plastic roses to trade for a kiss on the cheek. We spent the parade sipping on the “frozen purple drink” from Lafitte’s Blacksmith Bar. I’m not really sure what the drink’s real name is, or what’s even in it, but it was so refreshing on a sunny day and the perfect parade drink.
Overall, I would highly recommend the tour or parade (or both!) to anyone with a love for New Orleans. Food was great, drinks were better, and time with family is always the best.
-Rebecca
For more information on the ghost tour, visit their website at http://www.hauntedhistorytours.com
THE JOYFUL PLANNER 