Picking back up in the good ole US of A, we started our trip down to New Orleans early Thursday morning. We had tricked Karen and Steve into being our road trip partners for this long haul. Good conversation and good driving made the trip fly by. Once in New Orleans, we dropped our luggage at the Airbnb, and we were ready to start the fun-filled weekend. Jessica and Mary Lee had organized a series of events to take place over the coming days that would allow their guests to each get to spend some time with the brides and to get to appreciate the wonderfully unique city that is New Orleans. Thursday's night activity: The Rock and Bowl. This hip joint featured 18 lanes of the classic American pastime as well as a rocking Zydeco band (Chubby Carrier on the mic and accordion this particular night). If people weren't bowling they were dancing, and if they weren't dancing they were drinking. It was a good way to warm up the whole crew for a fun weekend. Turns out, not having bowled in over a year does not make your bowling game better. We had fun all the same getting to catch up with family we had not yet seen while in the US.
Friday was devoted to playing the role of tourist. This was Tyler's first time in New Orleans, so we had to hit all the traditional spots. First order of business: beignets. According to some, Cafe de Monde in the French Quarter is the ONLY place to get your beignets and chicory coffee. We went through the To-Go line and stood under the eaves while the rain came down, devouring the fried treats and getting powdered sugar all over our faces. From there, we had planned a casual tour of the French Quarter on foot, but the rain just wasn't letting up. So we opted for a driving tour of the surrounding neighborhoods instead. This included the 9th Ward, the neighborhood known for the tragic and devastating impact Hurricane Katrina inflicted upon it. Still today, many square blocks lie completely devoid of homes or in utter ruin. To see this area of natural destruction, was certainly an impactful and unforgettable experience.
Our beignet breakfast was wearing thin, so it was time to hit a local lunch spot suggested by the brides: Juan's Flying Burrito. Yes, we were eating Tex-Mex yet again (don't judge). This place delighted by offering all the expected mexican dishes and by taking advantage of the regional delicacies (crawfish and shrimps) on the specials menu. This tasty lunch fueled us up for an afternoon of bar-hopping and basketball watching. Later, the rain mercifully let up for an evening Ghost Tour in the French Quarter.
We started Saturday off with a big breakfast with Jessica at a spot just around the corner from our Airbnb. From there, we moved to the Garden District to try to catch some of the St. Patrick's Day parade. It looked like the whole neighborhood had put on their green and lined Magazine Street, but the parade itself wasn't quite as organized. The whiskey and Guinness had gotten the better of some parade groups. Some were merging with others behind them. Others seemed to have disappear completely, as there would be long gaps of occasional empty space. It was enjoyable to watch all the same, and the sense and community and neighborly friendship was evident. Long before the festivities were over, we headed back to our place to get ready for the wedding celebration.
Jessica and Mary Lee hosted a lovely reception on the cozy back patio of The Bulldog Bar. As if they had planned it, the rain stopped completely just as the party was about to begin. After all guests had arrived, a close friend of the couple MC'd an official welcome and kicked off several heartfelt speeches. As sister of the bride, Molly was one of those invited to speak. After weeks of needless fretting and hand-wringing over preparing for this event, she brought down the house with a touching, funny, and sincere toast to the brides. There wasn't a dry eye in the house (or that is the way it looked to Tyler through his crocodile tears). The brides took the mic in turn to thank the guests and even gave an impromptu acapella performance of "Tennessee Me" by the Secret Sisters. The rest of the night was a blur of delighting conversation and wedding revelry. Jessica and Mary Lee were fortunate to be born into very loving families and have done an amazing job of surrounding themselves with engaging and loyal friends. We had an absolute blast chatting with those we knew or getting to know the ones we didn't. Too soon, the celebration was over, and we were Uber-ing back to the Airbnb for a few hours sleep before getting on a plane first thing the next morning.
And just like that, our great American vacation was over. After almost a complete year in Europe, we knew we were missing family and certain foods, but the experience of going home was even better than we had anticipated.
