Lady
04-22-2003, 10:51 PM
Blackened Redfish
We had breakfast at the hotel, which was free each morning, made to order omelets, sausages, bacon, pancakes, french toast, grits, scrambled eggs, breads, muffins, pastries, fruits, juices, cereals – etc. - and walked a few blocks to St. Charles Street where we caught the streetcar heading in the direction of the zoo - the streetcar was packed - I didn't know if I remembered how to hang on to a strap - it's been a long time since being in the Subways of Philadelphia, but it came back to me - I got my streetcar legs set and took a firm grasp of the strap and away we went - luckily within two stops a seat opened up for me - it is the one that faces the sidewalk - the driver was to my left - the first few stops after I was seated I slid almost on to the people in the seat to my right facing front - there is no little wall thingy that comes up along the side of the seat - so if there is a sudden jerk you will slide off if not used to it! It was a noisy clattery ride but fun nonetheless.
Oh – the beautiful mansion style homes we saw, as we journeyed to the zoo, along St. Charles through the Garden District one more lovelier than the one prior - we passed Loyola and Tulane Universities - how beautiful they are from what we could see from the road - reminded me of my days in Villanova in Pennsylvania or my visits to the Princeton/Harvard Games - I really love the campuses of the older universities so rich in tradition. As I dreamed a little of walking the commons area holding my books – Clank - the streetcar shut down - the driver stated that we would all have to get out and walk a block up where a bus would be by to pick us up - the power had gone out up ahead and this is as far as he could go. Our question was didn't they know this - why didn't they tell the people before they got on?? We were told to go stand where a man was standing - in the middle of the street where the grass and streetcar tracks are - last time I got on a bus I remembered standing on the sidewalk - hmmmm? We all piled out and walked the block to get the bus with our transfers that were given to us. Only a few stayed on to return to town and turned all the seat backs around so they were facing front as they went back.
We stood a moment or two and then the streetcar came up to us and scooped us back up again and we proceeded to the zoo - the problem was fixed?? The whole streetcar was laughing as we all continued the ride riding backwards - we found the situation very funny - it was one of those you had to be there things but, trust me - our sides were aching!
We jumped off the streetcar and some of us piled into a free shuttle that takes you a few more blocks to the zoo - we arrived at the zoo about 10:00 a.m. - we were about half an hour late getting started and the break down did not help - we stayed until about 4:00. Six hours of walking – taking photos – looking at the animals – being silly and just having fun – some folks and brochures say it can be done in two hours – we just don’t see how. Petted a chinchilla, turtle, ferret and some type of tropical bird which was fun – and watched a duck chase an emu around a lake – that was a hoot – both birds squawking at each other. Saw what is called Nutria – a rodent that is overpopulating LA and it is said to be popping up on the menu of some restaurants – I’m sure they must tell you before you eat it – but it is one way to decrease the invasion of these critters. I’ll pass – thank you. Iccckkkkk. They had white tigers and white alligators which were wonderful to view – they have a swamp creature – sort of like the Jersey Devil – in NJ or Big Foot – there is a large figure of him in the swamp exhibit – and his eyes are lit up – there are baby shoes behind him on the ground – the little ones must get scared out of their wits – yikes – he just about scared me lol.
We looked through the gift shops – there were a few and had a snowball (slushy/slurpee) type ice treat while there – Scamp and I each ordered the watermelon but it did not taste like watermelon, refreshing it was though. A cool area the New Orleans zoo has is an area of rocks/mountain effect – with ropes/steps – paths and little grottos – ponds – fresh cool water that children can get into when they are at the zoo and it is too hot – they can get totally soaked and cool off – it’s a great idea! Hopped back on the free shuttle back to the streetcar and the streetcar back to the street our hotel was on – Tramp sat in another seat next to a gentlemen from the Northeast – I sat next to the wife and Scamp was next to their daughter – we all chatted with each other about our day and how we were all enjoying the wonderful town New Orleans is :- turns out it is a small small world – the guy Tramp spoke with is somehow connected to Tramp’s employment – each company has done business with the other – something like that – they were talking of many things in common.
Made it back to the hotel in time for happy hour! Two hours of free drinks – not bad. After a freshening change for dinner we stepped outside the front entrance and met Rosie for the first time! She was driving us to Copeland’s in Metairie, outside New Orleans, for dinner - Wow - she's cool - great person, very friendly, warm and welcoming. Before we went to the restaurant, Rosie drove us to one of the supermarkets and we picked up a few items, some crab/crawfish/shrimp boil and some Stewarts Root Beer – besides Birch Beer from Pennsylvania – Stewarts comes in a real close second! There were some great items in the market and we enjoyed checking out what all the shelves had to offer.
Across the street at Copelands – the meal was most scrumptious – an order of Crawfish Bread to get us started - Crawfish Bread is a French Bread thinly spread with artichoke and spinach, sauteed crawfish, Alfredeaux sauce, Monterey Jack cheese and broiled to a golden brown – next time we’ll order two of those lol – the bread was followed by the Blackened Redfish with red hot potatoes smashed for me - oh so yummy! Scamp had pan fried jumbo shrimp over angel hair pasta in a light lemon sauce with artichoke hearts, spinach, tomatoes, roasted garlic and parmesan cheese. He said it was hot as in spicy hot – I tried a bite of it and then both our eyes were bugging out! Tramp had Lafitte's Linguine which is shrimp, oysters and crawfish sauteed with garlic and basil in a white wine cream sauce and then served over linguine – were we stuffed as yet? It’s only Monday! We chatted about this and that and got to know each other a bit better.
We skipped dessert and Rosie took us to a little out of the way snowball shop (slurpee/slushee type ice thingy) - I was very delighted as I found root beer, the zoo did not have root beer - don't know why, but root beer sure is a hard flavor to find at the snowball/snowcone places. Tramp had creamcicle, Scamp had a coffee one and Rosie had one that she added condensed milk to it, but don’t remember her flavor. I had thought about adding the milk also but after being stuffed beyond stuffed at dinner - the thought of milk was just too filing. They were really good though and we sat on the stumps of trees which made me smile – there was a place we went to for icecream growing up in South Jersey and they had the tree stumps for seats too – reminded me of home.
Rosie dropped us back at the hotel and after getting a nightcap from the bar we made our way back to the room - I looked on the table and saw postcards that were supposed to have been mailed that morning - I'll do them tomorrow I thought as I crawled into bed in a real cool town – today had been an awesome day - meeting someone you have known for a long time, seeing the animals and more food!! What more could there be?? How about Commanders Palace?? - Tuesday would prove to be off the charts!!
We had breakfast at the hotel, which was free each morning, made to order omelets, sausages, bacon, pancakes, french toast, grits, scrambled eggs, breads, muffins, pastries, fruits, juices, cereals – etc. - and walked a few blocks to St. Charles Street where we caught the streetcar heading in the direction of the zoo - the streetcar was packed - I didn't know if I remembered how to hang on to a strap - it's been a long time since being in the Subways of Philadelphia, but it came back to me - I got my streetcar legs set and took a firm grasp of the strap and away we went - luckily within two stops a seat opened up for me - it is the one that faces the sidewalk - the driver was to my left - the first few stops after I was seated I slid almost on to the people in the seat to my right facing front - there is no little wall thingy that comes up along the side of the seat - so if there is a sudden jerk you will slide off if not used to it! It was a noisy clattery ride but fun nonetheless.
Oh – the beautiful mansion style homes we saw, as we journeyed to the zoo, along St. Charles through the Garden District one more lovelier than the one prior - we passed Loyola and Tulane Universities - how beautiful they are from what we could see from the road - reminded me of my days in Villanova in Pennsylvania or my visits to the Princeton/Harvard Games - I really love the campuses of the older universities so rich in tradition. As I dreamed a little of walking the commons area holding my books – Clank - the streetcar shut down - the driver stated that we would all have to get out and walk a block up where a bus would be by to pick us up - the power had gone out up ahead and this is as far as he could go. Our question was didn't they know this - why didn't they tell the people before they got on?? We were told to go stand where a man was standing - in the middle of the street where the grass and streetcar tracks are - last time I got on a bus I remembered standing on the sidewalk - hmmmm? We all piled out and walked the block to get the bus with our transfers that were given to us. Only a few stayed on to return to town and turned all the seat backs around so they were facing front as they went back.
We stood a moment or two and then the streetcar came up to us and scooped us back up again and we proceeded to the zoo - the problem was fixed?? The whole streetcar was laughing as we all continued the ride riding backwards - we found the situation very funny - it was one of those you had to be there things but, trust me - our sides were aching!
We jumped off the streetcar and some of us piled into a free shuttle that takes you a few more blocks to the zoo - we arrived at the zoo about 10:00 a.m. - we were about half an hour late getting started and the break down did not help - we stayed until about 4:00. Six hours of walking – taking photos – looking at the animals – being silly and just having fun – some folks and brochures say it can be done in two hours – we just don’t see how. Petted a chinchilla, turtle, ferret and some type of tropical bird which was fun – and watched a duck chase an emu around a lake – that was a hoot – both birds squawking at each other. Saw what is called Nutria – a rodent that is overpopulating LA and it is said to be popping up on the menu of some restaurants – I’m sure they must tell you before you eat it – but it is one way to decrease the invasion of these critters. I’ll pass – thank you. Iccckkkkk. They had white tigers and white alligators which were wonderful to view – they have a swamp creature – sort of like the Jersey Devil – in NJ or Big Foot – there is a large figure of him in the swamp exhibit – and his eyes are lit up – there are baby shoes behind him on the ground – the little ones must get scared out of their wits – yikes – he just about scared me lol.
We looked through the gift shops – there were a few and had a snowball (slushy/slurpee) type ice treat while there – Scamp and I each ordered the watermelon but it did not taste like watermelon, refreshing it was though. A cool area the New Orleans zoo has is an area of rocks/mountain effect – with ropes/steps – paths and little grottos – ponds – fresh cool water that children can get into when they are at the zoo and it is too hot – they can get totally soaked and cool off – it’s a great idea! Hopped back on the free shuttle back to the streetcar and the streetcar back to the street our hotel was on – Tramp sat in another seat next to a gentlemen from the Northeast – I sat next to the wife and Scamp was next to their daughter – we all chatted with each other about our day and how we were all enjoying the wonderful town New Orleans is :- turns out it is a small small world – the guy Tramp spoke with is somehow connected to Tramp’s employment – each company has done business with the other – something like that – they were talking of many things in common.
Made it back to the hotel in time for happy hour! Two hours of free drinks – not bad. After a freshening change for dinner we stepped outside the front entrance and met Rosie for the first time! She was driving us to Copeland’s in Metairie, outside New Orleans, for dinner - Wow - she's cool - great person, very friendly, warm and welcoming. Before we went to the restaurant, Rosie drove us to one of the supermarkets and we picked up a few items, some crab/crawfish/shrimp boil and some Stewarts Root Beer – besides Birch Beer from Pennsylvania – Stewarts comes in a real close second! There were some great items in the market and we enjoyed checking out what all the shelves had to offer.
Across the street at Copelands – the meal was most scrumptious – an order of Crawfish Bread to get us started - Crawfish Bread is a French Bread thinly spread with artichoke and spinach, sauteed crawfish, Alfredeaux sauce, Monterey Jack cheese and broiled to a golden brown – next time we’ll order two of those lol – the bread was followed by the Blackened Redfish with red hot potatoes smashed for me - oh so yummy! Scamp had pan fried jumbo shrimp over angel hair pasta in a light lemon sauce with artichoke hearts, spinach, tomatoes, roasted garlic and parmesan cheese. He said it was hot as in spicy hot – I tried a bite of it and then both our eyes were bugging out! Tramp had Lafitte's Linguine which is shrimp, oysters and crawfish sauteed with garlic and basil in a white wine cream sauce and then served over linguine – were we stuffed as yet? It’s only Monday! We chatted about this and that and got to know each other a bit better.
We skipped dessert and Rosie took us to a little out of the way snowball shop (slurpee/slushee type ice thingy) - I was very delighted as I found root beer, the zoo did not have root beer - don't know why, but root beer sure is a hard flavor to find at the snowball/snowcone places. Tramp had creamcicle, Scamp had a coffee one and Rosie had one that she added condensed milk to it, but don’t remember her flavor. I had thought about adding the milk also but after being stuffed beyond stuffed at dinner - the thought of milk was just too filing. They were really good though and we sat on the stumps of trees which made me smile – there was a place we went to for icecream growing up in South Jersey and they had the tree stumps for seats too – reminded me of home.
Rosie dropped us back at the hotel and after getting a nightcap from the bar we made our way back to the room - I looked on the table and saw postcards that were supposed to have been mailed that morning - I'll do them tomorrow I thought as I crawled into bed in a real cool town – today had been an awesome day - meeting someone you have known for a long time, seeing the animals and more food!! What more could there be?? How about Commanders Palace?? - Tuesday would prove to be off the charts!!