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New Orleans - Part 3
Written by: Dominick A. Miserandino
Photography by: Margherita Miserandino
Unfortunately, New Orleans' reputation seems to be exclusively based on the mysteries and debauchery of Mardi Gras.
Day 3
Today was our last day in New Orleans before we boarded the boat, and for some reason, we felt this was the time to get messy. We woke up early again to go on a Swamp tour. Yes, two things people wouldn't expect one to do in New Orleans: wake up early after being on Bourbon Street, and go to the swamp in the summer heat. We called New Orleans Tours and went on their airboat tours, but as you walk to their boat looking at the big fan, you lose a bit of faith, which you need to remember to keep.
The airboat tour was oddly one of the biggest highlights of the trip. You speed through the swamp at ridiculous speeds, wearing earmuffs to protect you from the sound, and sunglasses not only for the sun, but also to protect you from the bugs, a la windshields.
Our guide was a true Creole (native to the land), who readily jumped into the swamp and wrestled a baby alligator to show us all.
"She's a beaut."
"That's nice. Keep that slimy alligator away," was Margherita's response.
Between the regular boat ride and the airboat ride, I'd highly recommend an airboat ride. It's a bit of a tour and a bit of a roller coaster put together.
Well, after a good ride in the swamp, the next logical thing to do is to go to the hotel, change into your nicest clothes, and go out for an elegant dinner at the Windsor Court Hotel's Grill Room.
The Grill Room is known for its dinners, but unfortunately we only had time for lunch at this point. The Grill Room is considered one of the more elegant restaurants in the city, serving of course, steaks and other grilled types of food, in addition to fancy entrees you wouldn't find in McDonald's too often.
The atmosphere is the type of place you'd hold a business meeting, or ask somebody to marry you...not at the same time, hopefully. For example, I had a caviar appetizer and a steak for the main course. Caviar for the fancy side, and a good old-fashioned steak for the stereotypical masculine side.
The steak was one of the best I've had, but regrettably I didn't have an important business meeting, or somebody to ask to marry me to fit the motif.
After heading back to the hotel, we changed and got ready to board our boat, The Delta Queen.
Read part 1 |Read part 2 |Read part 3
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