Carly's Ramblings Blog - Style

Day 15 - Summer Virtual Trip - New Orleans - Day 2

30 Day Blogging Challenge - New Orleans - Day 2

Lyn says:
Did you really think we'd leave New Orleans without checking out some Blues?
We're doing the 11:00 am City of the Dead tour, ladies.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g60864-d11453062-New_Orleans...
We're doing the 3:00pm Haunted History Ghost tour before heading to the Blues Club.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductDetail-g60864-d11448695-New_Orleans...
We're doing the early show and hitting Happy Hour at B.B. Kings Blue's Trio and BB Kings All-Star Band before we hit the tours.
http://www.bbkings.com/new-orleans/
I've scored a special tour for us that begins at 9pm instead of 8 pm.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g60864-d11453064-New_Orleans...
By the time the tour is over, we still have time to hit the Blues club again and maybe have another pub crawl *Rolling*

I can so handle another day in New Orleans. This is one town that seems rather worldly. I enjoyed my own personal pub crawl last night and I am glad Lyn has decided to take us on a group endeavour today.
I began my day with good coffee and more of those delicious beignets.

At 11 am we went off for the City of the Dead tour. We met at the corner of Royal and Conti Streets in New Orleans' French Quarter. Our guide took us to see some of the well-known architecture of the area, such as the Creole townhouses and shotgun homes.
Our guide told stories about the city’s rich voodoo history and famous practitioners of the religion such as Marie Laveau. Your guide takes you to St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, one of the city’s oldest cemeteries, which opened in 1789. At the cemetery, we saw the famous tomb of Laveau, as well as other former voodoo masters. Having a guide was great because it's often difficult to view the city's cemeteries without one.... it ensured that we were able to find the most interesting tombs and get in quickly.
We even went into a voodoo ritual shop, and stopped by Congo Square.
We ended near Jackson Square.
We were able to grab some yummy lunch and rest our feet before our next tour.

At 3 pm we set out on another tour - this one of the dark history of New Orleans filled with voodoo, vampires, witches and ghosts. It was excellent for our creative urges. I jotted notes and took plenty of pictures for my 'creative well'. We started at the corner of Royal and Conti Streets in the French Quarter.
Our guide knew the best route to chilling sights including Madame LaLaurie’s Creole mansion, home of the rumored vampire, Jacques St. Germaine. We learned about the suspicious history of the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum and the concoctions it sold. We even tired to spot one of the well-known ghosts in Muriel’s Jackson Square.
We finished at the corner of St. Ann and Rampart Streets, just about five blocks from where we began. Just in time to grab some local food and spirits in a glass.... and put our feet up for a bit at B.B. Kings Blues Club. The music was rich and perfect. I like the idea of experiencing what the city has to offer, instead of running off to some concert somewhere.

Lyn got us into a 9 pm tour. This one did the spirited sites and haunted history places in the dark. We met our ghost‐hunter guide at Reverend Zombie’s Voodoo Shop. Starting off with a walk through the Vieux Carré (Old Square). It was a cool way to admire the nocturnal nature of the city’s cultural hub,.
We got to pass residences of ill‐repute such as the infamous LaLaurie House, where the wicked mistress Madame LaLaurie performed horrifying deeds to slaves, and centuries‐old haunted bars and hotels. Pirate enthusiasts will enjoy a stop at Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, former property of the famous privateer Jean Lafitte. One of the city’s oldest buildings, this functioning bar was once the base of a massive smuggling operation. We got to enjoy a drink here in the company of fellow travelers and supernatural buffs.
Between stops, we heard other creepy stories. By the end of this chilling 2‐hour tour, we fully understood why New Orleans is often called the most haunted city in America.
When we finished we were only too happy to do a little pub crawling.... nobody was too eager to head off to bed. I expected my dreams would be riddled with haunted tales.