Plantations, Music and "The Tables"

Yesterday I visited three plantations, 30 minutes outside New Orleans on the famed River Road along the Mississippi river. My friend Sam and I went for a guided tour of one called The Laura Plantation that was incredible. River Road was the Silicon Valley of it's day with more millionaires than anywhere else in the world in its heyday. Plantations, mostly Creole, stretched both sides of this mighty river for 70 miles. The land they occupied was narrow and long, with Laura going back 3 1/2 miles but only having 4/10's of a mile in width. This was so each plantation could deliver it's goods onto the river for transport, sugar in the case of Laura. The guided tour was extraordinary and history came alive in a profound way. Creole Plantations were not the same as the Anglo plantations. There is something about the Acadians and the role they played in settling Canada in and around Nova Scotia and there later exhile by the British that had them playing a huge role in making New Orleans what it is today that fascinates me. Something of a mystery in my blood line is becoming known to me. I will write more about this later.

Two nights ago I went into the French Quarter with a 27 year old Canadian traveler named Matt.We walked the raucous Bourbon Street on our way to Frenchmans street to checko out some live music. Bourbon is about as sleazy a walk as you will in America. Frenchmans street is where the locals go and is home to some very nice clubs like Tipitina's and DBA. Many clubs along it's few block have no cover to listen to incredible music. We delighted in our sampling of venues and after reveling is Jazz and such we ended up at a club called Check Point Charley and were very entertained by a group called Sick Like Sinatra.

The hostel has an outdoor patio area where folks gather and socialize. It is called by some of us affectionatley "The Tables". The most interesting people cycle through this place and stories of adventure and discussions of everything and anything take place at all hours. I will write another post to describe some of the characters that color this world.