Frank's Restaurant

Frank's Restaurant was recommended to us by a lifetime Louisiana resident as a good place to get a good taste of local New Orleans food.

I ordered the Snapper Jack, a trifecta of local favorites: snapper, gulf shrimp, and crawfish. Sophia ordered a Muffuletta: Italian cold cuts and olive salad on muffuletta bread. We received generous portions of both, and both were delicious.

Snapper Jack

Muffuletta Sandwich

Jackson Square

Any visit to New Orleans requires a selfie in Jackson Square -- even if sweaty after walking around all morning in search of drugs.

Caliche & Pao Gallery

We were lured into the Caliche & Pao Gallery by the vibrant colors and air conditioning. The gallery is filled with the art of husband and wife artists Caliche and Pao. Their work was mostly New Orleans or Jazz themed -- all with bold vibrant colors.

If I had the wall space and weren't at the start of a long (and costly) road trip, I'd likely would have made a purchase.

Drug-seeking behavior

We're playing tourist in New Orleans for a few days. Sophia has a prescription that needs to be refilled. We start the day with a visit to Café du Monde, and then set out to find a Walgreens and get her prescription refilled. I see that there is a Walgreens nearby and we walk that way.

We get to the Walgreens and discover that it contains no pharmacy.

We look up the next nearest Walgreens and go for another walk. It too has no pharmacy.  We'd never before encountered a Walgreens without a pharmacy. We're accustomed to the pharmacies inside some Walgreens not being open as late as the store. A Walgreens without a pharmacy is like a Conoco that doesn't sell gasoline.

We discover that there is another Walgreens not far away. Will the third time be a charm? Or does three strikes make an out?

The third Walgreens has a pharmacy. We get our drugs and return to being tourists... but the morning is now gone. 

Lessons learned: (1) Some pharmacies don't have pharmacies; therefore, (2) call ahead and inquire before walking around all morning on a hot and humid Louisiana summer day.

Café du Monde

Chicory coffee and beignets go together like New Orleans and Café du Monde. This is one of my must-visit places each time I'm in New Orleans.

Fritzel's European Jazz Pub

Fritzel's European Jazz Pub on New Orlean's Bourbon Street served as a nice nightcap to a long day of touring and traveling Louisiana. A traditional jazz quartet entertained us as we sipped fruity adult beverages.

Crossing the Atchafalaya River

The E.J. "Lionel" Grizzaffi bridge crosses the Atchafalaya River, connecting Berwick and Morgan City, Louisiana.

The bridge to the north (left in the photos) is the Long-Allen Bridge.  A railroad lift bridge sits to the south.

Bon Creole

A faded mural covers the front of Bon Creole

We likely would have never found Bon Creole Lunch Counter on our own. In fact, we had driven past the building a couple times earlier in the day without taking notice; and even when looking for it, missed it on the first pass. Bon Creole came by recommendation of a local: ~ "I make my own Gumbo. My gumbo is the best. I eat the gumbo at Bon Creole."

Inside, we found friendly staff and awesome food. The food was simple, fresh, served in paper and styrofoam, and amazingly delicious.

(It appears that many of my interior photos disappeared in a mid-roadtrip phone exchange. Click the image below for pics on Bon Creole's website.)

Photo: Bon Creole

And to top off the amazing food, is decor that is distinctly Louisiana.

Rip Van Winkle Gardens

On a recommendation from a local, we went out of our way to visit Rip Van Winkle Gardens.

A video about the property is shown in the visitor center. You can watch it here.

First, we toured the Joseph Jefferson Mansion -- an 1870 Southern mansion built for its namesake near Lake Peigneur. Picture-taking was not permitted inside the house, so you'll have to visit yourself to see what's inside.

The Joseph Jefferson Mansion (photo by Joseph a)

After touring the home, we set out to explore the beautiful gardens.

We met a local frog as we walked the gardens. The frog didn't seem to be as happy to meet us as we were to meet it; but it did pose for a couple photos before it went on its way.

From the shores of Lake Peigneur, we saw a chimney sticking out of the water. This chimney belongs to a second house on the property that was destroyed in 1980 when a Texaco oil rig accidentally drilled into the Diamond Crystal salt mine under the lake.

After walking the gardens, we had a bit of difficulty leaving the property. A Jefferson Island resident blocked our exit. Everywhere I tried to drive, this resident walked in front of the car, and stood, and stared at us. 

Only after offering him a hug did he move out of the way.

Konriko Rice Mill

The Conrad Rice Mill has been processing rice in New Iberia, Louisiana, since 1912 -- running longer than any other rice mill in the nation.

Our tour of the mill included a video about the culture and history of the area and the mill, an introduction to their products, a tour of the mill, and an opportunity to sample their Wild Pecan Rice.

We left with a huge sack of rice, a sampling of other products, and improved knowledge about rice and Louisiana's Cajun country. Plus, thanks to our wonderful tour guide Dynell Labiche: recommendations for touring southern Louisiana.

The Konriko Rice Mill

Inside the mill

Dynell Labiche explains the steps in milling rice

Dynell Labiche talks about the variety of Konriko products

The mill's "all natural pest control system"