The Big Easy

I've been to New Orleans before a few times through the years. I was 12 the first time I went, but it's hard to really appreciate the city at that age. The next time I came back was in the immediate aftermath of Katrina, when I'd flown relief supplies to a submerged city still reeling from the untold devastation. Even last year, I'd stopped there for fuel on a previous trip to South America and was amazed at the damage still marring the city two years after the storm.

After parking our jet at the Signature ramp on the north side of the airport, we grabbed a cab and went downtown to the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel, on the corner of Canal and Bourbon in the famous French Quarter. I was very tired after our long duty day, but the entire crew gathered to head down Bourbon Street for a bite to eat. We found a great place called Oceana Grill, which had some of the best Cajun food I'd ever had. I had the Taste of New Orleans plate: jambalaya, crawfish ettouffee, and red beans & rice with sausage. The only drawback was that they didn't serve Dixie's Blackened Voodoo Lager.

After dinner, we walked the length of Bourbon, soaking in the sights and sounds. It was a chilly Saturday night, but the street festivities were in full swing. It almost had that heady atmosphere of Las Vegas, minus the slot machines, but I felt like a zombie from my lack of sleep. A few of the younger guys on the crew stayed out, but most of us headed back to the hotel for some much needed sleep.

I woke up early enough to get a long run in. It was still cold, but I headed down Canal Street to the riverfront for a runner's tour of the city. I passed Jackson Square and its iconic St. Louis Cathedral, turned north on Esplanade, and back to Bourbon Street. I can say that this was the least favorite part of my run; the combination of smells from the high-powered bleach solution city workers were spraying down the sidewalks with and the still-unwashed sections with foul-smelling human discharges made it less than appealing. I was quick to leave it behind and head back to the riverfront. I headed past Harrah's Casino and the convention center down to the Greater New Orleans Bridge before turning back for the hotel. It was time to get ready for our flight back to New Mexico to pick up the second half of our mission.

I enjoyed my time in New Orleans, especially since it turned out to be our best crew rest of the trip. We'd still make it to San Antonio for an overnight stay, but a late arrival there scheduled for late Monday night wouldn't be quite as memorable as my short stay in The Big Easy.