DAY 5
Thursday, February 23
As always happens when a wonderful time is being had by all, the time to pack up and leave arrived before we realized it! But, yes, today would be our last on the New Orleans tour with our bus friends.
We started the day with a short bus ride to Destrehan Plantation, where we toured the main house and many of the outbuildings of the scenic surroundings just a stone’s throw from the Mississippi River across the way.
Following that, we made our way back to the French Quarter for free time on our own and lunch somewhere therein. Carolyn and I decided to pay one last visit to Bourbon Street, in the quieter time of the day there, and enjoyed leisurely browsing up and down the various streets leading to Bourbon Street.
Along the way, we came upon another parade, this time featuring the young children of the area, eagerly handing out beads as they smiled and passed along through the crowded French Quarter, down Orleans Street.
Eventually, hungry and thirsty, we found ourselves back on Bourbon Street in search of a good place for a good lunch.
It wasn’t long before we decided on Johnny White’s Pub & 
Grill, with an old New Orleans balcony that would be perfect to people watch while we had lunch.
Surprisingly, the place wasn’t crowded, and we secured a table outside on the balcony. I sampled a local brew, and Carolyn imbibed a “modified” Hurricane, the signature drink of the New Orleans scene!
After our lunch of fish and cold drinks, we made our way back up in the direction of where the bus would pick us up once more, stopping into various shops along the way.
I found and purchased a book about the history of the French Quarter and called my shopping finished. Carolyn did so as well soon thereafter, and we strolled back in the beautiful warm afternoon to board the bus to head back to the hotel to change for dinner.
Dinner this evening would be at the Boomtown Casino & Hotel. Provided by the tour company, this affair would be a culminating experience where we’d enjoy our last night there with entertainment and dinner with a couple of other bus tour groups besides ours. Our group planned to do it up big by donning Mardi Gras attire and making a grand entrance upon our arrival.
Unfortunately, our arrival that evening was delayed nearly an hour due to traffic snarls and backups due to a serious accident.
So, by the time our group had arrived at the
casino, very few of the other groups were there to witness our grand entrance, having already headed out themselves. In spite of this, we still had a fun time and enjoyed the group photo and the entertainment of good music. Soon, it was time to get back to the hotel to pack and ready ourselves for the morning’s departure. Carolyn and I had a long drive ahead of us, and the bus folks had a long bus ride facing them.
Before turning in, we said our goodbyes to all of the other bus friends, as we’d be out and away the next morning before any of them would be up and about.
Early Friday morning, we grabbed one last breakfast and coffee-to-go at the Ramada and were in the gassed-up Equinox and working our way out of New Orleans. The next stage of our winter trip was underway: Florida!
Down Many Roads... 