We rode our Hop On Hop Off bus for parts of two days.

Hop On Hop Off Bus

Come with us and we will show you some of New Orleans.   New Orleans has one of the best, if not the best, World War II museum.

National World War II Museum

There are several buildings and plans to add more.   Then the Ogden Museum.

Ogden Museum of Southern Art

This is a museum of Southern Art.   New Orleans is famous for its Mardi Gras celebration the week before Ash Wednesday.   But it really begins much earlier.   There are several old homes with balconies.

Many building with balconies

During the many parades of Mardi Gras, beads are thrown from the floats.

Mardi Gras beads

Many of these beads are still draped over the wrought iron on the balconies.   Unexpectedly we found this restaurant which is part of the original restaurant on top of the Eiffel Tower from Paris, France.

Eiffel Tower restaurant

Until 1981 this restaurant catered to the elite on top of Paris’s Eiffel Tower.   Restoration in 1981 required this restaurant to be taken down and replaced with a smaller and lighter restaurant.   This one was taken apart and stored in freighters.  John Onorio and Daniel Bonnot paid to ship the restaurant to New Orleans, where it was rebuilt on St. Charles Avenue.   The restaurant has since had a few owners and is now used as an event space.  This statue of Joan of Arc also has a history.

Joan of Arc statue at French Market

This statue spend many years in storage, final being unveiled in 1972.  Joan stood outside the International Trade Mart until 1999.  When a casino purchased the property Joan was kicked out.   But she found a new home at the French Market, got a fresh coat of gold and a new guided pennant.  And we all love her now.    During the American Civil War, Jefferson Davis was president of the Confederate States of America.

House where Jefferson Davis died

This is the house where he died on December 6, 1889.   Shopping in New Orleans is fun.

Fleurty Girl. Popular store.

This popular store, Fleurty Girl, had many interesting and unusual items.    Be sure to check it out when you are in New Orleans.   And here is Manning’s.

Manning’s

A few blocks from the Mississippi River and close to the French Quarter, Manning’s is of interest to football fans.  Manning’s opened in 2012.  The restaurant and sports bar were created by Harrah’s Casino and Archie Manning.  Archie Manning, a 12 year quarterback with the New Orleans Saints football team, was voted New Orleans most popular athlete.   On display are items from Archie’s career and also the careers of his sons, Peyton and Eli, both NFL quarterbacks.   Peyton Manning ended his career here in Denver as quarterback of the Denver Broncos football team.   It was a hot day in New Orleans, so we hopped off the bus and entered the aquarium, located along the Mississippi River.   We watched an IMAX movie about South Sea Coral Reefs.   It was great, but we want to show you the lobby.

Jelly fish in aquarium

These hanging sculptures are fun.   The jelly fish are made from trash removed from the ocean.

Jelly fish in Aquarium

Even closer, this jelly fish looks great.

In aquarium

And not just jelly fish were featured.   Isn’t it great that organizations are pulling plastic and other items from the ocean and doing something wonderful?   We think so.   Today we wanted to show you that whatever you like, you will probably find it in New Orleans and a lot of new, unexpected things also.   This is a fabulous city.