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[writing on Tuesday evening, but dating this post on Sunday so the right photos will show up with the entry.]

We checked out of the hotel first thing Sunday morning to get an early start on the road. There was one more unpleasant surprise: the cost of the valet parking. Twenty dollars for the first night and another ten for each additional night. I have to say, the room was nicer at the Doubletree but I was much happier at the Best Western two years ago. I really missed being able to see the other cars in the parking lot. There wasn't any social advantage to staying at the same hotel as everyone else, when we didn't have the parking lot to meet each other. And not having access to my car created so much additional hassle. Besides, the group rate savings was eaten up by the nightly valet charge. Next time I'm going to stay at the Best Western again.

Anyway, enough of that. We were both really tired, so it was a good thing we had an easy drive to New Orleans. Georg had reserved a room for us at the most amazing historic hotel. I'd never stayed in a such a swank place before. The doorman wore a top hat and white gloves! They had a free turndown service, but we didn't see the little sign in time so we didn't request it. Georg was really disappointed about that, but I was more bummed that we missed the peanut butter sandwiches. Apparently they have a hotel tradition that every night between 10-11 they have free peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, milk and hot chocolate! We came in from dinner around 10:30 and sure enough, there was a table set up in the lobby with bowls of peanut butter, jelly and jam, a big plate of bread, milk cartons and an urn of hot chocolate. They even had mini marshmallows! Looked like everyone in the hotel was down there having a sandwich. I would have had one too if I hadn't been so full.

The hotel was only a few blocks from the French Quarter, so we walked around there in the evening. It was so beautiful! We loved the balconies above the shops. The only blight on the walk was when we stumbled onto Bourbon Street. Suddenly the atmosphere changed from "old world elegance" to "spring break skank." Seriously, the smell of stale puke on that street was overwhelming.

We left Bourbon Street quickly and headed back to the more charming parts of the French Quarter. I've heard the garden district is beautiful and I wish we could have walked around there, but we only had one evening. So we stayed within walking distance of the hotel. It was a wonderful evening. We looked in shop windows, walked along the Mississippi River, and had beignets at Cafe du Monde. I'd never had them before. They were like rectangular doughnuts, but crispy on the outside, light and fluffy inside, not greasy at all. They were served hot with a mountain of powdered sugar piled on top. So good! I have to say, I could never have done Atkins if I lived in a town where you could get these anytime you wanted.

The beignets left us really full, so we walked around some more before dinner. We saw a hotel with an iron fence shaped like corn stalks! I heard a walking tour guide say that some wealthy guy had built the fence for his wife, because she grew up in the Midwest and missed it. Isn't that sweet?

We even saw an art car! It was parked on Decatur Street. We remembered having seen it at the Houston parade two years ago, but not this time. I can't imagine living so close to Houston and not going to the parade! There was a sign requesting donations and I would have given them a dollar, but I didn't have one on me. At least I got a photo of it.

We ended up eating at a place called Court of Two Sisters. The food was good, perhaps not a foodie's paradise, but the environment was perfect. The tables are all outdoors in an interior courtyard, but completely covered with a thick canopy of wisteria. It was so romantic! The whole evening was just wonderful. Just walking around, not having to go anywhere or do anything. It was just what we needed after such a stressful week.

The next morning we got a slow start on purpose, because we wanted to arrive in Atlanta after rush hour. So we got up late and walked back to Cafe du Monde for breakfast. More beignets! One order is three beignets, and we talked about getting two orders, but in retrospect I'm really glad we shared one. It was better to leave feeling like I could have had more, and remembering how wonderful they tasted, than to eat too much and end up feeling gross and overfull.

Then we saw another art car on our way back to the hotel! It was a big old Suburban, one of the really old ones from before SUVs became such a trend. It was mainly green, had three dimensional decorations all over it, and "Phantom 309" written on the side. "Phantom 309" is the name of my favorite Red Sovine song, about a ghostly truck driver, which made the car doubly delightful. Unfortunately it was driving down the street so I didn't get a good look at it or have time to get out my camera. It must be so amazing to live in a city with multiple art cars. I love being the "art car kook" of Durham, but I'd love it more if there were others.