New Orleans, Day 4 - Part 1

Deviating from our diet of local cuisine, Joel and I went to Port of Call today to get some burgers for lunch. Joel had mentioned this place to me before, and one of Linda's friends last night also recommended it as the place with the best burgers in town. It was a nice leisurely walk through Bourbon St, which was good, considering all the food we've been eating. Almost immediately after we set foot outside, it started to sprinkle, but more on that in a bit.

The interior of the place is dark, with a nautical theme throughout, and is where I imagine local pirates must frequent. Or something like that (I really wouldn't have been surprised if someone behind the bar had a peg leg). The burgers themselves are hand formed and gigantic, and come with a side of baked potato. They're good, but not the best burgers I've had. Joel and I both got the mushroom cheeseburger, and surprisingly finished the whole thing.

Walking back to the hotel, we made it almost halfway before the
rain just came pouring down. We decided to seek shelter underneath an awning at a bar, thinking the downpour would subside in a few minutes. Joel and I ended up waiting for 30 minutes, while the lightning and thunder danced and clapped around us, until we finally saw a cab come by. We were almost soaked running across the street to jump in the cab, so I'm glad we didn't attempt to make it back to the hotel earlier. I suppose it would have been better if we brought our umbrellas, but it was raining so hard, I think we would have been wet either way. The one good thing about the rain is that it was a lot less humid afterwards.

After the rain finally subsided, Joel and I took a ride on the streetcar to the Garden District, where we admired all the beautiful southern mansions. Wouldn't mind living in some of these houses, but I'm sure they cost a fortune. The Garden District isn't too far away, but I'd definitely recommend taking the streetcar - there's something very soothing and old school about it.