March 10, 2015 - Cozumel Bus Tour of the Island, Art Museum, Chocolate Factory, Tequila/Black Coral Shops, and Beach

March 10, 2015 - Cozumel Bus Tour of the Island, Art Museum, Chocolate Factory, Tequila/Black Coral Shops, and Beach

March 9th was a sea day, so no more photos to show from that day. On Cozumel we took a bus tour around the island, seeing mostly tourist traps, but we did have a very nice guide named Patricio. We dubbed him "Mayan Walter" because his personality reminded us so much of Grandpa Walter:

At the dock in San Miguel... The Norwegian Dawn is behind another ship:

Drug dogs sniffing everyone's bags:

First stop was a little art museum... Jill loved this flower:

I liked these guys:

There were several paintings made up of smaller images...you have to look closely:

Liked this guy too:

 Another couple of paintings made of smaller images:

Walking around San Miguel, the capital city:

Someone had a nice yacht... Looked like the Black Pearl was next to it:

"Mayan Walter," our charming guide for the day:

At the chocolate factory:

Here are the spices added to the raw chocolate to make it taste great:

Outside the chocolate factory:

 Model Mayan ruins...we saw the real thing the next day:

 At the tequila/black coral stop... Not super interesting, to tell you the truth:

Beach stop at Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park:

March 8, 2015 - Boarding the Norwegian Dawn

Boarding the Norwegian Dawn at the Port of New Orleans

Some shots of our room:

Setting sail!

First lunch aboard the ship:

Walking around the bow area:

Balconies and private jaccuzi for the ultra class:

Looking down on "Twice as Nice", our first-rate Motown performers (http://www.twiceasniceentertainment.com/bio.html):

Walking along the deck...the lifeboats were enormous:

The ship's officers:

New Orleans - March 3-8, 2015

March 3, 2015 - Walking Around the French Quarter and Seeing the Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Moon over Bourbon Street:

More walking on Bourbon Street:

One of dozens of really good street bands:

 No photos of the Preservation Hall musicians allowed!

March 4, 2015 - More French Quarter and Some Mississippi River

Jazz Legends Park (where we got our Beignets in the morning) on Bourbon Street:

Chartres Street:

St. Louis Cathedral on Royal Street. Pretty creepy at night:

 But just a statue during the day:

Walking along the Mississippi:

This is the same ship on which we took our dinner cruise the next evening:

March 5, 2015 - Touring the Mansions of the Garden District, and Taking the Dinner Cruise

It was 75 degrees and sunny until this point. This day it was 35 degrees (!) and raining!

A row of "spec" houses built 100+ years ago:

This house is famous for its corn stalk fence. It's for sale: http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1448-4th-St_New-Orleans_LA_70130_M87498-01425

Previously Nicolas Cage's house, a real beauty. Apparently he had to sell it to pay his taxes: http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2523-Prytania-St_New-Orleans_LA_70130_M84849-10031

We took a tour inside this home, which was a relief because of the rain and cold. It's the New Orleans Opera Guild at 2504 Prytania Street (http://operaguildhome.org/history-opera-guild-home/):

Beautiful table built from a European church confessional:

Lafayette Cemetery #1:

Getting ready to board the Natchez for our jazz dinner cruise:

Dinner time aboard the Natchez! Sat next to some very nice people from Australia -- Glen & Sandra -- who it turned out were not only on the same Caribbean cruise with us but on the same flight back to L.A.!

March 6, 2015 - Touring the Laura Plantation in Vacherie, LA

http://www.lauraplantation.com/ 

Main "operations" building where business was conducted by the family, which had their main residences in New Orleans:

That's Laura 3rd from the left in the bottom row:

The first page of Laura's hand-written diary:

Family photos...I believe that is Elizabeth at the top center. She was Laura's grandmother and one...tough...cookie:

The dining room table:

These small buildings outside the back of the main house were for cooking and other trades:

More buildings in the back. Some were slave quarters, but the homes of the slaves extended up to 3 miles away from this area:

Another family building -- the larger one on the left -- undergoing some repairs:

 March 7, 2015 - Guided Tour of the French Quarter (focusing on Laura and her family)

St. Louis Cemetery Number 1:

Some of Laura's parents and grandparents are interred here. They didn't get along very well so some are buried elsewhere. Laura (1861 - 1963) is buried in St. Louis:

Back to the French Quarter:

Jackson Square, with statue of Andrew Jackson: (That's the front of St. Louis Cathedral in the background):