Not on the Danube, Did make it to the Gulf!
Common sense and a small amount of “can do it” can save a vacation. Even if you don’t go where you thought you were going, you can make some Gumbo out of a European mess.
We were scheduled for 3 days in Prague than a week with Ama Waterways on the Danube then 3 days in Budapest. Till Austria shut down. Ama still was going to cruise but skip the Christmas Markets in Austria, Germany also closed their Christmas markets due to the Omicron variant. We decided that this trip was not worth the risk for what we would miss. We had Insurance and canceled. That left us with 10 days, so we changed course and did a weekend in New Orleans and a 5 day Disney Wonder cruise out of Galveston. This will be reviewed the next edition.
Let your troubles lead to Beignets
Every day is brighter when it starts with Bejnets. Especially when you are in New Orleans.
We booked 3 nights at the Westin New Orleans and our adventures started on our Friday night arrival!
Without a lot of time to plan, we arrived at the Westin https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/msywi-the-westin-new-orleans/
We had made dinner reservations that evening at “Dooky Chase’s” restaurant. We had never heard of it, especially compared to some of the more famous restaurants of New Orleans, but a simple phone call got us in and once we started talking to folks at the Hotel we found out we hit a home run.
Dooky Chase’s was opened in 1941 Founded by Emily and Dooky Chase Sr, it started as a coffee and sandwich shop. It became the meeting place for culture, civil rights, and entertainment for the African American community. In 1946 Edgar Dooky Chase Jr. Married Leah Lange and Leah went on to become the Queen of Creole cuisine. Read more about the history at https://www.dookychaserestaurants.com/. Finding this out really raised our hopes and all our expectations were exceeded. The resultant is still family-owned and operated Leah’s story is so fascinating that John Lassiter based Tiana from Prince and the Frog on Leah.
Each plate of food from the appetizer, Crab cake, Creole Gumbo (the best I ever tasted), and a dinner of Crawfish Etouffee and Southern fried chicken. Finished with a dessert of Praline Bread pudding, and maybe a cocktail or 2, were absolutely amazing. Our hosts were wonderful it felt like eating with family (a family that can really cook). It is a treat when a restaurant with a great reputation exceeds all expectations. I will think of Dooky Chase’s every time I eat anything called Creole.
This was the end of a perfect first night in New Orleans. The Pandemic Traveler notes for the Crescent City. All hotels, restaurants, and bars require a Vaccine card or a less than a 3-day old negative test. No place we went did not check the card and an ID. This included tours and River boat cruises. I will be continuing this tale tomorrow with our food tour.
Remember I never charge a fee to help you plan your vacation. I post these stories to show you can safely travel during this pandemic. I love to help you find the best and safest environments for you to enjoy your time off.
Check out some amazing tours in New Orleans with my travel partner Viatour
https://www.viator.com/?accountid=TPR4BCO&mcid=58086
I may receive a small commission if you book using this link.
