Chasing Ghosts (among other things) in the Big Easy

I don’t know about you but sometimes I feel like life can be…a lot. You feel me? And last month was extra much. Though I tried to compartmentalize and take things as they came, Stephen could see I was carrying a lot of stress on my shoulders. Knowing me like he does, he planned a curated weekend around all the things I love…history, ghost stories, folk lore, live music, great food, art, and alcohol. If that sounds like fun to you too…join us as we unpack our first day in New Orleans and go chasing ghosts (among other things) in the Big Easy.

First, let’s talk about where we stayed

Now, normally we don’t talk too much about where we stay because most of the places are not that noteworthy. Well, that was not the case in New Orleans. Let me take a moment and show you around the amazing Virgin Hotel.

Interior of restaurant with a long wooden bar, with red upholstered seating. Behind it a wall of windows lets in light — The Commons Club

Roof top pool surrounded by lounge chairs — The Commons Club

Next, drinks at the Hotel Monteleone

The hotel is famous for a couple reasons. First, authors like Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, and Ernest Hemmingway stayed here and wrote here. (In an effort to save you from my usual diversion about authors, I’ll leave you with this link to explore: Hotel Monteleone Literary History.)

And second, they have a carousel bar. Yes, a bar that rotates while you sip! I mean, how could we NOT go there to try a Sazerac and a Vieux Carre? (But really, only one of each because they are nothing but alcohol and it was only 11am!)

Small glass containing pink liquid on a paper napkin that reads "Hotel Monteleone" — Sazerac

An indoor carousel with bar stools around it — Sazerac

A little stroll down Bourbon Street

Deciding it was wise to walk a bit and pace our day, we took a stroll down Bourbon Street. We were DEE-LIGHTED with all the fun things we found – including a cover band that played all day and my chance for a drum solo. FINALLY!

Band performing on an elevated stage — At the Bourbon Bandstand

Woman in a hat, seated behind a drum kit. On the wall is a sign for the "Hard Rock" New Orleans — At the Bourbon Bandstand

Neon sign that reads "Bad decisions make good stories" — So true!

Dinner at Pierre Maspero’s

Operating since 1788, although previously a coffee house, Pierre Maspero’s has been the place to be. In fact, it was here that General Jackson met with the Lafitte brothers to plan the defense of New Orleans against the British back in 1814. Today, they serve a banging platter of crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice, gumbo and jambalaya!

Interior of a restaurant with a large, brick beam in the center — Inside Pierre Masperos

White platter with 4 small bowls and 2 pieces of bread — Inside Pierre Masperos

Desserts of inhaled powdered sugar

Even people who don’t know much about New Orleans, know about Cafe Du Monde and their world famous beignets. But if you’ve never been, you cannot appreciate HOW MUCH powdered sugar they put on those things. Likely seriously, I was wearing it on my eye lashes by the time I was done. But they were gooooo-ooood.

Interior of a cafe, with a white ceiling and walls that open to the elements — The inside-ish of Cafe Du Monde

Man holding a plate of beignets, covered in powdered sugar — The inside-ish of Cafe Du Monde

Jackson Square and the Second Line Parade

The day was winding down and as usual, we were too early for the last activity of the day, the ghost tour. But being early does have some advantages, like getting to check out St. Louis Cathedral, listening to a brass, jazz band and hopping in a Second Line Parade.

White cathedral with blue roofed spires behind a black gate — St. Louis Cathedral

Plaza with a brass, jazz band playing from the benches — St. Louis Cathedral

If you’re new to that idea, like we were, let me tell you a little more. In New Orleans, when someone is buried or a couple gets married, the attendees leave the church or cemetery and join in a parade. It’s led by a brass, jazz band and all the participants wave white handkerchiefs. In our case, this cute couple got hitched and since we were there…we figured, “when in Rome…”

Bride with a white parasol and a groom with a black parasol walking in a parade behind a grand master — The Bride and Groom

Walking in a parade in New Orleans, behind people waving white handkerchiefs — The Bride and Groom

And the evening ended with chasing ghosts

I mean, this has to be one of my FAVORITE ways to end a day. The sun went down and we got to walking with our docent, Mary.

The private dining room at Muriel’s

Our first stop was Muriel’s Jackson Square where we learned of poor Mr. Jourdan who in 1814, lost this beautiful family home at a poker game. Unable to face what he had done, he committed suicide in a room on the second floor.

Red brick building with a bride and groom kissing on the balcony. Below them are red and pink table umbrellas — The Bride and Groom at Muriel’s

The current owners converted the building to a restaurant in 2001 but ran into issues with some unexplained phenomenon. Fun things kept happening, like voices coming from the shadows or, more aggressively, glasses flying from the behind the bar to a brick wall 12 feet away.

After consulting a medium, the owners created a private dining room for Mr. Jourdan and set it every night with table wear and a glass of wine. Apparently, he was a bit hurt by all the people coming to his home and not paying him any attention. Today, you can choose to dine with Mr. Jourdan for the fee of the wine bottle.

Dark alley way with a private dining room at the end and a red velvet rope in front of it — The private dining room

The “Casket Girls” at the Old Ursuline Convent

Back in the early days of New Orleans, the governor, Jean Baptiste La Moyne de Bienville, asked the government of France to send over some much needed supplies…namely, women. He thought they should be of “marrying age” and could be used to increase the population of the colony. Rather than send over their most lovely daughters, France sent the sick, the incarcerated and the unattractive to fulfil the request.

Black and white photo of a wooden carrying case called a "Casket" — Photo from New York Historical Society & Museum website: “Chest, 17th Century. Courtesy of the Canadian Museum of History.”

These young ladies packed all their belongings into a little carrying box called a “casquette” (or “casket” in English) and got to spend the better part of two months below the deck of a ship, crossing the Atlantic. When they arrived, the locals didn’t find them appealing, most likely from a lack of sun and extreme sea sickness. The girls were then relegated to the nunnery on Chartres Street, where they lived on the third floor with their little caskets.

Long, white, three story building with a black roof and boarded up dormer windows — The Ursuline Convent

Soon after their arrival, bad things began to happen, like neighbors falling ill and cattle going missing. Hence the vampire myth of the “casket girls” began. Sometime after 1910, the Pope himself, blessed and sent over 800 silver screws to seal up the dormers and NO ONE goes up there anymore. Boo-ha-ha! (evil laugh.)

The mansion of that horrible, wretched woman

Grey three story building with a balcony and many windows — The horrible mansion

Once the home of Nicholas Cage, this mansion has an even darker history. Yeah, I can’t EVEN with this one. So if you want to know more, check this out.

The misceivous boys at the Andrew Jackson Hotel

Yellow two story building with a balcony — The Andrew Jackson Hotel

A boarding school and orphanage once stood on this site before it burned to the ground in 1794. Five young boys didn’t make it out and are reported to still live on the site. Guests report hearing laughter and children running the halls. Those brave enough to stay in room 208, report being touched by an unseen hand and pushed out of their beds during the night. Well, boys WILL be boys, after all!

The big finish

We hoped you enjoyed chasing ghosts (among other things) with us in the Big Easy. We hope you’ll join us next time when we visit the FUTURE home of Nicholas Cage and hear some fine tunes on Frenchman street.

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