Day 45 Cross Country Bike Trip – REST DAY
Happy Valentine’s Day!!
We booked a Garden District walking tour for 11 am today so we were up and on the bus by 9:15 to join our group. With transfers, it took until 10:45 to get there!
The Garden District was originally home to a number of plantations that were eventually divided up and sold in parcels to wealthy Americans who didn’t want to live with the Creoles in the French Quarter. Today, it’s home to one of the best-preserved collections of historic mansions in the Southern United States.
First stop on the tour was Lafayette Cemetery #1. Lafayette Cemetery #1 was established in 1833 and was named for Lafayette, the city where it was located, and which would eventually be incorporated into New Orleans. It is a municipal cemetery, owned and operated by the city rather than by a church, and is the third oldest cemetery still standing in New Orleans today.
Our guide explained that the above-ground tombs that are so popular in New Orleans are built for practicality. Embalming wasn’t used until after the American Civil War. When the deceased was placed inside of the tombs without embalming, the great heat inside of these brick oven-like tombs caused the process of disintegration to accelerate. For that reason, you can find tombs with up to 35 family members inside.
This large tomb below is a group burial site for the Volunteer Fire Department and their families.
He also told us that the tombs that are concreted over are not to keep caskets from floating away, but to prevent any further burials in that location.
Many movies and television shows have been filmed inside this cemetery and include Double Jeopardy, American Horror Story: Coven, and NCIS New Orleans.
Across from the cemetery is the Commander’s Palace Restaurant erected in 1883 for Emil Commander. It is supposed to be one of the best in New Orleans.
Sandra Bullock Residence 2627 Coliseum St. This Swiss Germanic Chalet, built in 1867, is one of only three homes of this style in all of New Orleans. Today, it is the home of the actress Sandra Bullock. 
The live oak tree in the photo above is 200 years old. They are amazing!
There are several flags for Mardi Gras, but the ones flown on this house represent Mardi Gras queens. They are not available for purchase but are presented to the kings and queens of Mardi Gras.
Jefferson Davis, the first and only President of the Confederate States of America, died here in December 1889. He had been traveling to New Orleans to give a lecture, became ill, and spent his last hours here. A small monument in front of the house bears the date of Davis’ death: December 6, 1889.
It was interesting to learn that so many of the homes we saw are between 7,000 and 20,000 square feet in size! They take up a quarter of a city block. Most were built between the 1830s and 1880s.
The house below was used in the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with Brad Pitt.
This house built in the 1880s is one of the smaller houses in the Garden District, but it is characterized by its staircase. It is a so-called "Petticoat Staircase". "Ladies went up on one side and the gentlemen on the other, so the ladies could hoist their big crinoline dresses up undisturbed. Moral Code said that if a gentleman happened to see an unmarried lady's ankle, he had to marry her within a month. If the woman was married, the "guilty" party would with certainty be challenged to a duel by the lady's husband.
This home below currently belongs to the actor John Goodman. He moved to New Orleans over thirty years ago after making the film The Big Easy with Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin. Before Goodman owned the home, it belonged to Trent Reznor, the singer of Nine Inch Nails. 
Archie Manning House 1420 First St., This is the home of former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning, as well as the childhood home of his sons Peyton, Eli, and Cooper Manning. The family are full-time residents and are a common sight in the neighborhood.
Morris Israel House, 1331 First St.
By the 1860s, the Italianate style was the most popular style of architecture in the Garden District. Like many New Orleans homes, this one is narrow along the street but extends far back on the lot.
Anne Rice House, 1239 First St.
This house is an 1857 Greek Revival home. Author Anne Rice owned this home and lived here for many years. It was also the setting for her Witching Hour trilogy.
This is a Mardi Gras ladder. Our guide explained that they have a small seat on the top and wheels on the bottom. Two small children can sit in the seat. They wheel them to the parade routes and the children are able to watch over the heads of the adults.
The beautiful Japanese magnolia trees are blooming all over New Orleans, especially in the Garden District.
We really enjoyed the tour today and learned more about the history and architecture of the city.
We picked the Parasol’s Restaurant on Constance Street for lunch. After picking one off Google Maps, Tobey found out it was featured in Drive-ins, diners, and dives!
We shared the roast beef poor boy and French fries. It was SO GOOD!!! We could hardly finish there was so much food!
After lunch, we took a cable car down St. Charles Avenue to get a final look at the district before heading back to the RV park. 
Tobey did get a small bike ride in – about 12 miles – today. He took his bike into a shop to have the wheel he banged up coming into New Orleans on Tuesday checked out. They didn’t have time to work on it but said it only had a little wobble and should be fine, so he will be ready to ride tomorrow. We have had fun in New Orleans and will need to come back to sample more of the food!
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