We had the most amazing time last week in New Orleans. One of our first afternoons we took a trolley down to check out the RiverWalk. While it wasn’t on my post titles 8 Free Things To Do in New Orleans, Louisiana, it is definitely something I am glad we didn’t miss. Not only can you see the beautiful Mississippi River, the amazing Crescent City Connection Bridge (formerly known as the Greater New Orleans Bridge), the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Ship, as well as the Outlet Collection at Riverwalk Mall. We walked around the mall a little bit, but I was more interested in checking out the River Walk, the river, the ship and the bridge. There is also a hotel connected to the RiverWalk Outlet Collection called the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. It turned out to be a great place to get a few pictures of us and the bridge.
These twin cantilever bridges carry U.S. Highway 90 Business (US 90 Bus.) over the Mississippi River in New Orleans. They are tied as the fifth-longest cantilever bridges in the world. It is the farthest downstream bridge on the Mississippi River. It is also the widest and most heavily traveled bridge on the lower Mississippi; the only other comparable bridges on the Mississippi are in the St. Louis area.
Earlier I mention the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen ship and I wanted to share some info about this interesting ship. She is an authentic paddlewheeler powered by a 24-foot diameter paddlewheel. She is the most modern, fuel efficient GE diesel-electric system ever installed in a boat of this class. Ninety tons of air conditioning and heating keep the interior spaces pleasant for cruising all year round. Step on board and cruise into the night with the sounds of a lively jazz band filling the air as you enjoy a lavish Creole buffet in elegantly appointed dining rooms.Sounds like a lot of fun. Hopefully we can do a cruise the next time we are in the are. Here is a picture of a statue right out side of the entrance to the ship.
I can’t have a post about the RiverWalk and not share some information about the Outlet Collection. Apparently the Outlet is the nation’s first upscale outlet center in a downtown setting. They are proud to open in the heart of New Orleans. The mall features over 75 retailers and restaurants such as Neiman Marcus Last Call Studio, Tommy Bahama Outlet, Forever 21, Coach, The PUMA Store, Hartstrings Kids Apparel Center, and Kenneth Cole. Center favorites, and original tenants from the beginning, also include The Fudgery, Gap Factory Store, Café Du Monde, Aerosoles and Swim ‘n Sport Outlet. These are just a few. They are open Monday–Saturday 10:00AM – 9:00PM and Sunday 10:00AM – 7:00PM
Like i said we didn’t spend a lot of time in the mall, but did have our first Hurricane drink and Muffaletta sandwich at Poppy’s Time Out Sports Bar. Both were good and we got to keep the souvenir cup. It was a great first afternoon and I highly suggest spending some time down here when visiting New Orleans.
