Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Choose Your Spots: The Cool Parts Of Visiting The Big Easy


On a recent trip to Louisiana, we found ourselves cooped up at a relative’s house to shake off the sweltering heat and catch up with family. But partially just to get out of the house, we checked out Audubon Park, just off Tchoupitoulas Street in New Orleans, right on the river.


It was a relatively new, beautiful park, offering tremendous views of the mighty Mississippi throughout.


We were there to see a relative playing Little League, but we stayed for the scenery.


And much to our surprise and delight, we found that we had possibly found the only Little League park in the country that sells beer. Only in New Orleans …

One thing on the “fun” side of the agenda was a visit to Abita Brewing Company in nearby Abita Springs. Located “across the lake,” as the locals say, about 30 miles north of New Orleans, Abita has a brew pub that used to serve as the actual brewery.


On a side note, there is evidence everywhere that they’re still very proud of their Super Bowl champion Saints here in Louisiana.


After a quick lunch of a tremendous muffuletta and highlighted by a specialty wheat pilsner called the Double Kolsch, we took a hop, skip and a jump just down to the actual brewery for a tour.


However, we faced long lines and sweltering heat, so we had to skip the actual tour and just head inside to the tasting room to partake of the Jockamo, Andygator, Abbey Ale and Satsuma Wit -- brews that are hard to find in North Carolina and serve as good in-law-serenity-now aiders.


Unfortunately, they were in the midst of bottling the new SOS beer, so we were unable to try it there. However, we did get some SOS gear to support Gulf Coast cleanup (75 cents of each bottle goes to the cause), doing our small part to extend the middle finger to BP through drinking.

All in all, it was a tremendous diversion and a mandatory needed nice respite from the heat and the drama.

No comments: