by A work obligation took me to New Orleans, where I was able to sample some seafood, bite into some burgers and beignets, and beef up my birding life list during my down time around the event.
The first Acme Oyster House opened in 1910 in the French Quarter. Today it has a half dozen locations along the Gulf coast and shucks more than a million oysters each year. (The cover photo is a po-boy from Acme.)
The food scene in New Orleans is legendary, including the burgers.
The Company Burger was named by Food & Wine magazine as one of the best burgers in the country. It’s signature burger is two thin patties topped with American cheese, house-made pickles, and red onion (I added bacon).
The PB&J burger at District Donuts Slider Brew is two angus patties, peanut butter, cherry-stout jam, and pickles on a sesame brioche bun.
There wasn’t a lot of wildlife activity in Jean Laffite National Historical Park during the few hours of my explorations, but I did see white ibises, egrets, white-eyed vireos, little blue herons, and red shoulder hawks. Later I visited Audubon Park (designed by Frederick Law Olmstead’s firm in the early 1900s) where I saw hundreds of Black-bellied whistling-ducks — what a ruckus! Check out the video to hear their unique call.
