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We spent a very pleasant couple of hours wandering the streets of the Garden District following the walking tour outlined in the AAA guidebook. As an aside, we had bought AAA membership as soon as we bought the car. Even though we don't usually stay in AAA-recommended accommodation, which is usually beyond our budget, we join for the maps, guidebooks, and especially for the road-assistance that comes with membership. We are glad that we didn't need to use the service on this trip, but were happy to pay the insurance.

We both love old houses, and like to see how people restore them, what colors they choose. Given the district's name, there were also lots of lovely gardens to admire. The plots of land were usually quite small, but that just reminded Jan of English gardens which often manage to do quite a lot with just a little space. We talked to one friendly resident of the district who shared with us her love of the neighborhood. Surprisingly she said she didn't mind the tourist who come to gawp, like us. She did say that she found it expensive not only to reburbish but also to maintain an old house. It has to be a labor of love.