Travel ’16: New Orleans, Part III (Fun Stuff)

Go to New Orleans. There’s not much else I can tell you about the city other than you need to visit it at some point in your life. Alright, maybe there are a few things I can say…

No matter who you are, no matter where you’re from, and no matter how old you are (21+), if you have an open mind, you will have an awesome time.

You may not recognize the girl with the painter’s mask, but I’ve mentioned her in other posts. I’ve known her for twenty-one years (that makes me sound old) and in that time, she’s battled some pretty extreme allergies. They’ve come and gone over the years, but she’s always been severely allergic to fish and nuts. As in (lately) she can’t even smell them kind of allergic.

Yes, I know we went to New Orleans.

Yes, we knew it’s an American seafood mecca.

Yes, she did walk around with a mask on when we were in and around the French Quarter.

Yes, she was hospitalized after going into anaphylactic shock. (Thankfully, she’s fine now.)

I told you all of that just so I can tell you that with all things considered, even this mask-wearing wild child had a great time there. For starters, even with the mask she didn’t really stand out too much from the crowd. While people our parents’ ages did take a couple double takes, people our age mostly just accepted her as being expressive.

Life there is nothing like anywhere else (I’ve ever been).

1. Where can you drive 80 in a 55 and still get passed AF? New Orleans.
2. Is there a city where strangers only address you as “baby”? New Orleans.
3. Are pasties and a tutu really considered clothing? They are in the French Quarter.
4. Can you drive up (in a car) to a bar and order a daiquiri to go? Yes.
5. Can you get your tarot cards or palm read while you’re less than 20 feet from a cathedral? Check out Jackson Square.
6. Have I been to any other place where the inhabitants show such a strong sense of pride in their city? I have not. Only in New Orleans could I see the city emblem everywhere–tattoos, signs, car decals, clothing, in shop windows, on cakes, etc.
7. Where else can you pet a stray white cat while you wait for an Uber? I was drunk and yes, that did happen. Only in New Orleans.

Life is very different in the Big Easy: different from my ordinary life in North Carolina, different from vacationing in any other city, and different in terms of what is “legally” acceptable. I saw some of the most interesting things and people while I was down there.

The food, the sights, the activities. Go there. Do them.

I’m kicking myself right now because looking through my Dropbox, I realize that I only took about 40 pictures of the trip and most of them are duplicates. It sucks and I wish I had more visuals to share, but on the other hand, it also means that I was having an awesome time.

I only have a few regrets:

1. I wish I’d taken more pictures.
2. I wish I got to go during football season (I’m a Saints fan).
3. I wish we’d stayed longer than 4 days.

 

The Superdome from the back of an Uber.

 

Lee’s Statue in his square.

**I learned the difference between a gallery and a balcony (supports underneath make it a gallery). 

Gas lamps are still a thing down there.

A street in the French Quarter.

Monument of Joan of Arc near the French Quarter.

One of the mosaic tiles that are on every street corner in the French Quarter.

Selfie right before scootering around the city.

A stop on our ghost tour that is the real life setting and basis of American Horror Story: Coven. (There cannot be a better ghost tour than the one we did with Lord Chaz. He was recommended to us and in turn, I recommend him to you.) More info here –> http://www.lordchaz.com/