The Need to Know About the N.O.

May 23, 20235 min read

Hey guys! It’s your favorite Introverted Wanderer and I’m here to chat about something that means so much to me…well, one of the many, many things. TRAVELING…but more in depth.

I know that we’ve all seen and heard this beautiful, aesthetic word: WANDERLUST

*Wanderlust :a strong desire to travel.

I’ve always been on the road and traveling since I was little and I believe that traveling means more than ‘getting drunk and forgetting the trip’. To me, traveling is all about learning, exploring, and experiencing cultures, music, life, and actually meeting or interacting with other people. (says the introvert).

One of my favorite and most significant experiences in my little travel diaries, as I call it, was the Southern Hospitality I experienced in New Orleans, LA. Now, I’ve heard all about ‘Southern Hospitality’ the ‘slow pace life’ and honestly…it really was that.

2016, my siblings and I were super blessed to have our parents gifted us a trip to New Orleans and here’s my take on ‘My Southern Hospitality Experience.’

Words couldn’t even describe my absolute love, compassion, and excitement to be in a city that I’ve always, always wanted to visit and secretly wanted to live in (if there weren't hurricanes). My sister and I were in awe just seeing the beautiful architecture and of course that humidity. Thankfully, I came prepared with a protective styling to prevent poofy hair and frizzing.

But I digress.

My flight experience wasn’t the best because your girl is terrified of heights and in the same breath, I’m the same one saying ‘I can’t want to go to England, Germany, and Sweden’ when I gotta fly over an OCEAN. My anxiety was so high that I set a timer on my phone counting down when we would arrive in New Orleans and that just made it worse for me. So, I prayed. I prayed so hard and so much that the good Lord told me ‘sleep’ and I did. What seemed like a good five-ten minutes was long. Next thing I know, I opened my eyes and I’m looking at the Mississippi River! From above, it really does look like a huge snake, just curving and bending. I knew right then and there that we were close to landing.

Our first stop was the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner, LA. The signs welcomed us in English and French. I was like, “This is it!” But at the same time, I thought back to this airport in 2005 and what was happening in the Gulf area at that time. For those who are not familiar, 2005 Hurricane Katrina did damage beyond the USA’s understanding and this same airport where evacuees were held, it was a triage center, and a medical center.

It was a bittersweet moment for sure.

I witnessed first hand the Southern Hospitality at our hotel, at the time it was, The Hotel Modern, it is now the Holiday Inn Express, and the people were just beautiful and sweet. Could it be that they heard my accent? Possibly, but so what. The room and view was just the start of a great experience. Together, my sister and I took to the streets to experience New Orleans.

For once in my life, I felt comfortable, relaxed, and a part of the city. I walked the cobblestone streets and witnessed historical buildings, signs, and the best part was the energy that filled the city. Despite the drizzle and humidity, I was in love. I would definitely like to mention that the way Hollywood portrays New Orleans is just…not my cup of tea. Not all the people down there talk with a ‘Bayou’ or ‘Voodoo’ accent and we all know what those ‘accents’ sound like. But let me say this, they do say ‘baby’ but with that New Orleans accent that just blows my mind.

I also learned through following the old school local New Orleans natives that ‘NOLA’ is not in their vocabulary. They NEVER say ‘NOLA’ and ‘The Big Easy’ After watching some documentaries and local New Orleans natives talk about their city, I was informed that ‘The Big Easy’ was not the original nickname. It was ‘The City That Care Forgot.’ I discovered this by watching When The Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, an amazing documentary by Spike Lee, where the residents of New Orleans discuss the impacts of Hurricane Katrina.

This was beautiful 2016 New Orleans travel diary:

Hungry? Getcha Sum:

Napoleon House,

500 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70116

☆☆☆- The place was packed with a nice ambience. The Po-Boy was 7/10. Jambalaya was 6/10. Meatball sub 5/10.

Bayou Burger and Sports Company (now permanently closed)

3226 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70116

☆☆☆☆- Great atmosphere. Gumbo 9/10. Beignet Fries 9/10 . Jambalaya 10/10 Jalapeño Tator tots 5/10 (sister found them too spicy) Our waitress was Tootie and she was amazing!

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen,

1243 Saint Charles Ave,New Orleans, LA 70116

☆☆☆☆☆- 10/10 THEE best Popeyes I've ever had in my LIFE!

Aunt Sally’s Creole Pralines (unfortunately we didn't get to try)

750 St. Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116

Hot Spots to Trot: We did not visit, but we definitely took pictures.

St. Louis Cathedral, 615 Pere Antoine Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116

Andrew Jackson Hotel, 919 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Arnaud’s, 813 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70112

Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo, 628 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Voodoo Blues Gift Shop, 706 Bourbon St. New Orleans, LA 70116.

Lafayette Square, S Maestri St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Superdome (Caesar Superdome), 1500 Sugar Bowl Dr, New Orleans, LA 70112

Cobblestone Melodies:

Bon Bon Viant- is a genre bending band from New Orleans that pull from singer-songwriter/ pop/ americana/ dark ballads and up-tempo indie dance music…but they would prefer you to just listen to the music and decide for yourself. BBVs original music is rooted in storytelling and pays honor to a uniquely New Orleans sound while infusing an indie flavor that leaves a lasting mark on listeners. This band's songs are joyous, fierce, honest and heartbreaking as they chronicle life and all it entails through the sounds of the minor keys.

Bon Bon Vivant is made up of songwriter /front-woman Abigail Cosio, Saxophonist/ vocalist Jeremy Kelley, on Sousaphone and Bass is Jason Jurzak, drums and percussion by Deacon Marrquin. The band's unique instrumentation is also a thing to watch and leaves listeners reaching to identify what kind of music they are hearing. With brass horns and a rotating cast of New Orleans musicians coming through, this sound is alive and something to experience.

Locally, BBV is one of the highlighted acts in the New Orleans music scene, Awarded Best Emerging Artist of 2018 by Off Beat Magazine. BBV plays regularly in New Orleans with upcoming appearances at French Quarter Fest, Jazz Fest, Bayou Boogaloo and tours regularly spreading the gospel of decadence, reverence and revelry with their infectious live shows. A second full length studio album is coming out soon with a supporting tour. See them play all over the country in theaters, clubs, festivals, and even the occasional pop-up street busk. This band has a truly timeless and unique sound. https://www.bbvband.com/

Unknown Couple:

This amazing woman and man below played so beautifully and it was just amazing to see in person. Words couldn’t describe how majestic this moment was and I had to record them.

Architecture and Art tell a story:

Mardi Beads leftover:

Vieux Carré (French Quarter) unique mixture of architectural styles such as: French, Spanish, and Greek Revival.

The Hotel Modern: This image was within the hotel, but at the time it was a part of another section of the hotel that was being remodeled. I’m not sure if it is still there.