New Orleans French Quarter: The Incomplete Edition

This promises to be one of the most incomplete New Orleans French Quarter–also known as the Vieux Carré–photo essays ever constructed.French Quarter Guitar 1j

There’s nothing here about Bourbon Street at night. Because Mary and I didn’t walk around with eyes glued to a map or with ears focused on a live tourist guide, I have no idea if the photos below are officially from the French Quarter, Bourbon Street, Royal Street, the French Market, or Downtown New Orleans.

Despite all of the deficiencies mentioned above, I adore visiting New Orleans and I loved working on this post. New Orleans is, after all, more than just one of the most unique North American Cities. It’s one of the world’s most intriguing, diverse destinations. From spicy and spiritual to Cajun and Creole, New Orleans is both historic and contemporary.St. Peter 1j

Masquerade mask b&w j

Lithuanian-American writer Ruta Sepetys offers one of the best short explanations of what makes the Big Easy so interesting. “Its cultural diversity is woven into the food, the music, the architecture – even the local superstitions, Sepetys has been quoted as saying. “It’s a sensory experience on all levels and there’s a story lurking around every corner.”

Mary and I stopped long enough to capture images of each other while near the French Market. It is important to note that the photo of Mary did not need much “touch up.” The picture of me, however, took a long time to develop. We snapped the photos just after having the famous chicory coffee and powdered sugar covered beignets at Café du Monde. To no surprise to those who know me, it took a very long time to electronically remove the “more than significant’ amount of powdered sugar that covered my black jacket. Yes, the beignets were wonderful; we were in such a hurry to devour them that I forgot to take any Café du Monde photos.

I guess that means we will have to go back!

🙂

The Glorious Garden District

If the eclectic French Quarter is New Orleans’ bass trombone, the Garden District–it seems to me–is the sensual master’s breath that sweetly fuels the one of a kind tone that effortlessly flows from the “T-bone.”

During our January Louisiana trip, we made our Big Easy hub a “period perfect” boutique hotel at the edge of the Garden District. We took numerous casual strolls where we enjoyed a sui generis neighborhood coffee shop, fine cajun and creole dining, interesting architecture, and remarkable historic homes. It was an awesome leisurely adventure that provided just the right amount of photoremedy. The Garden District was, arguably, a perfect base for our trip; intermittent showers even added to the extraordinary atmosphere we enjoyed there.

As an added bonus, most of the Garden District lodging is near the iconic New Orleans streetcars that offer easy access to destinations in the Garden and University Districts, as well as to Downtown New Orleans and the French Quarter.


Downtown and the Quarter are must see–and experience–areas in New Orleans. I’ll be pursuing photoremedy and offering additional details about these areas in my next post. Cheers!

New Orleans

New Orleans