New Orlean’s Easy To Love 

What place in your travels do you find most consistent enjoyment? Why? 

If you love New Orleans, she’ll love you back.” (Drew Brees)

I have to admit that greater New Orleans “grows” on me every time I visit during my road trip travels. Yes it’s often  busy and crowded from a tourist perspective but it doesn’t feel that way to me. For I consider it an honorable challenge to find ways to adjust to that slower pace of life that pervades throughout  this community daily. So let’s forego Mardi Gras and it’s Bourbon Street hype for a moment and observe some more subtle ways I used for sustaining my energy to obtain such “Big Easy” fever. 

Take for example, our unexpected road trip stopover last week, whereby I made the simple decision of embarking on an inexpensive street car journey along the six mile long St. Charles corridor. On this Wednesday morning, I’d primarily focus my attention on the impressive array of stately mansions, many of which were built at the turn of the 20th century. Coming into view occasionally, I’d also glance at those ghostly looking oak trees  lining the streets interspersed with similarly spooky like voodoo arrangements on mansion front lawns. How interesting it appeared as well on this occasion as well to observe meaningful actions of people surrounding my seat. For instance, I noticed our streetcar driver politely yield their moving vehicle to crossing vehicle traffic. In a similar vein, I observed passengers exchanging valuable tidbits of information with each other or courteously assisting tourists when and how to disembark. 

With the streetcar un-air conditioned, I realized at some point I needed to combat getting fatigued amid the oppressive New Orleans heat. That meant first selectively choosing a “laidback” lunch locale to get off the streetcar along Carrollton Street. At the  Camellia Diner , I thus sat and ordered a sandwich at a barstool while exchanging valuable tidbits of information with tourists sitting around me. I also took some restful time later that afternoon off the streetcar to browse literature offerings at the Garden District bookstore as well as birdwatch awhile overlooking a stunning lake vantage point in Audubon Park. The above described activities no doubt helped me conserve my energy  for I deeply desired to extend this one day visit to enjoy the unique feel of New Orleans live jazz that night. 

During a previous visit to New Orleans, I’d discovered that less crowded Frenchmen Street not Bourbon Street functioned as the best clubbing area where serious jazz lovers loved to go. Happily, my personal favorite, “ The Spotted Cat”, conveniently offered an early evening show to go to with minimal cover charge Wednesday night. So during that three hour session sitting nearby the band stage on a comfortable bench, I experienced a heavy dose of authentic Dixieland jazz pulsating soulfully through my mind and body. Enjoy the photos.