Note: This is a draft post I dug up from my archives. We went to New Orleans for our fourth anniversary in 2017. Still, it’s such a great city that I wanted to share my impressions. Mardi Gras is coming up so it seemed like a good time to do so. 

I finally went to New Orleans!

Ever since I learned about the roots of jazz music as a child, I’ve wanted to visit New Orleans. When I was nine years old I heard Duke Ellington ‘s “Take the A Train” and fell in love. That led me to George Gershwin, Thelonious Monk, Stephane Grappelli, Dave Brubeck, and more. In fifth grade I would go to Barnes & Noble to buy Jazziz magazine and the Beanie Baby collectors magazine (talk about divergent interests!). One of my top choices for college was Tulane University, until Hurricane Katrina hit and I was scared out of applying by the thought of another hurricane hitting while I was in school. Still, New Orleans was one of the places I knew I had to visit during my lifetime or I would regret it. 

Even though the city was hot, muggy and a little bit smelly in certain parts, there was a kind of magic in the air. The cultural melting pot was apparent in everything from the food to the architecture. There’s just something different about walking on 300 year old cobblestones; you can feel the weight of all that history. I’m a history buff, so we hit The Cabildo, the old U.S. Mint, and the Jazz History Museum. I learned so much I didn’t know! There were so many eras of New Orleans, and of course money is its own empire. As for the jazz museum, I’m a musician so being in the same room as Louis Armstrong’s trumpet had the weight of a visit to the Vatican. It was fantastic. Cafe Du Monde was so nice, we hit it twice. Both the beignets and the frozen coffee were absolutely to die for. 

I didn’t take many pictures because I honestly just wanted to soak in everything and remember it however I needed to. Most of the few pictures I did take were fuzzy, as if the place itself didn’t want to pinned down to a single expression. It was our first trip alone together since before we got married, and the week passed in a haze of new sights and sounds and romance. It wasn’t the farthest we’ve traveled but definitely the most memorable. I understand now when the natives say the city isn’t just a place, it’s a feeling. New Orleans…I’ll see you soon.