Greetings folks,

I was quite taken with the city of New Orleans this week and I wanted to share about how it infused my creativity, but with photos.

…because sometimes we all need a break from reading.

Also, today is Bandcamp Friday (the day that artists get to keep 100% of their proceeds on Bandcamp.)

My album is up for pre-order now, and I hope you’ll take a look and a listen and act according to your heart’s desire.

Plus, here are some discount codes valid on all purchases, should you feel so inclined.

xxC

This week I took a quick jaunt to New Orleans. It was my first time visiting this city, and my first time on a solo sojourn.

I forgot how much I love traveling and exploring, especially doing it free-hand with no set action items or itinerary!

It’s enriching for my creativity and inspiration to be in foreign places and around different types of people. There is something about it that wakes me up, so to speak.

I surmise that this is because remembering and enjoying your time in a new place requires you to be present to experience it. I hadn’t realized how much I had been living a task-oriented robot life, until I stepped away from all of my day-to-day chores and activities.

New Orleans has a lot of creative energy. It’s kind of like Charleston’s goth, drunk cousin, but any city with a storied and rich history appeals to me, and I very much enjoyed my time there.

So I thought I would recap it for you in photos!

Here is the first meal I had when I arrived:

It was evening and I had booked myself a walking ghost tour. I needed a caffeine pick me up and some quick dinner beforehand. This shrimp po’boy was from a real tourist hub on Bourbon street, so it probably was not even a “good” one—just an overpriced touristy one— but it was still delicious if you like fried food and mayonnaise!

(I’m Southern, so I do.)

By the way, the walking ghost tour of the French Quarter was incredibly interesting. New Orleans has a definite air of mystery that lends itself to spooky outings. It’s also the setting of lots of vampiric lore and some horrific atrocities.

If you’re curious and want to learn more, here are some of the stories we covered on the tour:

Zack & Addie

Jacque St Germain

The Lalaurie house

And here are some photos I got:

The tour met at an occult shop called the Witches Brew. There are many voodoo and occult shops in the French Quarter, all of them are worth stopping in.

This shop was still open when I arrived and offered grab-bag tarot readings where you pick an envelope and open it to find three random tarot cards inside, along with a printout telling you what they mean.

I’m a sucker for anything grab bag, so I bought it for $12.

These were the cards I got which speak to creative inspiration, new horizons and exploration and… feels pretty on point to me.

The above photo is the former home of Jacque St Germain who allegedly inspired the character of Lestat from Interview with a Vampire. It’s been very well maintained but look at how the creepy clouds skulk around it like spirits in the night:

The following morning I walked myself over to the most famous coffee and pastry place in town.

I also got this great photo of Jackson Square in the mist.

This square has had roughly the same layout for about 300 years, and used to be the site of some really grisly executions. It’s giving old-world European, but with balm and palms!

This is not a travel blog…. But if it was I would tell you to get to Cafe du Monde when it opens and you’ll skip the line. I was seated right away and had my beignets within 5 minutes. I was also treated to someone playing the tuba for tips outside on the street. It was 7:30am, but that’s New Orleans for you.

Here’s Jackson Square in full daylight. I propped my phone up against a bench to get myself in the picture too, so you’re welcome.

I want to share briefly about the shopping.

As an antique aficionado, I can confidently say that the antiques are better (and more affordable) in Atlanta.

But the art galleries are much better in New Orleans!

I didn’t make any big purchases, but it’s not because I didn’t want to. Even if you don’t plan to buy anything, the stores are still worth perusing because of the inventive window displays:

Lastly, I’d like to share with you some facts about the alcohol culture in New Orleans, which I found fascinating:

1. The bars will serve you, regardless of how sloppy you are1 because it’s a point of pride for them. The city taxes pay to have the streets in the French Quarter washed down nightly, specifically because of this.

2. While the city is known for embracing open containers on the street, they did recently pass a law against open containers in the car. You may not put a straw in your hurricane while driving. However, if you put the lid on it, and only remove the lid briefly to take a sip, you are not in violation of the open container laws.

3. The next time you are at Walgreens picking up your prescription and some nail polish remover, you may also pick up some Jose Cuervo (perhaps in lieu of the nail polish remover).

I left for New Orleans feeling strung out and overwhelmed, and I came back from New Orleans tired and hungover…

but! I had also finished a song in my hotel room— a song that had been irking me for months.

It’s been several days and I still feel inspired and creatively infused.

It’s funny how we forget the things that give us life while going about our lives, and for me that is novelty and exploration. I don’t need to leave my city to do this either, it’s often as simple as taking a different way home and enjoying the new scenery.

Have you been to New Orleans? What do you think?

I think that there is a lively discussion of the following Southern US port cities that needs to be had: New Orleans vs. Savannah vs. Charleston.

Thoughts?