TRAVEL: A Tour of N'awlins, Part 1

TRAVEL CONTRIBUTION BY VERONICA

Destination: New Orleans, LA

My trip to New Orleans was a last minute decision brought on by the fact that I had a free hotel room to crash in thanks to my sister. I didn’t really do much research about what to see or do and considering I only had a few days I was content on just wandering without stressing about seeing the “sites”. That didn’t prevent me from buying what (in my humble opinion) could the best guide to New Orleans that exists; New Orleans: The Underground Guide, 2^nd Edition. I got my copy in a French Quarter book store on a soggy afternoon but you can get yours {here}. 

In additional to the usual categories that one comes across in a travel guide (restaurants, art galleries, music, hotels, sites, etc), this awesome guide is interspersed with what the author has decided to call “N.O Moment”- little snippets about local and little-known customs, celebrities, and etiquette. 

Now, if you’re heading to New Orleans for the Jazz and/or Mardi Gras then the tourist magazines are probably all you need, but if you want to experience New Orleans through the eyes a local, then this is your guide. 

Since it is mainly focused on art and music it doesn’t have the most extensive list of restaurants serving crawfish, but then again who wants to wander around Nawlin’s with fishy fingers?

Ok, enough about this guide. Now for the tour starting with the famous French Quarter.

  

A sample of the Spanish-style Architecture in the French Quarter. 

Ironic huh?

Now, if you don’t have time to buy a guide book before heading to New Orleans, then one of the many secondhand bookstores in the French Quarter can probably supply you with one. I bought mine at the Librairie Bookshop at 823 Chartres St.

New Orleans has it’s fair share of Ghost stories. Regardless of your opinions on the subject, it’s an entertaining way to visit some of the French Quarters most historical sites. I suggest looking up some tours in the local publications since the guide book doesn’t list any. 

Here's a shot of a Vampire tour guide operator in front of the 
Saint Louis Cathedral where a lot of these tours commence.

Lafittes Blacksmith Shop Bar is one of the oldest running bars in the county (and its interior sure supports that claim).  It’s also said that one of the owners still haunts this place. 

Note from Linnie:  There's more to come from Veronica's trip to New Orleans, so be sure to keep an eye out for more posts!  

Veronica is a professional photographer living in NYC.  Check out more of her work {here}.  
You can also see more of Veronica's adventures in her blog called Photos and such.