The skinny on a town fat in things to do

Soooo New Orleans. Wow – you gave me lots to talk about – from Voodoo priestesses to determining the sex of alligators, to why a wedding chapel has a ceiling covered in dollar bills.

So here’s the skinny on a town fat in things to do.

Where to stay:

I loved the Hotel Monteleone. It is located close enough to “all the things” and far enough away to actually get some sleep at night. The front of the hotel is gorgeous and tucked tightly between buildings making it hard to capture in a photograph. It also boasts a functioning carousel bar, a rooftop pool, and some haunted history.

Story has it that a 3-year-old named Maurice died in the hotel in the 1880s from fever. His mom came back to the hotel every year on the anniversary of his death and claims one year his spirit showed up to comfort her. Since then guests have reported seeing him at the foot of their beds and hearing him playing in the hallways. It is believed that he may also by responsible for quirky elevator behavior. When a couple was staying there with their school-aged children in 2014 they reported that when they rode the elevator without the kids it operated normally, but that whenever they had their children with them the elevator would automatically and inexplicably stop on the 14^th floor (https://www.frenchquarterphantoms.com/blog/encounters-with-a-ghostly-child-at-the-hotel-monteleone).

Where to go:

Mahogany Jazz Hall Burlesque & Absinthe House. I showed up for the burlesque,  but I stayed for the music provided by the Mahogany Hall Jazz Band. They were A-mazing! I loved the diversity of the group and how truly “into’ the music they were. If I wasn’t sure if I was fan of Jazz before, there is no doubt I am now. 

Jamnola & Studio Be. These were both on my ‘to visit’ list. What I didn’t know at the time was that these two art hotspots are right next to each other. Jamnola was fun, and funky, and a great spot for selfies lol. It celebrates the joy, art, and music of NOLA. Studio Be is activism through art. I felt lots of things walking through the exhibit: sadness and shame and what Paul Robeson meant when he said, “Artists are the gate keepers of truth” – Paul Robeson

Jackson Square.  Amidst the painters and the musicians and the tarot readers you’ll find a poet with a suitcase, a typewriter, a yellow and blue umbrella, and a sign which reads, “Pick a Subject. Get a Poem.”

I have no idea if other poets in other cities do what David does, but to me this was totally new and totally awesome. As a writer myself, there was no way I was not going to see how this man mixed and matched words and punctuation to create something personal, and original, and short all while I was standing there waiting for him to do it. It takes me hours to write things I feel comfortable enough to share, and even then, almost always, you will find a typo or a misspelling (and I’m using a word processor with spell check!)

After much overthinking about my “subject” I decided I’d look to my new tattoo for inspiration. “Nowhere” I told him, although the tattoo itself is a play on words, a pardox. It is inked into my arm this way: (now)here so that is reads both “now here” and “nowhere.”

Here is what David typed:

“Nowhere”

The nebulous interplay between
coming and going.
What is now? What is going on?
Who are you when you are here?
Are you genuinely you?
Are you your dreaming self trying to find
solid ground?
Is here imaginationland and are we daydreaming the present?
We are understated beings with epic egos
in a universe that is constantly in motion.
Nowhere is starting to feel pretty good.

I agree David. It does feel pretty good.

Thank you.

Bayou Swamps. I’ve had several conversations with my bestie Gina romanticizing what it would be like to float on the swamps in the deep Louisiana Bayou in the sweltering sun writing her life story. It’s a doozy let me tell you. While she couldn’t come with me this time, and I didn’t bring a notebook or a pen on the air boat, I did, indeed, visit a swamp. Another friend who was supposed to meet me down there (but also couldn’t this time) wanted to both “see an alligator” and “kayak the swamps.” (Funny how both of these friends are Saggs and I have a Sag moon lol – adventure anyone?) I too wanted to see an alligator, but not from a kayak. After this trip, I am feeling pretty glad I opted for the air boat option. I wasn’t sure we’d see any alligators let alone have one climb on up the boat. The guide called them and over they swam. Wait. What?! A few fun facts I learned on the tour: the sex of alligators are determined by the temperature of the eggs and strangely enough they aren’t considered super dangerous to people (I, however, am not taking anyone’s word for this and will let them do them in the water and me do me on the boat). I really enjoyed the step away from the chaos of Bourbon Street to see another side of New Orleans.

What to eat:

Charbroiled oysters. I would not have ordered this if I hadn’t tried my aunt’s first. They were incredible! So much so that after having a bite of hers at dinner on Friday, I ordered them for lunch on Sunday.

Pasta with Crawfish.  The dish I had at Olde Nola Cookery was super satisfying.

And beignets of course. We opted for ones from the famed original Café Du Mont.

So thank you NOLA for showing this Midwest girl a southern good time. I went home with quite a few ‘character sketches’ and ‘settings’ for my creative work.