My last visit to New Orleans, Louisiana

Hello! Welcome to the New Orleans section of my Goodbye America tour.

Note: Since this email is long, you must click to expand to read it all or go to the Substack app. With this many photos, you will find them easier to see there.

My fascination with New Orleans

(It’s A Woo-Woo Vibe Thing)

When I graduated from college, like most twenty-somethings, my idea for a career was met with serious disapproval by my step-father, the person I relied on for business and life experience. I wanted to be a criminal lawyer, having just spent two internships at my university, one for the district court and another with the local sheriff’s office. His advice? You need to re-think this.

Our compromise? I got a paralegal certificate and spent the next five years learning every aspect of the law. And he was right. I’m not a criminal lawyer. In law school, I moved in a different direction, and I am forever grateful for his advice.

The highlight of those four months when getting my certificate was the friend I made from Louisiana. For the seven years after graduation, I headed to Mardi Gras for fun and to see my friend, Zim. Each year was a completely different experience, and I have great memories from that time. (The best memory? We crashed a formal—diamonds and furs—private party held on a yacht sponsored by the Neville Brothers.)

I wanted one last trip to NOLA and added it to my Goodbye America trip last summer. I wanted to feel the same raw energy, the same insane nightlife, and the same unnamed sensation that swirled around me any time I was near Jackson Square. While I know these are all just memories, every time I’ve visited New Orleans since I have not been disappointed.

We spent part of our time in the Garden District and the remainder at a hotel in the French Quarter. Which do I advise? Either.

Just don’t drink the water.

The Garden District

Our AirBnB was acceptable, but having rented top-end apartments on the beach for the past nine years, I admit I am pickier than most. I didn’t take photos of it, nor will I provide a link. You can find better. Understand that the apartments here are old houses, and though they may have been renovated, the air conditioners may not function well in the summer humidity.

Here’s the Garden District.

We took long walks through the neighborhood and enjoyed the trees, the historical homes, and the peaceful part of New Orleans. It was the one area I had never stayed in, and I am very happy we gave this district some time. I walked miles in and around the district, found pleasant people, and had a good experience overall.

The Commander’s Palace Restaurant (below) is famous, but we gravitated to smaller local restaurants near our apartment.

We tried the Ruby Slipper brunch, with probably the most unhealthy menu I’ve ever seen. (I know, I’m a tourist at heart, too.) And later, I paid dearly for what I ate. No, I’m not twenty-five any longer, and neither is my stomach. Why can’t my brain figure that out?

However, many small restaurants are much better than this. We frequented a different one daily, inside and out (in places that look like the photos below), although many were closed in the summer because of the high heat and humidity.

The Eliza Jane

After five days, we shifted our stay to The Eliza Jane near the French Quarter since most of my memories involved places there. The hotel is a standard Hyatt boutique hotel with great outdoor space, close to the areas I wanted to see one last time.

And, of course, it rained. A lot.

It’s Not The Same

In talking with friends about my planned trip to New Orleans, the overriding theme of the comments was, “It is not the same after Hurricane Katrina.” After wandering around the city for a week, I tend to agree. The vibe of the city has completely changed. The bars, shows, and restaurants I frequented for years are all gone. I didn’t expect them to stay the way I remembered forever, but the ones now aren’t even similar.

In their place are cheap tourist shops, nasty-looking bars, and very touristy restaurants. I longed for the hidden doorways for the locals (thanks to my friend), the top-notch gay bars, and the local artists and entertainment in front of the cathedral at Jackson Square. As to the latter, I assumed they were on hiatus along with the restaurants due to the low-season heat.

Gone for me also was the serious woo-woo vibe that, for me, was NOLA. I experienced strange vibes for years and saw unusual things I won’t go into here. In its place is a sad, tired town that reminded me of how Key West is now vs. how Key West “used to be” according to the locals. In its place, the NOLA vibe is a bit (well, a lot) touristy like this:

So, I said goodbye to the river.

And the Garden District.

Goodbye NOLA. You are still a grand city, just no longer for me. It’s time for other memories in other places.

If you have thoughts about this post, I’d love to hear them. Sometimes, we outgrow a place we love and need to move on. Is there such a place you’ve outgrown?