Savannah Watson

New Orleans – Overview

New Orleans, Louisiana – also called the “Big Easy” – is a truly unique place to visit. Known for its food, atmosphere, history, and mysticism, you’d be hard-pressed not to find something to love about this city. Street performers of all kinds loiter on the narrow cobblestone roads and fill Jackson Square – from musicians and dancers to tarot card readers, poets for hire, and street artists. Towering above Jackson Square is the St. Louis Cathedral, a truly gorgeous monument that can be marveled at by people of any religion. NOLA has a rich and fascinating history, very much worth reading up on; there are countless buildings known for famous visitors, tragic backstories, or ghostly happenings. The food is to die for, so I’ve been told (as someone with a general disinterest in food and a dietary restriction, I couldn’t partake in a lot of it – but what I did have was outstanding).

My family and I took a six-day trip to the Big Easy for Thanksgiving, where we also met up with close family friends to enjoy this unique city. We spent most of the trip exploring, sightseeing, shopping, and eating. The weather was chilly and a bit rainy for most of the trip, but it was still decent weather for all of the walking we did. We stayed right off of Jackson Square, so we were central to everything. We only left the French Quarter once to go to a restaurant, but otherwise, we walked everywhere and just enjoyed being in the Quarter. And of course, I made time to read and write every day – the hotel courtyard was so inspirational for writing and there was a warm, quiet spot inside the hotel common room for reading.

There is so much to see and do, but my absolute favorite thing about New Orleans is the individuality that is celebrated there. As a nearly lifelong goth who grew up where there weren’t many others like me, going somewhere where uniqueness is celebrated is so refreshing and comforting. For anyone looking for a goth clothing shop, check out Road Kill 13 – they had amazing clothes and incredibly friendly employees. For a gothic dining experience, go to Vampire Cafe – don’t forget your blood bag sangria or virgin punch while you’re there!

A few other places worth visiting include the French Market for shopping, the Joan of Arc monument, The National World War II museum, and the Louis Armstrong Park (which has a fascinating voodoo history – if you can participate in one of the Voodoo tours there, I highly recommend it; I learned a lot).

Finally, I wouldn’t be true to myself if I didn’t visit at least one bookstore… luckily, I visited two bookstores and a stationary shop! Papier Plume on Royal St. is a great little stationary shop selling papers, wax and wax seals, pens, nibs, and ink. My family has been patrons of theirs for years, and my father always purchases nibs from them every time he visits New Orleans. Dauphine Street Books was directly across the street from our hotel window, so of course, I had to go in. It was FULL to the brim with books, and it reminded me of the chaotic used bookstores I’ve seen on television. There were so many stacks of books everywhere, and I was a little worried that they might fall and crush me… but I would have died completely happy. Finally, we visited Faulkner House Books on Pirates Alley by the St. Louis Cathedral. It was tiny and well-organized, and they only allowed six people in at a time. It was lovely and cozy.

Overall, this was a great trip. I had a lot of fun and enjoyed my time. I feel very fortunate to have been able to take this trip, and I highly recommend adding New Orleans as a destination to visit.

*Just as a note, there are no sponsorships in my New Orleans travel blog series. These are my own opinions and experiences.

**All photos are my own.

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