The next couple of days after my return from Moab--I spent packing; packing for what would be a nearly 4 week trip to New Orleans, Florida, Philadelphia, and New York City. I bought the ticket for this trip back in September even before I had decided to renew my contract in Japan. I bought it so many months early because I’d been browsing kayak.com and found it for such a good deal. Four legs of a trip: 1. Aspen to New Orleans, 2. New Orleans to Tampa, FL, 3. Tampa, FL to NYC, 4. NYC to Aspen all for $710. I saw it and booked it.
Of course when you buy a ticket that many months in advance complications are going to arise. For instance I decided to return to Japan therefore leaving me less time in Aspen then I would spend traveling (which caused a bit of controversy cause my dad was feeling like I wasn’t giving him enough time). One of my aunts who I was going to visit in Florida moved to New Mexico and now I didn’t have time to go visit her. One of the people I thought I’d be staying with in New York had to cancel cause of other commitments that came up. In the end, however, all of these slights didn’t stop me and stage one of my trip—New Orleans—would soon be on the go.
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| The view from above--Cruising Burbon Street |
I headed out of Aspen on Wednesday April 21st in the late morning after my dad dropped me off at the airport. Even traveling for 4 weeks I was determined to do the trip with only carry on luggage because of the new check luggage fees. After a change in Denver and Houston I finally arrived in New Orleans at about 4pm. I got on the shuttle and headed into the city.
I had not been to New Orleans since before Hurricane Katrina. My dad and I drove through and stopped in New Orleans on our road trip from Florida—home after I graduated from college. This was in May of 2005, a few months before the devastation. When we were there I was overwhelmed by the smells; the smells of piss, shit, and endless trash; the smells of fried food and powdered sugar; the smells the street and air combining with the smells of the people couldn’t be beaten down by any good smell that was cooking. That’s what I remembered.
As we drove into the city I was skeptical about how the next 5 days were gonna go. The hotel I was staying at was the first stop for the shuttle. As we pulled up to the Le Pavillon my jaw dropped at the beauty of it. I couldn’t believe this was where I would be staying, and it seemed no one else in the shuttle could believe I would be staying there either. http://www.lepavillon.com/
Le Pavillon was built in 1907 and both the building and property itself have a fascinating place in New Orleans history. http://www.lepavillon.com/history.htm
Before I’d even bought my plane ticket the original spark to even look into the ticket was when I started talking to my ‘uncle/godfather’ Dennis about going to New Orleans Jazz fest together. He has been a New Orleans Jazz fest regular for years and I always have told him I wanted to go…finally I was determined to make it happened. When he agreed that’s when I started looking into flights. Because we booked so early he was also able to book us into Le Pavillon, his favorite New Orleans hotel.
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| Dennis working on the foundation of my parents new house...he is MR. FIX and BUILD it. |
He and his girlfriend, Lynn, arrived into New Orleans the day before me and we made plans to meet at a ‘music in the park’ upon my arrival that afternoon. So once I was given my key, bags into the room, changed, and found Dennis’ direction to the park I headed out on foot. I didn’t have to go far, I spotted Lafayette Square soon after I heard the music.
I started looking for Dennis, as I had never met Lynn, in the massive crowd. I figured, of course, that he would be somewhere near the front dancing. After scanning the crowd a few times with no luck I suddenly saw a familiar face that wasn’t Dennis’. It was one of my other ‘uncle’s,’ Dave! I was so surprised! Right there with him was his wife Pam. I walked over to them in such shock that it took me giving them a hug before I even realized there was Dennis too!
A little background on these ‘uncles’ of mine. Of course they aren’t my blood related uncles, but honestly they’ve been such constant figures in my life that I do consider them my family. They are my dad’s best friends. Dennis was also our babysitter on multiple occasions when our parents went away. When my sister and I were given a choice about who we would want as our babysitter we shouted out “DENNIS!!!” We considered him family but we also love him like a friend. Dave, Pam, and their 5 (yes 5) daughters have also been apart of this side of our family for as long as I can remember.
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| The Montoya Crew |
She’s a fiddler who captivates the stage with her voice, personality, and of course bad ass fiddle sessions. The girl has been touring professionally since she was 8 years old and it shows. She knows how to command an audience and being a New Orleans native her fans were out in mass supporting her. It was an awesome way to start my first hour in the BIG EASY.
The show finished around 7pm and we headed into the heart of the city to meet up with one of Dennis’ friends and to get some food. We went to Felix’s Oyster Bar, a famous New Orleans establishment since the early 1900’s. http://www.felixs.com/?page_id=10
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| Standing in line outside of Felix's |
Famous as it may be, it offers people like me literally no options. My attempts to make alterations to their menu (I asked for a stuffed bake potato ‘unstuffed’ but the things are pre-made) provided me no luck so I ended up with a 7’up.
After dinner we walked the streets and headed to another New Orleans landmark—Café du Monde. http://www.cafedumonde.com/
The café was established in 1862 and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is the reliable source for caffeine and sugar (coffee and beignets) in New Orleans. I wasn’t about to have either—after the others ordered theirs we headed over the tracks onto the Moonwalk. The Moonwalk is just a walking path that looks out onto the water, we found a few benches…it must have been around midnight at this point…and chatted away.
Finally the long hot day hit us and we said our good nights. Dave and Pam headed to their hotel, Dennis’ friend headed home, and Dennis, Lynn and I walked back to our cozy hotel room. New Orleans day one…and all I was smelling was fun.
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