A Day On Our Own In NOLA

Busy streets, live music, boutiques, local artist, and the aroma of food. Navigating through the city today, on our own terms, was really enjoyable. It was easier to orient myself to the area. As we walked from shop to shop I paid closer attention to the buildings we walked past the signs of businesses and the names of streets. The easiest street to recognize was Decatur. It was one of the main streets in the French quarter. Running parallel to the river, Decatur had buildings on both sides. Some were restaurants, others were apartments or shops. As you walked on Decatur, there were horse drawn carriages lined in front of Jackson square. A staircase with the 300 year memoir was to our right. Walking up the staircase to a colorful, lighted NOLA 300 sign you could stand next to you could look past it and see the Mississippi river. Back down the stairs and on the sidewalk you walk past Cafe Du Monde. You can smell the sweet cake smell of the powder covered beignets. If you look under the awning you can usually see tables full of people enjoying beignets and drinking warm chicory coffee or hot chocolate. Next you begin to smell the broiling food at neighboring restaurants across the street. The mix of food, shopping, and people watching makes for a good way to spend an afternoon.