Day 4 - N'awlins

Today is Wednesday and I'm heading out this afternoon on a flight to New Orleans! My friend Jessica and I visited for a day when I was on tour with the LPGA in 2008 and have been dying to go back ever since. 

When I was there the first time, the city was a virtual ghost town. A hurricane was approaching and I'm thinking that with Katrina, these folks don't play. Can you blame them? Never the less, it was a little eerie. I can't imagine what it will be like when I go back this week. With the Final Four wrapping up and Easter around the corner, it's going to be an entirely different experience.

There's something I just love about all the quaint little shops, cafes, bars, clubs, and bakeries lining the brick streets all bunched together in rows. I love that there are hardly any chains. Everything is family owned, unique to the city, or otherwise rare. The food here is out of this world and every time I visit a city like New Orleans, I'm sure to order the local flair. I'm embarrassed to say however, that I've never had a Po'boy or Muffaletta. I hope to change that this trip.

The Taste of New Orleans - Jambalaya, Beans & Rice, Crawfish Etouffee, & Gumbo. Delish!

One of the many great parts about New Orleans is the fact you can drink in the streets. HOLLER!!! This just makes everything more fun since it's something you can't normally do. I think it's part of what makes Vegas so alluring too.

When we were walking shop to shop, we stopped into a candy shop. Although we didn't purchase anything, I was so impressed with the staff thanking us sincerely for coming into the store and checking things out. That's something that has stuck with me to this day. Sincere gratitude. Something that is so lost in society today.

Of course, we listened to jazz music on the patio while eating lunch, stopped in a cafe to try Beignets, and sipped a Cafe au Lait at Cafe du Monde. These are the little things that make New Orleans such a treasure.

We were working a tour stop in Mobile, AL so we had to head back later that evening to get ready for the next days work. We drove through Biloxi and Gulfport, and witnessed all of the destruction firsthand that Katrina had brought. I wish I had pictures of this, but I guess I was just in complete shock and didn't think about it. Casinos were gone. Beautiful antebellum homes were boarded up and right next door, a concrete slab from where one used to be. These houses were right along the beach, so one can only imagine what that was like. One of the most incredible sights was these gorgeous wood carvings of animals in nature that were created from the trees ravaged during the hurricane. Every 1/4 mile or so, you'd see one, different than the next. So much beauty amidst the destruction.

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Anyway, I'm super blessed to be going back and so excited. I'll be working the first couple days and then enjoying my weekend exploring the city. Can't wait to share the memories with you all!