It’s time to head back to New Orleans and for my return to the city, I stayed on the west side of the river taking mostly a straight shot up Highway 23. But here’s where one of my choices became hard. Because I’d deliberately left late in the morning mistakenly thinking I’d only be driving 48 miles each way, the extra time needed to drive 78 miles each way meant I’d arrive in the New Orleans area somewhere shy of two hours later than I’d planned.
I knew I had time to walk around the Quarter or try my luck in the Garden District. One but not both. I opted for the former. I also knew I’d have to get started quickly because I planned to walk to places a little distant from Bourbon Street so my photos would show people who’ve never been to this city that the Quarter isn’t all night clubs and wrought iron porches. The next hard choice was whether to walk to Canal Street on the west end of the Quarter or to Esplanade on the east. And if I thought east would be better because then I could pass Jackson Square on the way back to the hotel, the question became should I still go a bit west and north so I could snap some pictures in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. And if I walked all that way, how would my knee feel at the end of it.
Well, I am nothing if not dedicated to my readers. So, I give you:
The French Quarter as you likely imagine it
and
as you likely don’t
A City of the Dead,
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
Esplanade at the east end of the Quarter,
and finally, Jackson Square.
You can see more pictures of my stroll here.
In wandering about the Quarter, I passed the famous Preservation Hall. For those among you for whom Preservation Hall is not particularly famous, here’s a quick lesson. In its present formation, the Hall has been around for about 55 years. It’s dedicated to preserving and perpetuating traditional New Orleans Jazz and got its start when the owner of an art gallery in the building next door to the current location began inviting local jazz musicians into his gallery for late night jam sessions. These became so popular that he had to move them into the building next door. Thus, was a tradition born.
I stopped by the door and asked the gent in the vestibule if any advance sale tickets remained for the 20:00 show. I wasn’t surprised when he told me that regrettably there were none. The “hall” itself has a capacity of between 100 and 125 people with seating for fewer than half that number. Advance sales likely account for perhaps 30 of those seats but general admission tickets go on sale a few minutes before each show. Thus, one nightly New Orleans and Preservation Hall ritual is the line that begins to form outside the Hall at about 19:00 that stretches down St. Peter Street comprised of people hoping to buy a ticket for one of the three 45-minute nightly shows.
The line at about 19:20
Scrapping my plans for a fancy end of trip dinner, I decided I’d grab a quick bite to eat and a beer to sip while I stood in line for a ticket. Now, the old guy in me knew that I planned to check out of the hotel and be on the road no later than 07:00 Thursday morning so he groused that I needed to see the 20:00 show because a good night’s sleep was essential. (If you haven’t looked, a few pictures relating to Preservation Hall are in the folder above, too.)
I returned to the hotel, and after a quick shower and change of clothes, headed back out into the Quarter. I went down to the corner, out in the street, grabbed one of Willie’s Po’ boys and tossed some nickels at his feet. Just kidding. I actually did duck into some dive and grab a New Orleans special sandwich and that beer to sip while I stood in line, though.
I got to the door at about 19:15 with about 20 people already in the queue ahead of me. This was good. It confirmed I’d see the early show. For those who enjoy this musical style, even though the wait can be long and the show can be brief, there’s no better way to spend a few hours. In line you get to watch not only people parading around the Quarter but also watch as folks gather across the street for the ghost tour. You can also chat with your fellow jazz fans if you are so inclined. Then you get to cap it off watching and hearing a great live performance.
I should mention another facet of seeing a show at the Hall. On any given night you will probably see different musicians from the group that played the previous night. You might even see a different band configuration than the one I saw – clarinet, cornet, drums, piano, sousaphone, and trombone. Whatever combination you see, you’ll see a great show.
I have one last, slightly ironic, thought to share about New Orleans specifically and the U.S.A. more generally. On Bourbon Street, just around the corner from the Hotel Mazarin, is the Musical Legends Park. Since the hotel is just two blocks from the west end of the Quarter at Canal Street, I passed this spot often in my walks around the Quarter. It’s a lively spot and there’s usually a combo playing there. Entering from Bourbon Street, you see this trio
of Fats Domino, Al Hirt, and Pete Fountain. Great musicians, all. And all worthy of respect and memory. However, these statues and their arrangement also made me recall a plaza I walked through in Capetown, South Africa two years ago. I took a picture there, too. 
The four men in this photo are Albert Lutuli, Bishop Desmond Tutu, F.W. deKlerk, and Nelson Mandela. In addition to South African citizenship, the commonality they share is that each has won the Nobel Peace Prize. Even in the Big Easy, I couldn’t refrain from pondering priorities.
After the show at Preservation Hall, I wandered back to Bourbon Street and spent an hour or so watching the revelry in a somewhat detached manner. I returned to the hotel one final time knowing I’d reached the end of the Mississippi River portion of the trip.
The adventure isn’t quite finished, however. One day of touring remains before I make the final long haul back to Silver Spring. Curious? Come back tomorrow.