nola

I’ve only been to New Orleans twice, and boy was this last time the most fun I’ve had in a while!

I hadn’t seen one of my best friends since I left Chicago in September of last year, and it was great to spend the long weekend with KP. We both landed at the airport around 5:30 in the evening on Friday the 24th—which happened to be her birthday! Hugging her at the airport was one of the best gifts I could’ve received, even though it was her birthday. We got all our catching up out of the way during the taxi ride to our Airbnb, and fully immersed ourselves in the French Quarter as we drove past the spooky sights.

Our evening began with strolling through antique shops and art galleries, and a birthday toast on one of the terraces—hearing accordion music in the backdrop and people watching below. KP and I were in awe of all the sights and sounds around us, and loved that people in the French Quarter could be their true, authentic selves. We also enjoyed a great meal at the Vampire Cafe, where KP and I ordered drinks according to our blood type.

After our dinner and blood bags, we tried finding some good, local live music. We scoped out a few places until finding one that was really fun and had an upstairs balcony (coming from the stormy Midwest, we both wanted to feel the warm evening air!). Our goal was to continue enjoying the backdrop of the city and hear the sounds of Bourbon Street around us.

Once we found the perfect balcony to continue our celebration, we met four grad students from Ohio State who were actually in town for a “fish conference” (I believe it was called Aquaculture 2023 or something like that?). One of the guys named Pete was such a riot and was cracking us up the entire time! Their group left shortly afterward, but we exchanged numbers with Pete after tons of laughs and good conversation.

After Pete and his friends parted ways with us, a bachelor party asked if they could take their table. KP and I were going to hit another bar, but it’s a good thing we didn’t! When I’m drinking I’m even kinder and offered to buy the group a round of shots—to celebrate both the husband-to-be and KP’s birthday. I bought everyone a round of pickle back shots (big mistake, as I’d been drinking gin and tequila already!) but it was super fun nonetheless. The guys invited us to officially be part of their bachelor party (but KP and I like to say that we “crashed,” simply because it sounds more fun!) and continue the night at a strip club. I haven’t been to one since my college days, but when in Rome… plus it was the classiest strip club I’d ever been to. The patrons were well-behaved (rare), the place was extremely clean (rarer) and the women were not only beautiful—but truly treated with respect (rarest!). In classic drunk-Cate fashion, I bought everyone another round of shots and I stole a couple hats along the way. As far as thievery goes, KP was worse as she “found” some cash from one of the guys… I couldn’t believe it! But hey, at least part of our breakfast was paid for the next day. 😅

Photos taken Friday, February 24, 2023.

I’ve never been the type of person who has a singular, large group of friends (think How I Met Your Mother, Friends, or any sitcom for that matter). For the longest time I thought that was a bad thing, but I have always been blessed and grateful that I have close friendships from travel and work-related adventures (see a previous post with this same sentiment). I’m an “introverted, extrovert” who values my quality time with one or two people more than big groups of people, even as an ENFJ. And one of those friends I have gotten to know over the years is Jes.

Jes and I worked together during the pandemic (fall 2020 through spring 2021 to be exact), but never met in person until July, 2021. I decided to part ways with the company, move to Chicago and start something new; as much as this was the right thing to do at the time, knowing that I wouldn’t be in Asheville with Jes, Carolina and the other amazing women I met at The Pritchett Company was difficult to grasp. I HAD to visit Asheville and meet Jes in person, something that felt long overdue.

Jes (left), Carolina (right) and I (middle) in Asheville, North Carolina (July, 2021)

Jes and I planned a somewhat spontaneous trip to New Orleans (NOLA) a few weeks ago, and we had such a fun, easygoing weekend here in The Big Easy. Between the snowy weather and mechanical issues at O’hare in Chicago on Friday morning and the delays heading home last night, here were some of my favorite aspects of our time together.

Ghost and Cemetery Tours

As lovers of all-things haunted, Jes and I signed up for a walking ghost tour and a cemetery bus tour to end each night in NOLA. On Friday, we strolled through the French Quarter and we learned about all the haunted, ghost-infested sights from NOLA’s beginning to Marie Laveau‘s voodoo presence to Nicholas Cage’s drunken shenanigans—resulting in him getting kicked out of the city for good. Some of the most disturbing stories involved children dying of yellow fever and throwing themselves out of buildings, and how horribly slaves were treated. If you like spooky minus the graphic detail, I recommend a bus tour instead of a walking tour.

Pro tip: Go earlier in the night if you want more history than “fun.” A lot of tipsy folks will be on the later tours, and it can take away from the seriousness of NOLA’s haunted history!

Pro tip II: Get your palms or cards read! Jes and I did this and had a great time, learning something new along the way. Just make sure you go to a reputable place.

Art

Whether we were in the city centre, Congo Square or our tattoo studio on Magazine Street, Jes and I greatly appreciated the art as we strolled each afternoon. There is such a unique vibrant art scene in New Orleans that I appreciated very much. If you ever have some time to kill between activities, especially on a nice, sunny day, please take your time and get to know the local artists. Jes actually closed on a house Friday morning, which was the perfect excuse to buy new pieces!

Not only did we get artwork for ourselves, we also had some artwork done on ourselves…

Pro tip: Avoid tourist traps at all costs! You won’t get the authenticity and personality in your gifts from a “Made in China” shop. Artists will charge more for their time and brand, but it’s SO worth it.

Jazz Music

As a Detroit native and longtime lover of jazz, this was a must for my time in NOLA. We found a lowkey, casual absinthe bar (a plus!) and had to check it out. Jes and I each enjoyed a cocktail and swayed to the music before heading out on one of our tours. Boy did this make me miss Detroit!

Pro tip: Even if you don’t like jazz or want to carve time out for it per se, you can always pop into a dive bar, grab a drink and some bar food, and enjoy yourself for a song or two.

People Watching

^two truest words ever spoken about this city. My definition of a “wild night out” is three drinks and in bed by midnight. Some of the tourists here go HARD, and it shows even while waltzing down Bourbon Street. Even though we felt out of place, it’s worth a stroll and some snaps.

Pro tip: Please don’t be an idiot. Wear your mask.

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There is truly something for everyone in The Big Easy. The food, energy and charm are truly one of a kind, and even if you’re a Midwesterner like myself, I highly recommend this southern city! I can’t wait for my next girls weekend with Jes 😀