Authentic travel stories & cultural connection

Let’s talk NOLA. New Orleans is a city rich in history, full of great food, great people, and a very different world from what you are more than likely used to. I have been there many, many times, and I genuinely believe its story is one of the most important in the history of the United States. Without New Orleans and the Louisiana Purchase, the country would not look the way it does today. Not even close. In this post, I dig into that history, then head to Bourbon Street, where a bartender waving people up to an empty balcony told me just how late the bars really stay open. I also share where to find chargrilled oysters in the French Quarter and seven neighborhoods worth exploring beyond Bourbon Street. Yes, it is dirty. Yes, the food is amazing. And yes, the city will always have room for a return weekend.