Nawlans....

A view of the city.

New Orleans was an interesting city to see. The downtown area is beautiful. It is full of tons of older historic homes. The streets are pouring with people of all different backgrounds and the town is full of culture and life. Although it was a beautiful city to see, it is not one of my favorite trips that I have been on, nor will I be likely to return. I thought the older homes were beautiful and every single balcony is overflowing with a beautiful plant that pours off and hangs down. When you look down the cobblestone streets, and the buildings are covered in ivy, and every balcony has planters full of multiple overflowing spring flowers, it truly is a sight to see. This was one of my favorite things about New Orleans. I found it to be unique and beautiful. In addition to the plant life and the secret gardens you may stumble upon, the city is full of life and character. No matter where you turn you will be hearing a different story of someone's life, love and passion. You can walk down some of the streets, where people have their art lined down the walls of the buildings. While looking at the art you can see the beauty and a lot of times, their life story. There is a lot of culture and you may hear and have a difficult time understanding the thick french accents natives speak with.

A beautiful New Orleans Sunset.

While in New Orleans,we made sure to get a historic (because they are said to have been created there) hurricane from Pat O'Briens. The drinks were great and the back patio at the restaurant is like another secret garden nestled away. Another place to make sure to visit while you are there is The Cafe Du Monde. They are open 24 hours and no matter what time you drop in you will experience the culture of New Orleans. They are world renown for their famous Beignets. Order one with a warm coffee, or with a glass of milk like I did. Although I had a wonderful time in New Orleans, I probably will not visit again. It is a beautiful city but it does have it's downsides. The streets are extremely crowded and it isn't always the safest place to be after dark. Some of the locals are aggressive in their techniques to "sell" there services and if you go at the wrong time or down the wrong street the smell and the trash is not the prettiest things to see. The other thing I struggled with in New Orleans was mind blowingly large number of homeless folks sleeping under the bridges. If you have ever been to New York, DC, or even just a larger city you may be familiar with the large homeless population, but I have seen none that compared with the heartbreak I experienced looking at the hundreds of people sleeping under the bridges in the city of New Orleans. If you do adventure to New Orleans, which I still recommend, be sure to visit during the daylight, unless you are looking for the 'party' of the night life, and be sure to avoid the rougher areas! These are my traveling tips for visiting "Nawlans" as the locals would say.