N’awlins

I have a few thoughts on this question, actually… if it ISN’T stipulated that both tickets must be on the same flight… like if they could have the same destination but different origin points, then I would TOTALLY ask kiddo to go on vacation with me, to New Orleans.

That’s assuming she’d be okay with going, just us two. Maybe she would be?

I had also thought about a plus-one situation to go visit her, but really, I want to see more of the world. I’ve always wanted to visit New Orleans. Since my teen years. I actually sent out for travel brochures, when I was in high school. Just to look through them, and dream.

My second choice would be Prague, which is a more recent fantasy destination of mine. The culture just seems fascinating! And all the points of interest I have found while perusing online. The black light dance performances, etc. The architecture, too. Stunning.

BUT… Cafe du Monde, the French Quarter, the FOOD… the gorgeous cemeteries, the ghost tours… the Garden District. The music. I remember someone telling me the vibes of New Orleans struck them as very otherworldly. Was that a friend of mine? Could have been long distance bestie. Seems like something she would say. But it’s definitely echoed in a lot of the literature about the area.

If I couldn’t fly kiddo there from Oklahoma and me from home, both arriving separately (unless magically, we ended up on the same connecting flight, part way there), and if I could STAND the idea of going somewhere without her, and not seeing her when I would have the chance (and that is KIND of a big if… I miss her a lot. And there were things we wanted to do that we didn’t get to, like visit the action figure museum, because it was closed the day we tried it)…

Under those conditions, MAYBE just maybe I would take a local friend who loves New Orleans. She’d possibly want to cruise the bars, which I might enjoy for live music, if there was any. And I could see asking her to order chartreuse, or a mixed drink with chartreuse in the recipe, just so I could taste it, but I don’t think I’d want a whole cocktail.

I’ve already had absinthe, and a sazerac or two, before we added more meds to my regimen, and I stopped drinking altogether, just to be safe.

I think the only other archetypally-New-Orleans cocktail experience I might be curious about is a Hurricane. Again, I would have a sip, if anything.

But I do enjoy Creole/Cajun food. Plenty of restaurants to explore, and cafes. I’ve made beignets at home from a mix, and I had one at a coffee shop/restaurant here, too, now that I think about it. I wonder if that place is still in business? Definitely worth looking into.

And my musical taste fairly diverse.

From what I read in a more recent travel guide (the one you see in the featured image, which I found at the library), you can find pretty much any type of music performed live there, if you know where to look.

I would love to check out divey joints with great music. The more obscure, the better.

Would I want to go during one of the many festivals, or Mardi Gras? I’m not sure.

I imagine the commotion would be crazy during Mardi Gras.

It does, however, strike me as a really fun place to spend Halloween!

Perhaps, one day. I think I’d find a wealth of inspiration there.

Until then, my spicy vampire characters and their partners and friends may get there, first!

I think that’ll be in the follow-up to my current work-in-progress. There are a LOT of narrative threads to play with, and it’s already an unwieldy sized manuscript. But I look forward to doing even more research, to try and make the next piece as authentic as I possibly can.