Here you can see my Dad, Rachel, and Susan as we are figuring out where to go after taking in the views of the Mississippi River.
As I've come to realize, people are not too eager to wait for you when you stop to take a picture at every available instance. This was often my view whenever I brought my camera along on our walks.
Of course I cannot talk about our visit to the Mississippi River without also showing you what we saw.
New Orleans is known for its rich cuisine so we were excited to test our tastebuds out for lunch at our first restaurant. At the suggestion of the hotel receptionist, we visited a restaurant called Sobou. It turned out to be an astounding start to our dining experience in New Orleans.
This was the first food we put in our mouths when we arrived. They are yellowfin tuna cones with pineapple ceviche and basil avocado ice cream. I have never eaten anything like this before and was skeptical of these different flavors and textures being combined. I shouldn't have worried because it was unlike anything I've tasted before in the best way possible.
We also ate some traditional New Orleans delicacies, like this scrumptious seafood gumbo.
After satisfying our hunger at Sobou, we decided to check out a nearby bookstore.
The layout was overwhelmingly, yet also charmingly, packed with stacks of books, maps, and old photographs. I found that many of the stores in New Orleans had their own refreshing personalities. This was a nice change from what I usually see in major cities where there are only chains that can be found anywhere else.
And to really pull together the feeling of a cozy, inviting bookstore, the owner had this beautiful and friendly cat.
One of the most prominent types of stores we saw in New Orleans, and especially in the French Quarter, were art stores, each unique in what was sold and the artists who operated them.
This is one art store that matched the charisma of its owner.
The artist talked about his love of his work and his passion for the things he painted. He explained how he enjoyed working with customers who also shared his appreciation for creativity and nonconformity. 
And to help him market his work was this furry little guy.
Besides fine art, New Orleans offers a plethora of other art forms that all vary from group to group.
There were some more traditional musical performers who brought crowds together and engaged them with their instruments.
And then there were other performers who used more...unorthodox means of entertainment to attract audiences.
Along with seeing the authentic sites that New Orleans offered we also bent to the pressures of visiting the popular "tourist traps". Here are some hot and decadent beignets and cafe au laits from Cafe Du Monde, which we had no trouble devouring in a timely manner.
Our visit to New Orleans was an amazing trip that exceeded my expectations. There is so much life in this city both during the day and during the night that there is always something to do or see. I highly recommend visiting this Southern jewel that has become a festive, bustling city since it was first established as a French colony in 1718. The people, places, and events that go on here are unlike any that I have experienced on the East or West Coast and look forward to my next visit to "The Big Easy".
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