Road Trip: New Orleans

New Orleans: road trip stop #1

After a break up sparked some bigger life changes, I decided it was time for a change of scenery. I had heard good things about Denver, and knew I wanted to complete a YTT (yoga teacher training) so I invited a friend with me, bought a brand new Subaru, and committed to putting thousands of miles on it right off the bat. Our first stop was Nashville, where we ate BBQ, danced to country music, visited old friends and biked all over the city.

Our second stop was New Orleans. My grandmother had gifted me a stay at the Pontchartrain Hotel, and we felt like goddesses (this was the only hotel we stayed in the whole two months save one motel and one hostel). This southern city is the embodiment of jazz, culture and heritage. Live music can be heard on each street corner, with fresh seafood smells wafting in from across the bay and colorful, political mural art lining the alleyways. We biked for miles during the day and enjoyed fun, funk-infused nights on Bourbon and Frenchmen street by night.

As luck would have it, we also found ourselves in town for the second weekend of Jazz Fest and were fortunate enough to attend the festival for a day. We caught incredible sets by Lake Street Dive, The Revivalists, Earth Wind and Fire, Dave Matthews and Jimmy Buffett! We knew it was good omens for the road ahead…