Down South: Day One

Before I departed on my misadventures in the big easy, several people cautioned me about the humidity. I thought to myself, how bad could it be? As the plane started its descent, I could see the Mississippi River and the swamp lands that surrounded the area. I was instantly intrigued with the new landscape that awaited me. Wheels touch down, and the plane comes to a stop, the door opens for debarking and bam, "Holy crap it's humid.", Is the immediate thought that ran through my head. Little did I know it would be much worse once I left the confines of the airport. I claimed my bag, holstered my sidearm and went curbside to fetch a shuttle to my hotel. It was if someone put a wet piece of cloth over my face and expected me to breath. That is no exaggeration. This level of humidity was to be the standard for the duration of my stay. The ride from the airport was approximately 25 minutes. I watched as the skies begged to release the gift of rain. Pondering how I would combat the elements was forefront in my thought process. Fortunately for me, the weather was somewhat predictable, and for this reason, I was able to work around it.

  Conveniently located on Saint Ann, my hotel was dead center in the lower portion of the French Quarter. My only complaint regarding my stay was the lack of adequate services for the traveling professional, namely an efficient WIFI network and power receptacles. Looking past the fore mentioned items, the staff was friendly, helpful and courteous which more than made of for the other inadequacies. The hotel was an original structure, updated over the years to the modern state it enjoys now. A lush courtyard and pool with a beautiful common area street side. For a vacationing family, whose only concern is tourism and Facebook, it’s a perfect place to stay. For the next five days, it would serve its purpose and serve it well. A clean, air-conditioned place to shower and sleep. I could have done much worse. I will say that when I return, I will stay at the Marriott Courtyard on the other side of Canal Street. I will elaborate more on this later. It was now time to change, adorn the walking shoes, and unpack my gear. This hooligan had a town to discover.

  When I travel to a new and unfamiliar area, I take a bit of time to get the lay of the land. This methodology has always proven efficient and in the end, yields a positive result. The Quarter has five main streets that make up her heart; Decatur, Chartres, Royal, Bourbon, and Dauphine. As I took my first steps from the threshold, I turned and headed toward Decatur. My goal was to walk a sweeping grid pattern back and forth from Saint Ann to Canal Street. I felt this would give me the best overall scope of my immediate surroundings. This initial task also gave me a chance to size up the good, bad and the ugly, the locals from the wannabes and the tourists from the travelers. Speaking to people as I went, I wasn’t eager to jump right into it. I wanted to hear what people had to say, suggestions on where to go and what I should be leery of. Priceless knowledge if you were to ask me. At this point, my stomach reminded me that It had been several hours since I last ate and now the mission objective changed into finding food ASAP.

           Now I’ll end the suspense. I ate club sandwiches, protein shakes and bars with the occasional hamburger. This does not include the fruit and pastries I enjoyed for breakfast. I have an unsophisticated palate, and I did not think it wise to experiment. After eating and enjoying some A/C, I was back on it. I spent the next few hours roaming the streets and soaking it up for what it was. Before I knew it, the sun had dropped, and it was well past 9:00 PM. I was tired from the trip, and this seemed like a good point to bring the first day to a close. The hotel was a welcome sight and the coolness of my room worth a king's ransom. I was soaked with sweat and grateful for my 511 tactical shorts. Their wicking capabilities are amazing. My cotton shirts were another story. Over the next five days, I would go through thirteen shirts, seven pairs of socks, four pairs of shorts and two pairs of pants. It was time to get some rest and sleep found me quickly. Cemeteries were on tap, and I planned on using the heel toe express this entire trip, rest was the one thing I couldn't afford to skimp.