Perfect. The suit. The hat. The hair. New Orleans at its best.

New Orleans and the French Quarter

The Crescent City is a sacred place for those of us who grew up on the Gulf Coast.

Those who live along the Gulf Coast have a special relationship with New Orleans. (And if they don't, they should.) For Pensacolians, it's the closest major city — a mere three hours by car. And you can draw a direct cultural line from New Orleans east to Pensacola, by way of Mobile, Ala.

It's cliche, perhaps, but there absolutely is a connection.

I don't get over there nearly as much as I should. And my current-era NOLA visits are far different — better, actually — now that I'm not drinking.

Our March 2023 trip came about thanks to a club-level soccer tournament. We were staying in Metaire, with games at Lafreniere Park. That's not what most would consider to be the "fun" parts of New Orleans. But the scheduling gods blessed us with games early enough on Saturday to spent most of the afternoon and evening in the French Quarter.

NOLA is a hell of a lot of fun as an adult. But taking a gaggle of pre-teens through the usual haunts is entertainment unto itself. First, the warnings: Absolutely watch out for cars, and be mindful of where you step. (The latter admonition explains the smell from the streets.) Don't take something from anyone who offers you a "free" anything — it's not.

But mostly, have a good time. The food. The music. The atmosphere. The people.

Yes, we'll take you down Bourbon Street. Just maybe not quite all of it. (At some point their eyes get wide enough that you know it's probably time to turn off.) Absolutely, you're going to eat a beignet or two. With your hands. Sure, you can give a couple bucks to the musicians on the corner. And, yes, I know how that painted guy appears to be hovering in mid-air, but, no, I'm not going to tell you.

We spent some time at Crescent City Books — enter a bookstore with my wife at your own temporal peril. I stepped outside for a bit, just in time to get caught up in what I later learned was the St. Joseph's Day Parade. Definitely not a major parade by New Orleans standards, but try telling that to the tourists.

Phil Nickinson taking pictures atop a parade float in New Orleans on March 25, 2023. — Atop a St. Joseph's Day Parade float isn't where I expected to end up, but here I was.

Funny things happen when you're wielding what looks like a serious camera, and I ended up atop one of the floats while it was stopped in an intersection for a bit. This parade was decidedly rated PG (if that), so I don't have any debaucherous tales to tell. Just good, clean fun. It happens.

I've spent tons of time in some of the world's best cities, but there really is nothing like New Orleans — certainly not within a three-hour drive of home. It's one of my favorite places to shoot on the street. And this trip produced. From our own gang, to a wedding party on a balcony, street performers, and people just doing their own thing.