New Orleans | October 19, 2016

While on a mid-week trip to visit my nephew Benny in the hospital who is currently recovering from a major spinal surgery, I had the chance to visit the French Quarter and surrounding areas in New Orleans.

To start the morning off right, we hit the world famous Café Du Monde for brunch.

After eating our beignets, we set off to exploring the Quarter.

When in New Orleans, the French Market is a must see. From unique foods and rich cultural arts, ever changing with each vendor you pass, you will always find something amazing there. Even more amazing than the items you find are the artists who produce it. If you watch, you can even see some of them creating custom works for passersby.

When we had fully explored the market, we hit the streets of New Orleans, capturing the historic culture along the way.

It was sort of rainy that day, which gave me an opportunity to shoot some of my favorite pictures while the street was still wet from the rain – which isn’t something you can do all the time.

The image above was taken in Central Grocery, "Home of the Original and the 'Creators' of the Muffulatta." We didn't get a chance to try it while we were there, but if you are interested in trying a truly unique sandwich while you are in NOLA. For more details, check out their website for some history on the place!

http://www.centralgrocerynola.com

We then decided to go to Jackson Square to get a classic picture of St. Louis' Cathedral. Once I got my shot, Justin's grandmother brought us into the cathedral itself. I only got one image of the inside of the cathedral with my phone, but I don't believe any picture could capture its beauty. It's something you MUST see in person. If you want more information about Jackson Square, check out this link.

http://www.experienceneworleans.com/jackson-square.html

After much walking around and exploring, it was finally time to go see Benny!

Update on Benny: They just got home Friday and we are beyond happy to have them back. Thank you so much to everyone who kept my nephew and my sister in their thoughts as he went through this roller coaster of a procedure. It really means a lot to all of us.

It was an amazing two day trip and I'm excited for many more adventures!

With Love,

Hailey H.