My First New Orleans Experience....Definitely Won't Be The Last...

I had the opportunity to spend a little....and I do mean a little....time in New Orleans a week ago.  Although it was just an overnight trip to give a talk at a conference for my "day job", at least I had a few hours to walk around the French Quarter.

Great view of the river from my hotel room.....blue skies....temps in the low 70's...mmmmmm...

This was my first visit to this beautiful city.  Although I had seen pictures of all the cool ironwork balconies,  they are definitely much more impressive in person (and inspirational from a design 

perspective)....

Then there were all the fabulous musicians everywhere ....

Loads of folks were out enjoying the gorgeous day....

Cool little bookstore....located in the building where Faulkner wrote his first novel...

Art and artists were everywhere too....   This lovely work-in-progress was in the window of an art gallery....would have loved to have seen the artist at work.  Although I didn't get a photo of it, in a shop near this gallery was a phenomenal collection of all kinds of light fixtures and ceiling fans....and not at all the kind that you see in the big box stores....these were all works of art in their own right....

Luckily, I'll be returning to New Orleans in the fall....and this time for a full week.  Can't wait to really explore all the art and music of this great city....