Retracing My Father’s Steps in New Orleans: A Personal Journey

Join One Planet Journey’s Ingrid Boucher on a personal journey through New Orleans, retracing her father’s steps from 1986. What begins as a spontaneous detour becomes a deep dive into “The Big Easy’s” layered history, culture, and cuisine. From Cajun conversations and vintage jazz bars to beignets dusted in powdered sugar, Ingrid’s search for her father’s old television interview becomes a powerful reminder of what deep travel truly means: connection, curiosity, and stories waiting to be found.

The first notes of Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild” crackle on the radio. With the windows down, music blasting in the car and warm air whipping my face, I drive towards the horizon… the perfect end to a US classic.

Dreams of big spaces and long road trips motivated my trip to the US. That American Dream included a 25-patty burger in Las Vegas and 5 gallons of Arizona peach tea (a story for another time). But I never imagined how my father’s own travel stories would inspire me to retrace his steps in New Orleans, a sort of deep travel style detour to the city of jazz and voodoo.

Welcome to New Orleans, or as locals affectionately call it: NOLA. 

A Last-minute detour to New Orleans – “The Big Easy”

The French founded New Orleans in 1718 during Europe’s colonial expansion. Over time, battles, refugees, and slavery shaped it into a melting pot of Native American, Spanish, French, African and Caribbean influences (Wikipedia). 

Not only the biggest port in the region, New Orleans and its vicinity, counted amongst the largest Francophone population in the confederation. In 1736, following a grant by a French sailor, the Hospital of Saint John or L’Hôpital des Pauvres de la Charité (The Charity Hospital for the Poor) opened its doors for the first time.

Fast forward to the year 1986. The Charity Hospital, its modern name, celebrated 250 years of service, bringing visitors from around the world. Amongst them was a then-young French sailor and his crew aboard The Jacoubet.

The inspiration behind the journey to New Orleans 

While visiting the maternity ward, my father saw his colleagues hurriedly walking away, and turned around to find himself faced by the microphone of a local TV crew from Channel 4, hoping to interview people about the anniversary. That interview became the catalyst for my mission: to retrace my father’s steps in New Orleans. I hate to say this, but the reputation for which French people have limited skills in the English language is somewhat true. We get a little shy when speaking Shakespeare’s mother tongue. 

So while the food, the jazz, and the mysticism of the Bayou intrigued me, watching my 27-year-old father speak English on television felt beyond exciting. 

Bound for Denver and then Canada, where I lived at the time, I had not planned my detour to New Orleans. Although out of the way and expensive, I had made up my mind. I wanted to find the interview tape of my father.

I landed in NOLA before dawn. In town, I walked past the French Quarter where I could hear the last faint notes of jazz bars. Crossing big avenues for smaller side streets, I noticed a few restaurants with names as delicious as the smell of breakfasts in preparation. 

New Orleans on foot: Things to do

As I began retracing my father’s steps through New Orleans, I found people curious and always up for a conversation, just as he had said. During his time there, locals spoke to him in Cajun French as soon as they saw his uniform. Music filled the air, played by buskers in Jackson Square, on random street corners, and in the many jazz bars around town. 

Exploring NOLA on foot, I discovered its charm at my own pace.

The Garden District & the Lafayette Cemetery NO°1

The Garden District is a prime example of the golden age of Creole colonial architecture. Colourful grand houses and lined-up oak trees provided the backdrop for many TV series and films. Between roots overtaking streets’ pavements, cafés and restaurants still serve as meeting points for the locals (special mention for Magazine Street and the Bulldog on Charles Street).

In the middle of the Garden District, you find one of the oldest cemeteries in the city (500 years old), Lafayette Cemetery NO°1. Its classical vaults, overgrown grass, and trees reminded me of the Père la Chaise Cemetery in Paris. Some of the richest and most famous figures laid to rest amongst white concrete and ancient trees.

The French Quarter

Home to world-renowned jazz bars where iconic artists perform, the French Quarter’s atmosphere makes New Orleans so unique. As the sun sets, revellers gather on the famous Bourbon street. During Mardi-Gras (Fat Tuesday in French), which takes place from January to mid-February, parades and parties liven up the city. Trumpet tooting, costumed participants throw “pearl” necklaces (plastic-coloured ones, actually) at the crowd. Historically, some partygoers “flashed” their counterparts to receive the prized trinkets (Mardi-Gras, New Orleans Official and Wikipedia).

I visited outside of Mardi-Gras, which didn’t stop the occasional throws. The ones I collected in excited awe lay on the ground, waiting for me. The next day felt much like a dream, and laid-back workers on their way to lunch shared the space with families looking for souvenirs as if nothing had happened. 

Coming on the periphery of the French Quarter is Jackson Square, Palace Market, and the Mississippi Front. St Louis Cathedral in the background, buskers sang soulfully as drizzle wet the streets. Along Frenchmen and Royal Street, I walked past artists and their handmade goods, popped by small galleries, and tried on Mardi Gras accessories. Despite its touristy nature, the chaos of chatty salesmen and the smell of beignets sold at Café du Monde made it a full experience. The nearby food market by St Peter Street had affordable lunch options. On the seafront, steamboats swayed up and down the river. 

National World War II Museum 

Fond of history and my grandfather’s tales, I visited this museum minutes away from the French Quarter. It has an impressive collection of war memorabilia with a US perspective. People who lived through the events recorded and told their experiences of the time. I appreciated the involvement of veterans and even had the chance to speak with one who served on the Italian front.

Retracing my father’s steps in New Orleans was a head-spinning experience. Comparing his old photos to what I now saw, much had changed, yet a lot somehow remained the same.

Expedition to the Bayou of New Orleans 

One thing my father did not do was visit the bayou. He tells me this all the time, how he regretted not being more invested in the moment and being more of a deep traveller.

Therefore, I travelled to alligator land for the both of us. Without a car, going to the marshlands proved difficult. But from pontoon boats to the famous airboats tours, I had options. I chose a regular hour and a half boat adventure with a local Cajun company to learn about the ecosystem and minimise disturbance to wildlife if I could (I did not want to pick up or feed the animals myself).

Crocodile or alligator? 

About 30 minutes from New Orleans, I joined a boat tour with mainly American tourists. Guides, with their playful Southern accents, shared stories of the bayou, home to Acadian, Cajun, and Creole communities. A fragile environment, it constantly changes to the impact of human alteration, weather, and storms. Hurricane Katrina left lasting scars in 2005, including the closing of the Charity Hospital my father once visited.

The guides explained the differences between crocodiles and alligators. The latter, natural inhabitants of the swamp, prefer freshwaters, ponds or marshes, are smaller in comparison, have a rounded snout and darker in colours, as well as a more “timid” personality. We also learned about what birds lived in these parts, and the flora thriving in the bayou. I saw alligators everywhere, chilling on cypress or in the river, their snoot visible from the boat. They seemed quite used to humans, and the guides fed them occasionally, much to the amusement of the tour participants.

I returned, knowing more than when I left. Enthralled in my own wanders, I almost missed what I came here to do: find my father’s tape. But the reputation of New Orleans’ cuisine preceded it, and like any respectable French person, I had to eat before heading to the mission. 

The Unmissable Delicacies of New Orleans 

I will sing songs about New Orleans cuisine until the end of days. From the moment I set foot in the city, the smell is what got me. While some of my go-to lunch places closed, I remember the warm colours of the interiors, the faux cuir chairs, and the quantities served.

Jambalaya 

A fusion of Creole and Cajun, Senegalese, Spanish, and French. Slightly sticky to the top, and crispy at the bottom, it almost felt like eating a paella except with a smokier taste. The ones I ate had a mix of chicken, seafood, smokey sausages (but no andouille), vegetables, spices, and rice. 

Po’Boys 

This dish, playfully sounding like “Poor Boy” with a Southern accent, is a cheap option for lunch. A sandwich, if you will, filled with lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayonnaise, and mustard. You may add a variety of proteins like roast beef, fried shrimp, oysters, crab, or even alligator. But I stuck to fried shrimp and cajun fries. Soft on the outside and crunchy on the inside, my belly could not take more after that.

On the second day in NOLA, I stopped for food in the market by the riverfront, talking with some of the locals as they took a break from work.

Gumbo 

French and West African origins, this stew is thick with celery, peppers, okra, onions, chicken, sausage and seafood, served with rice. It had that smokiness from the paprika, the slight tang from garlic without being too spicy but a satisfying warmth that I balanced with a cheeky Bloody Mary (you can never eat too many tomatoes).

Beignets 

We all have different stomachs, one for savoury food and the other for desserts. After devouring my gumbo, I grabbed an obligatory beignet from Café du Monde. Compared to other doughnuts I tried, it had an airy texture but also this specific fried bread taste. That afternoon, I walked around streets and parks, icing powder all over, but a satisfied grin on my face. 

Gator bites 

I must say, I didn’t enjoy the chewiness of the meat. I had stopped by one of the most famous jazz bars in town, the Spotted Cat, for some quality music. Before their evening gig, you had no entrance fees, so mid-afternoon and ready for a snack, I went in and ordered gator bites. They looked like fried chicken pieces until you sunk your teeth into them. The ranch sauce helped, but I chewed a lot to finish them.

These food staples combined the perfect blend between budget and a foodie’s dream. If you have ever been to the US, you also know quantities are generous with so many combos to try.

I searched for an interview but discovered a city 

After my solo exploration, the last day in New Orleans had arrived. And with that, the ultimate mission before a 35-hour-long bus journey to Denver. I pinned down Channel 4’s (now known as WWL-TV) location and walked up to the building, nervously rehearsing what I would ask. I felt shy, as if I had forgotten to even formulate questions in English.

The kind receptionist unfortunately could not help and gave me an address to email instead. That evening, I sent them all the details I could remember while packing.

The Mission Continues 

I wonder if this tape is out there. Katrina left scars, destroying records of time past. One day maybe, as this article reaches the world, someone somewhere will find it in their archive. A Frenchman in New Orleans.

I do not regret the detour to NOLA. I discovered a city with rich culture and a soul, talked to strangers and ate side by side with locals. Retracing my father’s steps in New Orleans, I added my own flair to the adventure. 

The one thing I’ll do when I am back? Go beyond the Spotted Cat and on to new jazz venues. Because I may have done the Bayou, but I did not see John Lee Hooker at the Tipitinas (13.12.86). And if you happen to find an interview of the 250-anniversary of the Charity Hospital dated from December 1986, you know whom to contact. 

Have you visited New Orleans? What impression did it leave? Let us know in the comments. Subscribe to our newsletter and benefit from travel guides, sustainable tourism and luxury travel tips, insightful interviews, and inspirational places to visit. One Planet Journey – The World’s First Deep Travel Magazine.