Just-in-Time: destination guide coast to coast | New York and beyond: new orleans

Lafayette Cemetery, New Orleans

6:04 am

New Orleans was not on my radar until work took me there this December. The trip down to 25C weather was a humid and pleasant break from the flurries of Toronto. I spent the first morning in Lafayette cemetery No. 1. I've always liked photographing cemeteries - I actually used to live by a cemetery and remember shooting in it often. I like the way the light sets on the rows of tombs, and the feeling of solitude.

You can learn a lot of history in cemeteries. Did you know that rocks placed on top of the tombs mean family has recently visited? Or that there was actually a place called the Society fo Destitute Orphan Boys in New Orleans? Nostalgia washed over I strolled through rows of tombs. It's somewhat daunting standing on the same grounds that people have walked on hundreds of years before. And it got me thinking, what would the world look like 100 years from now?

I'd like to thank the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau and Maison St. Charles for helping me arrange my trip. I toured the cemetery with Free Tours by Foot, and gladly recommend them.

new orleans , travel , USA

French Quarter, New Orleans

6:17 am

European influences are hard to miss in this city. In New Orleans, street names are in French or Spanish. I spent my first few hours in the city on foot, with my camera. The air was humid and thick, everyone was waiting for a thunderous rainfall.

In the Garden District, impressive and expensive properties caught people's attention. But I was more interested in the grand mansions that have long been left unmaintained. With large balconies and tropical greens overgrowing on the front porch, it is not hard to imagine these houses in their previous glories. The Garden District receives its name from the large houses - and large gardens - in the area. The secluded and relatively inexpensive area is home to many celebrities like the Manning brothers and Sandra Bullock.

Across town, Brad Pitt has a property in the French Quarter where jazz clubs and bars line the narrow streets. As I strolled pass the shops, I am greeted by the southern hospitality that I had heard about and find myself drawn to. For a moment, I am surprised at strangers smiling at me and saying hello, but quickly adapt to the local warmth. I smile back at the restaurant owner who calls me “miss sugar" and "baby”.