Sunrise, in your old hometown

When you think of being a tourist what do you think of? An exotic destination, somewhere you've never been. Well, that's what I usually think of as well. But, I found something new last week. Let me set up the scene for you. I commute from Baton Rouge to New Orleans on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I have an 8am class. So, to avoid the peak of traffic through metairie I leave the house at by 5:30am. I usually get to new Orleans a little before or a little after 7 (as long as there are no wrecks on the spillway). Last week, instead of coming straight to campus I got off the interstate(I-610) at canal blvd(as usual) but instead of taking a left towards the lake I took a right into the heart of the city. I went up canal to the river(at this point it was about 6:55), made a u-turn at canal place and then a right on N. Peters and headed into the quarter. Typically I only find myself in this part of town in the afternoon or evening and usually on a weekend. This of course means there are lots of people and activity. This is not the case at 7am on a weekday. It was quiet, the roads were still wet from the street sweepers(which according to the signs pass between 5 and 8am). I had the windows down and van-halen(or was I listening to jim croce) turned up as I finished off my bacon egg and cheese bagel. It actually smelled good as I drove around. the only sign of life were the downtown clean up crew in their bright yellow jackets and john deer carts as the power washed the side walks with a mixture of cleaner that is infused with some type of scented stuff (for lack of a better word) that has a very pleasant smell. There was no traffic, no pedestrians stepping in front of the car. If needed, i could have actually parked in the quarter. The coffee shops were open, they were pulling the chairs off the tables at cafe dumonde. Even bourbon street was clean. yes, even bourbon street was clean. it was a beautiful morning. I saw several runners making their way through the streets and down esplanade ave and assumed there must be more along woldenburg park & the moonwalk. Children with backpacks and sleep in their eyes made their way to the bus stop and street car lines.
It was as If I was being allowed to watch the city wake up. As I drove around for about 40 or so minutes I began to see a few more people, then a few more. A little more action, a few more shops open. But it was good to watch New Orleans come to life. So often we see the hustle and bustle, the traffic and the headaches that go along with living in the big city that many of us head for the burbs and we use the city as a playground. But, for most of us it's where our history begins. It's where Louis met Annie. Its where Gerard met Ruth. It's where Mom met Dad. It's Popp fountain on marconi drive. It was Saint Roch park and Melba's Ice cream, Colton and Cohn, Nicholls and Abramson. It wasn't just Mardi Gras weekend. It was birthday parties in city park and thinking storybook land was the cooler than Disney world and of course it was the "tickle bridge".
I am not so naive to say we should move back to the city, but if you ever have the chance to be there as the sun comes up, slow down, take in a deep breath, look around and see the unique treasure and beauty that is your old home town.