New Orleans is at the bottom-most part of the Mississippi River. I grew up north of New Orleans–in cotton country near that same river.

Founded in 1718, New Orleans is an important cultural and historic destination that has become perhaps the greatest party spot in the USA.

Sadly, a misguided truck driver tried to end the New Year’s Day Party in 2025–just hours before the Sugar Bowl was scheduled to be played.

I attended the Super Bowl on January 1, 1970, and I have attended several Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans. Not long ago, I wrote a picture book biography about Edgar Degas, and in that book, I focused on the time he spent in NOLA.

Cotton Office – Painted by Edgar Degas

The family of Degas’ mother ran a cotton business in New Orleans. The first draft of my book begins:

“A place where mosquitoes grow as big as pennies and where summers are blazing hot and as sticky as maple syrup, New Orleans, Louisiana, lies along the Mississippi River, near the very bottom of the USA. Before the American Civil War began, Célestine Musson was born in Louisiana’s port city. While you may not know who Célestine Musson was, you may have heard of her son Edgar Degas, the painter who grew up in France, but who also felt a connection to his mother’s American homeland.

“When Célestine was a child, palatial river-front plantations dotted the shores of Louisiana’s Mighty Mississippi River, and ferocious alligators slunk through the network of swamps that split away from the river and almost engulfed her town. Like a child surrounded by a dragon-filled moat, Célestine’s early childhood in New Orleans must have been a little bit like a fairy tale, but things changed. Célestine and her father moved back to her father’s home in France, and that is where she stayed.” Jacki Kellum Edgar Degas: Son of New Orleans2306 Esplanade
Image Credit: VoiceMap

For a while, Edgar Degas lived at 2306 Esplanade Avenue in New Orleans. In my book, I  wrote about how Degas sat on the porch and painted.

Esplanade is at the upper end of Bourbon Street–past the 900 block.

Canal is at the lower end of Bourbon Street–past the 100 block.

Let’s venture up Bourbon Street from the Canal Street Entrance,

Photo courtesy of Galatoire’s on Facebook

The 200 Block of Bourbon Street

Galatoire’s (209 Bourbon Street)

“Stepping into Galatoire’s is stepping back in time; the restaurant opened its doors in 1905, and not much seems to have changed since (our understanding is they only started accepting credit cards in the ‘90s). The cuisine is old-school, heavy Creole classics — chicken Clemenceau and crabmeat sardou — but folks come for the scene as much as the food. On Fridays, the oldest of old-school New Orleans families line up around the block (or pay people to wait in line for them) and engage in daylong drinking and dining sessions. It’s a spectacle for sure.” frenchquarter.com

Old Absinthe House (240 Bourbon Street)

“It’s always a good idea to sidle up to the classic copper bar, and you won’t be the first to do so: The Absinthe House dates to 1806, making it older than most American states, and has hosted Franklin Roosevelt and Oscar Wilde, among other patrons. It can get crowded, but when the bar is (relatively) quiet, we like to order the signature absinthe and dream of boozy days (and famous patrons) past.” frenchquarter.com

The 300 Block of Bourbon Street

The Jazz Playhouse (300 Bourbon Street)

“This is a legitimately lovely music venue in the heart of Bourbon Street (inside the Royal Sonesta). The lineup is straight unadulterated jazz, and the Playhouse hosts some of the most talented and exciting acts in the country.” frenchquarter.com

Musical Legends Park by Cheryl Gerber
New Orleans Musical Legends Park (311 Bourbon Street

The 400 Block of Bourbon Street

Some sources say that the truck driver was stopped at 401 Bourbon Street. Other sources say that it was at the end of the 300 Block.

Tropical Isle by Cheryl Gerber

The 600 Block of Bourbon Street

Tropical Isle (600 Bourbon Street)

“Besides the Hurricane, the Isle’s signature Hand Grenade is the most famous drink in the French Quarter. They taste like candy but are very potent. Tropical Isle also has locations at 435, 610, 721, and 727 Bourbon Street.” frenchquarter.com

A few steps north of the Tropical Isle, you turn on St. Peter to go to Pat O’Brien’s:

When I was a child, my family visited New Orleans. That was my first trip there. I distinctly remember seeing The Dukes of Dixieland play at Preservation Hall. The faces have changed since then, but the music is the same:

Although he may have tried, the truck driver did not stop the music at Preservation Hall and he did not close forever the doors of St. Louis Cathedral, which is just across the street from Preservation Hall.

Although he tragically ended the lives of several innocent people, he also did not stop forever the artists and the strollers around Jackson Square.

Moments ago, I heard that Bourbon Street was re-opened as The Second Line Band played I’ll Fly Away.

Now that Bourbon Street is open again, I feel safe to say that the man and his truck has not stopped New Orleans. His Deeds Were A Travesty, But The Music Plays On!

I must add this: Every time I go to New Orleans, I go to Cafe du Monde, and I order cafe au lait and beignets, and that venue is a couple of streets away from Bourbon Street–down on the riverfront,

Here’s where the incident occurred and what streets are blocked:

• The truck reportedly barreled down Bourbon Street and struck people along the roadway in three blocks between Canal and Conti streets, according to New Orleans police.
• The truck stopped after apparently crashing into a crane while driving downriver in the 300 block of Bourbon Street, based on photos.
• In the hours after the incident, the city of New Orleans has closed the area from Dauphine to Royal, between Canal and Dumaine.