I just realized I haven’t posted since our trip to Spain… last year! Oops. I promise I’ll write more often. For now, let’s talk about New Orleans.
First things first: the magic of this city is that you can show up and be absolutely anyone—or anything—you want to be.
As always, I stayed in the French Quarter. And since I’m me, we’re going to start with a little history.
New Orleans is haunted. Very haunted.
Over the years, I’ve met so many fascinating people who left their old lives behind—whether from another state or another country—and started fresh here, swept up by the city’s beauty, chaos, history, and mystery. By now you’re probably thinking, “Wow, Sara really likes New Orleans.” And you’d be right. To be fair, I have family there and have visited many times, most recently this past May, with some friends.
But this trip felt different.
The first hotel I ever stayed at in the Quarter was the Hotel St. Pierre. Is it haunted? Oh yes. Have I personally seen or heard anything? Also yes. It’s quite a story—check out the link if you’re curious.
Another must-see is Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop, said to be the oldest bar building in America. And if you’re into spooky fun, I highly recommend Witches Brew Ghost Tours. Our guide, Chris, was fantastic—knowledgeable, engaging, and full of eerie stories about the Quarter’s ghosts and vampires, especially one of my favorites: Jacques St. Germain.
Now, New Orleans is famous for a lot of things—the food, the cocktails, the music, the art—but it’s also known for its ghosts…and yes, its vampires. (We’ll get back to that in a minute.)
Now, Jacques St. Germain is no ordinary vampire story. I’ve read a lot about him—even about his rumored influence on American politics. His old house still stands in the Quarter today. Fun fact: it’s now owned by a billionaire from Texas who never visits, and at one point, actor Nicolas Cage also owned it. If you’ve read Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, you might know that her character Lestat was said to be inspired partly by her husband…and by St. Germain himself. Some locals even claim they’ve spotted him around town to this day.
There’s also an intriguing mention of him in The Secret Destiny of America1—a book that describes a mysterious figure appearing on balconies during the birth of our nation, whispering ideas to the Founding Fathers before vanishing again. Other books tell similar tales of St. Germain’s political influence. Imagine being invited to one of his legendary dinners!
The photo I’ve included is supposedly him—looking unchanged, even as centuries pass. What do you think?
Peace & Love,
Sara & Wes
Footnotes
- Hall, M. P., & Dunlop, G. (2025). The Secret Destiny of America manly p hall. Adultbrain Publishing.