Make your vacation a bit more authentic
Sean Cummings helped put New Orleans back on the map after Hurricane Katrina. As one of thousands of smallbusiness owners in the city, he faced a difficult choice after the storm: Rebuild his hotel, the iconic International House in the financial district, at a price that exceeded its value, or leave.
He didn’t hesitate. Abandoning New Orleans would be “unimaginable. People come to New Orleans for the authenticity,” he said as he sipped iced tea at the Loa bar in the International House lobby. “They come for the rituals.”
New Orleans, of course, has its own rituals: Carnival, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, and St. John’s Eve, to name a few. But Cummings says the appreciation of rituals can help you have a more meaningful, if not a better, trip.
At International House, Cummings practices what he preaches. For Carnival, costumed servers offer tea-infused cocktails inspired by a 19th-century watercolor series depicting early Mardi Gras costumes. On All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, yellow chrysanthemums and red coxcombs line the lobby and halls, like the tombs of graveyards across the city. And for St. John’s Eve, the highest holy day of the Vodou religion, Cummings enlists a local Vodou priestess to perform a ceremonial headwashing ritual in the lobby.
“It gives guests a sense of place that allows them to experience the real New Orleans,” he says.
So how do you explore travel’s rituals — and make your next trip more authentic? Start with the food. Cummings says no one knows a city like its servers, bartenders or chefs. “Take your travel guide’s suggestion on your first night and then ask your server for recommendations for the rest of the trip,” he says.
Follow the artists, too. Before you leave, research the most prominent figures — celebrities, writers, artists, musicians — who once roamed the streets of your destination. “Read up on those most influential characters,” he says. “Figure out where they hung out and what they did. If you find out your favorite writer once frequented that city, follow those footsteps.”
Cummings found Cornell Winery, a favorite hangout in Malibu, Calif., after researching the haunts of local celebrities. Turns out Bob Dylan, Marlon Brando and Steve McQueen were regulars.
To find a new city’s own rituals, like the ones to which Cummings pays tribute in his hotel, research the history of the city before you go.
He also recommends downsizing. “There’s no better way to experience a culture than residing like a local while you’re there,” Cummings says. He prefers home rentals or small hotels while he’s traveling.
Perhaps the best path to authenticity is the language. Cummings says you don’t have to master it before you touch down. “Just learn the key words,” he says. “Nothing gains the respect of locals quite like a genuine effort to converse in their native language.”
So why not try a little authenticity? A few foreign words, a trip to the library or a food tour can turn an ordinary vacation into something special. Take it from someone who knows authentic.