Half the fun of traveling is being able to send home the requisite post cards to friends and family.  As tacky and as touristy as they can be, their kitschiness still has a certain cachet.  Maybe that is because they come from a different era, one in which you could not publish your travel photos the moment that you take them.  The cyber world makes the “here and now” possible anywhere, but an old fashioned post card says “I’m in a different land with different people doing different things.”  Post cards are a tangible reminder that when we travel we are on a journey, one that is unscripted and malleable.  Our dispatches home may vary wildly from the first day to the last.  “Wish you were here” could easily become “Don’t know when I’m coming home” in a few days’ time.

Many travelers vow to write home when they are on the road, but their good intentions are often easily forgotten once they arrive at their destinations.  Finding a post office, getting stamps, having addresses on hand—it can all seem like too much effort for the sending of a couple of cards.  The best way to solve a problem is to prevent it from happening in the first place.  When you travel, come with a list of addresses that you can stash in your back pocket or on your cell phone.  Buy post card stamps ahead of time and bring them with you.  Don’t forget a pen.  When you find a rack of post cards, buy a lot and send them off one by one during the length of your trip.  Your Aunt Sally will be glad that you remembered her, and everyone else will be jealous that you are on a fabulous vacay while they are stuck at home doing the 9 to 5 jive.  Post cards are worth every penny they cost and every effort made to send them.

Once you have written them, the only thing left to figure out is where the post office is.  411 NOLA has that info, and then some, all wrapped up and delivers it straight to you.

Post Offices

1.  There is no public post office in the French Quarter.  Luckily, we have two private post offices to make up for that.  One is located at 828 Royal St.  The other is the French Quarter Postal Emporium located at 1000 Bourbon St. at the corner of Saint Philip St.  The shop

• sells stamps, note cards, post cards, gifts, phone cards, maps, umbrellas, money orders, and office supplies.
• offers shipping services via UPS, FedEx, and the United Sates Postal Service.
• is staffed by shipping pros who can package and ship anything you need to send home from beads to a bicycle.
• is equipped with a copier, a fax machine, an ATM machine, and computers that rent for $3 per quarter hour.  You can check your email, print a boarding pass, or see what the rest of the world is doing by checking your Facebook page.
• is open from 9:00 a. m. ’til 6:00 p. m. Monday – Friday and from 10:00 a. m. ’til 3:00 p. m. on Saturdays.  Like public post offices, FQPE is closed on Sundays.
• can be reached via telephone at 504-525-6651.

2.  Another private post office and shipping center is located Uptown on Magazine St.  Pack Rat Shipping at 3110 Magazine St. is open 9:00 a. m. ’til 6:00 p. m. Monday – Friday and 10:00 a. m. ’til 4:00 p. m. on Saturdays.  The center sells postage, provides shipping / packing and copying / printing services.  A fax machine, computers, and a notary public are all on hand there for your convenience as well.  Call 504-899-5415 for more info.

3.  Details for public post offices are as follows:

• 610 S. Maestri Place in Lafayette Square between St. Charles Ave. and Carondolet St.  (downtown area).  Hours:  8:30 a. m. ’til 4:30 p. m.  Monday – Friday.  Closed on weekends.
• 701 Loyola Ave. (near the interstate in the downtown area).  Hours:  7:00 a. m. ’til 7:00 p. m. Monday – Friday and 8:00 a. m. ’til 5:00 p. m. on Saturdays.
• 501 N. Jefferson Davis Parkway (in Mid-City along Bayou St. John).  Hours:  8:30 a. m. ’til 4:30 p. m. Monday – Friday and 8:30 a. m. ’til 1:00 p. m. on Saturdays.
• Other area post offices can be found by visiting the USPS website.

Shipping

1.  Many businesses, especially some in the French Quarter, are happy to ship your purchases home for a fee.  Be sure to ask.  Shipping items home can save on bag fees, can protect valuable art items from the rag-tag flight back home, and leaves your hands free to do some more shopping.

2.  If you want to mail home posters, crafts, and souvenirs from Jazz Fest, you can do so on site.  Consult the festival map to find out where the post office is located on the fair grounds.

Miscellaneous

Many hotels sell stamps and have mailboxes available for guest use.  Ask your concierge for details or stop in and ask the concierge if you are not staying at an establishment that extends these courtesies.  Also, many of the universities have their own post offices on campus.  Ask campus officials for directions and details.