But Joseph is optimistic about the future and has no doubt the tourists will keep coming, not only the usual visitors seeking New Orleans music and culture, but also the growing numbers of travelers who arrive via cruise ship, adding yet another set of faces to the NOLA tourism crowd.

At Kako Gallery, also on Royal Street, Catherine Coe says she was happy to come to work because there's air conditioning -- unlike at her home, where power has yet to be restored.

In Jackson Square, the tourists, the colorful characters and the music were out in full force.

Derrick Richardson is stationed at the Air Force Base in Shreveport, Louisiana, but he's on leave this week and was touring New Orleans for the very first time.

"I've never been here. So the fun part is seeing all this (he motions toward the band playing nearby and a gold-painted mime "frozen" on the corner), but then also seeing all of the crazy clean-up going on too at the same time. We were watching the weather closely and I didn't think we were gonna be able to do this."

But Richardson's leave was approved Thursday and he made the trip down with no problems.

His friend Brooke Garner says the "normal New Orleans attitude" is going strong and she's excited to show him all the hot spots in the Quarter.

"We've been walking down Bourbon Street and later I'm going to take him to get his first beignet," she said, right before they popped inside St. Louis Cathedral.

Ti Adelaide Martin is expecting "one heck of a great fall" -- and winter, with the Super Bowl coming back to the Big Easy for the first time since 2002.

"And by the way, we only need one team to fly in for that," she said, "because we've got the other one (the Saints) in town."