The journal is a transcription of Bjerknes' account of a stay with New Orleans relatives in 1935-1936. It includes descriptions of his trip to America and visits to Savannah, Georgia, and to Mississippi; of daily life in New Orleans; of parks, outings, the Vieux Carre, local planning & building, water purification & drainage, Mardi Gras, the new Huey Long bridge, and other topics. Also included are his descriptions of events such as the Archbishop's inauguration, Leif Ericson Day, and a consular picnic. The narrative is accompanied by sketches made by Bjerknes of scenes in and around New Orleans as well as a strip of small photographic portraits made in 1939.