How do the characters in Eudora Welty's "No Place For You, My Love" fit into the hero's journey? How do they not fit the trope?

It can be argued that there are indeed some elements of the hero's journey in Welty's short story. However, there are also a few oddities that have no place in such an adventure. First, let's discuss familiar elements of the hero's journey and how they fit into "No Place For You, My Love."
In the story, the two main characters (who remain unnamed) are at Galatoire's in New Orleans. The ambiance is conventional, sterile, and decidedly dull. The two strangers feel out-of-place in such an establishment, and furthermore, they are Northerners. The two eventually decide to take a road-trip to the south of New Orleans. In terms of the hero's journey, the two are said to be "crossing over the threshold" into a different world. The dichotomy between the previous "ordinary world" and new "unique world" is stark.
Although the "mentor" figure is central to the hero's journey, it can be argued that neither of the strangers is such a figure. Instead, they are allies in the hero's journey, making their first forays into a new land, one that holds unique and even dangerous possibilities. Away from the conventions of New Orleans, this new terrain is almost primitive, engendering visceral reactions from the strangers. The new "world" they have entered is inhabited by a "raging of insects," and it is unbearably hot.
Meanwhile, the little paths are littered by an array of crayfish, shellfish, terrapins, and turtles. Here, south of New Orleans, both animals and humans fight for survival in an unforgiving ambiance. The landscape is brutal, uncivilized, and devoid of any proprieties. This new land is certainly a change from the previous "ordinary world."
In the "unique world," however, the strangers do not themselves battle any conventional enemies. Certainly, there are no monsters or evil warlords to fight. Instead, the "ordeal" the strangers experience is more of a philosophical one: how to reconcile familiar convention (which bores them) with the obvious dangers of the new world (which unsettles them). On the ferry, some local boys are showing off a freshly caught alligator. The creature is still alive, and two of the boys challenge onlookers to wrestle the ferocious animal.
By now, the two strangers are feeling besieged by their environment. Still, they plod on together, faithful allies in this new world they have entered. Eventually, they return to New Orleans after their adventure. Unlike typical allies in the hero's journey, neither returns with a reward or elixir of sorts. There are no magic potions or powerful swords to display proudly. Instead, the strangers have merely shared a unique experience together. Additionally, they part at the end of the story, with no indication that they will meet again in the near future.