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New Orleans, LA
As the song says, "Fly down or drive down to New Orleans!" Home to 1.5 million people, it is known as "The Crescent City" or "The Big Easy", and it is especially famous for its annual "Mardi Gras". Founded in 1718, there are many historical attractions, too. We are told that the city covers an area of 199 square miles of dry land, and the city elevation ranges from five feet below sea level to seventeen feet above sea level. So if you're wanting to climb mountains--or even small hills--this should not be your destination. . However, if you like true Dixieland music, as we do, the French Quarter is Mecca!
On our first trip to New Orleans our target was the French Quarter, and it took us a day to learn our way around. A good map is helpful. Before our second trip to New Orleans (again to the French Quarter) we became Internet surfers and discovered what a wonderful travel resource the Internet is. We flew down with our homemade Internet travel packet (many pages) in the briefcase, took a shuttle from the airport to The Chateau LeMoyne Holiday Inn (an old restored hotel only one block from Bourbon Street), and without any delays we were enjoying our favorite music that very evening. The best way to find the best music is to talk to people. One beautiful afternoon in the Riverfront Park we were reading an historical marker about "The Dukes of Dixieland" when a gentleman standing next to us began telling us about them. He had played bass with the original Dukes of Dixieland before they became famous (and before they changed the name of the group to the Dukes). He suggested people and places for us to check out for good music. We did just that and became acquainted with Steve Yokum, a really good trombonist, and the networking began! (When you sit in one of the establishments, obviously enjoying the music, for a three or four hour session, the band gets to know you.) We spent several hours at the Maison Bourbon listening to the "Razzberrie Ragtimers". (Steve was playing with the group at the time). Their drummer ("Uncle Milty") also played regularly in a small combo at the Sunday brunch at the Hilton and suggested we might enjoy listening to the combo's clarinetist, Tim Laughlin, who was also one of the Dukes. We enjoyed the music and food for a full three hours! Tim told us he planned to stop by Fritzel's that evening and jam with Jack Mayhue, another excellent clarinetist. We stopped by Fritzel's that evening, too, and listened to music until after 2 AM! Many of the musicians are acquainted because they fill in each other's groups when called. Most of the establishments expect you to buy a drink per set (an hour) so be prepared to pay five or six dollars for a small soft drink or more for an alcoholic drink. Al Hirt was a New Orleans legend, and while he was still living although not in good health, we were fortunate to see his show. "Jumbo", as his wife introduced him, loved to talk between numbers about the early days, and sat down with the audience at the end of his show to sign CD's and tapes which were available there. Of course, we added some of those to our collection! Pete Fountain, another Dixieland great, was performing in his own theater in the Hyatt. Although we are glad to have heard it, the music seemed a bit "sterile" compared to the pubs--not true improvisation, and you never get to talk with Pete. Although the mix of people and groups is constantly changing, many of the musicians/groups now have their own websites so the Internet is a great way to find out what's going on. Preservation Hall is another establishment dedicated to preserving Dixieland music. On Friday and Saturday nights Bourbon Street is filled with people, and traffic is almost gridlocked in the district because of the crowds and the very narrow streets. Walking is the best means of transportation, and the streets in the French Quarter seem to be safe.
What information might you want to have in your Internet travel pack? Assuming you already have your lodging, the weather is always an important consideration. Even though there is not a thing you can do to change it, at least you can go prepared with a four day forecast in your pack. It is fun to learn the New Orleans lingo before you go, and of course, you'll want to know where to eat. The Dining Guide is not a complete listing, but it provides information about the the location and specialties of several of the restaurants, as well as coupons for some. We discovered that we ate only two meals a day most of the time. Thousands of visitors have voted The Court of Two Sisters #1 of the New Orleans restaurants which provided the most unforgettable dining experience. It would get my vote in a minute! I still haven't tried eating boiled mudbugs (crawdads) in the shell, however. There is an art to eating them in the shell. John inadvertently ate some mudbugs when he ordered an omelet with "everything" in it, but he survived. The French Quarter also has a Brennan's and a Landry's Restaurant, just to mention a few. Most women want to know where to shop. In the French Quarter, the answer is almost everywhere! However, the Riverwalk Marketplace and the Jackson Brewery (an 1891 brewhouse of New Orleans "Jax Beer" converted into six levels of shops and restaurants) are French Quarter fun places to shop, too. My favorite place is Aunt Sally's Praline Shop. They have been making these pralines for 70 years, and they are soooo good! You'll also want to check out The French Quarter Walking Tour and How to Visit the Quarter for Free. Good luck on the last one! There are many museums and historic buildings to visit. A trip to New Orleans would not be complete without a riverboat cruise, available from the New Orleans Steamboat Company located in Riverfront Park. The two-hour evening dinner cruise features the Dukes of Dixieland for entertainment, and there is an interesting cruise down the river to the Zoo. We enjoyed both cruises. Also located in Riverfront Park are The Aquarium of the Americas and the Imax Theater. The schedules and prices for all of these are available on the referenced website. If you have a secret ambition to be a ghostbuster, this is your chance to shine! The French Quarter is full of them, and you may visit some of their haunts. We have no ghost buster ambitions so I can't evaluate that one.
When you want to venture outside the French Quarter, there are tours to the interesting New Orleans cemeteries. Because some land is below sea level, they have to make special allowances for burying their dead by placing some caskets above ground. The city also has a beautiful garden district, and there are several plantations open for tours outside the city. For the adventurous types, tours exploring the bayou country and other areas of nature are available.
Don't forget to check into the coupon page. Yes, even New Orleans offers coupons!--and you might be able to save some dollars!
What souvenirs did we bring back to help us remember our trips? Dixieland tapes and CD's, of course!--also pralines, but they didn't last very long! So now we talk about another pilgrimage to New Orleans as we sing along with the guys and continue to get nostalgic whenever we hear "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans"!
Last updated 03/19/02
