by Kritika Panase

New Orleans is one of the unique travel destinations in the USA, and you won’t find any other place like that in the country. It is famous for an array of things – incredible jazz music, crazy Mardi Gras celebrations, Cajun cuisine, breathtaking architecture and even voodoo. If you have your US visa ready, you must indeed plan a visit to this splendid city. I recently got a chance to visit this gorgeous destination, and here is my pick of the nine things you must not miss in New Orleans.

What To See In New Orleans French Quarter

The oldest neighborhood in the city is undoubtedly one of the best attractions in New Orleans. I had heard so much about this charming neighborhood and decided that it will be on the top of my bucket list. Also known as the Vieux Carre, the French Quarter is dotted with shops, cafes, boutiques, restaurants, and bars. Many of its historic buildings dating back to the late 18th Century when the Spanish ruled the city. I spent a lot of time walking around the street, exploring the place, soaking in the culture, and relishing some mouthwatering food. You must not miss the traditional music of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

What To Do On Bourbon Street

The infamous nightlife strip, Bourbon Street, may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But it features as of the most popular attractions in New Orleans for a reason. Since it was my first trip, I wanted to include it in my itinerary. The 13 blocks long street is lined with restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, and cafes and is an excellent way to soak in the city’s vibrant culture. Unfortunately, I didn’t visit during the famous Mardi Gras, but this place is the hub of all festivities.

City Park

Founded in 1853, City Park houses the largest collection of live oak trees globally, many of which are more than 600 years old. It is also one of the oldest parks in the USA, and I had a great time exploring the lush greenery and serene walkways. The park is replete with lovely bridges, small ponds, and many sculptures, making for great selfie points. My favorite place here was the Couturie Forest, a beautiful nature trail featuring Laborde Mountain, the highest point in New Orleans.

Jackson Square

Located in the heart of the French Quarter, Jackson Square is a national historic landmark. You can see the statue of battle hero, Andrew Jackson, in the center. This timeless attraction faces the Mississippi River and is surrounded by historic buildings such as the St. Louis Cathedral, the Presbytere, Cabildo, and the Upper and Lower Pontalba Apartments, the oldest apartment buildings in the US.

Royal Street

Majorly flocked by art lovers, the iconic Royal Street has a bevy of art galleries, high-end hotels, and family-owned antique shops. Stretching from Canal Street to Esplanade, it is an outstanding shopping and dining destination. This bustling street also has many street musicians, and I stopped by to listen to some awesome music quite a few times. The cobblestone pathways, mule-drawn carriages, and enchanting architecture reminded me of a French 19th-century city.

National WW II Museum

Located in New Orleans Central Business District, the National WW II Museum is a sprawling complex and provides a great educational experience. Affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, this museum has many award-winning exhibits that take you through a journey of the American side of World War II. I was utterly overwhelmed looking at jeeps, actual planes, and Higgins Boats. It also has a restaurant, a theater with WWII-era musical performances, and a wonderful gift shop with unique 1940s-inspired clothing and gifts.

Frenchmen Street

I enjoy live music and jazz music a lot, so visiting the famous Frenchmen Street was a must. The liveliest section of the street is made of three blocks that offer top-notch live music venues and bands. I also spent some time browsing through the delightful bookstores, looking at the lovely Creole-style Townhouses, and enjoying coffee at one of the many coffee shops. I spent the evening gorging on a delicious dinner at The Spotted Cat while enjoying some fantastic music. Other popular eateries here are the Blue Nile, The Maison, and Adolfo’s.

New Orleans Museum of Art

Situated at the edge of the Big Lake, within City Park, the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) is a treasure-trove of brilliant masterpieces. The façade itself is majestic and grand, having Greco-Roman columns and alabaster walls. The museum has more than 40,000 pieces, from modern work and the Italian Renaissance to photography and digital media. I was astounded by the stunning works of great artists such as Monet, O’Keefe, Rodin, and Degas. Don’t miss the Sydney and Walda Bestoff Sculpture Garden, a lush, landscaped garden that showcases the museum’s sculpture collection.

Algiers Ferry

I hopped into the Algiers Ferry to enjoy the great Mississippi River firsthand. Though it was a short ride, I got to enjoy some marvelous views of the city from the water and get the feel of this mighty river. I also spent some time strolling through the tiny neighborhood of Algiers Point that is brimming with cafes, bars, and lovely homes, oak-lined streets.

Conclusion

New Orleans, Louisiana has a very different vibe and is a melting pot of various cultures. You can find myriad influences from Spanish and French to Caribbean, West African, and Native American. Be it rich history, fantastic culture, or vibrant art; there is something for everyone in this destination.

For More Information

• Visit New Orleans Official Tourism Website
• The Official Louisiana Information Site
• New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival

New Orleans Tours Now Available

• Save on Mardi Gras Tours in New Orleans
• Viator VIP: Preservation Hall Jazz Club and Dinner at Restaurant R’evolution 
• Experience Mardi Gras in New Orleans

About the author:
Kritika is a software engineer, travel blogger, pasta-lover, adrenaline junkie, owner of a dog, and technophile. While She has her one part of the head sink into the world of changes and innovation, She tries unique experiences like exploring new cities, hiking mountains. Travelling keeps her sane. In short, for her, life is all about living in the moment.

Mark Twain once referred to them as “Cities of the Dead” and nowhere is the term more appropriate than in New Orleans.

Cemeteries here are unlike others across the U.S. that bury their dead “six feet under” so to speak. New Orleans’ swampy low terrain sits one to two feet below sea level.а Here, underground graves were quickly discarded by early colonists after heavy rains sent coffins popping back up to the surface and floating down the streets of the Big Easy.

Instead of the marble and granite headstones set in verdant hillsides under massive oaks, indeterminate thousands of New Orleans’ deceased are buried in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 and housed in its labyrinth of more than 700 elaborate above-ground crypts.а These ornate mausoleums are packed closely together, separated only by narrow tortuous paths. Many of these historical burial sites have fallen into crumbling disrepair, but a restoration project underway is bringing New Orleans cities of the dead back to life.а аAnd it’s a very worthy cause for these magnificent tombs encrypt the flower of New Orleans’ French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish societies, showcasing the impressive diversity of this incredibly multicultural city. The quiet, peaceful cemetery is eerily beautiful, even in the daytime.

Established in the late 1700s, the cemetery, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is the city’s oldest active and reportedly most haunted of its 40 plus graveyards. Many claim to have seen the ghost of infamous Voodoo Queen and Priestess Marie Laveau, one of the most notable people interred within. Believers and non-believers alike make pilgrimages to the tomb of this mysterious free woman of color who knew many secrets of New Orleans high society. As if she still has power beyond the grave, visitors leave offerings to her spirit in return for what they hope will be blessings or wishes granted.

St Louis Cemetery No. 1 also holds the crypt of well-respected French-born architect and engineer Barthelemy Lafon. аA New Orleans resident and wealthy philanthropist, Lafon lived an intriguing double life. A father and long-term partner to a woman of color, Lafon turned to piracy and smuggling after the Battle of New Orleans in 1815, even working with notorious pirate Jean Lafitte.

The reported remains of Madame Delphine LaLaurie, New Orleans Creole and socialite are also in this cemetery. But Madame LaLaurie’s real and quite horrifying persona was revealed after a fire broke out in her residence. Police and fire marshals found evidence of her torturing and brutally murdering her own personal slaves. Though she and her family escaped to France, many believe she returned to New Orleans prior to her death and remains here still to this day.

Others buried here are 9th century international chess champion Paul Morphy, and Homer Plessy, one of the early founders of the Civil Rights Movement and plaintiff in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court segregation decision Plessy vs. Ferguson. Though the higher court upheld segregation, it was in 1954 that the highest court in the land ruled in Brown vs. the Board of Education that the establishment of separate schools for blacks and whites was unconstitutional. Even famous actor Nicholas Cage has reserved his final resting place in a bizarre pyramid-shaped tomb here merely awaiting his arrival.

Upon initial development, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 was divided into sections for Catholics, non-Catholics, and Negroes, possibly referring to the many “gens de couleur libres” (free people of color) who were also buried here, all according to their religion. Due to its prime location near the heart of the city and its French Quarter, needs for the burial site grew exponentially over time.а Above-ground vaults constructed in the 18thаand 19thаcenturies housed multiple family members upon their deaths.

Due to recent-years desecration of the tombs, the cemetery once open to the public is now only accessible with a licensed tour guide. However, this is where the inside scoop on some of the graveyard’s history gets very fascinating.

In 1878, thousands died in a yellow fever epidemic that spread through the Mississippi Valley and its tributaries. In 1905, the last major outbreak occurred in New Orleans. City records show over 41,000 deaths due to the deadly viral scourge carried by mosquitoes breeding like wildfire in the surrounding swamps.

Burials were performed quickly to avoid any prolonged contact with what was believed to be an “infected body”. Temperatures reaching upward of 150 to 200 degrees in the tombs served as a natural cremation process. Each time the tomb was opened to place another dead body; the graveyard worker would take a 10-foot pole and push the bones to the back of the vault making room for the newly deceased. New Orleans cemetery historians claim the term “wouldn’t touch that with a ten-foot pole” referred to this very practice.

Initial symptoms of yellow fever included fever, headache, vomiting and backache. The disease progresses rapidly, resulting in a slow, weakened pulse. In the rush to bury the bodies, there were occasions when individuals were literally buried alive. Graveyard workers could hear screams for help coming from inside the crypts in cases where the individuals actually woke up from their comatose state and realized they were entombed.

There’s a widespread notion that a well-known expression owes its origins to these inadvertent burials. It was common practice to attach bells to the index finger of the deceased, so that if some unfortunate person was mistakenly pronounced dead and prematurely laid to rest, they could ring for help and literally be “saved by the bell”.

Burials occurred through the daylight hours so there was always activity in the cemetery, but it was during the quiet hours in the still of the night that workers were assigned to stroll through the graveyard with a lantern, watching and listening for the bells and faint cries for help. And it is highly possible the term “graveyard shift” originated from this routine, yet disturbingly macabre practice.

Whatever graveyard stories or notions are true, one thing remains certain. The many mysteries surrounding New Orleans oldest cemetery still attract historians and visitors from all over the world who reverently walk through the graveyard as if to avoid disturbing the restful (or restless) slumber of the dead. In one of his chronicles, the late Bob Dylan said the “first thing you notice about New Orleans are the burying grounds-the cemeteries, to which he adds: “Better to let them sleep”.

Private Voodoo Temples and Cemetery Experience of New Orleans

If You Go:

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is located on Basin St. just off the French Quarter in the heart of New Orleans.

Start Searching for Hotel Deals in New Orleans Today! Click Here!

About the author:
Noreen Kompanik is a published freelance travel writer and photographer based in San Diego, California. She is a member of the ITWA and IFWTWA and shares many of her adventures, stories and photos on her What’s In Your Suitcase? Facebook site.

All photos by Theresa St. John
A graveyard shift passageway
Voodoo queen Marie Laveau’s tomb
Nicholas Cage’s future burial site
Burial site holding multiple family remains

Reconnecting With The Past

by John Goodrow

Surrounding the banks of the Mississippi River are aspects of both the past and the present. Looking out into the river, the steamboats Creole Queen and Natchez take visitors from the French Quarter up the river and transport them into the distant past when the river was the highway of exploration. These steamboats use a paddle wheel to propel themselves along the river. Imagine a time in the past when similar ships steamed upstream loaded with bails of cotton and passengers of many types. You might meet a southern belle, or even a riverboat gambler. Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville founded New Orleans in 1718. By 1860, the city had over 185 million dollars in commerce using the Mississippi River and a variety of ships from paddlewheel boats to flat-bottomed boats. The French Quarter exudes French and Spanish influences.

Walking inland from the river port, looking just ahead is an imposing figure of General Andrew Jackson on a reeling horse and surrounded by iron gated fences and palm trees with a backdrop of the three spires of Cathedral of St. Louis, King of France. The square was originally named Place d’Armes during the French period and Plaza de Armas during the Spanish period, or Weapons Square. This grassy plaza commonly known as Jackson Square (700 Decatur Street) is named for Andrew Jackson. He had a critical role in the history of the New Orleans.

France controlled Louisiana from 1718 until 1763. At the end of the French and Indian War, Spain gained control but returned Louisiana to French rule in 1800. The raising of the American flag in 1803, in this square ended colonial rule in Louisiana. In the War of 1812 only nine years later, it fell upon General Andrew Jackson to prevent the British from capturing New Orleans. With only a small group of soldiers, militiamen, Indians, and a few pirates, he was able to defeat the powerful British army.

Beyond the statue of Andrew Jackson are the trio of the Cabildo, Cathedral of St. Louis King of France, and the Presbytere. The Cabildo (700 Chartres Street) is a museum that commemorates the seat of colonial power under the Spanish. It was the center of municipal government in New Orleans until 1853. The final transfer of Louisiana to the United States occurred here. Do not miss this museum. It has many artifacts throughout the early history of Louisiana and has an exhibit on the third floor with more extensive coverage of New Orleans through the present time.

After leaving the Cabildo, enter the St. Louis Cathedral (615 Pere Antoine Alley). Towering above the surrounding buildings with its three steeples, it is the oldest active cathedral in the United States. The cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans. There have been three churches built on these grounds. The first church was built here in 1718 and designed by Adrien De Pauger during the initial period of French control.

A significant portion of the French Quarter including the cathedral was destroyed by a massive fire in 1788. The Cathedral of St. Louis completed its reconstruction in 1794, during a period of Spanish colonial possession. During the construction of the new church, Louisiana and Florida were included as a diocese by Pope Pius VI with the new church as a cathedral with Luis Pefialver y Cardenas of Havana as its first bishop.

After Louisiana became part of the United States, the population of New Orleans grew rapidly. In the period of fewer than fifty years, the St. Louis Cathedral needed additional room leading to the construction of the third church in 1850. The enlargement required many improvements to the structural walls of the church. The reconstruction reused the bell tower, but nothing else. The church has many notable residents buried under its floors, including the designer Adrien De Pauger as well as members of the French clergy of colonial Louisiana.

After all of your adventures reliving the past, enjoy some refreshments and entertainment. The French Quarter has plenty of places that will satisfy these requirements and is the oldest part of New Orleans. It was founded in 1718 and was known as Vieux Carré. The rest of the city developed around this area and received its current name as English-speaking residents arrived in New Orleans.

For a quick bite to eat and some light jazz head over to Music Legends Park (311 Bourbon Street). Their menu features everything ranging from beignets to sandwiches while jazz musicians play for your entertainment. You will have statues of music legends such as Irma Thomas, Fats Domino and Allen Toussaint welcoming you to the park.

As the afternoon gives way to early evening, head down to Pat O’Brien’s (718 St. Peter Street). This bar has been in business since before 1933 when it transitioned from being an illegal speakeasy to a legal drinking establishment.

The building that they use began its life as the French Theater Company in 1791. They introduced their signature hurricane drink during World War II. At the time, O’Brien’s had too much rum on hand but not enough whiskey, so they came up with an unusually bright red drink made of rum, fruit juice, and syrup. The drink gets its name from the shape of its glass container. The drink is usually served in a plastic glass, although you can get it in a hurricane glass for a nominal fee. The plastic glass makes it easy to carry your drink during your exploration of the French Quarter. It is legal in New Orleans to drink in public as long as you are not using a glass container. Their menu also offers a variety of other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The staff will serve you light food items ranging from sandwiches to soups and gumbo.

If You Go:

Taste of New Orleans Private Walking and Food Tour

The climate in the summer tends to be very humid, and an umbrella will help for both pop up showers and protection from the sun.

For history and general knowledge:
Visitors Center
Cabildo
Cathedral of St. Louis, King of France
Jackson Square

For dining and entertainment:
New Orleans Musical Legends Park
Pat O’Brien’s Bar

About the author:
John Goodrow is a seasoned traveler, having visited every continent except Antarctica during his career in the United States Navy. Currently living and working in Mississippi, he enjoys traveling to historic and lesser-known areas throughout the world. He shares his knowledge of early American and Military history through travel writing.

All photos by John Goodrow

New Orleans, Louisiana

by Troy Herrick

The lifeblood of New Orleans is Mardi Gras, jazz, jambalaya and gumbo but “The City That Care Forgot” also has a spiritual side to it – voodoo. This religion was first brought to the Big Easy between 1806 and 1810 when slave ships were re-routed from Santo Domingo (present day Dominican Republic) to New Orleans during the Servile Wars. To their surprise the new slaves found that New Orleans had only one legally sanctioned religion which was Roman Catholicism. Furthermore the Code Noir, introduced by the French Government in 1724, required that all slaves be baptised Catholics. How did the newcomers solve this dilemma? They adapted their own religion to that of the Catholic Church by matching voodoo spirits (loas) to the various saints. Technically this meant that only Catholics could practice voodoo in New Orleans.

Our curiosity piqued as we entered the New Orleans Voodoo Museum to purchase tickets for the voodoo walking tour of the French Quarter. Our senses were challenged by the smell of incense and the sound of eerie music saturating the air as we visited the supernatural displays. The bizarre voodoo paraphernalia included several altars topped with offerings of paper money, coins, tobacco products and alcohol and a large orange and white snake used in some rituals.

Statues of saints seemed more out of place than the skeletons because this was no church. Then there were the voodoo dolls. Voodoo practitioners believe that voodoo dolls don’t just represent someone but actually become that person when a personal item such as a lock of hair or fingernails is added.

A sketch of a zombie conjured up an image of a hoard of zombies whose decaying corpses creep around in the misty dark of night seeking to devour the brains of the living. “Hold on there before your imagination gets carried away” said our tour guide NU’awlons Natescott. “There were no zombies in New Orleans. If you want to find a zombie in New Orleans you should go to the nearest bar and buy the drink.” He said that 70% of the things you hear about voodoo is actually hoodoo (a con game). What people think they know about zombies is the result of what hoodoo has portrayed them. He also indicated that a real zombie (those found in Haiti) might eat your brain but only if it was cooked.

Our education continued when our tour guide reported that New Orleans voodoo is synonymous with voodoo queen Marie Laveau (1793-1882), whom he referred to as a free woman of color. NU’awlons pointed up at her picture on the wall as we left the museum to begin the walking tour. She was at the height of her power/influence in the 1850s. Although she was not psychic she had built up that reputation by collecting gossip when she visited various houses in the French Quarter to braid women’s hair.

At the age of thirteen, Marie had a daughter named Marie Eloise who looked so much like her as she grew older that people could not tell them apart. This created the impression that the elder Marie could be in two places at the same time. Marie Eloise would eventually succeed her mother as the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans.

Our first stop was the St. Louis Cathedral but not to visit the interior. Instead we walked outside to the rear of the building where we found a small garden fenced off from the public. Peering through the wrought iron fence we saw a statue of Christ with raised arms. Marie Laveau was a member of this church congregation and she was known to perform voodoo rituals in this garden.

We then crossed the French Quarter to the former site of Marie Laveau’s home. Her house was torn down in 1903 and replaced by the present structure. Marie was known to have performed voodoo rituals in the back yard but we were not able to view this area.

We crossed Basin Street and entered the neighborhood of Treme to visit Congo Square in Louis Armstrong Park. Creole slave owners strictly enforced the practice of Catholicism but the slaves circumvented this by gathering at Congo Square each Sunday (their one day off during the week under the Code Noire) to sing and gyrate to the rhythm of drum beats. They also participated in voodoo rituals.

Inside the park we found ourselves surrounded by shady and gnarled oak trees. Coincidentally we could hear drum beats in the background but were never able to locate the source of the drumming. Looking down we found ourselves standing on a number of spiral-like patterns constructed from inlaid bricks. With a little imagination you could almost see a group of people dancing on top of these designs.

After you find your inner beat, leave Congo Square and visit the nearby Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel. This church boasts a number of local voodoo practitioners among its congregation but you likely will not be able to identify them because they look just like anybody else.

Just inside the front door of the chapel on your right you find a statue of a Roman soldier holding a crucifix. This statue was originally found inside a crate labelled with the word “Expedite.” Since no one could identify who this statue represented he became known as St. Expedite. The Catholic Church has never canonized any saint bearing the name of Expedite so this statue had no one praying to him for his intercession. Slaves at that time adopted him and he has been worshipped by voodoo practitioners and local Catholics ever since.

Exit the Chapel and proceed to St. Louis Cemetery #1. The living is admitted free but the families of the dead must pay to maintain the upkeep of all the above-ground tombs that surround you. The French had a custom of interring people above ground because they did not want to have buried coffins rising to the surface and falling open because of the high water table and flooding for which the Crescent City is famous. With a little imagination you have the making of a good horror movie where the zombies rise from the open coffins in search of the living.

Your mission, if you choose to proceed inside the city of the dead, is to find the tomb of Marie Laveau. Look for a dilapidated red/brown brick structure covered with many sets of three handwritten Xs on its surface. You many also find coin offerings left by visitors in the hope that Marie Laveau will grant their wishes.

People often confuse Marie Eloise’s tomb with that of her more famous mother. In fact, for this reason, Marie Eloise’s tomb is the second most frequently visited grave in the U.S. behind that of Elvis. If you are able to locate this structure you will find that it is in better condition than that of the elder Marie.

Our tour ended at this site. After wandering around in search of the exit, we took the opportunity to find a Zombie but since we had stopped at Pat O’Brien’s we had to settle for a Hurricane instead, something else that New Orleans is famous for.

Historic Voodoo and Cemetery Tour in New Orleans

If You Go:

♦ The New Orleans Voodoo Museum is located at 724 Dumaine St. You can purchase your Voodoo Tour ticket here. It was $19 at the time of my visit and includes admission to the museum.
♦ St. Louis Cathedral is located at Jackson Square.
♦ The former site of Marie Laveau’s home is 1020-22 St. Ann Street
♦ Congo Square is situated in Louis Armstrong Park which is located at 835 N. Rampart St. Admission is free.
♦Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel is located at 411 N. Rampart St.
♦ St. Louis Cemetery #1 is located at Basin and Conti Streets. To find Marie Laveau’s tomb enter from Basin Street and proceed to the side wall on your far left and then turn right. You pass three tombs on your right before you see that of Marie Laveau. Do not visit the cemetery after dark as people have been attacked here (by the living).
♦ If you wander around a little in the area between the elder Marie’s tomb and the Basin Street entrance you might find a small aluminum disc on the ground with the #3 on it. You will know that Marie Eloise’s tomb is nearby when you find it this disc. Look for the sets of triple Xs on the whitewashed tomb.
♦ Pat O’Brien’s is located at 718 St. Peter St.
♦ If you wish to purchase that perfect voodoo souvenir, there are number of voodoo shops located around the French Quarter. Just take a leisurely stroll and you are sure to pass by one. Just look for names like Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo and Reverend Zombie’s House of Voodoo. Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo is located at 739 Bourbon St. Reverend Zombie’s House of Voodoo is located at 723 St. Peter St.

About the author:
Troy Herrick, a freelance travel writer, has traveled extensively in North America, the Caribbean, Europe and parts of South America. His articles have appeared in Live Life Travel, International Living, Offbeat Travel and Travel Thru History Magazines.

All photos by Diane Gagnon, a freelance photographer who has traveled extensively in North America, the Caribbean, Europe and parts of South America. Her photographs have accompanied Troy Herrick’s articles in Live Life Travel, Offbeat Travel and Travel Thru History Magazines:

New Orleans Voodoo Museum
St. Expedite
Portrait of Marie Laveau
Yard behind the St. Louis Cathedral
Congo Square
Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel
Tour guide by Marie Laveau’s tomb

New Orleans is known as the ‘Crescent City’ to the residents and the ‘Big Easy’ to tourists. ‘Crescent City’ relates to the course of the Lower Mississippi River as it bends around and travels through the city.

The origins of the term ‘Big Easy; is not clear, some say that the term was created by the media. In the 1970s a local columnist Betty Gillaud used the term to contrast life in the city to that of New York City. It was also a reference by musicians in the early 20th century because of the relative ease of finding work there and the easy-going, laid back attitude to life that jazz musicians and local residents indulged in.

The name Big Easy also may have originated in the Prohibition era, when the city was considered one big speak-easy due to the inability of the federal government to control alcohol sales in open violation of the 18th Amendment. Or it could refer to New Orleans’ status as a major city, at one time “one of the cheapest places in America to live” where everything was slower, simpler and easy-going. Who knows?

New Orleans is known for many other things: seafood, e.g. crawfish, shrimp, crab and also for its music and musicians. The New Orleans area has the most home grown musicians in the country. They run the gamut from rock and roll, blues, jazz and even classical, from Fats Domino and Professor Longhair to Louie Prima and Louie Armstrong. However if New Orleans is known for anything it is a slogan and an attitude of, “Laissez les bons temps rouler, let the good times roll.” And that’s the truth! Ask any native New Orleanian.

This was not my first visit to New Orleans. Returning back after being away for a few years I was able to see the changes brought about by Hurricane Katrina. Something surprising I learned is that now everything is classified either pre- or post Hurricane Katrina. For example when people are having a discussion and talk about everyday life, or something that was rebuilt, or something that doesn’t exist anymore or has been replaced, they put it into the context of whether it was before or after the effects of the storm. Hurricane Katrina changed that for all time.

My wife and I visited the city of Slidell and our old neighborhood, New Orleans East and Downtown New Orleans. We had resided in Slidell, Louisiana located about 20 miles northeast of New Orleans from 1978-1984. We lived through two floods and two hurricanes, luckily none of which caused us any major problems, because we had boarded up the windows and battened down everything. The second hurricane was more severe than the first one and we did not get to sleep as the sound of the winds emanating from the storm kept us awake. They were howling at over 110 mph and sounded like a locomotive as the hurricane passed over us.

Katrina was its most devastating along Lake Pontchartrain and the North Shore. This area was the hardest hit and as we drove along Highway 11 we saw the remains of the homes and businesses that were ravaged by the severity of the storm. The many homes that once stood along the lake are gone and there is vacant land everywhere. Some of our favorite restaurants and seafood shacks are gone. We passed driveways and concrete aprons that are still visible, also the docks and the pilings extending into Lake Pontchartrain that are standing like wooden sentinels of a bygone era. However the docks emanate from nothing as the homes that they were once attached to are gone, wiped out by the storm surge. I am struck however by one lot where a new concrete driveway and concrete pilings are visible. Apparently someone is planning to build. For sale signs however far outnumber any new construction in the area.

The Slidell Memorial Hospital on Gause Blvd expanded in January 2011 with the opening of the Regional Cancer Center on Robert Blvd. Slidell has prospered since our last visit. There are many new commercial and business establishments. Some old ones are gone and new ones have taken their place.

We visited old town the historic downtown area where we learned how much Katrina affected Slidell. The old part of the city was under water. However Slidell is now bustling and revitalized just as it was when we lived there. Interstate 10 has two new interchanges and new subdivisions were built more expensive than before especially south of Interstate 10 near Lake Pontchartrain. In the 1970s it was the fastest growing city in the United States until the recession hit during the early 1980s when tourism faded and the city’s growth declined.

We drove through our old neighborhood which seems the less for wear. Talking with old friends and some of our old neighbors we learn that our old subdivision along Interstate 12 was spared the wrath of Katrina. There are new stores, gas stations and Brownswitch road one of the main routes now has a turnabout at Robert Road reflecting the growth in traffic patterns. Ah, progress.

Irish Bayou can be reached by crossing the old twin span bridge over Lake Pontchartrain that was rebuilt and now has three lanes each way. During Hurricane Katrina the old twin spans suffered extensive damage due to the rising storm surge that pulled or shifted bridge segments off their piers. The new approach to the westbound lanes entrance from Slidell was shifted south to accommodate the new bridge. We veered off Interstate 10 to visit Irish Bayou on our way to Metairie. The old dirt and grass levee on Highway 11 has been changed now to one made of concrete. Irish Bayou seems less inhabited than I remember and there appears to be fewer homes although most home in the bayou were built using pilings or raised platforms. There is also a landmark of an old fisherman’s castle which was built in 1981 by Simon Villemarette. He originally planned for it to be a secondary tourist attraction for the 1984 World fair in New Orleans.

New Orleans East & Metairie was hard hit by water. We drove down Read Blvd through the area where once stood the Lake Forest Mall in New Orleans East. The huge complex is gone, and a building on the Interstate 10 frontage road where I where I was employed for a time is now four walls and gutted. You can see through it, some of the windows are broken. I also remember a restaurant down the street, a Denny’s I believe. It is now gone. Katrina did it all.

After the severity of Hurricane Katrina conditions have changed, new levees have been added and others strengthened. However more work still needs to be completed and that it will take many years. One thing I noticed were advertisements on trucks and billboards for various companies whose business is that of raising and placing homes on stilts/pilings.

Downtown, New Orleans is famous for the French Quarter, Canal Street, St Louis Cathedral, and Café Du Monde with their famous beignets and Café Au Lait. The coffee and beignets are still as good as I remember.

Play tourist and enjoy the ambiance of what New Orleans has to offer. There is a different feeling about visiting downtown New Orleans as a tourist compared to living there and visiting. Stop at historic Jackson Square and enjoy. It was originally known in the 18th century as “Place d’Armes,” and later renamed in honor of the hero of the Battle of New Orleans, Andrew Jackson. It is a timeless attraction in the heart of the French Quarter of New Orleans. There is a different view, tourists are everywhere, we walk through the cobbled streets and stop and listen to a jam session featuring a group of Jazz musicians performing, “When the Saints Go Marching In.” Canal Street is still vibrant and St Louis Cathedral is peaceful. We visit Harrah’s Casino to try our luck. We pass by a familiar face, the Superdome still intact, looking like a gigantic flying saucer. It is good to see some of our old memories.

The night before we leave we visit the Silver Slipper Casino in Bay St Louis. A new casino was built after we moved. Now you can gamble in a variety of ways to your hearts content and enjoy all you can eat crab legs on Friday night, the best I have ever eaten anywhere. The best part was that we came out ahead on the slots.

Taste of New Orleans Private Walking and Food Tour

If You Go:

We stayed at the Homewood Suites, 175 Holiday Blvd, Slidell, LA 70460, 985-726-7291 which is new and has friendly and helpful personnel.

One of our favorite restaurants that we used to patronize when we lived in Slidell and is still serving good food after all these years is Young’s Steakhouse, 850 Robert Rd, Slidell, LA 70458, (985) 643-9331. Young’s has been welcoming guest since 1969 to a warm friendly atmosphere. They are known for their thick, juicy steaks and a variety of seafood dishes, mouth watering appetizers and desserts.

♦ Café du Monde in the French Quarter 800 Decatur Street, New Orleans 70116, (504) 525-4544
♦ Speckled T’s, 158 S Military Rd, Slidell, LA 70461, (985) 646-1728, very good seafood.
♦ The Big Easy Diner, 1777 Gause Blvd E, Slidell, LA 70461, (985) 639-8006, a good place for breakfast
♦ Steve’s Marina Restaurant, 213 E Beach Blvd, Long Beach, MS 39560, (228) 265-7730, rebuilt after Katrina, very good seafood
♦ Silver Slipper Casino in Bay St Louis, Mississippi 5000 South Beach Blvd

There are many additional fine restaurants in the New Orleans area and information is available on the Internet.

Private Voodoo Temples and Cemetery Experience of New Orleans

About the author:
Larry Zaletel is a freelance travel writer, an avid and dedicated traveler, and a recurring visitor to Europe, the Caribbean, and the Far East. He writes about the various people that he has met and places that he has visited during his travels.

All photos by Larry Zaletel:
St. Louis Cathedral
Café Du Monde
Twin span bridge of Lake Pontchartrain
Levee in Irish Bayou
Destruction on the North Shore of Slidell
Superdome
Famous Canal Street

The French Quarter Festival in New Orleans

by Paul Norton

The French Quarter Festival is a free annual music festival located in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, first held in 1984. It features traditional and contemporary jazz, R&B, New Orleans funk, brass bands, folk, gospel, Latin, Cajun and zydeco played by Louisiana residents. There was an estimated attendance when we attended in 2012 of over 574,000, and over 732,000 for the 20th annual festival in 2014. The French Quarter Festival is funded solely from donations, sponsorships and grants. It is the largest free festival in North America.

Historical Background

The French Quarter is the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans, founded in 1718. The area includes all the land stretching along the Mississippi River from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue, and inland to North Rampart Street, an area of 78 square blocks. The district has been designated as a National Historic Landmark.

Most of the present-day historic buildings were constructed during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, during the city’s period of Spanish rule, and reflect Spanish colonial architecture. By the mid-1800s, French Creoles had become a minority in the French Quarter, and many other immigrants had settled there.

In the early 20th century, the French Quarter’s cheap rents attracted a bohemian artistic community, a trend which became more pronounced in the 1920s. In 1917, the Storyville neighborhood was razed, resulting in much of its vice and prostitution activities moving into the area. An even greater effort was undertaken starting in the 1940s to preserve, protect and promote the district. There is still an exotic mix of residences, hotels, guest houses, bars, restaurants and tourist-oriented commercial properties.

Because of its height above sea level and distance from areas where the levee was breached during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Quarter suffered relatively light damage as compared to other areas of the city.

Accommodations

As you would expect with a festival of this size, rooms are at a premium during the festival. There are many accommodations in the Quarter itself, but we feared that it would be too noisy to sleep there. We opted for a small hotel in the nearby Garden District called the St. Charles Guest House. A great example of NOLA faded glory, it featured air conditioning, a lovely pool, antique furnishings and very friendly and helpful staff. Just two blocks away was the famed St. Charles Trolley Line, the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world. The totally restored vintage streetcars were magnificent to look at. The fare was $1 (now $1.25), and the cars were jam-packed morning, noon and night during the festival. Despite this, one seldom had to wait very long for a ride.

Music, Music, Music

Of course, fascinated as we were by the architecture and the culture, we had come to see and hear the music. Friends who had been before us advised that it was a “great little festival”. We could only assume that they were comparing it to the massive New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, since half a million attendees over four days made it much bigger than any other outdoor event we had ever attended. The total of 21 stages, many of them as large as the largest festival main stage we had ever seen, was a bit mind-boggling.

There was a huge plethora of musicians to see, many of whom we weren’t familiar with, and probably had never played much outside the New Orleans area. Just a few highlights include: authentic Cajun music from The Pine Leaf Boys, Walter ‘Wolfman’ Washington, Joe Krown’s tribute to James Booker, and a couple of hours spent in the legendary Preservation Hall watching a different great band every half hour, none of whom we had ever heard of!

There was a lot to see and hear in evenings, after the festival activities wound down, in what is probably the most musical of all cities in North America. We went to a Cajun Fais Do Do with Bruce Daigrepont at Tipitina’s uptown, a regular feature of the club. Several friends told us that we absolutely had to go see Charmaine Neville at Snug Cove, where she had been entertaining for many years. This was about the only real disappointment of our trip – she was much too self-indulgent and tourist-pandering for our liking.

Excursions

Aside from being unprepared for the enormity of the festival, the other thing that was a bit of a surprise was the temperature. Mid-April in Vancouver is still quite moderate. We knew that it would be a bit toastier in the Deep South, but were still surprised to be greeted by the high humidity and mid-nineties temperatures (about 35 degrees Celsius). We slowly came to the realization that we just couldn’t take tramping around in the heat all day every day, so we decided on a couple of other activities.

First up was a bus tour that crammed a lot into three ‘climate-controlled’ hours. We saw everything from the grandeur of the Garden District to the Lower 9th Ward, most devastated by Katrina. We viewed Lake Ponchartrain, St. Louis Cemetery #3 and the Lafayette Cemetery, the St. Louis Cathedral, the New Orleans City Park, Audubon Park, and much, much, much more. My personal favourite was driving past Fats Domino’s house where he still lives, in the Lower 9th. Our journey was narrated by the award-winning driver Sylvester, who had lived in the Crescent City all his life, and had many fascinating tales and details to regale us with.

We also took a cruise aboard the Steamboat Natchez, the one of the last authentic steamboats on the Mississippi River. We boarded to the sounds of an authentic steam calliope, visited the steam engine room, and heard live narration of what was going by during the two-hour cruise. We opted for the buffet-style lunch, which was adequate if not inspiring. Entertainment while we ate was provided by a talented three-piece Dixieland jazz band. There were tours of the engine room. The cabins were air-conditioned, and there was a cooling breeze when on deck. While the view wasn’t always the most scenic (much of NOLA is surprisingly mundane-looking from the water), the narration and the boat itself were very interesting, the staff was pleasant and helpful, and the overall experience was very enjoyable.

The Crescent City

I have been inexplicably drawn to its music and culture of New Orleans for most of my adult life. It’s a fascinating city, full of contradictions such as the enthusiastic celebrations of God and Satan that surround you all the time.

My one regret? We only set aside one week to see this city. It was so jam-packed with music, colourful characters and unforgettable oddities that it was impossible to see enough. You will see and hear and experience things in New Orleans that are totally unique on this planet.

2 Nights in New Orleans: French Quarter Hotel, City Tour and Attraction Pass

Private French Quarter Walking Tour

If You Go:

♦ French Quarter Festival
♦ St. Charles Guest House
♦ The St. Charles Trolley Car (includes a video)
♦ The Preservation Hall
♦ Bus Tours
♦ Natchez Steamboat Cruise
♦ Tipitina’s

About the author:
Paul Norton does many things …. Radio show host/producer, graphic artist and web designer to name just a few. He’d love to be able to travel more. Visit www.paulnorton.ca.

Photo credits:
Steamboat Natchez on the Mississippi by Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand / CC0
All other photos are by Paul Norton or Sue Malcolm:
High school brass band on Bourbon Street
In the pool at the St. Charles Guest House
St. Charles trolley car
The Preservation Hall
The Pine Leaf Boys at the Aquarium Plaza Stage
Fats Domino’s house
Store sign

New Orleans at Mardi Gras

by Troy Herrick

Raucous New Orleans is alive and kicking all year round. However during Mardi Gras season, it is over-the-top. While Bourbon Street, jazz, voodoo, street musicians and good food are always available, the season has lengthy lulls when Mardi Gras-related activities are unavailable. How do you compensate for those down- times? You find that “extra adrenaline rush” by sampling everything that New Orleans has to offer over a single 24 hour period.

Begin your day at the Café du Monde with café au lait and beignets. Enjoy your mellow chicory-flavored coffee and French donuts at a table close to the curb so you can listen to the street jazz just outside the shop. Across the street, artists display their works on the cast iron fence with scenic Jackson Square as the backdrop.

Toss a dollar into the musicians’ hat and leave for Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World across the Mississippi River. When you arrive at the warehouse, don a Mardi Gras costume and leave the everyday world behind. No transformation is complete without a free trinket known as “a throw” however. Fortunately you receive one with your admission ticket. Throws are typically a string of beads or an aluminum coin. Your escape from reality includes another Mardi Gras tradition – King Cake and coffee. But be careful when biting into the cake because you may find a small plastic baby representing the infant Jesus.

Follow your guide through the surreal maze of fibreglass or paper maché floats and props. Approximately 520 one-of-a-kind floats are constructed on site each year as parade themes change. The Tall Tales and the Arabian Nights themes featured “Casey at the Bat” and “Ali Baba” respectively for example.

Return to the French Quarter where you can enjoy an early lunch featuring the traditional New Orleans sandwich known as the Muffuletta. This hearty sandwich, originating at the Central Grocery, is a round loaf of Italian bread stuffed full with olive salad and layers of capicola, salami, ham, Emmental and Provolone. Jackson Square provides a scenic setting for your lunch.

Pass your afternoon touring some of the more notable sites in the French Quarter. En route to your first stop, the Herman-Grima House, you are surrounded by two and three story houses. Each is adorned with elegantly laced cast iron balconies. Every one of these homes hides a quiet central courtyard, accessed through a carriage-way. Unfortunately most are off- limits to the public.

Visitors to the Herman-Grima house discover a courtyard garden filled with citrus trees and antique roses. This courtyard is bounded by the family residence, a stable and a functional outdoor kitchen.

Inside, the house is filled with period furnishings and accessories. The dining room features an original mahogany table laid out for dinner. Creole dinners typically lasted 4 hours and consisted of 15 courses of rich food.

After your tour concludes, visit the nearby New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum if you dare. Here you are greeted at the door by a portrait of Marie Laveau; the most famous and powerful voodoo priestess in New Orleans history. Marie single-handedly transformed voodoo into an integral part of early Creole culture. Voodoo arrived from Santo Domingo during the 1700s and is still practiced in New Orleans today.

The genuine voodoo paraphernalia creates an air of mystery. Displays include gris gris bags (bags blessed by a voodoo priest to grant wishes), voodoo dolls, skeletons, a live four-foot long yellow/brown snake and an altar loaded with offerings to the spirits.

A short walk from the voodoo museum, Madame John’s Legacy is the only remaining French-style home in the Quarter. Two fires in 1788 and 1794 razed everything to the ground except this structure. When the Spanish governors rebuilt the Quarter, Spanish-style architecture was utilized rather than French.

Madame John’s Legacy is characterized by a high double-pitched roof. Similar structures are common in Quebec and the French West Indies. The house derives its name from the book “Tite Poulette” by George W. Cable.

Two blocks away, the Presbytere houses the Mardi Gras Museum. This museum explores the origins of the parades, costumes and lavish society balls. The collection of Mardi Gras Indian costumes is particularly impressive. Traditionally, African Americans designed these “peacock-like” costumes over the preceding year. J. Jackson, a museum employee, lamented that “the tradition of making them is dying.” Now people are buying these costumes rather than making them. Unfortunately, each costume is only worn twice before being discarded.

By this time, you have likely worked up quite an appetite after your walk. Now is your opportunity to taste some real down- home Cajun and Creole cuisine at the Praline Connection. This restaurant features “A Taste of Soul” Platter which gives you a nice sampling of filé gumbo, red beans and rice, jambalaya, greens, fried chicken, catfish strips and bread pudding. This meal easily satisfies two people.

After lingering over dinner, kick your evening up a notch with three hours of the city’s best jazz at Preservation Hall. This dimly lit, eclectic hall has the look of a garage pre-1940. A number of worn jazz posters and pictures hang on the otherwise sparsely decorated walls, supervising the band in action. Before you request a song, check the price list on the wall. “The Saints” is the most expensive at $10. Needless to say, this joint is always filled to capacity.

After the concert, drop in at Pat O’Brien’s Bar next door for a Hurricane-to-go. This rum-based cherry drink has been a New Orleans favorite for over 60 years. Take your drink out to nearby Bourbon Street and feel the pulse of the French Quarter. You have not been to New Orleans until you have visited Bourbon Street. “Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez” (let the good times roll) and jump into the fray.

Your evening heats up as you pass in front of the many Jazz, Blues, Rock and Cajun music halls. Greeters stand in the doorways beckoning you to enter. Step inside and check out the vibe. If the music is not to your liking, move on to the next. As you enter the street, remember to look up because someone may be tossing you “a beaded throw” from a balcony above. By the time you reach the far end of Bourbon Street, you could be wearing a dozen such necklaces.

While the party never stops on Bourbon Street, your 24- hour taste of New Orleans ends at dawn. Now all you have to do is drag yourself back to the hotel for some well-earned rest. Alternatively you can return to the Café du Monde but this time I would suggest that you order decaf.

Taste of New Orleans Private Walking and Food Tour

If You Go:

Café du Monde, located at 800 Decatur St., has been open a New Orleans institution since 1862.

The Riverfront Street Car line runs right behind the Café du Monde from Esplanade Street to Canal Street. A one-day pass is $5.00.

Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World – take the free ferry at the end of Canal Street across to Algiers. A free shuttle takes visitors back and forth from Mardi Gras World every 15 minute. Admission was $17.50 per person at the time of my visit. www.mardigrasworld.com

Central Grocery is located at 923 Decatur St.

Find a sightseeing map of the French Quarter at frenchquarter.com

Hermann-Grima House is located at 820 St. Louis St. – admission is $5. www.hgghh.org

The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum is at 724 Dumaine Street. Admission is $7.

Madame John’s Legacy is located at 632 Dumaine St. Admission is free.

The Mardi Gras Museum in the Presbytere is at 751 Chartres St. just to the right of St. Louis Cathedral. Admission was $6 per person. There is a 10% discount with your AAA/CAA card.

The Praline Connection is found in the Faubourg Marigny subdivision just beyond the French Quarter at 542 Frenchmen St. www.pralineconnection.com. To get there from the French Quarter, board the Riverfront Street Car and travel to Esplanade Avenue. Walk up Frenchmen Street into the Faubourg Marigny neighbourhood.

Preservation Hall is found at 726 St. Peter Street in the French Quarter. Admission is $10 per person. Arrive early to line up for seating. www.pralineconnection.com

Pat O’Brien’s Bar is located at 718 St. Peter Street.

About the author:
Troy Herrick, a freelance travel writer, has traveled extensively in North America, the Caribbean, Europe and parts of South America. His articles have appeared in Live Life Travel, International Living, Offbeat Travel and Travels Thru History Magazines. He also penned the travel planning e-book entitled ”Turn Your Dream Vacation into Reality: A Game Plan for Seeing the World the Way You Want to See It” – based on his own travel experiences over the years. Plan your vacation at his ”Budget Travel Store” www.thebudgettravelstore.com and his ”PlanADreamTrip.com” www.plan-a-dream-trip.com sites.

Photo Credits:
Cafe du Monde by Chelsea Audibert on Unsplash
All other photographs are by Diane Gagnon, freelance photographer.