Why I Love New Orleans: A Collection of Blogs
Date: 2014-05-06 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Travel; Non Fiction; Reference; History
Description: New York Times Bestselling Author, Heather Graham has had a long standing love for New Orleans, Louisiana. She has used the city as a setting for many of her novels and there are many reasons why. On her blog in 2013 she spent 30 days sharing what she loved about New Orleans. From favorite restaurants, to museums she loves to her most loved ghost stories, she shared what made New Orleans one of her favorite cities in the United States. Now she has compiled these blogs into this ebook that she wants to share with those who are going to New Orleans, those who have dreamed of the city and want to

Why I Love New Orleans

A Collection of Blogs

Heather Graham

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2014 © Heather Graham Pozzessere

Table of Contents

Day One - Let the Dead Sleep

Day Two - The Cemeteries

Day Three - National World War II Museum and the Civil War Museum (Warehouse District)

Day Four - FiFi Mahoney's and More

Day Five - Rounding the French Quarter

Day Six - The Haunted Mortuary

Day Seven - Mardi Gras World

Day Eight - The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

Day Nine - Food! Glorious Food!

Day Ten - Meet Susie Q and the NOLA of Anne Rice

Day Eleven - The Myrtles (Day Trip 1 from NOLA)

Day Twelve - More Plantations

Day Thirteen - Lower Mississippi Plantations

Day Fourteen - The Zoo

Day Fifteen - Music & All That Jazz

Day Sixteen - The Historical Wax Museum of New Orleans - Musee Conti

Day Seventeen - Jambalaya Jubilee-ing, French Quarter Fest-ing, Bent Pages—and Strawberries!

Day Eighteen - Who Do Voodoo You Do - Tea Leaves and More!

Day Nineteen - Blue Dog—Red Dog, Yellow Dog—and Art!

Day Twenty - Jackson Square, The Cabildo, The Cathedral, and the Presbytere

Day Twenty-One - Pirates!

Day Twenty-Two - Bayou Baby

Day Twenty-Three - Ghosts!

Day Twenty-Four - Bars, Booze and Broads - Bourbon Street

Day Twenty-Five - Vampires!

Day Twenty-Six - Sometimes You've Just Got to Sleep

Day Twenty-Seven - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly - The Slave Market and the Civil War

Day Twenty-Eight – Lagniappe

Day Twenty-Nine - Everybody's Got an Opinion

Day Thirty - The Hotel Monteleone and Writers for New Orleans

Are you heading to New Orleans? Or have you ever simply been entranced by the pictures and stories about the city that fill your imagination with images of the Mighty Mississippi, the Cathedral, the "cities of the dead," and the picturesque architecture?

It's a city I love, and have loved since I was a child and first saw the amazing bustle of every day life set within the arena of the unique and historic Southern city.

The following is a series of blogs about New Orleans written to promote a number of different books I've written, utilizing the city. The blogs were done in 2013 and history, of course, goes on daily. But most of what you read is the same, has stayed the same for years, and will continue to be the same for decades to come.

I hope I can impart just a little bit of why I love New Orleans so very much! Have fun—and feel free to disagree with me and love your own favorite restaurants, venues, tourist attractions—and pieces of history!

Heather Graham

Day One - Let the Dead Sleep

Thirty Days of Why I Love New Orleans

My book, Let the Dead Sleep, begins a series that highlights New Orleans. My protagonists—Danni Cafferty and Michael Quinn—are both from the city. They live and work in the city, love it, know it, and, naturally, want to keep it safe from harm!

Well, I love the city, too. I've never lived there, but I spend a great deal of time there. I have since I was a small child.

So, today's "Why I Love" goes to the city itself.

New Orleans practices what I think of as living history daily. The French Quarter is filled with fantastic architecture—all being used today as restaurants, shops, hotels, homes, and what have you. While it's called the French Quarter, a lot of the architecture is actually Spanish. That's because of the fires. But, I'm setting the mule before the carriage.

Native Americans lived in the area for hundreds of years before the first European explorers and fur traders began arriving in the late 1600s. 1718 brought the official founding of Nouvelle-Orléans by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. In 1722 it became the capitol of French Louisiana, but a hurricane came and wiped out most of the houses that had existed at the time. They'd been described as hovels, so, maybe the hurricane—despite the damage and the horror—helped out history a bit.  Because, after all that damage and horror, Bienville set about to create the grid that remains the boundary of the French Quarter or Vieux Carre today. In 1763, with the British victorious in the Seven Years War, the land was ceded to the Spanish—and thus the Spanish rule. That didn't work out so well—a lot of the settlers, no matter where they came from, wanted it all back under French Rule. They drove the Spanish governor out in the Bloodless Revolution.

Aha! The Spanish were not about to give up—a year later, they were back, and five of the ringleaders were executed and others were forced to pledge their loyalty to Spain. Next, great fires ripped through the city, the first being the Great New Orleans Fire of 1788 followed by another awful fire in December of 1794. Over a thousand buildings were destroyed.

After these fires—and while the Spanish were still in control—the city began to rebuild with brick.  The cemetery, St. Louis #1, opened in 1789. While it’s true that flooding could cause bodies to float through the city, the style of the cemetery was, scholars argue, decidedly Spanish.

Rule got a little tricky and confusing. In 1795, the Spanish granted the United States "right of deposit." That meant the U.S. could use the port facilities. And then, in 1800 Spain and France signed the secret Treaty of San Ildefonso. It was so secret that many of the city’s residents wouldn’t know about it for years. It returned New Orleans to French rule, but only when the French were ready for a transfer of power and it wasn't to be for long. Then, as we know, Napoleon sold Louisiana (which included many other states or pieces of states!) to the United States.

By then, of course, the "English"—some real English and many Americans—were trickling in and there was a magnificent mixture of cultures and people.

However, from that time on, the beautiful city of New Orleans was American. Fantastic architecture was already in place and more was to come. The Garden District became part of the City of New Orleans back in 1833. Parcels of land were sold and since the “French” were in the Quarter, the “English” had to be somewhere. Both areas are unique, beautiful, and incredible.

The Haitian Revolution that began in 1791 brought people—white and black, slave and free—to New Orleans and introduced incredible culture, including the Voodoo for which the city is so famous. Bad times were destined, of course. The Civil War came along, but the city was in the hands of the Union by 1862. And, as we all know, in our own day and age, the city was devastated by Katrina and the summer of storms and cast into further despair by the oil spill. But one thing about NOLA—the city is resilient! I was there yesterday and it was amazing to see the amount of people once again flocking the streets, making driving and walking a mad dash for survival, and most of all—appreciating the fantastic city.

My favorite description of the city as a whole is that which denotes her as “a gem of decaying elegance.” Now, trust me—not everything is decaying. There’s work constantly going on and many places are just plain elegant. Others are just plain fun. Some—like Lafitte’s Bar—lets you feel that you are, indeed, living history.

So, day one of loving New Orleans—she’s just a great city. There are all kinds of neighborhoods to visit extending beyond the French Quarter and the Garden District. There are the haunted cemeteries, the great Cities of the Dead, from St. Louis to Lafayette to those beyond the city limits. There is a bustling CBD, or Central Business District.

Oh, there are bayous and parks and national heritage sights and more. There is an excellent aquarium. There are so many places to go; there are carriage rides that must be taken, ghost tours, history tours, vampire tours! There is the Mighty Mississippi and there are paddle steamers and magnificent plantations just down the road and…

The city, the beautiful city itself, is a gem.  Just sit at Café Du Monde as others have since 1862 and watch the pageantry at Jackson Square or the abundance of people in the city as they pass by. See the beautiful buildings of Jackson Square, the cathedral, the Cabildo, the Presbytere…

Ah. Those are for another day!

Day Two - The Cemeteries

Now, many people might start with Café du Monde. I do love Café du Monde and their café au lait, beignets and people watching across from Jackson Square, but this is me.

So we’re heading to the cemeteries.

First of all, many places in Louisiana have these “Cities of the Dead” so we’ll stay in the French Quarter and the Garden District. If you’re there and can only see one, it should be St. Louis #1.

It was the first of three St. Louis cemeteries. One, two, and three, go figure. But it’s here where you’ll find the tomb that some swear belongs to Marie LaVeau, the Voodoo Queen, and some say is not where her remains actually reside. She had a daughter named Marie, so who knows? But, it’s accepted that her home in the City of the Dead is at St. Louis #1 and while you’re not legally supposed to deface a tomb, there are Xs on it and you can place a penny on the ground and turn around three times for her to grant you blessings.

Never does that term “decaying elegance” come more to mind than in the cemetery. Many of the vaults are still pristine and beautiful. Many are chipping and aged and create images of ghostly beings sweeping from tomb to tomb when dusk falls or when a mist rises.

St. Louis #1 was opened in 1789. Close by is St. Louis #2—by 1829, St. Louis #1 was already filled up—a horrible yellow fever epidemic had swept the city, speeding up the normal death rate. (In later years, room was made for some esteemed citizens of the city.) The Italian Society monument is the tallest and is quite beautiful, as are other society vaults. Wrought iron surrounds some tombs; there are “oven” vaults in the walls, and just following the paths is fascinating as you discover what interesting people found their eternal rest here.  The classic cult film “Easy Rider” had scenes filmed here and the cemetery stars in a few other movies, as well.

St. Louis #1 remains special to me for several reasons—it’s one of the first places I saw in NOLA when I was a child and has provided me with both nightmares and fascination ever since. The first year Connie Perry and I put on Writers for New Orleans—a workshop for writers that I host, at cost, to bring money into the city after Katrina and the summer of storms—our friends who ran a carriage tour business brought our people here as one of the activities. It was so soon after the storm that the gates had not been locked at dusk and our group entered into the City of the Dead by night while our host told us history—true stories—more frightening than any ghost tale. I will never forget standing in the midst of the vaults beneath a half moon and thinking of the lives gone by—and appreciating life!

St. Louis #2 was built circa 1823 as an extension of #1 and can be found between Bienville and St. Louis Street, and between Claiborne Ave and N. Robertson Street. There are Creole tombs here along with stunning monuments, more wrought iron, more broken vaults. Many of the most beautiful and ornate tombs here were designed by a man named Jacques Nicholas Bussiere De Pouilly who had come from France. He loved the grandeur of the Pere Lachaise Cemetery outside of Paris and put his love of the artwork of the tombs there into his own creations.

St. Louis #3 can be found at 3421 Esplanade Avenue.  It was opened in 1856, and is a distance from the other two cemeteries. It is remarkable as well with its statuary and monuments. While parts of Esplanade are exceptionally beautiful, the city and I both recommend that newcomers (and old comers!) go in groups or with specially designed tours. While NOLA is one of our most unique and wonderful cemeteries, it is not without crime. Now, I’d say this if you were coming to Miami, too, New York, L.A., or just about anywhere; be careful where you go. Crime is a fact of life. That’s just the way it is.

Heading to the Garden District you’ll find Lafayette Cemetery, peaceful and charming by day. It was laid out in 1833 to accommodate the residents of the Garden District. It was the second Protestant cemetery to open in New Orleans. Confederate General Harry T Hays lies here along with many other notable luminaries. Fascinating and historic, Lafayette has great surroundings. From here, you can pop into the very wonderful Garden District Book Shop (2727 Prytania Street,) and perhaps dine at one of the city’s really wonderful restaurants, Commander’s Palace, right across from the cemetery entrance!

Going beyond the French Quarter and the Garden District you’ll find Metairie Cemetery—certainly the most beautifully landscaped cemetery in the area. Walking among the trails of this vast cemetery is really akin to an afternoon at an art gallery—a pretty big gallery at that. It was opened in 1856 and the famous dead you’ll find here include Father Rouguette who was a missionary to the Choctaw and still esteemed for his acts of human kindness.  You’ll see Metairie Cemetery along the road as you travel into the city from the airport, and you’ll also catch glimpses of Cypress Grove Cemetery, established in 1841 by the Firemen’s Charitable Association. It offers an incredible Egyptian-style gate as one enters. Right across the street you’ll find Greenwood Cemetery—an extension of Cypress Grove. You just can’t make enough room for the eternally dying dead. It offers a Civil War Monument and many other excellent examples of funerary art.

Is it the art? Is it the continual wonder of what lies beyond? Is it just the way the moon falls over the tombs and angels and cherubs and crosses that guard the dead? There’s really no one answer or right answer; NOLA’s cemeteries, the Cities of the Dead, are both fascinating and beautiful. They’ve given writers, artists, moviemakers, and more endless resources upon which to draw. If you get to NOLA, drop in on friends, enjoy the living—but don’t forget to visit the dead!

Day Three - National World War II Museum and the Civil War Museum (Warehouse District)

Where to begin? New Orleans is an amazing place to discover museums, big and small. It’s hard to figure out where to start.

So, we’ll head to the World War II museum. In the scheme of things, it’s fairly new—but that doesn’t take away from the size. We were just there to check on a possible venue for opening ceremonies for a future con and I was amazed to see the construction going on! It will be absolutely huge. (945 Magazine Street, official address!)

Huge, we all know, doesn’t mean good. But NOLA’s WWII Museum is really both. It’s walking distance from the French Quarter and there’s decent parking when you’re coming from further afield. As the name implies, it tells the story of WWII.

There are planes—there are tanks. There are weapons, uniforms, and more. There are exhibits that grip your heart and don’t let go. Like so many venues in the city, the museum teaches us about the past and makes room for the living—and the future.

Walking through the museum, I’m always in awe of the massive scope of what our nation went through and how we contributed and amazed by some of our allies, as well. I’m also drawn into the small and very human stories of the individual men and women who put their lives on the line.

I came across a wonderful story about a Jewish woman who had been in a concentration camp—bound for the death chamber—who managed to escape right at war’s end. She was found hiding along the trail and was terrified at first. The man who found her was an American soldier. Still frightened, she told him she was Jewish. He told her that he was Jewish, too. They wound up falling in love and marrying and they had a wonderful family and remained happy until his death at eighty-plus separated them.

The American Sector is a John Besh restaurant and the food is exceptional—and reminiscent of a bygone era as far as the seating, the ambiance, and the food goes. Soup served in tin cans and good old American fare, ice cream, fun stuff—and stuff for those with a healthful-eating life-style as well. Many entrees, naturally, have a bit of local flare, too. If you come to the museum, think about lunch or a cocktail. If you plan your trip, you can have “Dinner with a Curator” and become part of a discussion on specialized topics with a curator and fellow historians. Now, there’s a soda shop, too.

You can see a movie at the Solomon Victory Theater, learn what you thought you knew but didn’t, and then listen to the Andrew Sisters inspired Victory Belles; they are great, trust me! You can catch any number of live shows at the Stage Door Canteen, see some of the stars of the era—those who fought, and those who performed for our troops. I’ve seen a tribute to Frank Sinatra there—the voices and performances were excellent. We rented the Canteen for an event once, too, and everyone involved was helpful and wonderful.

They have a pretty decent web site if you want to check out times and what’s showing. Just remember—it’s big! They say you need three hours for the exhibits. You may also want to catch a show and a meal. (I dream some days about the soup and sandwich special!)

The Civil War Museum is right across the street. (929 Camp Street) This museum opened in 1891 and houses one of the largest collections of Confederate memorabilia in the United States. I particularly love this museum not because I love war, but because I hate to see history forgotten in any way. The building is beautiful and the exhibits are fascinating and truly part of the American experience that makes us what we are today—still feuding within our states’ rights, but, hopefully, never to face such a tragedy again.

Here, we see the great scope of things—all that led to our country’s “great divide.” But, more importantly, we see the war through the eyes of those who fought it.  For military strategy buffs, there’s information on who made certain decisions, where plans were brilliant, and where they went astray. Home life is an important part of the exhibition. And the tragedy that befell our nation becomes all the more evident as we see families torn apart; sons who faced their fathers, brothers who went to war against brothers. Some believed in the sanctity of the nation while others gave their first loyalty to the states. The issue of slavery is not ignored. But the realities are there, too.

While the National World War II Museum is massive, the Civil War Museum is fairly small. Once again, size means little. It’s one of the best museums on the Confederacy and the “War of Northern Aggression” or the American Civil War you’ll ever see. (Yes, I was in school a while ago; there were still teachers telling it as such back then!)

There are exhibits here that showcase Jefferson Davis, the one and only President of the Confederacy, and exhibits on the African-American fighting troops. Much to be seen and appreciated—as always, the tragedy of young men fighting and dying, each believing in his (or her, in a few instances!) cause until the true brutality of war sets in. The players in the great battle that nearly ripped us apart but then made us stronger are seen here—almost as if we were sitting down to tea with them.

The thing is, museums teach us. That includes the good—and the bad and the ugly. But, they’re all about the human experience. I grew up in the South so I understand that the economy at the time dictated that the South held the majority of the slaves. I understand as well that some were treated poorly and some were treated well. None of that is the point that we all learned during the war—no man has the right to own another man. The majority of the soldiers fighting for the South did not own slaves—only 4.95 percent of men in the South did. Still, while the Federal government fought the war to preserve the Union, the South was fighting for “states’ rights” and an important right to the South was that to continue with slavery. But history can be strange, too—in New Orleans, men of African heritage sometimes owned other men of African heritage. We now know that no man of any color has any right to own any man of any color, but we learned it all in a very bloody bath. I’m grateful for this museum; it teaches. As I’ve said, we get to see things we did that were not moral; we also see more simply lives, wonderful human beings, and the confusion that will always be the human soul.

Museums…we’ll deal with more later! If you have a chance, these two are excellent! As always, check opening dates and times if you want to go!

Day Four - FiFi Mahoney's and More

New Orleans is definitely known for shopping, and naturally, I have a few favorite stops to make when I’m there.

NOLA is a place where you can come, where chain store isn’t followed by chain store. Of course, they do have some chain stores, just as they do have malls. But when you come to the French Quarter or move along Royal Street, you really will find one-of-a-kind shops—the ones we really miss now in so much of the homogenized country and beyond.

Yes, many shops in NOLA are filled with T-shirts and gadgets, trinkets, and souvenirs, but most are a little bit different and some are very different.

Some are for the casual tourist and some are for the connoisseur.

There are jewelry stores offering a fleur-di-lis motif on earrings, necklaces, and more, some commonplace and affordable, and some pretty pricey. There are high-end clothing shops and there are antique shops that offer everything from Civil War rifles, knives, buckles, and so on to exquisite furniture.

You can shop for your kitchen. Buy charming aprons and barbecue implements or beignet mix, coffee—and lord knows! Hot sauce. Glass and china, fine wine, quirky bottle holders and can openers. Crawfish motifs can be seen almost as often as the fleur-de-lis. You can find the very elegant and the silly, risqué fun.

People who come to New Orleans often usually wind up having a few favorite shops—places where they have to stop because they don’t exist anywhere else. Some eagerly save and await their next chance to purchase an antique washstand or bowl or an exquisite piece of estate jewelry or newly created finery.

Art! There is incredible and fabulous art to be found. You don’t even need to go to a store—take a walk down Royal or around Jackson Square. You might snag a true treasure from an up and coming name—before they become a name!

The galleries here are so fantastic, you could plan a day just looking at whats for sale in the shops and on Jackson Square and Royal Street.

So, of course, I have a few favorite shops of my own and in there, one that I never miss.

It isn’t a dress shop or clothing store or even an antique or a  jewelry store or a gallery. My tastes tend to the slightly different.

NOLA is so full of wonderful stores that I couldn’t begin to mention them all (though I will mention more as I move on with these blogs!) But there is one curious and wonderful shop that I—being me—must see when I’m in NOLA. It’s ever-changing. It’s a one-of-a-kind shop that doesn’t carry excellent New Orleans coffee, beignet mix, clothing, jewelry, antiques or Cajun spices hot enough to pull smoke from your head.

Fifi Mahoney’s. (934 Royal Street)

And first, of course, I don’t head right in. I look at their window displays because it’s almost like going to a little art show. What they do at Fifi’s with wigs is fun, enchanting, and uniquely NOLA.

I, and my little group of merry Slushpile Players, dress up fairly often to perform what may be defined as “something like dinner theater” or entertainment. We’ve done everything from spoofs of the latest rage in contemporary books or movies to the classics and beyond. So, when you’re looking for a really fine Mad Hatter Wig, crazy vampire wig...Mohawk, Oz, Steampunk-or-other wig, where do you head?

Fifi Mahoney’s.

First off, I should say, you can buy any kind of a wig here. From lesser materials and funky to a far higher quality. Just want to see what you’d look like with shorter hair, longer hair, darker hair, or light hair? You can do that here. Want to see what bangs would look like on you—or how you’d look with a Veronica Lake sweep of lock over your forehead? Yes, you can do that.

Were you ever dying to go chartreuse? Perhaps wear a mock beehive, a ship, steamboat, or skulls dangling from ponytails? Yes, you can test it out at Fifi’s!

There are “normal” wigs, and then, of course, there are the designed wigs. Behind the artistry of the wigs here are the creators, Brian and Marci.

The two creative geniuses of the wig world have mastered the craft of making hair fun. Check out their web site. It’s fifimahoneys.com, and you’ll see a few of their fantastic pieces. Entertainers from across the city (and the country!) come to them and when it gets close to Mardi Gras or Halloween, the place becomes a veritable madhouse of activity. While Mardi Gras may be celebrated in other exceptional forms across the world, say in Venice or Rio, few know the fervor as those who live in New Orleans. There are “krewes” to dress, kings and queens and royal courts, and if you don’t happen to be part of a krewe or on a float, you’re probably going to a party.

Few party with such flair—or such extravagant wigs! Many to most of these come from Fifi Mahoney’s.

For me, walking in and seeing their latest creations is always intriguing and I always find a fun, fantastic, or downright incredible wig that they’ve created and I feel that I must have.

But they’ll do custom as work as well. Dressing up for an occasion as a sprite or a fairy? You can have long flowing locks in any color of the rainbow threaded with flowers and leaves—and birds, if you so choose. Are you a gambler or a dance hall girl? Dice and cards can adorn your hair—along with poker chips and even a small slot machine, should you so choose!

Fifi Mahoney’s is on Royal Street, a nice walk if you happen to be staying at the beautiful and historic Hotel Monteleone—or anywhere. No visit is complete without a walk down Royal Street, which we’ll get to later.

Fifi’s carries all kinds of make-up, too, from the day to day to whacky lashes and brilliant colors for special events.

And fun, funky, jewelry, a lot of it locally created and some one-of-a-kind Fun hats!

And, if you’re fond of your own hair, you can have that taken care of too at the salon in the back.

Say you’re in NOLA with someone else who is not in the least interested in hair or wigs. (It happens!) The 900 block of Royal has other cool and amazing shops and...a Community Coffee shop just across the street on the corner. To me, it’s a bit of seventh heaven—play at the wig shop, and stop in for Community Coffee. Their pecan-praline is to die for! (And I don’t even like flavored coffees!)

Day Five - Rounding the French Quarter

The French Quarter, going clockwise, is bounded by the river, Canal Street, Rampart Street, and Esplanade. It’s a fantastic grid of historic buildings, shops, museums, hotels, bed and breakfast establishments and great places to eat. There are wonderful private homes, here, too, and apartments and all kinds of ways to stay for a visit—or forever!

There’s no way in a 1000 something word blog to really relate the wonder of the French Quarter to you, but I’ll try to hit a few highlights, going around that clock!

First, there’s the river. That’s where you can board the Steamboat Natchez. And it’s where you can look out and see the majesty of the Mississippi and understand the moniker “Crescent City.” The water is river water, dark, sometimes turbulent, and deep—it also makes you understand the term “Mighty Mississippi.”  Just to walk along the river is an experience. You can also catch the Riverfront Line streetcar here; it’s a fun thing to do if you just pick a destination, or hop on to ride out—and ride right back! The streetcars were operating sixty years before the electric lines that made a “trolley” come into being; in NOLA, they are still called streetcars! (There are three streetcar lines—the Riverfront, the Canal Street, and the St. Charles. They’re actually excellent for getting around!)

You’ll come upon the Aquarium of the Americas as you head to Canal Street; a truly remarkable facility with all manner of creatures. (Aquarium on another day!) The Shops at Canal Street are here—yes, on Canal Street. There are some different stores here—and some chains. But if you need something you can only get at a chain, here’s a convenient place! If you were to cross the street from the Aquarium and the mall, you’d be at Harrah’s, but, aha! Across the street you are no longer in the boundaries of the French Quarter.

Say you walk up Canal side toward Rampart Street. You will pass some souvenir shops, hotels and restaurants. Most of them, even the national—you can get an Arby’s fix here—are housed in quaint buildings; different! If you walk along you’ll come to Rampart, and if you turn and walk along Rampart, you’ll find some restaurants, etc., but you won’t really be in the heart of the quarter which some say stretches really only from the Jackson Square area to Esplanade and Canal and then on up to Bourbon.

But you’ll be across from Armstrong Park and the neighborhood on which a TV series has recently been based—Treme. Wonderful people live here; it’s still not a good idea to wander at night.

When you reach Esplanade, you’ll know it! It’s a grand avenue with a tree laden divider and there are grand mansions on either side. Now, like all else, a lot of these mansions now constitute what I consider to be living history. A beautiful structure may still be privately owned—or it may be a restaurant and shops downstairs and some apartments upstairs. If you like walking, this gorgeous tree-laden street is for you. I’ll also mention here that it’s where you’ll find Port of Call—a bar/restaurant which serves up some of the finest hamburgers and baked potatoes you’ll ever have. I’m serious—best baked potatoes. I’m assuming they come from Idaho and I could be wrong. I just know that they’re huge and delicious!

Keep on walking down and you’ll reach the French Market. You won’t be doing anything new; the French Market has been an institution since 1791. It’s a great place to go for all kinds of delicious things. Now, you keep walking, and you’ll be amazed at what you can buy. The area houses stalls that sell almost everything in the world.

So, you’ve come back to the river. You’ll have passed some unbelievable places, good restaurants shops, all kinds of wonders. When you reach the end of the market and some of the cafes and shops that follow, you’ll be at Café du Monde.

This is truly an institution—many people say that if you just brush by NOLA, you must stop at Café du Monde. The menu is small and naturally, it’s famous for its delicious, powdery beignets. (Word to the wise; I’ve done it—don’t wear black!) Of course, it’s not just the fabulous sugar treat that will draw you here, or the rich, dark coffee (hot or iced!) Sitting at Café du Monde is half the fun. You can find a table where you can watch the heart and throb of the city go on. The mule-drawn carriages that hike tourists around on all kinds of tours (history with or without vampires and ghosts and other-worldly creatures) line up in front of Jackson Square. Mules are here in NOLA because horses can’t stand the heat; the hearty mule does well! Artists set up there, and if you were walking on that side of the street, you could find yourself buying a colorful city scape as you head to catch a carriage. But at Café du Monde, you just watch it all. You have a view of the street performers—those who sing and play musical instruments, and those who pose as statues in different paint or appointments. Some are absolutely awesome in their ability to stand for hours on end without moving!

You’ll see the fortune tellers there as well; if you have the mind to, you can run across and have you palm read, or find out what the tarot cards have to say about your future.

And, resting from your walk at a table at Café du Monde, you can look into Jackson Square and see—Andrew Jackson. He’s astride his rearing horse, hat in hand, ever watchful over the city he saved at the Battle of New Orleans. In the early days, Jackson Square was called Place d’Armes. It was a little more than mush and a field back then, a place where troops could drill, and where criminals might be seen in stocks –and where executions might be carried out.

Today…

Don’t think about the executions! Enjoy General Jackson as he waves his hat, and wave back if you’ve the mind to do so.

It’s NOLA. People will think nothing of it!

Day Six - The Haunted Mortuary

Chills, thrills, screams, yes! This beautiful old place was built as a home. Then it did, historically, become a mortuary; the embalming rooms remain today.

I’m particularly fond of the Haunted Mortuary because we were able to see it in its infancy, before it was really decided just what it was going to be. There was work being done the first time we came; while failed businesses over the years—and Hurricane Katrina!—had taken their toll on the beautiful mansion, they hadn’t done her in.

There were plans for it to house a paranormal research facility—which it did for many years. There was a wonderful upstairs room with an octagonal table where cards could be read. People could be tested to find out if they did have psychic abilities.

The paranormal research people have moved on, but the Haunted Mortuary—elegant in its gruesomeness—lives on!

The first time I came when it was set up with the “haunted” house in the basement, I was really there to be upstairs to talk to the para-psychology group and it was daytime. But, they were set-up below for the haunted house to begin for the Halloween season.

Even by light, oh...!

They do a fantastic job here!

A year or so ago when we were doing our Writers for New Orleans conference on the Labor Day Weekend, the management was kind enough to allow our group in for a private “early-bird.” It was just our group—and I promise you, we stayed close!

It’s now billed as one of the “most actively haunted” houses in the United States. Whether real ghosts have taken up residency or not, I do know that as a Halloween haunted house, it’s one of the most frightening I’ve ever seen. Live actors enhance the tingles that will seize you.

We brought in our own catering that night with the blessings of the management the house was not fully up—it wasn’t due to open to the public for another week.  Connie was unaware that many of the creatures were motion activated. The basement level (where the embalming went on) is on the tour—it’s also where you can bring heavy things on through to the kitchen. As Connie entered from the backside with our trays of sandwiches and munchies, she inadvertently walked right by a giant, creepy monster with huge skeletal arms and fingers and dripping moss. As she moved, the light came on—the monster moved and cackled—and Connie screamed, jumped a mile high—and sandwiches went flying.

I’ve seldom been so scared by such a facility—nor have I laughed harder!

They have simply done a spectacular job with the place. Rooms are truly historically tinged by the past and therefore, perhaps, they already offer a sense of that long time gone that we can no longer touch. Maybe there’s a faint whimper left on the air, the tears of a survivor saying goodbye to a loved one. The effects are worthy of a good Hollywood flick and the actors have a nice zeal for their jobs.

The Haunted Mortuary is a true Victorian mansion, grand in its scope. It sits at 4800 Canal Street (out of the Quarter!) but can be reached easily by car or streetcar. It was built in 1872 by a woman named Mary Slattery who surely imagined that in the decades to come, her children and grandchildren would live in the house. But dreams are seldom to be—in 1905 she sold the home, and in 1928, it was sold again—this time to become a business.

By 1930, new owners were advertising the house as the P.J. McMahon and Sons Undertaking. In 1933, the garage entry was built—that same entry that nearly scared Connie to an early grave! The concept at the time was that a funeral home should have all the comforts of home, and, of course, give comfort to the loved ones left behind.

Eventually, the funeral business gave way, as many will. During the years that followed, other interests envisioned the house in many ways. But it wasn’t until it became the Haunted Mortuary—and wonderful and tremendous work went on!—that the gorgeous place was really saved.

Today, check out the venue when you’re in the city. It’s available for private parties, to film studios—and even for children’s birthday parties.

But, when Halloween rolls around...

I promise you, it’s terrifying. Yes, I’m a chicken—but I saw it scare big, grown men. Even big, grown men in law enforcement.

Oh—just by happenstance, the Haunted Mortuary sits next to an old Jewish cemetery. You can look out the windows and see as the moon shines down on the graves next door.

I was able to host my party there and it was quite a feeling, standing at the door in Victorian mourning, waiting for our guests to arrive. I was left alone in what was once a “viewing” room; I admit, I kept listening for people in the nearby bar area as we set up for our friends to come.

Once, in the early states, I had asked a friend who worked in parapsychology more about the ghosts; I loved her answer. They might not all have died at the mortuary, and they might not have been at the mortuary for a viewing. But New Orleans was one of the most haunted cities in the world.

Bourbon Street was riddled with ghosts.

It’s kind of like Field of Dreams in her mind.

If you build it, they will come!

There must be something. Paranormal research groups from across the country have come here on their expeditions. You can arrange to take tours and learn what spirits remain behind.

The displays are wonderful. Cobwebs and skeletal beings...and sometimes, you may not be sure if they will or will not move...

Oh, and there’s a huge marvelous black chair decked out in a most creepy fashion that can also make quite a change.

When the holidays roll around, Santa visits the Haunted Mortuary.

What’s black becomes red. Ho, ho, ho!

Yes, like New Orleans, the Haunted Mortuary can roll with the seasons of life!

Visit and see! Their website is hauntedmortuary.com!

Day Seven - Mardi Gras World

New Orleans, is, of course, world famous for its Mardi Gras celebration.

And Mardi Gras is one of those occasions that’s absolutely amazing. It’s other things, too, of course. Wild, whacky, fun...and the city becomes incredibly expensive and crowded and busy. The best way to see Mardi Gras is from a float, but then, everyone can’t afford a float and come up with the king and the queen and the court and the costumes and price and all that goes with it.

We’ve all heard that people “flash” for beads to be thrown to them from the floats. I’ve never quite gotten this concept since anyone can buy a massive bag of beads for almost nothing, but...hey, catching them is part of the fun. Young people will flash and throng the streets and it’s crazy.

Mardi Gras originated in Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. A Catholic society gave up eating meat for the period of Lent and thus the day before giving up meat first became known as “boeuf gras,” or “fatted calf.” That meant, kiddies, get it all in before you have to give it all up.  Mardi is the French word for Tuesday, so Mardi Gras became the celebration before Ash Wednesday.

Rio celebrates massively, and “Carnivale” in Venice is equally huge. Trinidadians get really carried away, too. But New Orleans is our biggest and best event in the United States. Well, of course!

It was on March 2, 1699, when the French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville made his way to a little spit of earth that was about 60 miles south of New Orleans. He named it "Pointe du Mardi Gras" –because he and his men figured out that they had come to the area right when Mardi Gras and Lent were upon them. So tradition goes back—way back! (If you’re in the Quarter, you will find yourself on Bienville Street at some time; the great man will not be forgotten!)

And the people were French, for God’s sake! They had their customs. And they had, and still have, an amazing flair for beautiful things.

This wonderful custom has come down through the ages. At first, balls happened—which eventually became the grand balls of today. Then “Rex” headed a parade down the street with a real bull.

If you do come for Mardi Gras, a great thing to do is plan well ahead of time and rent a balcony on Bourbon Street—you’ll be high above the crowd, watching and enjoying. (Have to admit here; it’s not always a good time to be on the street. Some people party a little too hearty and there’s sometimes a fair amount left on the streets by those who over-imbibed and became nauseated. Yep, throw up, guys!)

But, hey! You may not mind to be part of the revelry!

Now we all know that Mardi Gras itself happens only once a year. And New Orleans is a great place to visit year round. Yes, summer is hot. But since I’m from Miami, it’s not like it really bothers me. And, hey, I’ve been in New York and Virginia in the summer on days when the heat soared higher than it did down further south.

But weather is not the point. Nor is an exact date. In fact, the point is that we’re looking at a venue where one can go at any time.

You can “see” something of Mardi Gras all year round.

That’s because of Mardi Gras World.

Artists have always amazed me, probably because I don’t have an artistic bone in my body. What they can create is mind-boggling. Truly, there is little quite so spectacular on that plain than the floats that are created for the Mardi Gras parades—unless it’s the costumes worn.

Since 1947, the Blaine Kern Studios have been producing the amazing floats you see in the Mardi Gras parades.  Mardi Gras World affords everyone a glace at what goes on to create the fantastic floats in a venue that is beautiful, artistic — incredible!

At Mardi Gras World, you can see old floats and new. You can see the artistry that goes into the creation of the floats. Themes abound and you can learn more about the history of the floats themselves, the parade, and Mardi Gras.

They have a shuttle that runs around the city on appointed rounds to bring people to and from the city and if you’re anywhere fairly central, it’s an easy hop over.

From the detailed to the massive, you can see the work of the artists who create the magic of a Mardi Gras parade. You can be beneath a “star-lit” sky and feel that you’re part of a fantasy world.

You almost feel as if you’ve been to Mardi Gras! (But then again, remember, there are parades in many of the parishes and cities surrounding NOLA, and if you do happen to be there for Mardi Gras, don’t miss “Barkus!” For my animal loving friends, that’s a dog parade and it occurs a day or so before the big parades. Pure fun!)

But again, no matter what the season, you can—and should!—visit Mardi Gras World.

There’s something new there, too, that just opened in 2012. The Café. It sits right on the river and serves up local specialties at very reasonable prices. You can see the specialized fantasy created by man and then the fantastic created by mother nature—the “Big Muddy” or the “Mighty Mississippi” as you enjoy a cocktail or red beans and rice, jambalaya, or gumbo or many other entrees.

Just watching the river, with Mardi Gras World in the background, is a true New Orleans experience.

If you go...their shuttle stops at 20 different places in and around the Quarter and downtown and runs a continual loop. The official address is 1380 Port of New Orleans Place. You’re not far from the Quarter; they are located down at the end of Henderson Street in the Central Business District.

Day Eight - The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

For me, diving is one on the greatest experiences I’ve ever enjoyed.   And, as a diver, I tend to love the oceans and all things sea life. New Orleans does offer one of the most wonderful aquariums I’ve ever seen.

It’s easy to get to. It’s right on Canal Street at the Mississippi River. Seriously, head toward the river while you’re on Canal and you can’t miss it.

The aquarium was hard hit when Katrina went through the city; a generator went down that caused it to lose a great deal of its marine life. I was lucky to be in town for the grand reopening in 2006 and it was quite an experience to be there. The place was thronged, of course, and still, all were in great spirits and ready to ooh and aah about the fantastic work that had been done to bring it back.

The exhibits concentrate on the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean but you never really know what you’re going to see. One special exhibit that held me rather spellbound was one that I normally might have shrugged over—it was on jellyfish. As a diver, I’m not all that fond of jellyfish. They sting like a son-of-a-gun and hurt like hell. But watching them through the glass was like seeing something out of a fantasy novel-turned-movie. They were really beautiful.

There are over five hundred specimens of marine life to be found here.

There’s a tunnel you can walk through that makes it feel like you’re diving while you remain perfectly dry. It takes you through a Caribbean reef. You can view rays—animals I do love!—and angelfish and all kinds of great creatures that you would see if you were diving or snorkeling in the Caribbean. Sources tell me that the tank is 132,000 gallons.

They say that water is soothing; many people believe that having an aquarium in a doctor’s office is calming for patients as they wait. Naturally, being in the water with a killer creature might not be calming, but watching them from the safety of an acrylic dome is pretty cool. I’m a Pisces, so maybe there’s something true in the horoscope, because I do love water. But if you even like the water, sea creatures, or coming close to other habitats, you can’t help but love the aquarium!

Besides the reef, you can see a Mississippi River and Delta exhibit with catfish, gar, turtles—and a white alligator. If you’re not going to make it out to a bayou, this is the next best thing. Better, maybe. These creatures are not lurking in the depths; they’re there for you to see. No bug bites here. Now, I’m from Florida, so it’s not as if I haven’t seen a number of alligators—even white ones. But I especially enjoy this exhibit, maybe because it does feel a little bit like home.

Something of great interest to those who want to know more about our ecosystems and the working of an oilrig is the exhibit with—an oil rig. It's a replica off-shore oil rig complete with all the marine life that would swim around an oil rig out in the Gulf. You see sharks, tarpon, stingrays, turtles and more and get something of an idea of what being out on a rig would be like.

Want to get up close and personal with a piranha? Hm. Well, I don’t, not really—but I do enjoy seeing them in the aquarium’s Amazon Rainforest exhibit! You can get a real sense of where they live and what it’s like in an Amazon rainforest. There are macaws, too, squawking away, along with a seriously big anaconda and other animals.

Seriously, there are so many exhibits! And all of them really nicely set out so that walking through, you find interest in things you didn’t know you were interested in!

Want to know more and enjoy movies? Naturally, they have an IMAX theater offering all kinds of intriguing fare throughout the day on the world of water and the beings that reside in it, around it, or because of it! (The screen is five and a half stories high.)

The aquarium is naturally far more than kid friendly. Tiny to teenage, they can find entertainment at the aquarium. There’s an Adventure Island for little ones—hey, it’s NOLA. They can explore a pirate ship. There’s also a touch-pool for the kid in all of us with friendly rays, so I say take a look at Adventure Island with or without a kid as an excuse. I’ve been here with my little nephews and I’ve loved seeing everything through their eyes. With or without little ones, it’s simply a great aquarium.

Sea otters! Lord, sea otters! I love them—they’re as cute as they can be. No, I have not tried to steal one. But are they fun to watch!

Penguins? Yes, they’ve got them!

Hungry? Naturally, they have a food court with different offerings. Want a party? That can be arranged.

Want to really, really explore and spend a whole bunch of time there? Ah, but you’re with someone who isn’t quite as fish-crazy as you are.

No problem. A short distance away is Harrah’s Casino. I tremble to admit that the bright lights have lured me a few times, but, say your friend isn’t a gambler.  He/she can head to the nearby Shops of Canal Place.

Maybe your friends are bug maniacs. Even if not, nearby is the Audubon Insectarium.  It’s an award-winning entomology museum and you can see things that creep and crawl, fly, bite, sting, slither—and help keep our ecology on track! You can find the Audubon Insectarium very close—at 423 Canal Street—in part of the old U.S. Custom House. (Circa 1881) All kinds of insects can be found here and—if you’ve the mind!—you can even learn about insect cuisine from a specialized chef!

I happen to be a little more partial to sea creatures, but you’ll be surprised just what you can learn about insects here. I highly recommend both for those traveling with children—and for those who simply love sea creatures and river beings, etc., and/or—bugs!

Day Nine - Food! Glorious Food!

New Orleans is a city known for its cuisine. If I were to blog for three hundred days instead of thirty, I couldn’t possibly get to all the wonderful places you can go to eat in this culinary city. So, to write this today, I’ve thought about my favorite places and asked friends and family to give me their spots of absolute culinary delight. You may have favorite places that I won’t get to, so, please, let me know when I’ve missed an absolute must!

Sometimes, I must admit, I personally have a little trouble making sure I don’t order food that’s too spicy for me in New Orleans. (My parents were Scottish and Irish; pizza was this rare and tasty treat in our house and I think I was seventeen when that arrived on the home table!) But if you have such a tender palette too, I will give you fair warning—be careful and ask for mild offerings. If you’re into spicy, eating in NOLA will be close to heaven.

Connie’s husband, Al, once told me that a gumbo was mild. My mouth was still on fire the next morning!

Most of the world, however, can handle spice better than I.

And because the city is really huge and there are so, so, so many restaurants to choose from, I’m going to stay in the French Quarter—all easy walking distance from anywhere in the French Quarter—except for my last.

We’ve already touched on the subject of Café du Monde; that’s for café au lait and beignets and people watching. And I’ve mentioned the hamburgers and to die for potatoes at Port of Call.

So here, I’ll start with K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen. (416 Chartres Street)

The master behind the restaurant is Paul Prudhomme who became famous—even among the already famous chefs of the world.

I’ve been lucky enough to talk with him several times at the restaurant. He is a charming and gracious man.  The restaurant can get really crazy, so it’s best to call ahead for a reservation; if you don’t, you can try dining early or late. Paul Prudhomme is really responsible for introducing the concept of “blackened” food to a large portion of the world.

The menu changes constantly and yet some dishes you’ll find frequently enough. What is done there with shrimp and grits should be part of the dining delight of heaven. His chefs prepare equally wonderful tenderloin; crawfish, naturally. (Crawfish etouffee, oh yes!) For dessert, you have to try the bread pudding. Okay, just kidding; you don’t have to. I happen to love bread pudding. I also love the way that cute little food caricatures tell you about different recipes on the walls.

Chef Paul Prudhomme was the youngest of thirteen children—imagine! He learned to cook with his mom, and I figure she must have spent a lot of time in the kitchen. I raised five children and feeding that much smaller number was a daily challenge. She taught him about fresh ingredients, and he holds to the freshest ingredients to this day. He’s acknowledged by culinary experts as being THE man to bring the distinctive cuisine of his native home to the American people; you can his wonderful spices on line and in specialty shops around the country. (Professional and amateur gourmets in all fifty states and twenty-five other countries treasure his offerings!) He has taught us all about gumbo and tasso and Andouille sausage and so much more! The restaurant is pleasant, there’s a courtyard, the staff is friendly—and it’s really a great experience all way round. I love coming here. It was also a privilege meeting him; he was a lovely man.

Next up, to me, is Mr. B’s.  (201 Royal Street) Mr. B’s has a salad I really love, great gumbo, fresh bread, delights that are local, some spicy, some not. They’re open for lunch and can get very crowded so again, reservations are suggested but I’ve walked in off the street many a time. It’s busy, bustling, and delicious. It’s right across the street from the Hotel Monteleone, convenient and easy when we’re putting on Writers. They serve up a bloody Mary that will shock you to life and also whip up a blood orange Margarita that is fresh and delicious. Somehow, in NOLA, the coffee is always the best to me. There’s a jazz brunch on Sundays, which is always entertaining.

Quick and tasty and right on Decatur Street (near Jackson Square, the river, mule-driven carriages and more) is Tujague’s (823 Decatur Street.) The restaurant claims to be the second oldest in the city and has been serving up Creole food since 1856. Guillaume Tujague came to America from France in 1852 and began by serving breakfast. The building itself was once a Spanish armory. Easy, pleasant, a nice taste of the city, and reasonable in price.

Another fun restaurant is Maspero’s (440 Chartres Street.) The building was erected in 1788. It was a coffee house where the famous met at one time, including the Lafitte brothers and Andrew Jackson—before the Battle of New Orleans. Living history, once again. There’s a nice casual air here as the staff serves up Cajun cuisine.

We’ve mentioned the second oldest restaurant, so now the first—Antoine’s. Antoine Alciatore came from Marseille. In 1840 he opened a rooming house or pension, naturally, with food to please and attract the visitor. The restaurant has been serving delicious food ever since. President Roosevelt once came here for lunch—you can come for lunch or dinner. Antoine’s continues to offer fine dining that is still remarkably casual and friendly. You can see old photos on the walls and yet be charmed by the tablecloths and excellent service. It’s a lovely place to celebrate something special! Oysters Rockefeller are a specialty; they were first served here. (713 St. Louis Street)

The Court of Two Sisters is an excellent choice for a jazz brunch (or other dining!) The courtyard is lovely, the music divine, and the buffet long and filled with choices.  (613 Royal Street)  It’s named for two sisters, Emma and Bertha, who once owned a “notions” shop here—current owners are not related. But, of course, it’s a beautiful, historic, and certainly haunted building!

Arnoud’s (430 Dauphine Street) and Brennan’s (417 Royal Street) are both famed and elegant and offer wonderful food. A comparatively new choice among these long esteemed establishments is NOLA—Creole cuisine with a bit of a modern flair. (534 St. Louis Street) I’ve really enjoyed NOLA every time I've been.

For a great sandwich? A shrimp po-boy or the like? I recommend the Acme Oyster House. There can be quite a line at lunchtime. That’s because it’s reasonable and the food is very good. You can find it at 724 Iberville Street.

I didn’t set out to list restaurants—you can find a list anywhere and here’s something that’s great about the city—it’s actually hard to find a bad restaurant. I’m going to mention Napoleon House because it’s old and fun and in a building that was really erected with the hopes that Napoleon Bonaparte would come to New Orleans in his exile. We all know that didn’t happen—Napoleon remained on Elba where he passed away. Napoleon House remained-Napoleon House.  Like many places, it has a great courtyard.  It was really erected for Nicholas Girod in 1814-he was the man who sympathized with Napoleon and actually offered the deposed emperor the place if he came to New Orleans. The atmosphere here is fun and breezy. (500 Chartres Street)

All of the restaurants in historic buildings are proud of their history—often, you’ll find it on the menu and if you feel that you aren’t getting the whole story, ask your server. He or she will be glad to help you.

Muriel’s offers up just about everything, in my opinion. The food is delicious; there’s often a three piece jazz band playing. The building is charming and haunted. Once, for Writers, Helen Rosburg hosted a party here. Everyone came in antebellum dress and we had the entire second floor and used one room for old time photographs (taken by amazing mixed-media artist friend Lynn Sanders! Check out her work!) and we played charades in another room and set one aside for tarot and palm readings. The night was wonderful and I’m ever grateful to Muriel’s, and yes, I’ll always be partial. But, the wonder of dining at Muriel’s isn’t something you have to trust me about—ask anybody. Of course, it’s haunted. Balconies are beautiful and overlook Jackson Square!  (801 Chartres Street)

There are charming coffee shops, bars, little alleyway places, and tea shops just about everywhere.

You could also check out Irene's (lovely old fashioned feel and delicious food!) Or the Alpine—bread pudding that melts in your mouth. Or...

Like I said, hard to go wrong.

The one restaurant I will talk about that’s out of the Quarter is in the Garden District. (1403 Washington Avenue) I’ve mentioned it before but it deserves a double-take. I’m referring to Commander’s Palace. Several stories, a garden, a terrace...wonderful salads, a bit of that amazing casual elegance that’s so charming, and entrees that are delicious. If you’re looking for a really nice afternoon, walk the Garden District and see some of the exquisite mansions, stop by the Garden District Book Store, feel the atmosphere of Lafayette Cemetery and marvel at the “city of the dead”—and then dine at Commander’s Palace.

New Orleans truly offers so much in the way of dining. Name an ethnicity, and you’ll find it somewhere. But if you’re going for a real taste of New Orleans, you can check out a few that I’ve mentioned here.

Oh, one last! Feel like a peanut butter hamburger? Stop in at Yo Mamas located at 727 St Peter.

Day Ten - Meet Susie Q and the NOLA of Anne Rice

One of the best things about the city of New Orleans for me has been people! In the time I’ve spent there I’ve been lucky enough to meet some of the most intriguing and talented people in the world—and people who love the city, the culture, and bring it to others.

Suzie Quiroz is delightful—and has done something special in the city for years now. If you come at Halloween, there are a variety of things to do and amazing balls to go to. But Suzie introduced a very special ball years ago and it continues to grow. Now, she also does a writer’s con to go with it and pulls in some of the top names in the business. So, I’d like you to meet Suzie Q. And if you’ve a hankering to go to NOLA in October, she has a very special treat set up for 2013.

I’ll let her explain in her own words. (Mostly!)

H: Suzie, you're a master at the city! I've been to your ball and con and both are wonderful. (Suzie's NOLA Halloween Ball is legendary!) When did you first come to NOLA?

S: I came to NOLA when I was 13 years old. My mom was born in N.O. and grew up in the Irish Channel. She met my dad during the war when he was in N.O. before he went to Korea. My dad was born in Lancanster, Ohio. My brothers and sister and I were born there, and Melanie was born in N.O. Coming from a small town, I thought N.O. was huge. I saw my first movie at the Saenger Theatre with my cousin Cindy after my first ride on the streetcar. The movie was Love Me Tender with Elvis. I was in heaven!

H: You were Anne Rice's assistant for years. What was that like—and is that how you got into doing your wonderful ball?

S: My sister Melanie said I had to read Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat. I met Anne Rice at the Queen of the Damned booksigning in Oct. 1988. Melanie Scott, Susie Miller, Teresa Simmons and I asked her if we could start a fan club for her. She said Lestat would love to have a fan club so we got about 35 people signed up. Anne invited us over to her house and we were given some names to call. It was usually me who would call when we needed things to print. When I lost my job at a law firm, I asked Anne if she needed a secretary so that is how I got the job.

It was the greatest job because I never knew what I would be doing. It was very challenging. One day when she was on tour she called with my assignment. Pack some clothes and catch a plane to meet her in DC for the Memnoch book tour. I did the bus tour too for Servant of the Bones. In 2000, the fan club ended and in 2002 I started holding the Ball again with my own funds. Things went well and Anne came to the Ball again in 2004. Then Stan was diagnosed with cancer. After Stan's death, Anne moved to CA to be closer to Christopher and I was out of a job. Katrina hit soon after that and I had to start over. When I finally found a place to stay and had access to a computer again, I restarted the fan club so I could afford to hold the Ball in 2006. It has grown since then with authors like Charlaine Harris and Laurell K. Hamilton coming to be the Queen of the Ball. Then in 2010 I wanted to expand and have authors come to take part in panels to talk about their books, to tell us how they got started and about publishing in general. The first year, Heather Graham, Dacre Stoker and Gabrielle Faust were my headliners and each year we added more authors to our panels like Sherrilyn Kenyon last year. There are many stories of my job that were so memorable, and I guess you could say for 15 years, I was in my dream job. I learned so much from Anne and traveled all over the world. I cannot thank her enough so it was just logical for me to continue the fan club and expand it into a way to bring more people to New Orleans. And all who sit in the panels get to know the authors whose books line the shelves of the book store. These authors who aren't yet as well known as the top NY Times best sellers, will be better known when they leave.

H: What's your favorite thing about the city?

S: I actually like taking people from out of town around the city showing them, not only the French Quarter, but the Garden District, and the big, beautiful houses along St. Charles and Carrollton Avenue. I show them the streetcars, the restaurants, the festivals.

There is always something going on here. And much to see in certain areas; so many places in the city that are still not rebuilt after Katrina. I show them all of it, good and bad, because this is where I always want to live.

H: What's going on with you, your con, and the ball for this year—that’s special to you and many, many fans of a particular author—one who helped NOLA become even more famous?

S. I am still in the process of forming the author panels with some authors who have not yet confirmed. I was told that some publishers are not so quick to commit due to the writer not being as huge as Anne Rice. It was exciting to hear that Anne Rice confirmed she would be at the Ball and after we found the place for the Author Social on Thursday, she confirmed not only that she was coming, but that her publisher Vicky Wilson would attend as well!

A lot has to be confirmed when holding a four day event. We are using the same hotel and venue for the Ball but with the New year, Mardi Gras and the Superbowl all within weeks of each other, it was hard to get everything confirmed. More clubs and big charity events and huge music festivals are held on the same Halloween weekend than before so it all has become more difficult to get what you want at a venue big enough for your group on those dates.

The good news is that there are interesting authors who can make it and one is coming all the way from South Africa! Another is stationed in Afganistan now after completing tours in Iraq and will get out in September. Really the best part of this is meeting all the authors and hearing their stories. I could not ask for more. I am thrilled to meet them all.

H: How do people reach you if they want to become involved in any or all of your projects?

S. Our website is www.arvlfc.com and I can be reached by emailing me at admin@arvlfc.com. I answer the emails and send out the memberships and have had local people help with this. It is a big job and without our webmistress and many extra helping hands that work tirelessly and contribute ideas and solutions, I could not make these events happen. We also communicate on Facebook and will be posting when we meet in case local people want to become a part of our staff. We can always use a blood infusion!

More about the Ball:

The theme for the Ball this year is Lestat's Reunion Ball celebrating the return of Anne Rice to New Orleans and her participation in the festivities. There will be special presentations and a Q&A at the Ball. Our musical entertainment will be planned and hosted by violinist Paul Mercer with Jill Tracy as Master of Ceremonies. Costumes are encouraged but not required, 18th century theme this year. We will also have our signed book raffles that will benefit St. Alphonsus Church. The Author Meet and Greet titled "An Evening with the Angels and Saints of St. Alphonsus Church" will highlight the historic church's need for our help to save the art and history of this Church of the Irish that is directly across the street from the German Church, St. Mary's Assumption. You can read more about the history of these two churches at www.stalphonsusneworleans.com.

Please visit our website, www.arvlfc.com, or our facebook page for more updates on our festivities and participants

H. Thanks, Suzie. I can tell people with all my heart that your ball and con are great! I did have the pleasure of being a speaker and I’m one of the people trying to fix their schedule to get back this year.  Our Slushpile band played the ball one year and it was a great time!

Now, if you can’t make October and you can make December, there’s another con I’ll tell you about, Writers for New Orleans.

But that’s for another day!

Day Eleven - The Myrtles (Day Trip 1 from NOLA)

While I’ll cover more plantations tomorrow, I’m going to start with the Myrtles; a plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana, near and dear to my heart.

We all know that authors do whacky things for promo and that book trailers are all the rage now. To introduce the Krewe of Hunters series, we decided to do a trailer at a plantation. A haunted plantation, of course. My friends, the Peace River Ghost Hunters, were also able to come up to do a “ghost expedition.” All these things collided in a wonderful weekend at the plantation.

To film we had to have the crew, Bridget from the PR company, and family and friends who were willing to play ghosts, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

So, I’m going to back track now. “Plantation” as a word really refers to a farm. We’ll get to more of that tomorrow when we do big, little, grand, and mostly work farm.

The Myrtles is beautiful. It’s not the biggest or the grandest, but it’s on that scale.

Building on the plantation was first begun in 1796. Judge David Bradford—a leader of the Whiskey Rebellion in Pennsylvania—fled south to this beautiful spot in Louisiana and built the north wing of the house. It the early 1800s, his daughter and her husband added a “gallery”—a first level porch that runs 107 feet. When the sun is falling and dusk is coming, it’s an especially lovely place to sit and enjoy one of the rockers kept there. The house was sold again in 1834 and the south wing was added on.

Needless to say, in the two centuries-plus since the house was built, there has been war and calamity and mayhem—and murder. The Myrtles oozes with ghost stories. Whether you decide to go and stay and just stop and explore, you can take a few tours. One, see the house. Two, wait until the daylight is gone and listen to all the tales about the ghosts.

Staying here is an absolutely charming thing to do—whether you are or aren’t into ghosts. The house and the grounds are lovely. The house is filled with antique treasures from furniture to decoration and standing in the midst of it all, you can get a real feel for antebellum life in this gracious mansion.

There’s a full service restaurant right there, too, if you want to take a tour and stop for a bite to eat. The restaurant is the Carriage House, and everything I ate there was wonderful.

The Myrtles can be taken for weddings, receptions, and other parties—or rented by crazy authors to create book promo videos!

I started off with Dennis, my husband, in the Judge Clarke Woodruff Suite. It’s upstairs above the foyer in the main house and you reach it by a handsome staircase. That’s the only room that allows you access to the foyer after the tours are over for the day. There’s an extra bed in a passage room there, and a private bath and it’s really nice.

It’s grand and sweeping, and really wonderful and I loved it. It’s truly a suite—and if you take it, that space is all yours! But—if you happen to be of the cowardly persuasion—it’s lonely, too. So, when dusk fell and darkness swept around, I really thought about that. Just the two of us...that whole upper floor. And Dennis is well aware that I’m afraid of anything that goes bump in the night.

I wound up spending most of my time on the ground floor, with Connie and my daughter, Bryee-Annon, in the General David Bradford Suite. It has a sitting room and two of the verandahs adjoin the suite. It’s gorgeous. Hey, the costumes were all down there. And there’s safety in numbers, the way I see it!

There are four more rooms available in the main house, and then more rooms and cottages and even two bedroom facilities available, too. No matter where you stay, the view is beautiful. And the tour is charming and enlightening and really takes you back to a different era—even understanding that a lot of work with trying to appear so elegant and as if you didn’t work! The ghost stories we heard were both chilling and sad. I won’t give those away—you’ll have to get to the Myrtles.

Of course, we were there to work. There was costuming, and filming, and lots of fun involved. And then Scott and Sprout and the Peace River Ghost Hunters went to work. Now I love them because they’re never out to prove something is haunted—they’re quick to tell you when you’re seeing a shadow or when a thump, thump, thump is just someone’s phone on vibrate. They take pictures; they record, and they leave cameras for when the house is quiet and all are sleeping to see what appears in the wee hours. All I know is that at one point, I’m sure I did hear something. Am I impressionable? Yes. But, writing books and doing the amount of things I do in pursuit of them, I am a skeptic. I want to know why a ghost would haunt a property.

Well, there are many reasons at the Myrtles!

The Myrtles is one of the Upper Mississippi River plantations. It’s at 7747 Highway 61, St. Francisville, Louisiana, about two hours from NOLA. Just hop I-10 to the 110 in Baton Rouge and then on to highway 61 and it’s not a bad drive—112 miles from the city.

There’s a gorgeous brick courtyard for sitting and reading, enjoying coffee, a soft drink, or a cocktail. A gazebo looks over a lake and there’s an absolutely charming bridge there—and ten acres to roam filled with towering oaks.

The owner and the management are friendly and helpful—it’s like a lovely past-life home away from home, a wonderful place to go to find history, peace, tranquility, beauty—and maybe a ghost or two!

I'm very proud of the film we did during our stay at the Myrtles.  Let me present The Krewe of Hunter Series.

Day Twelve - More Plantations

Some of the most beautiful and/or intriguing plantations you’ll ever see can be found in Louisiana, and while I’ve spent the most time at the Myrtles, there are others, some smaller, some larger, each with their own little piece of history in the greater scale of things.

Remember, plantation means farm, so some are huge, others are modest, but all have something special.

The Myrtles is an Upper Mississippi plantation, so we’ll look at a few more of those plantations today.

Just down the road at 8345 Highway 61 (St. Francisville) is Butler Greenwood Plantation—a bed and breakfast. Butler Greenwood is remarkable for the fact that the plantation has stayed in the same family throughout the years. It was built by a Pennsylvania Quaker, Doctor Samuel Flower, in 1796 as a cotton plantation. Harriet, the good doctor’s daughter, continued to run the home and grounds as a cotton plantation  during most of the following century—until her death. But the family picked up the reins. The plantation is still producing cotton—but now it’s open to the public.

It’s furnished with wonderful antebellum pieces and has an absolutely gorgeous stairway that is a must-see to me. Another must-see is the twelve piece parlor set all made of rosewood.

Cast iron benches adorn the grounds, which are enchanting.

Something else special—there are family portraits to be seen throughout the house. It’s fun to wonder about the men and women who went before and lived and breathed in the house and called it home.

Okay, frankly, Highway 61 can be a great ride in itself, just going from plantation to plantation. Next, we’ll mention Catalpa (9508 Highway 61.) The house is a reconstruction; the original was destroyed by fire in 1885. But it was first built by William J. Fort in the early 1800s—he was a man famous for his charm and for welcoming visitors into his home. The reconstruction is lovely and the grounds well worth a visit.

Not to be confused with Butler Greenwood Plantation is Greenwood Plantation, also on Highway 61. (Pretty sure that we average tourists can’t just do the river-drop-by anymore!) Greenwood is one of the largest of what they call the “American-style” plantations. It’s majestic—truly beautiful when seen just as one approaches. The Greek Revival home was built for William Ruffin Barrow. At one time, there were forty plus outbuildings for all kinds of work, making the home entirely self-sufficient. Mr. Barrow must have been one smart cookie—he anticipated that no matter what anyone’s “Cause,” the Civil War was going to wreak havoc on the South and he sold out. The plantation became a hospital and after that, well, as Mr. Barrow had surmised, it began to fall apart.

Restored in 1906, it too became victim to a fire, but the grand columns remained and (28 Doric columns, awesome!) and once again, Greenwood was restored. It’s also a bed and breakfast and—you guessed it—lots of people seem to want to get married at such a beautiful place.

Cottage Plantation is also in St. Francisville, and it can be found at 10528 Cottage Lane (still really easy!) There’s some real history here; Judge Thomas Butler—the son of Colonel Thomas Butler, one famed for being part of the “Fighting Butlers” who served beneath General George Washington. The house is truly beautiful—inside you’ll find gold-leaf wallpaper and all kinds of exquisite and historic bric-a-brac. The proper includes many outbuildings, including slave cabins and others, and a restaurant. Of course, accommodations are offered!

At 12501 Highway 10, you’ll find Rosedown Plantation. It’s big, it’s wonderful. Cedar and cypress create a gabled central structure and massive Doric columns support a double gallery, or wonderful porches that look out over the grounds. This plantation was owned by the Turnbull family from about 1835 to 1855 and what’s wonderful about that was Mrs. Turnbull—she was a horticulturalist and she is known to have brought to the area the first azaleas and camellias. This means that there are acres and acres of beautiful gardens to be seen here. The State of Louisiana now owns the plantation and has taken loving care of it—restoring what was lost when the previous owner sold off some of what had been original.  A tour takes about forty-five or fifty minutes.

While in St. Francisville—now at Highway 965—you can also stop in and see Oakley House an Audubon State Historic Site. (Great thing about Audubon—the man did get around!) The house was built by a wealthy Scotsman, James Pirrie, between 1808 and 1810. In 1821, James Audubon came to the house to teach the young lady of the manor. He wasn’t there that long—a few months; seemed he and the wealthy Scotsman didn’t get along that well. But, while he was there, he painted many of his images of birds that later appeared in Birds of America. You can go and see the study where he worked, and, naturally, you can see gardens and…birds.

As you can see, there are all kinds of wonders here to choose from. It depends what you’re looking for. Quiet and beauty and serenity and a sense of the past, or gardens and trees and the richness of nature. Some of the houses can be toured easily, and some are places where you’re going to want to stay. There’s something magical about waking up a plantation that’s now a bed and breakfast. Sometimes, you want what’s real and oldest, sometimes you want what’s biggest and grandest.

Sometimes, you want it all.

If you start out bright and early, I’d still suggest finding the one that appeals to you most and check in on any of their websites about what they offer and what their prices are for whatever season you’re traveling. We’re all different in what we love, like, and really don’t care about at all. I’d find it hard, though, not to be intrigued in some way.

And these are just the plantations of the Upper Mississipi!

Tomorrow...the Lower Mississippi Plantations! (Those include the famous and glorious Oak Alley, the Creole plantation, Laura, Nottaway, and the unique San Francisco!

Day Thirteen - Lower Mississippi Plantations

Many of these plantations help explain a statistic—in 1850, it’s estimated that almost 2/3 of our country’s millionaires lived along the Great River Road here in Louisiana.

Naturally, the plantations are broken up into Upper and Lower because you’ll be going in two different directions from NOLA to visit each set of plantations.

I’m going to start out with one I love and where I’ve stayed overnight—Oak Alley. (3645 Highway 18, Vacherie)

The very name conjures up a view most of us have seen at some time in our lives—the sweeping line of oaks that leads to the grand plantation.

Oak Alley is grand on just about every scale. Naturally, it’s impressive just to approach the mansion—there are 28 towering oaks that are estimated to be over three hundred years old. They lead to and create a frame for the entrance to the mansion.

The plantation itself is a star—it’s been used in numerous movies and television shows including Interview With a Vampire, The Long Hot Summer, and many more. It looks like one of the grand estates seen in Gone With the Wind, but that exterior was actually filmed elsewhere. The house was built in 1837 (for Jacques Telephore Roman III) and conjures up images of fine carriages and women in sweeping antebellum gowns. There are massive columns and a second floor gallery. But there is much more to see here than just the house—which is beautifully kept with period pieces and décor. Not that a tour of the house isn’t filled with wondrous sites and the guides tell the history exceptionally well.

But here, you can also visit a Civil War campsite, see restored outbuildings, and also see an excellent slave quarters exhibit. There’s a blacksmith’s shop and other buildings pertinent to the day to day running of a plantation with all the work that was involved. There are gardens, gravestones, and a gift shop, naturally. At Oak Alley, you can really get beneath the beauty—though that is abundant—and get down to daily basics and all that went into running these massive estates. (The forge is original!)

We stayed here with a group in one of the outbuildings; we were a fairly large group so we actually had a little “house” to ourselves. It’s beautiful to be here at night, to see the oaks as twilight falls, and to discover all the grounds have to offer. I also love the restaurant—let me mention again that the shrimp po-boy is delicious. When you come, you’ll naturally be regaled with tales as well about the local haunts and when you see mist fall over the oaks, you’ll believe you see fine gentlemen and elegant ladies strolling along them.

Just down the street is Laura. (2247 Highway 18) This is a classic raised Creole plantation and it was built by Guillame Duparc, a Revolutionary War veteran in 1805. It’s really interesting to visit Laura right after exploring Oak Alley—you get a sense of the difference of the classic English/American plantation and the Creole plantation. Something very fun for me in the grand scheme of wonderful stories we hear as children is the literary tradition that was born here; the slaves told stories. The original French was translated by folklorist Alcee Fortier and later became Joel Chandler Harris’s tales found in the Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit books. Now, every time I’m at Disney going on Splash Mountain, I think of Laura!  Like many places, Laura was devastated by a fire, but it’s been excellently restored to show true Creole style. As always, look Laura up before going and check out hours and appointment times for tours.

On to Nottoway, again, grand and wonderful—and I especially love it because of the name. It literally came to the time of building when it was being constructed in 1859. The architect was Henry Howard and John Randolph was going to be moving in with his wife and eleven children and it was meant to be a mansion. Therefore, only the finest wood could be used—not the pieces with knots. So, the cry went up—“Knot away!” And thus, goes the legend, the house—the largest on the stretch of River Road. Okay, big. I mean big. 53,000 square feet, 64 rooms. There are fireplaces galore, beautiful windows, antiques, wonderful things that display the life of the, ahem, really well-to-do.

Nottoway might have been a victim of the Civil War, however, when a Union gunboat was bearing down, one of her officers asked the house be spared—once upon a time, he’d been a guest there and he couldn’t bear to see the home destroyed. (30970 Highway 405, White Castle)

I really (really, really, really!) suggest you see this plantation. It’s truly one of our finest examples of antebellum architecture.

Destrehan (13034 River Road) was built by a “free man of color.” It was built in the Creole style in 1787 but then modified in 1830-1840. A historical note here is that Union soldiers freed the slaves working here when they came through during the Civil War. Sugar drove the economy here, and there are several buildings to be seen.

Houmas House, dating from 1840, survived the Civil War because its owner, John Burnside, was Irish. He demanded that he be treated as a British subject, and therefore, he’d best be left alone. (40136 Highway 942, Darrow. He grew sugar cane and had a number of sugar mills. The house is grand with galleries and columns and if you're out in that direction, you should also stop in nearby Houma, Louisiana. There you’ll find one of the finest independent bookstores still going strong in our country. That’s because it’s run by Molly and Kay who know their readers, know their books, and are it's one of the most friendly places you’ll ever find.

To round out this group of exceptionally fine and historic plantations, you can hop on over to Madewood in Napoleonville at 4350 Highway 308. It, too, was erected for a sugar planter between 1840 and 1848 and is considered to be the first building of note by architect Henry Howard. It’s a bed and breakfast, the nicest, most hospitable kind, and yes...you can rent it for events!

Louisiana is famed for its gracious grand plantations—venues that teach us about a past that was considered romantically slow and graceful—except that, of course, these days, they teach you all that is good and not so good about history. But here’s the thing, remember—knowing we behaved badly doesn’t change history. It should never be white-washed. So see these grand places to appreciate—and to remember! We continue daily to fight for true equality for everyone, no matter what their color—or religion, sex, sexual orientation, or ethnicity!

Day Fourteen - The Zoo

See these eyes…

Think back, remember. Let your mind hear the haunting music of a great song by David Bowie. See in your mind’s eye something sleek and black and incredibly graceful...a leopard, a black leopard.

Cat People—actually, the remake of the 1942 classic, was filmed in NOLA, with much of the filming taking place at the zoo. This one stars the ever wonderful Malcolm McDowell and Natasha Kinski and its considered to be erotic. That’s, of course, because, ahem, falling in love turns the naïve star into a leopard but due to circumstances, our heroine doesn’t know this until she comes to stay with her brother—in New Orleans. And if you’re a leopard, where do you wind up?

The zoo! (6500 Magazine Street)

I love the New Orleans zoo. It isn’t anywhere near as big as some of the zoos I’ve been to, but it’s big enough for a good day of walking if you want to catch all the exhibits. It’s also different, too, because it has an atmosphere that’s somehow entirely New Orleans.

And guess what? It consistently ranks among our nation’s top zoos!

The Audubon Zoo opened in 1938 and in the 1980s it was given a “zoo-over,” naturally to update things and also because that’s about when we realized that animals used to space needed more than little cages and we just started caring a lot more about what we did. We went to “natural” habitats. As with everything else, the “summer of storms” played havoc, but creatures were cared for and this area—not far from Tulane and Loyola—didn’t suffer the way some did. I was recently there; the trees were weaving, flowers—flowering—and fountains bubbling. It was a lovely day. The old mingles beautifully with the new here.

I’m a zoo nut. It’s one of the reasons I fell in love with the city as a child. There are magnificent creatures to be seen, and yes, many cities have fine zoos. But if you’re like me, you’ll want to see this one because it is unique and it’s especially fun if you’re traveling with children. It is 58 acres, so you can spend time walking around! There are all kinds of things to do; there’s an elephant plaza and at designated times, a keeper gives an elephant show and children can touch an elephant without paying the extra needed at many zoos for an elephant ride. The elephants, Jean and Panya, are favorites of visitors to the zoo.

Sea lions delight crowds and their exhibit is one of the oldest at the zoo. The lovely columns make it an especially pleasant spot and when it’s feeding time, you might need to jockey for space to see the fun.

We all know (I mean, realistically, seriously!) New Orleans can get hot. But the zoo takes care of that by having a Cool Zoo. It’s animal themed, of course, but it’s a splash playground that tons of fun—for little children, and those big children called grown-ups, alike.

You’re actually right in Uptown New Orleans—but you can be in the swamp while there, and sit in a rocker, and take in what that life might be like—and cool down a little there, too. Lots of trees and shade. You’re safely up close and safe with lots of alligators as they bask and swim in muddy water and watch you with their curiously cunning eyes. You’ll also see a Cajun houseboat out on the lagoon, and other denizens of the region.

Reptiles? They got ‘em. Cobras, rattlesnakes, Kimodo dragons.

There are white tiger brothers here—King Rex and King Zulu.

Monkeys, primates, bears.

Giraffes? Of course.  You’ll find them at the African Savannah along with hippos, rhinos, zebras, wild dogs, and more.

Years and years ago, under the Works Progress Administration, workers built Monkey Hill. It’s twenty-eight feet tall; for many children from New Orleans, it’s the only hill they know.

And, of course, it’s legendary for being the highest topographical point in the city.  Today it has trails, wading pool and a cool rope bridge.

If you haven’t much time and you’re not sure what you want to see most, I suggest you catch the little tram, which does a pretty good sweep of the zoo; then you know. Wow—I missed that turn. I have to go see the bear!

Naturally, you can stop for a snack, or lunch, or a drink. It’s hot, right? Of course, they have water and sell it, too. There are a few rides, too, if you’re looking for that kind of entertainment—but those are animal themed, too. (Extra fee.)

If you haven’t caught the movie, Cat People (I’m referring to the 1982 remake,) it shows some really fine buildings unique to the New Orleans zoo. They were what made the set design so compelling, in my mind. Some have seen the way of storms and time, but some still stand; you can ask at information if you want to know which ones are original to the zoo. People there are friendly and helpful.

Did I mention the jaguars? They can be found at Jaguar Jungle.  They live in a habitat created to resemble Mayan ruins. You'll also find anteaters there, along with sloths, spider monkeys and other creatures.  The different habitats are well done and reflect the natural homes of the animals.

All in all, it’s a lovely day in a beautiful section of the city. They take excellent care of the animals and all the trainers and keepers I met were deeply devoted to their charges.

They do close around four or five in the afternoon, depending on the day, and if you’ve driven there, when you’re done, you can take a ride down Magazine Street where you’ll find wonderful restaurants and stores and you can browse and find a great place for dinner. For many of my friends who live in the city, Magazine is their favorite place to shop. I’m rather partial to a few places there myself.

But I love the zoo. There’s something very special about it.

Cats, yes, of course, big cats!

See these eyes…

Day Fifteen - Music & All That Jazz

First of all, if you can make it, one of the most remarkable events of the year in NOLA is New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival that takes place for ten days in spring. (You can still make it this year!)

In my humble opinion, there is nothing quite like it. NOLA loves jazz, and Jazz Fest takes it all to a new level. Thousands of bands, thousands of people, local culture and cuisine, parades—a party unlike anything you’ll ever witness or experience anywhere else.

Perhaps it’s all because of the curious beginnings. Unlike many things in NOLA, Jazz Fest does not go back hundreds of years! Many groups had jazz fest during the 1960s but it was 1970 when George Wein was brought in. He’d already started a few jazz festivals, so he knew what he was doing. And he did. He didn’t head down Bourbon Street, he found the best performers he could in the city by going to the local venues—and even asking musicians in he had seen playing on the street.  Mahalia Jackson attended that New Orleans Heritage Fair in Congo Square. She began to sing, and while there were about 350 attendees to the fest that first year, it blossomed into something magnificent immediately. Duke Ellington was there, Al Hirt was there…the festival was something that sprang to life with an essence all its own and has since blossomed into one of the finest examples of such an event to be found anywhere. Music, food, art, vendors, concerts, culture,  and Mardi Gras “Indians,” all come together to fill the air and the city with jazz. Now, there’s an International Pavilion, there are the biggest names in the music industry, and no matter where the performers come from, they become essentially part of the city while Jazz Fest goes on and it now stretches out for ten days, taking in two weekends.

I don’t think there’s anything quite like it anywhere. If you’re ever able to attend, you should. (Unless you hate music!)

Yes, the city gets crazy. And there’s actually a different kind of crazy for Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. Both are unique here. Will hotel prices go up? Yes. Should you book well ahead? You bet! I especially love Jazz Fest because my sister went with co-workers from Delta Airlines every year and, she told me once, it was something that really kept them all going. Trust me—if you go once, you’re going to want to go again.

However, if you can’t make Jazz Fest and want to go to NOLA at a different time of year, fear not. You will find jazz.

There are a number of restaurants where you can go for a jazz brunch. One fun and lovely place we’ve been often is the Court of Two Sisters. (For some reason, I spent years trying to make it the Court of Three Sisters, but no, there were just two.) As mentioned in “Food!” there really were two sisters who once had a “notions” shop here but now it’s a lovely and historic building where they serve up a jazz brunch on Sundays that is wonderful. There’s a courtyard where, if the weather in nice, you you can get a real feel of the ambiance. There’s a nice big buffet, friendly service, the charm of the traditional courtyard, and—jazz.

Another favorite of mine where you’ll get a charming group of three walking around to entertain you while you dine is Muriel’s. The entertainers are delightful and the menu is delicious. If you go, make sure you walk around and see the whole restaurant while you’re listening.

These are just two of the venues. Many, many places do jazz brunch. And while I just mentioned my favorites, you may come with your own—and then look down your nose at me if you choose because you’ve found something you like sooo much better!

I’ve gone to New Orleans often as long as I can remember. After Katrina, so much was down that the city performers and club and restaurant owners were desperate to get people back into the city. Now, I’m a Journey fan, but it did seem that at first that as you walked along, every club there had a group doing Journey. On Bourbon, you’re still going to find a bit more of what we all know (and do love.) With years having passed now, I’m thrilled to say that even on Bourbon, you’ll now find jazz and blues. And if you’ve never been to NOLA, you do have to walk down Bourbon Street just so that you can see the fun and craziness and of course, you’ve been on Bourbon Street. You can catch great acts here—and if you want to “music” it yourself, you can drop into “The Cat’s Meow,” a karaoke club. It gets busy and crazy so drop your song in fast!

That having been said, my favorite place to head for music is Frenchman Street. Here you’ll find all kinds of great little atmospheric clubs. You’ll hear the up and coming—yes, yes, you know that name, you love them! You’ll also hear the new groups, the local groups, starting out. And what’s wonderful is that so much of it is so good, in later years you’ll be able to say, “Wow! They’re huge now and I saw them when they were at that little place on Frenchman.”

Whether they become huge or not, the great thing is that you’ll hear exceptionally fine musicians and get a sense of the local music scene. Blue Nile (532 Frenchman Street) is one of my favorite places to go, but if you head out at night and start there, walk on down Frenchman. I’m not saying you can’t go wrong—just that it will be hard to do so!

Nice, upscale, with a bit of the British Isles? I say try the Bombay Club. That’s in the French Quarter at 830 Conti Street.

Also, check out Preservation Hall—and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Preservation Hall was formed in the early sixties to see that, well, jazz was preserved. And the band! Wow.

But, no matter where you go, you’ll find music. Here’s the amazing thing about New Orleans. Music is everywhere. There’s a gentleman who plays on Royal Street who has been there as long as I can remember. He’s a one-man band, with stringed instruments, a harmonica, a washboard, and more. He’ll sing a Broadway tune, slip into a blues number, and then regale you with a pop number. You don’t have to pay to see him—though, of course, there’s a guitar case in front of him so that you can donate for the pleasure of hearing him. The thing is—he’s a finer musician than many I’ve paid a great deal to see and his voice is fantastic.

Day Sixteen - The Historical Wax Museum of New Orleans - Musee Conti

I have a love/hate relationship with wax museums. I’m not all that big on the ones that show you images of current stars and those departed. (Yes, I admit, I have had a picture taken with wax figures.) But my real love is a wax museum that takes you through history and gives you the great and the traumatic events that shaped us into what we are. (Okay, I also love—love, love, love, a good chamber of horrors!) I believe that I’d be absolutely terrified if I were locked tight in a wax museum—certain that the figures would come to life and do me in.

They stare with sightless eyes, and yet we believe that they see. They are cast in various stages of world history that they lived and we learned, events that influenced us all.

That said, in broad daylight, and with friends, I am fascinated by these museums in which we see these creations that are human—and not!

The Historical Wax Museum of New Orleans, Musee Conti, doesn’t set out to terrify you or delight you with images of our current ‘hot’ stars of the silver screen. What it does do is show you the history of a city—New Orleans.

It’s not a huge museum; you can see it in an hour or linger a little longer. It’s wonderfully unique; the plan here is to tell a story, a specific story.

The Musee Conti is right on Conti (as the name would imply! Number 917, Rue Conti!) in the French Quarter—easy walking distance from most FQ hotels or bed and breakfast places. There are, they say, 154 figures. The tableaus in which they stand were carefully researched. The wax is beeswax—it’s added to a chemical compound. Eyes are imported from Germany and the human hair is imported from Italy. Tremendous care was and is given to the figures.

The museum, I believe, is something that writers and readers and anyone who has a love for the city would enjoy seeing—especially because of the specific stories it relates. There are tableaus that tell a tale of the people who came and made a difference in the city of New Orleans. We all know about Andrew Jackson and the Battle of New Orleans. If history didn’t snare us all as children, school principal Jimmy Driftwood managed to do so with his song. (Look it up on youtube if you haven’t heard it—best version Johnny Horton’s 1959 number 1 hit!) And yes, you’ll find Andrew Jackson here—of course. He was incredibly important to the city of New Orleans, the parish—Louisiana and our country!

But the history of the Battle of New Orleans isn’t all that you’ll find here—it’s a great place to get started at the beginning of NOLA and come all the way through. You’ll have been on Iberville and Bienville  and you’ll get to meet these men as they first came through the Louisiana swamps. You’ll get to see scenes that show voodoo priestesses and explain the real religious practice.

Arrrrh! Matey! Naturally, you’ll meet the Lafitte pirates here and learn more about them—the lives they led before and after the famous battle, and how pirates wound up with Andrew Jackson.

And you’ll see more, too, as history moves on. The wax museum to me is wonderful in that it depicts the high points of history, but doesn’t deny it. (You might have realized by now that I really hate white-washed history. Own up, man! That’s how we try to prevent hatred, war, and prejudice from rearing their cruel heads again!)

The good—you’ll get to see some great jazz figures and others prominent in music, art, literature, and sports who called the city home or came to New Orleans to add their indelible touch to the wonderful city.

Something that I think that’s interesting here is that the figures were so thoroughly researched; you may see an historical figure you assumed to be a tall, strapping man—only to see that he seems somewhat short and tiny. That’s because, in the research that was done, artists relied on much more than a portrait to recreate their man (or woman!) You’ll see these people as they were, to the absolute best that careful historical delving could afford. And from what I’ve read on some of the subjects here, they’re pretty much so right on the nose. Noses. Yes, in wax.

I love the place. It can—like most of the plantations we’ve talked about!—be rented for all kinds of events. Showers, rehearsal dinners, Christmas parties, you name it. Of course, it’s not a bed and breakfast—but they cater to all kinds of affairs and also, naturally, to school groups.

If you decide to go, please make sure you call and check on the hours. Right now, to the best of my knowledge, it’s open Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays, from 10:00AM to 4:00PM. But, if you happen to be in the city on different days and really need to get in there—or if you have a group—you can call and try to set up an appointment. Also, for parties, make sure you give yourself some leeway.

Oh, wait! I think I said that I love (love, love, etc.) a good chamber of horrors. While the Musee Conti sets out to tell history and does it exceptionally well, it does offer a Haunted Dungeon!

Aha! So there.  (Chills and thrills!)

If you have a chance, love history, love wax figures and excellent tableaus, try to find the time and get down there to see it. You can do so on Monday, Friday, or Saturday morning or afternoon, and save the rest of the day for another unique NOLA experience!

Because it’s not open every day, you can call and check what’s going on at 504-525-2605. Their party rooms are absolutely lovely, too.

Immerse yourself!

And watch their eyes...

Maybe even envision the lights being out and the figures coming to life and...

Doesn’t have to be creepy! Imagine how cool it would be if you could sit down and have a conversation with Andrew Jackson!

Day Seventeen - Jambalaya Jubilee-ing, French Quarter Fest-ing, Bent Pages—and Strawberries!

Spring comes around, springs-up, so to say (very bad pun) every year.  Spring means you can get set for the French Quarter Fest—one of the largest free music festivals in the country. There’s something as fresh and fun as the spring season about the Fest—you walk around, you see stands with wonderful and incredible goodies to eat, you see all kinds of performers. It’s still spring so the dead heat of summer hasn’t set in, and if you’re a music lover in any way, it will put a spring in your step! There’s one thing, of course, that founders ask—don’t bring in food and drink, buy it there. They want it to stay free for all, and they need sponsors—those selling food and wares along the way—to be able to keep it up.

Walk on down by the river—you’ll find stages, booths, food, drink...great things. Art! Fun, you name it. But it’s called the French Quarter Fest—and the French Quarter is all about being involved. The date may be a bit different each year, so you always need to look it up—just key in French Quarter Fest for whatever year and you can get the low-down. Around the city, hotels and bars get in on the action and you can go just about anywhere and hear a special group. Many places have French Quarter Festival specials on their drink and food menus and it’s really—let the good times roll!

So, the city also gets busy, crazy; sometimes a bit high on room prices. What do you do, what do you do? Well, you could plan to come in and enjoy a wonderful day of music, food, and spring festing—then take a side trip. Head out to Houma, Louisiana. It just takes about an hour.

Houma is where you’ll find Bent Pages. And the Jambalaya Jubilee.

The Jambalaya Jubilee Writers Conference is in association with the Nicholls State College and the Terrebonne Parish Library. It’s a day filled with panels and speeches and the organizers bring in some of the most renowned and popular authors today and they run the gamut on the written word—from local to International authors, fiction and non-fiction, children’s books, homespun books, thrillers, you name it. Every year, you’ll find a new roster and a few favorites they’ve been so nice to, they just can’t get rid of them.  (Like me.)

Yes...they have a Louisianian Idol—that’s where you turn in a few pages of a work in progress and have it read and critiqued by a panel of editors, agents and an author or two.

While you’re in Houma, of course, you must stop by Bent Pages. It’s run by some of the most wonderful booksellers in the world—and possibly the world’s most unusual booksellers as well!

In a world where we are increasingly turning to the Internet for songs and music and book stores are on the demise, Bent Pages is a precious and unique gem.

Houma, the Jubilee, and Bent Pages are on the route out of the city on the Lower Mississippi Plantation route so it’s not all that far out of the way if you’re exploring, learning more about Cajun history, or seeking out bayou and environmental tours.  Bent Pages bookstore can be found at 1422 Barrow Street in Houma. There’s a charming porch that surrounds the front of the store with rocking chairs so you can grab your ‘maybe’ purchases and sit in the cool shade and rock while going through them. First, of course, you can buy your coffee and tea or soup and sandwich in the café. Nothing run of the mill here; the café is as one-of-a-kind as the shop. Great coffee!

Every month, dozens and dozens of people drive in from all over the area to pick up big bags of books; Molly and Kay are readers and they know their clientele and are trusted to pick out reading material for others. This doesn’t mean that they don’t like strangers. They know authors, they know books, and if they don’t know something, they’ll find out for you. This is a place where it’s just really pleasant to be. Down home hospitality exists.

But, please, remember your manners. This is not a chain. If you like to pull out books and just dump them on the chairs or other bookshelves. Molly will politely remind you that if you’re in a bookstore, you can probably read, and if you can read, you know that C comes after B, and therefore you should know how to re-shelve a book! Molly is very matter-of-fact. But, she’ll also happily do a lot more digging for you, play charades while trying to help you figure out an author or a book, and go way above and beyond the usual.

There is nowhere in the world you can go that is quite like Bent Pages, in all kinds of great and amazing ways!

For authors and readers—they run the most amazing book signings you can imagine. There’s something about home and comfort and all good things here.

Obviously you don’t need a special date to stop by a book store, but for the French Quarter Fest and the Jambalaya Jubilee, you can check it all out on line—they try to coincide every year.

While all this is happening in NOLA and Houma, there’s also a terrific and yummy thing happening in the opposite direction, but still, not all that far.  It’s the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival. So let’s say you could start out hearing some great music and enjoying wonderful food, arts, and crafts at the French Quarter Festival, then drive on out to Houma and enjoy the book world. There are lovely places outside the city to stay. Then, you could drive on back to the city, maybe see some more music and head out the opposite way to take part in the delicious craziness of the Strawberry Festival.

But any time you want to head to New Orleans, pop online and find out what is going on. The state loves festivals, music, art, food, and books. There are many special events that take place during the year. If spring has sprung, however...

Day Eighteen - Who Do Voodoo You Do - Tea Leaves and More!

Voodoo—what is it? We can all conjure up images of a voodoo priest or priestess conjuring spells to call the “dead” from their graves. We’ve seen voodoo dolls with pins and needles—and most of us know, as well, that voodoo is a recognized religion practiced by many people around the globe with place and custom making small changes in the religion, just as Christianity, Judaism, and other religions are practiced in different ways.

Voodoo as practiced in New Orleans is a religion that began in West Africa in the Dahomey region, an area and country now called Benin.  Needless to say, when slaves were taken from this area and brought to the New World, their practices and beliefs were influenced by those around them. Because of this, practices in Haiti changed in one way while differences came into being when the religion arrived in New Orleans and the United States. Slaves were forced into servitude, we know, and one way they kept their souls and individuality was through their language and their religion.

Papa Doc—Haiti’s despot dictator—had a great deal to do with Voodoo appearing to be some kind of black magic practice in which the dead were awakened and brought to life in zombie form to perform ghastly deeds. And with more zeal than Papa Doc—the movies stepped in to make the practice appear to be secret and menacing!

I don’t pretend to really understand the practice of religion; I did meet once with a Voodoo priestess on Rampart Street who gave me a sense of the beliefs and practices which don’t always seem exceptionally strange—Catholic saints were adopted into the religion and having grown up with such beliefs, I do get a feeling with altars and the way one can ask others to help them when they’re asking for help and intervention with their prayers.

As in modern Wiccan practices, Louisiana Voodoo or New Orleans Voodoo also looks to herbs and spells. Gris-gris bags can be created for protection and luck.

Since Hollywood so managed to turn Voodoo into something creepy and to be feared, you can also buy many things in the local shops you might want to associate with something underground and perhaps a bit magical and dark. Yes, you can buy a chicken foot talisman. But, remember, there are people out there shopping who are buying votive candles just as Catholics buy votive candles.

My point here, of course, is not to explain something that I have no real right to explain. Those who are interested can find a wealth of books to study.

The most famous Voodoo queen of New Orleans was, as most of us have heard, a woman named Marie Laveau. (Remember, you can visit her grave at St. Louis number one, set down your pennies, turn three times, and ask her spirit for luck or favors, if you wish!) Most people believe that like any good priestess, therapist, or spiritual advisor, Marie knew how to listen and use what she learned when giving advice.

Today, you can stop by Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo, a shop where you’ll find handmade and one of a kind items, items associated with the practice of Voodoo, gris-gris bags and more.

When you visit, please remember, they’re not really into helping you “hex” anyone. Nor would they help you get even with your ex-wife, put a curse on your husband, and go about practicing any kind of incantation to make your enemy’s jaw drop off.

What you will find is a shop of wonderful things that are fascinating and interesting. When you make purchases here, you’ll have a special little piece of time and culture. Even if you’re not shopping, the place is atmospheric and fun; I’ve had many friends swear that they weren’t going to buy a thing—and then leave with a bag full of candles, jewelry, masks or maybe religious pieces. You can also purchase shirts and mugs, all kinds of souvenirs.

Now, of course, you can buy spell kits. You’re more than welcome to cast spells—hopefully, good spells. Love spells, or spells to help you move forward in your job—maybe make peace with a troubling relative. There are fun little dolls, interesting potions, and more. No one says you can’t have a little fun!

Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo can be found at 739 Bourbon Street. You can also visit Reverend Zombie’s House of Voodoo at 723 St. Peter Street, and/or Voodoo Authentica of New Orleans Cultural Center and Collection at 612 Dumaine Street. It’s interesting, and very good I think, for those who don’t practice Voodoo to learn about Voodoo; it’s always great when we understand and respect what others embrace. Hey, most of have beliefs that seem strange to those of other faiths! There are more little shops and shops that carry Voodoo paraphernalia while they concentrate in other directions.

Of course, we’re talking New Orleans, so there is more that is different here, more that is seen as occult. I have friends who consider themselves practicing vampires. While I’ve seen travel shows about groups and cults that really drink blood, this isn’t what is practiced by my friends. They consider themselves to be “spiritual” vampires; they “drink” energy and life from the air and the earth.

One of my personal favorite shops in the city is the Boutique du Vampyre. You’ll find this at 709 and 1/2 St. Ann. This shop is owned by a friend of mine, but trust me—that’s not why you want to come. You will love the unique merchandise. Beautiful, custom, locally made jewelry, candles, vampire hunter game boxes, custom fangs, perfumes, dolls—special dolls, as a matter of fact. You can get your “Vampire Worry Dolls” here. The shop has beautiful, fun, and amazing merchandise. I say—go!

The city is, of course, filled with Voodoo shops and the unusual and I encourage you to step into all the doorways that intrigue you. Shopping is fun here because yes, while you can find the chain stores (nothing wrong with them) you can also find people who delight in what they do and sell, are experts in what they do and sell, and enjoy being as unique as possible.

Two more I suggest that are fun—Hex, Old World Witchery—is at 1219 Decatur. Beautiful things! (Actually, there is an “original” in another great city, Salem, Mass.) And do you feel like a cup of tea along with a “reading?” Leaves, tarot, palm. Lovely store, great coffee and tea, and easy-going atmosphere. These will all be found at Bottom of the Cup Tea Room, 327 Chartres Street. It’s just about right across from the W on Chartres Street—after or before your cup of tea, check out their gorgeous courtyard; the hotel staff won’t mind at all!

Day Nineteen - Blue Dog—Red Dog, Yellow Dog—and Art!

Every so often a musician, an artist, a filmmaker, or writer creates a piece that just has a spark of something special, magical perhaps. Sometimes, those creators touch an age group, the angst in life, the feel of true romance, the pain of loss or war...or even a smile.

It’s always hard to explain. And any art form is subjective. My cup of tea is your poison, or your raw onions are delicious to me.

I happen to be in love with Blue Dog—and I’m certainly not alone. Blue Dog has become iconic in New Orleans.

With good reason.

Artist George Rodrique was born in New Iberia (where he also has a studio) in 1944. He studied in Louisiana and in Los Angeles, learning the nuts and bolts of drawing and painting. Since my artistic talent is somewhere between and nil and none, I don’t know a great deal about shade and shadow, brush strokes, or the many things art connoisseurs do know. But I know what I like—and I know that it makes me smile.

My sister, Vickie, had a lot to do with introducing me to the Blue Dog. Vickie and her friends at Delta Airlines religiously attended Jazz Fest and she was the first to fall in love with the Blue Dog. She bought a print at the Rodrique Studio on Royal Street. There’s just something in the dog’s expression that’s wonderful.

Rodrique made use of his home in his art; he depicted Cajun life and history. He’s well known for creating atmosphere and a certain kind of spell. He has created images that incorporate the past and the present with ghosts appearing in the landscape he knows so well.

Blue Dog began as a ghost dog in a grayish blue color with red eyes. But Blue Dog was a ghost—or modeled after Rodrique’s Tiffany, a pet he had lost long before painting his first image.

Now, you don’t have to go to the studio to see Blue Dog; Blue Dog is iconic. Paintings and prints featuring Blue Dog can be seen in restaurants and hotels and other venues throughout the city. But if you discover that you love Blue Dog and have to get a little closer, you’ll have to stop by the studio. It’s easy to do. You’ll now find it on Royal Street at number 730. You can also head to Lafayette, Louisiana, or Carmel, California.

Blue Dog is featured in books and has been pictured with many famous people in the arts, sports, and politics. My one and only foray into buying real art was a small signed print for my sister, and since then, every trip I take means a stop by at the studio. Just as Twilight touched upon teen-aged angst and falling in love, just as the Mona Lisa follows others, and just as the song “Memories” reminds us all of what being young and filled with hope was like, Blue Dog touches something in us. Blue Dog can bring a smile, maybe remind us of a beloved pet long gone, or just brighten the day somehow.

Now, of course, I’ve gone on and on about Blue Dog. All of Rodrique’s art is special, haunting, intriguing, and touched with something very real—even when reality is in the form of ghosts.

I have never met George Rodrique—I’m willing to bet I’d really like the man! There’s just something about that dog... (Not to take a thing away from his other wonderful work!)

Beyond Blue Dog and Rodrique, New Orleans remains a mecca for all kinds of art.

The new and upcoming artists can easily be found on Jackson Square. You’ll find all forms—sketches, paintings, mixed media, caricature artists and more. You can find images that capture the magic of the city, the elegance, the age, the decay, the restoration. A friend told me that an artist is pulled to the city—just like a writer. While writers use words to relay the heart and essence and atmosphere of the city, artists long to do so with their pens, pencils, and paints.

Royal Street is known for its art shops but there are many scattered throughout the French Quarter and the city. You’ll find estate paintings, older pieces, and works by well-known masters. If contemporary art is special to you, you may want to take a trip to Julia Street in the Warehouse/Art District but if you’re fascinated by a stunning trip from gallery to gallery, just take a look at the many places on Royal. They are heavily conglomerated between the 300 and 800 blocks which allows for a really charming walk. Just a few to take in include Joe Dunn Arts, Mann Gallery, Gallerie Gauche Rive, Gallerie d’Art Francais, Elliott Gallery, and Kako Gallery. That’s naming just a few!

As you pass fantastic street performers, you’ll also see fantastic artists along the way. It’s a way of life in New Orleans; it’s everywhere!

One more particular favorite of mine is the Craig Tracy Gallery, 827 Royal Street. I’ve never seen such amazing work. The artist—Craig Tracy, born and bred in NOLA—paints on bodies. In the most beguiling manner, he uses the human form along with his brush and imagination to create some of the most unusual and visually stunning pieces I’ve ever seen. You’ll be staring at an amazing leopard and realize that it’s perfectly painted on a human body. Obviously, what you see on the walls is worracyk in a mixed media—but I promise you, you’ll be amazed. You can look up some of the incredible work at craigtracy.com.

As with restaurants, I couldn’t begin to describe all of the art and artists in New Orleans. You can buy the acknowledged sublime, or you can find your own treasure. I have dozens of friends who have purchased a piece from a budding artist in Jackson Square—only to discover years later that their piece is worth tons and the artist they chatted with in the shade of the cathedral is now on the touted list!

No matter what your pleasure, metal work, glass, paintings, sketches...you’ll find something that amazes you, and something that will allow you to bring back a little bit of New Orleans.

2014 Update - Sadly this wonderful artist passed away on December 14th of 2013. Blue Dog lives on in our hearts, along with other wonders of his artistic imagination and paintbrush.

Day Twenty - Jackson Square, The Cabildo, The Cathedral, and the Presbytere

A picture speaks a thousand words, as we all know. No picture of New Orleans seems to speak quite as elegantly of the historical city as that of Jackson Square with the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral rising behind the famous statue of Andrew Jackson mounted on his rearing steed.

As I write “why I love” today, I’m just back from NOLA. And I realized that it really is my home away from home and that I’m there so often, I didn’t actually start at a great place to begin—the heart of the French Quarter.

Jackson Square.

And it goes waaaay, way back.

In Colonial days, of course, you had to have a place for men to practice defense. So, two things were decided the minute the French first chose their “high” ground where New Orleans would come to be—there should be a church set on the land and a place to practice arms.  Let's remember the whole Louisiana experience.  The New World was being colonized. Europeans came to the Western hemisphere. In Louisiana, those who came first were French, we know. The stretch of land where the military men and/or home guard were to drill at arms was called the Place d’Armes and before any land was designated as anything, it was known there would immediately be a church and a plot of land, or common square, for the armed forces/home guard to drill. The church would be named for France’s canonized king, Saint Louis. (Naturally, the statue in now-Jackson Square-and-was-Place d’Armes would come later!)

St. Louis, as it stands now, has not been there forever and ever. But the place where the church would be was determined immediately. People have worshiped on the site of the current St. Louis since the first church was dedicated in 1727. But, in 1788, a fire started in the area when draperies caught fire and the church and other buildings in the area were just about charred flat.

A new church was completed in 1794. Slowly, that church grew. A clock was brought from Paris along with a bell. Pieces were added. A major restoration began with the dearly remembered Baroness Pontalba. In 1844, she set into motion the rebuilding of the structures left to her—the Pontalba buildings that flank the square. She also put forth plans to create buildings that would compliment the Cabildo, the Presbytere, and the Cathedral, and added plans to donate funds for desperately needed restructuring of the Cathedral.

It wasn’t to be easy. People were hired and fired; walls that should have stood collapsed. But, finally, after years went by, the beautiful Cathedral became what it is today—the grand Dame of the Square, ever looking over the green with its three towering steeples and magnificent facade. I’ve really touched just briefly on the history. If you’re going, don’t miss the Cathedral. I love St. Louis. I grew up with the—as my family lovingly called itself—off-the-potato-boat Irish, so I grew up with Catholic inclinations and my faith continues to be what I consider practicing Catholic—yes, I’m practicing. Don’t have it all right, but...going to St. Louis is an awesome experience for me! But, you don’t have to be Catholic or of any faith to enjoy the architecture and the treasures within; just remember that it remains an active Cathedral with a large congregation. Walk the steps that Andrew Jackson walked, visiting twenty-five years after his triumph over the British!

Facing the Cathedral, to your left, you’ll see the Cabildo. It was built in 1795. It served as the capital for the Spanish legislative assembly and then as City Hall. From 1853 until 1911, it housed the Louisiana Supreme Court. Now, it’s a museum, a flagship property of the Louisiana State Museum. It’s chock full of history which makes a lot of sense—it’s a very historic building.

Facing the Cathedral and to your right is the Presbytere—built between 1794 and 1814. A government building as well, it served as a courthouse until 1911.

And now, like the Cabildo, it’s part of the Louisiana State museum.

There are museums I really suggest to see—you’ll get an amazing sense of why New Orleans (and Louisiana) is different. Their laws remain “Napoleonic,” and their way of life was influence by many flags—French, Spanish, French, American, Confederate, and American again. Get a sense of the lifestyle of the people there. See what the people went through from finding high ground in the great Crescent City and founding a colony, to wars and reconstruction, and into the present; they do have changing exhibits and have presented the “Summer of Storms” with heartbreaking clarity, honesty, and human interest.

We’ll go back to Baroness Pontalba. She remains revered with good reason; she liked to use her money for the common good, to push forward through the red tape of her day, and create beautiful things. I’m sure it’s lovely to get to do this if you inherited your money, but, hey—she liked to put hers to good use and she did. Now, on the ground floors of these buildings, you’ll find a variety of shops and restaurants. The upper floor house apartments—as they were originally planned. The Pontalba Buildings, the Cabildo, the Cathedral, and the Presbytere all create the horseshoe around the Square.

The Square itself! Well, you have the statue of Andrew Jackson. And grass and paths and benches and it’s just lovely. You can lie in that grass and look up at the sky or pose—as a host before you!—with Andy at his statue. In front of the Square, you’ll find artists hanging their work “on the fence.” And there, in front, on Decatur Street, you’ll find the mule-drawn carriages waiting to take you around the French Quarter, with guides who love the history or the city and the ghosts of the city—and are happy to share one or the other of both. (Ghosts need good history, you know!)

Here, too, along the walks, between the Cathedral and the green, you’ll find all kinds of performers. Musicians, creatures, beings, human statues and more. No two days will ever be the same.

It’s the heart of the French Quarter. And you can feel its pulse!

Day Twenty-One - Pirates!

Lafitte once claimed to have been born in Bordeaux, France. His brother, Pierre, claimed to have been born in Bayonne. Several of the pairs biographers have claimed that they were born anywhere from upstate New York to Saint Dominique, in what is now Haiti, and there are a few who suggest a small city in Spain and some who say maybe even New Orleans. You’d think he’d know where he was born—except that claiming to be a French citizen was helpful when dealing with American laws.

So, he was born somewhere in the world sometime around the year 1782. By the late 1790s, his brother, Pierre, was in Saint Dominique and Jean was most likely with him. Due to the violence of the Haitian Revolution, they left—and came over to New Orleans.

In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase made New Orleans an American city and in 1808, the country began seriously enforcing the Embargo Act of 1807. They’d been traders, really, until that point, dealing with the Caribbean countries and supplying New Orleans merchants with the goods they’d needed.

Off they went to Barataria Island, which was sparsely settled and not easily accessible by the American navy. Here they set up their own little kingdom, essentially. They began their life of piracy with first one ship and then another, and soon they were rolling in ships and ill-gotten goods.

Is there such a thing as a good pirate? Well, the Lafitte brothers were known for treating captives decently; after taking the goods, they sometimes even returned ships to their crews.

The merchants of New Orleans were fond of the pirates. Without the pirates, they wouldn’t have any merchandise.

Eventually, Governor Claiborne became furious with the situation; he posted handbills across New Orleans and in newspapers posting a 500 dollar reward for Lafitte. (Big bucks in those days.) But Lafitte was loved; the next day, handbills posting a higher ransom for Governor Claiborne appeared all over the city.

The Lafitte brothers had been very successful holding auctions of their goods at the Temple (the prehistoric mound/ancient burial ground you can now visit at Jean Lafitte National Historic Park) on Barataria. They decided to try doing the same just outside NOLA. This didn’t go quiet as well—there was something of a skirmish, a revenue officer was killed. A grand jury indicted Pierre and he was arrested, tried, convicted, and jailed.

War was brewing.

The Americans feared the pirates would side with the British. The British feared that the pirates would join up with the Americans.

Governor Claiborne sent troops out to Barataria. The pirates knew they were coming, burned some of their own ships, and fled. But ships were taken, goods were seized—and Jean escaped.  He later wrote a letter to the governor; he still had ships. He knew the Americans wanted him. However, it was hard to come to terms when his brother was in jail.

Pierre most mysteriously escaped right after the letter was received.

It was time for...a pardon, a truce—a way to save the day.

By the war of 1812, the Americans were a little bit desperate. Britain—huge navy, queen of the seas. America—new nation, tiny navy, struggling to gain a position of authority against the country from which they had just broken.

Letters of marque were offered; this meant the navy was going to hire privately owned armed ships. This was a great chance for a pirate to become a privateer—and receive a pardon.

Andrew Jackson arrived in NOLA on December 1st, 1814. There were about a 1,000 raw troops at his disposal, and nothing much of a defense for the city.

Jean Lafitte met with Jackson in the city in mid-December. Lafitte’s deal was simple; his men would serve if Jackson would pardon every man who served in the defense of the United States with him. Jackson was a shrewd military leader; when Lafitte noted that the defensive line was short and the British ships might encircle the Americans, Jackson had the line extended. This move assured American success; two of his men were the first to fire on the British—on that extended line.

Yeah! We won. Okay, no one in NOLA had known that the war had already officially ended. What the battle proved was that the United States could—and would—fight a naval war.

Soon after, the Lafitte brothers moved on to Galveston, Texas. There was some pirate-ing in there, some spying for the Spanish government—and even some protecting of American ships again. He was wounded in battle and it’s believed that he died of those wounds and was buried at sea somewhere in Honduras Bay, February 5th, 1823.

He had forever left his mark in NOLA, Louisiana, and yes, the United States.

As mentioned earlier, you can visit the Barataria preserve. Wonderful trip! In the city, right in the French Quarter, you can head to Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop and Bar. It’s on the corner of Bourbon and St. Philip.  Built between 1722 and 1732 by Nicholas Touze, it’s now supposed to be the oldest structure in the country operated as a bar.

It’s believed that the Lafitte Brothers used the place many years in the late 1700s for their smuggling operations for the city. Much of what we know is legend that gets a little more embellished every year, but this was the perfect place for people to meet. A rich man on Royal wouldn’t want to talk business with a pirate in his parlor, and here, at 941 Bourbon Street, “sales staff” and merchants could easily meet on what would have been considered “neutral” ground.

I enjoy coming here; it’s once again something that I really love—living history. It’s not a blacksmith shop at all, of course, but a lively bar. I like to just touch the walls and try to imagine life in the late 1700s. There’s a courtyard, and in all, you still have that wonderful feeling of the world here being casual. Yes! It’s nearly three-hundred years old. Sit down, have a drink, cool off. Wander into the courtyard.

You can also wander to Café’ Lafitte in Exile (901 Bourbon Street,) the oldest continually operating gay bar in North America, and no one really cares what your sexual preference might be. Get your literary cloak on—Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote were known to stop by for a libation. Café’ Lafitte in Exile offers “Yappy Hour” from 3:00 to 5:00 so that your canine friends can do some bar-hopping as well.

The Lafitte Guest House and Gallery is just down at 1003 Bourbon Street. Once you get down this far, it’s quieter. The guest house is historic and beautiful. The guest house was built as a private home in 1849. One of the nice amenities here for an extended stay is that there is a full self-service kitchen here.  Check her out on-line!

You might want to give the elder Lafitte brother a boost and opt to head just out of the French Quarter—still close, easy walking distance—and stay at Maison Pierre Lafitte. Bedrooms are often little suites; the only complaint I’ve ever heard is that the bathrooms are small, but even then, beautifully appointed.

You will find the Lafitte name over and over again—and as I said, there’s nothing like a tour out to the national park on so many levels. The history is far richer than I ever begin to tell in this space and so much fun to explore on your own.

Arrgh!

Ahoy Matey.

Pirates! Yes, NOLA has them!

Day Twenty-Two - Bayou Baby

“Ya seen one gator, ya seen ‘em all!” So said a visitor to NOLA I overheard one day.

Hm. Okay, well, I’m from South Florida where, while I was growing up, it was a pretty common thing to get out in the Everglades. I’ve always loved our heritage here—heading out to Shark Valley where you’ll walk a path where there are snakes and birds and massive alligators and a wonderful tower where you can look out over our “river of grass.” I love visiting our Miccosukee villages and Big Cypress and the Seminole villages.

Yes, an alligator is an alligator is an alligator. (Hey, down here, by the way, we have crocs, too, the only crocs in the Continental United States, other than the kind you put on your feet.)

But I promise you, swamp and airboat tours are different in different places. And in NOLA, you have several choices of getting out and enjoying nature!

First of all, definitions can be confusing and lines can wobble. The tours are really of what are considered “wetlands.” Wetlands have bayous; bodies of water like creeks or small rivers that are tributaries of bigger rivers or bodies of water, swamps; seasonally flooded bottom lands with more trees than marshes; tracts of low wet lands with few to no trees but cattails, grasses, etc.

When you’re visiting one, you’re probably close to another, and so, when you’re on a “swamp” tour, you’ll often see bayous and marshes as well as swamps. What’s spectacular to them all is the wildlife you’ll get to see.

Heading north of the city, you can visit Manchac Swamp. Naturally, you’ll have to check with tour guides on how to get out there—and how you want to see it.

Manchac, you see, is horribly haunted. Manchac is where you’ll find “the blood-red hanging tree.” It’s where, in 1915, the Great West Indies Storm went through—creating a tidal wave of about 20 feet that killed over 300 people. Naturally, there was a voodoo curse, there’s a cemetery, a lost settlement, and—the rougarou. What’s a rougarou? Take a tour and they’ll tell you. No, nevermind, I’ll spill. The name comes from the French loup-garou. You can actually see the word written many ways now—Roux-ga-Roux, Rugaru, and more. But, you’ve probably guessed it. Originally, we’re talking French werewolf here. Wolves are not at common in the swamp area, but a host of other animals are, so the rougarou may take on a variety of forms. The legend—as it was in Europe—has become pure Louisiana here. Being bitten by a rougarou is not an instant death-warrant; there are good endings and bad endings to encounters with rougarous. If you take a tour, your director can tell you what you must—and must not do!—should you encounter a rougarou.

In the mid-eighteen hundreds, there were about 1200 people living in the area growing mainly cabbages and black-eye peas. They all knew one another, and when the train went through from NOLA to Jackson Mississippi in 1856, the vegetables grown here became prized all over the nation. People knew one another and cared about one another. One famous resident was Aunt Julia Brown—she lived in the small settlement of Frenier. Creole and something of a voodoo priestess, Aunt Julia was to take her last breath the day before the devastating hurricane rolled in and she so loved her land and people that she prophesized that they would all die with her. The storm didn’t kill them all, but it did take approximately 300 people the next day. There are great tales of heroism here. A train engineer who knew the local residents determined to get some of them out. While the train had been ordered to cease running, he took the engine and a few box cars, trying to get in and get people out. He had twenty-two souls aboard before he could go no further. The storm swept in, the boxcar flooded—but! The next day, the water went down and he and those he saved walked back to survive. It’s a story of heroism that’s real—history is always better than anything we can make up!

I have to say that you can head out, have an amazing Cajun meal at a “campsite” there, and then take a night tour and hear these stories told in the right atmosphere and by guides who know them backwards and forward. And there are more ghost stories, of course. And nature. Put them together and— spooky. At night, you see the red eyes of alligators as they peer at you from the water. Seriously—I’m not sure if movie magic has ever created a creature like a gator with glowing eyes at night. But, while the stories are heart breaking and can make you believe in ghosts, the nature in the tours in amazing.

There are a number of places to call or see about swamp tours, and I don’t want to be prejudice toward one or against any. Key in Louisiana Bayou Tours and you’ll find a number of different companies. Make sure you read up on what each one offers.  Tours out of NOLA tend to be good—people really love their history and their place and most often, your tour guides are from the area and sometimes, their families have been there for decades—or even centuries. (Even if your guide happens to have come from somewhere else originally; they’ve been bitten by the love of the area!)

Now, if you’re not heading in the direction of Manchac Swamp, you might want to go south across the Mississippi River to the Jean Lafitte/Barataria preserve. This is where the famous and infamous pirate hid his booty. It was his home turf, so to say, and it’s deep in Cajun country. Naturally, there are wonderful stories to discover this side, too. There’s an old Native American burial mound here that is estimated to be about two-thousand years old. You can see what a Cajun fishing village is like and if you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of Miss Vicki. Miss Vicki is huge and old—she’s the undisputed Alligator Queen of Bayou Barataria.

You can also take an airboat tour in this area. Zipping over the wetlands is exciting—and it’s also great when your captain slows or stops to relate a story or point out wildlife that is lurking. Many of the guides are natives to the area and have great and amazing tales to tell.

The Barataria Preserve is part of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park service.  As always, remember with a national park that tours are set up so that people learn, look, and enjoy—and leave what it is as it is!

Day Twenty-Three - Ghosts!

It’s been a hot, sultry day. You’ve walked the city until nightfall and suddenly the air cools. The steam rises from the pavement and you’re walking in a field of mist by Jackson Square. And then you see him—a figure coming from the closed doors of the Cathedral. Perhaps he heads down one of the alleys that flank the Church, Pirate’s Alley or—Pere Antoine Alley.

He turns to look at you with gentle eyes, kindness and compassion—and then disappears.

You’ve just met one of the famous ghosts of the city, Pere Antoine, born Antonio de Sedella in 1748. Pere Antoine has a mixed history—but then, you see, he was a real flesh and blood man who came to New Orleans under the Spanish Crown as part of the Spanish Inquisition that took place in Louisiana.  And real human beings, we know, come with virtues and faults.

At first, a man rigid in discipline, he quickly became a humanitarian. He had no heart for any kind of cruelty and instead, tended to the sick and dying, cared deeply for the slaves and freemen of every color. He risked his own health time and time again to render help to those suffering from disease.

He is however, blamed by some for the Great Fire of 1788 that swept through the city—destroying 80% of the buildings, remember?—because it was Good Friday, and the Church dictated that bells not be rung on Good Friday. Whether he was directly to be blamed or not, the Church, as we know, burned to the ground and had to be rebuilt.

That didn’t stop Pere Antoine. He stayed in New Orleans until his death in 1829, loved especially by the poor and revered by the slaves.

If you encounter Pere Antoine—he also seemed to like misty mornings—you will usually feel a sense of peace and comfort.

But, this city is full of ghosts. Seriously, please, of course! You don’t go through all the history and trauma faced by one of our most unique and wonderful cities without accruing ghosts. I never want to leave NOLA—why would the dead want to go?

At 716 Dauphine Street, you will find another of NOLA’s more famous ghosts. The Sultan, also known as Sultan Suleyman.

The story begins with local Monsieur LaPrete, a once-wealthy plantation owner, who also had a city mansion on Delphine when the Union took over the city during the Civil War. Property owners scrambled to find a way not to go completely broke—their Confederate currency was worthless. In the city, seeking the advice of friends, LaPrete met a man at a pub who had overheard his tale of woe. The man introduced himself as an emissary of a Turkish sultan. The sultan had a huge family and needed a big house and the four stories at the corner of  Orleans and Delphine seemed perfect. LaPrete checked out the sultan, found out he was incredibly wealthy, rented the house to the sultan and returned to his plantation.

The sultan had a huge family indeed. Wives, concubines, and even little boys, so the story goes, and plenty of children. He also had a small army of eunuchs to guard the house; they stood upon the galleries, ever watchful. It’s rumored that people disappeared into the house—people as in beautiful young women of every shade. It was a tough time in NOLA, with “Beast” Butler ruling things, the war going this way and that—and it was hard to keep track of everyone.

Two years went by. Then, a neighbor walking past the house paused because she didn’t hear any noise. This place where so many lived, where the sultan entertained lavishly and enjoyed his many partners had gone silent.

Then...she saw it. Blood. Blood dripping from the gallery.

When the police arrived, they discovered that there was more than blood everywhere—there were body parts everywhere.

It was a nightmare. No one knew just how many people lived in the house, so it was difficult to put the body parts together and come up with an accurate count. One body, however, was mysteriously missing no matter how the parts were put together. That was the body of the Sultan, and he was eventually found in a shallow grave—one hand reaching through the earth. His lungs and throat were filled with dirt. In traditional Muslim funeral attire, he had been buried alive.

The horrible massacre was never prosecuted because culprits could not be caught.

Blame the pirates! Ahoy, matey, and why not?

Well, pirates were men of enterprise. They were fond of pistols and were known for killing their enemies with pistols or swords, but not cutting them into pieces. They liked women—women could be sold. And they were not known for the murder of children. But, for years, no one could think of anyone else to blame. Somewhere in history it was discovered that the Sultan wasn’t really a Sultan—he was the brother of the Sultan. Sometimes, the oldest son, the inheritor, was known to kill his siblings in order to make sure that an inheritance went directly to his oldest son.

Was this what happened in New Orleans? Were assassins hired to carry out the grisly task, slipping in and out by the darkness of the night?

No one knows. What they do know is that when the light in the city in misty, when morning first appears, when dusk takes claim, strange things may be seen at the Sultan’s house. Turkish guards appear on the gallery and sometimes passersby see a man in a turban and robes entering or leaving the house...or perhaps, they see when a hand reaches out of the dirt and the murdered man tries to dig his way back to the glory of the life he had so briefly known at the house on Dauphine.

Perhaps the city’s most famous haunted house is that which once belonged to Madame LaLaurie. Oh, the things that woman was reported to do—the horrors she perpetuated on others! For more on Madame LaLaurie, please watch the video we made several years ago about the House on Royal Street.

Because, of course, you’re heading to New Orleans and want to experience all the wonderful tales for yourself!

There are many ways to do this. The city thrives on its ghosts stories. Ghost? You wouldn’t say that as a bad thing—certainly not! Ghosts are part of the fabric and character of a city.

So, first off—you can question carriage driver’s down on Decatur in front of Jackson Square and tell them you want some great history—and some great ghosts, too. Carriage drivers can be amazing guides and you can meet your mule, too, get to know the old boy, and enjoy a ride through the city.

There are also a number of wonderful tour companies to call upon. They include but are not limited to Big Easy Tours, Haunted History Tours, Dixie Tours, and French Quarter Phantoms. You’ll find pamphlets on many of these tours all over the city. There really is no such thing as a “best” tour except as each tour happens for each person. We all know that tour guide can make or break a tour—and that it also depends on your willingness to be part of the magic of a ghost tour.

If you want to plan ahead, just key in “New Orleans Ghost Tours” and choose what you see as the best.

Tired from all the sight-seeing? Take the carriage tour!

I couldn’t begin to introduce all the stories you’ll discover. This is New Orleans. A few cities do claim to be the most haunted. I promise you, New Orleans deserves to be in the top running!

Pirates, yes...

Back to pirates!

But for now...

You’re walking down the street. It’s very late at night and you’re far from the revelry of Bourbon Street. Before you, you see a woman in white and she is running, running down the street...you turn! A phantom carriage is racing toward the river carrying Madame and Doctor as they try to escape...

You run by Jackson Square. And it’s all cool again because gentle Pere Antoine is just leaving the Cathedral, reading his prayer book with his rosary in his hands, and he will comfort you!

Day Twenty-Four - Bars, Booze and Broads - Bourbon Street

Okay, let’s face it. NOLA is known for Bourbon Street and for “laissez les bon temps rouler,” or “let the good times roll!” While incredible, interesting, and historic bars can be found all over New Orleans, many a once innocent soul has spent the night just on and around famous—and infamous—Bourbon Street.

People come from near and far for bachelor parties, birthday parties—especially that major leap of 21—and every other kind of party you can possible think of. I mean, that is, when New Orleans isn’t having a party to which the world is invited, and the city itself has all kinds of parties—remember Jazz Fest, French Quarter Fest, Mardi Gras, etc.

It’s where folks come to let loose and hang out and drop in on a bar or two. Or three or…

Well, you get the drift.

But, you can have it your way, too. One of my most charming friends I’ve made in NOLA, an entertainer on Bourbon Street, has also been a member of AA for years and years—and he still has fun. So, try out some of NOLA’s cocktails, or watch the slightly inebriated while sober yourself, which, of course, can be just as much fun.  It’s not always what you choose to drink but where you choose to go to drink— whatever it is that you’ll drink—which is the fun.

Getting down and dirty.

From the minute you start down Bourbon—say you’re strolling from Canal Street to Esplanade (toward Esplanade, you’ll start to find something of a residential section) you’ll see all manner of establishments vying for your tourist dollar. As you walk you come across establishment after establishment, bars and strip clubs. The beautiful hotel Royal Sonesta is at 300 Bourbon, and of course, it offers a bar, too. You’ll move on down and there will be a bar, and there will be a strip club—and then there will sometimes be people in the middle of the street warning you with big signs that say “Repent! Lest you go to hell,” or “God hates gays.” While I must admit it’s not like you’re preaching to the crowd here, I’m dying one day to go up to one of the redeeming souls and tell them that I’ve just spoken to God and God says that gays are just fine—He’s not sure about people in the middle of a street telling others how to live.

Those holding the signs are often in front of a well-known strip club.

One day...

Ah, wherever you go, you’ll hear music.

And it’s getting nice and varied again!

Right after the summer of storms, you could hear different lines of the same Journey song coming from many bars—they needed to try for what they thought was most commercial. Now, you’ll hear pop, rock, jazz, and blues. It’s all back.

A number of people will suggest that you see Pat O’Brien’s. I concur. The place has a great history. Pat O’Brien was running a speakeasy. When prohibition was lifted in the thirties, he went legitimate. So, Pat O’Brien’s has been serving legitimately since 1933. Many people go to Pat O’Brien’s to try out their famous Hurricane. We do prefer the drink to the storm. But there’s more to Pat O’Brien’s. They provide wonderful entertainment. My favorite part of Pat O’Brien’s is the courtyard. It is brick; it has scattered tables—it takes you off the craziness of Bourbon Street into a little sanctuary of craziness. It has a lovely fountain. If the temperature drops there are heaters.

The entrance is actually at 718 St. Peter Street, but you walk down Bourbon and turn the corner and you’re there, but I love the bar so we’re counting it in.

Booze and broads. You’ll find them every few feet and I’m not going to try to list them all; you’ll want to go where a sign attracts you and decide if you’re favorite piece of a wild night or not. But, I’ll throw in a few!

Want to ride a mechanical bull? That’s at Bourbon Cowboy. (241 Bourbon) What fun watching as others try to stay on—and what a contest if you’re up to it! What to sing karaoke? That’s down at the Cat’s Meow. (701 Bourbon Street)  The Cat’s Meow is on the corner of St. Peter Street so you can easily hop from Pat O’Brien’s on over or vice-versa. They start nice and early—around five. There’s one karaoke song and a host song and a karaoke song and a host song...that gives the place time to make sure the next performer is on hand—and that he or she hasn’t wandered off down the street.

Are you a beer lover? There’s Beer Fest at 409 Bourbon.

Bourbon Pub, Bourbon Oh!, Bourbon Street Blues Company. There is absolutely no way for you to walk down Bourbon and not find a pub that intrigues, a band that draws you in for the street—or a solicitor on the walk offering you a two-for-one deal that you can’t refuse.

Strip Clubs? Oh, there are plenty. Rick’s Cabaret, Larry Flynt’s Hustler’s Club, Penthouse, Barely Legal...the list goes on.

Burlesque? Stop by the see a show by the legendary Chris Owens at 500 Bourbon. Chris started her club in the 1960s and as I write this, she’s still going strong. Customers rave about the great time they’ve had there.

Tropical Isle often offers a rock band I love. You’ll find it at Bourbon and Orleans or 721 Bourbon. They’re also the home of the “Hand Grenade.” Amazing how we love to come home with funny-shaped drinking vessels that we can refill. The same owners offer up the Funky Pirate—get your hand grenade there, too.

So thirsty you can’t stand it? Entrepreneurs have ice-filled beer, etc., carts out in the street often enough, especially at really busy times. No one wants you to have to wait!

A bit off Bourbon at 811 Conti is Erin Rose. Friends and I have met there many times. They offer excellent Irish beers and whiskey and more of course, have a nice and friendly staff, and it’s a place many of the locals head.  They also have a little menu of food to go with your drinks.

Remember, too, Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop and Bar is on Bourbon at 941. Throw a little history in with your bar-hopping.

You really can’t go by what I say. You have to explore.

Everyone will have their favorite place to visit on Bourbon—or close off! Whether you’re a drinker or a teetotaler, gay or straight, male or female, any visitor should take at least one stroll down Bourbon.

And then, of course, some shudder at the thought of going near it.

But that’s something you have to decide for yourself.

It’s like an experience badge.

Ah, yes! I’ve walked down Bourbon Street…

Day Twenty-Five - Vampires!

It’s late at night, darkness has fallen, and an unwary woman walks cobblestone streets. A streetlight flickers...she looks back in fear.  Shadows race eerily in the night; there’s a strange sound of movement on the wind.

And then the vampire strikes…

Or, perhaps, he’s just a handsome, rakish, and devilish sort of rogue, and he’s said and done all the right things in a bar and the young woman is his willing victim.

Not that vampires practice sexual discrimination in any way. Good blood is good blood.

New Orleans is, of course, a city rich in vampire lore, thanks to premier vampire-writer of today, the lovely and talented Anne Rice.

But before Anne Rice, even before Bram Stoker and Dracula, vampire tales and legends were known around the world. In every country those legends are a bit different. Often what people believed can now be explained by science.

Perhaps New Orleans, a city with such a mixed, colorful, and even violent history, it might just be natural that legends take root and with a bit of a mix from fact and fiction.

The actual “history” of the vampire stretches way back beyond Bram Stoker’s Dracula; some believe that our modern concept may have had roots in ancient Egypt when a blood-drinking demon was evoked. Others think of the lamia of the still-ancient world, a crone or a witch who came in the night to drink the blood of babies.

Perhaps another concept of vampirism might have come from the infamous Countess Bathory—though she didn’t drink blood, she bathed in it.

Our strongest modern connection, however, probably does come from Vlad Tepes, Dracula, or “Son of the Dragon.” Vlad Tepes was—we know through historical records—a brutal ruler who set his enemies on stakes to die slowly and in excruciating pain. But, then again, he was born in the midst of a violent world. We all have different ways of looking at things. To some, he was a blood-thirsty Dracula. To others, he was a national hero who led his people to victories unknown before his reign.

During the late Dark Ages and Medieval eras, superstition ruled the world. It was easy to imagine that bad things happened because of witchcraft—and that the dead walked because the evil of Satan had somehow permeated their mortal flesh. In Europe, plague and disease swept whole communities. People died of tuberculosis, spitting blood.

And, of course, they were buried prematurely. So often that by Victorian times, coffins offered a window for the face—and many were buried with coffin “alarms,” ropes within the coffin to ring a bell should they find that they awoke—six feet under and staring at a wall of dirt.

European fears and superstitions travelled to the New World from Europe and we, too, feared death and the coming of the vampire. Mercy Brown was one of the best-documented incidents in the United States having to do with the exhumation and destruction of a corpse to prevent vampirism. Poor Mercy died in 1892. Her mother had died in 1888, then her oldest sister two years later, and then her brother, Edwin, sickened.

But poor Mercy died next. Neighbors were terrified—one of the family members buried had to be a vampire—rising from the dead to kill and kill again. There were rumors that the Brown family members could be seen walking late at night in the mists that fell upon Rhode Island.

The family members were exhumed.  The others had decayed. Mercy looked as if she had just lain down for a nap. There was blood in her heart.

The family had wasted away from “consumption” or tuberculosis, but little was known about the disease at the time and nothing could be done to stop it. Mercy had been buried in frigidly cold ground. That wasn’t really given much thought. She had her heart cut out and burned. The ashes were mixed with water; Edwin drank them. No good—Edwin died two years later.

The custom of “sitting up with the dead” became very popular and remains popular. Sitting up with the dead for twenty-four hours means that someone can watch over the corpse—and make sure that it’s showing no signs of coming back to life.  This is still practiced fairly frequently in NOLA—out of respect, really, more so than a fear of the dead coming back to life. It’s a nice custom, even if it did begin strangely. All over the world, we “wake” our dead. Fear? Or tender care?

Frankly, I have friends in New Orleans who are vampires. Not blood-drinking vampires, though cults of blood-drinkers do exist in NOLA—as well as elsewhere around the world. Most of the time, these are cults of consenting adults who draw each other’s blood or arranged to have blood drawn and then share the drinking.

My friends tend to be “spiritual” vampires; they “drink” energy and force from the air, try to drink in negative energy around them and change it into something better. Can this truly be a talent? I don’t know. I know they’re nice people.

“Porphyria” is a real disease that some suffer from. They constantly need transfusions. Therefore, those suffering must “drink in” the blood of others.

Now, of course, there are those who think they are vampires—or kill as if they were vampires. The “Axman” murders that befell New Orleans from May of 1918 to October of 1919. Nine people were brutally killed, and there were rumors that the Axman—who killed people with an axe—was a vampire, seeking their blood. There’s another story you’ll hear that people have  a difficult time verifying and the story changes depending on when you hear it. In 1984, around the city, nine bodies were found with their throats ripped out and almost no blood at all found at the scene of each murder.

Two young women were killed in a like manner in 1978. Throats ripped up, bodies almost bloodless, the scenes of the crimes almost bloodless as well.

What has really happened in New Orleans as far as vampires go?

Whether you’re a believer, a person with a scientific mind who likes to put the pieces together, or simply one for a good tale or two, I suggest the vampire tour in NOLA. The past and the present collide; you get to hear tales of possible vampirism, possible mental illness—and the literary world!

NOLA has a feel, just like the fantastic faded elegance of her past. It’s poignant and nostalgic, and the old and new beneath the moon just might make you a believer.

I am a fan of Haunted History Tours in NOLA and if you want to venture on a great walking tour that gives you voodoo along with a bit of the ghostly—and the ghastly!—venture out on their  Vampire Tour!

And it’s NOLA. You can stop for a bloody Mary somewhere along the way...

Day Twenty-Six - Sometimes You've Just Got to Sleep

And you can find some wonderful places to do so...

Writers for New Orleans naturally takes place at one of my favorite places to stay, but that comes up last, so for now, I’ll mention a few other places that are great—all depending on what you’re looking for!

Remember, it would be almost as impossible to list all the wonderful bed and breakfast establishments and hotels that can be found in New Orleans as it would be to tell about all the bars.

People come and stay in many different places—and fall in love with different places for different reasons. I’ll just talk about a few—you may have already discovered a few gems on your own that I know nothing about.

Maybe I’m a romantic at heart because my favorite actual B and B hotel is found easily in  a well-travelled section of the French Quarter, at 915 Royal Street.

It’s certainly one of the prettiest bed and breakfast hotels in the French Quarter and it’s called the Cornstalk. I think I fell in love with it when I was five and first saw it, walking hand in hand with my dad.

The home was actually built for Judge Francois Xavier Martin, who happened to be the author of the first History of Louisiana. He was also Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court. There had been homes on the exact spot before but the city had been ravaged by major fires and it was during the early years of the 1800s that Judge Martin had the house constructed. He then lived there from 1816 to 1826.

He was the one who had the house built—but it was Dr. Joseph Secondo Biamenti who had the famous cast iron fence constructed and the reasoning comes with a beautiful and romantic story. Joseph loved his wife; his wife was from Iowa. Joseph didn’t want her to be homesick for the waves of corn that grew in her native state and so he had the fence constructed in 1856.

They say that it was at the Cornstalk that Harriet Beecher Stowe came to stay—and she was supposedly moved to write “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” because of that stay when she saw the nearby slave markets.

Politicians, movie stars, and other celebrities have stayed here, entranced by the beauty of the place.

The rooms are spacious.

The hospitality is wonderful. If you do stay, I can guarantee that people will watch you when you return to your home away from home, a little envious that you’re going through the gate and into the house!

Right next door to the Cornstalk, you’ll find the Andrew Jackson Hotel. I haven’t actually stayed here; friends have. It’s historic, of course—on this site, Andrew Jackson, hero of the Battle of New Orleans, was indicted for contempt and a few other charges. Jackson, being Jackson, dealt with the situation. The hotel is small and the rooms can be on the small side—it’s a great place for someone who wants some history and a location that’s right on Royal and just a block off Bourbon—very near Pat O’Brien’s, Lafitte’s, and more magical wonders of Bourbon Street. It’s also a short hop over to Jackson Square. Definitely a plus for those who don’t want to wallow in their room and would be happy with a nice bed in the midst of a lot of action.

I’ll mention two French Quarter biggies right now; the Omni Royal Orleans and the Royal Sonesta. I’ve stayed at both and enjoyed the service and ambiance of both. The Royal Sonesta enjoyed a major overhaul after the summer of storms—it’s where to be if you really want in on the action. It’s right at 300 Bourbon Street. Sometimes, if you’re a light sleeper, they’re not the perfect place to be if you’re tired and fond of sleep before the wee hours—depending on room location. Around festivals, they can demand—and get—some pretty steep room rates. They offer lovely rooms, a nice pool area, and many big-hotel pluses. The Omni has wonderful ghosts to delight you—elegant stairways, gorgeous ballrooms. I spent a New Year’s Eve there once that was absolutely delightful. My little nephew was there so we went for the entertainment and music and then family celebration up in the room. A two-year-old in New Orleans for New Years, you say? Yes. Jugglers, clowns, musicians, improve on the square, human statues...and then, at the Omni, we watched a side street from a balcony and tossed beads to partiers as they headed in for the night. The rooms aren’t cookie-cutter; many are very different so you might ask about the room you’re renting. A friend and I switched places; she wanted the massive bed up on a little platform while I loved my two-story with a little loft. The entrance is 621 St Louis Street, but you can exit through the bar and Rib Room Restaurant and be on Bourbon. It’s one of my favorite spots and if you don’t stay, you may find yourself here on a ghost tour anyway.

People do raise children here and when you’re with children, just check out what the offerings are. They can be awesome—even for the little ones!

Moving from the big in the midst of the Quarter over to the outskirts, I’ll mention a couple of chains; a massive Marriott with a view from the top that is certainly unmatchable, a Sheraton right across the Street on Canal, and a Holiday Inn, on the edge of the Quarter as well. They often offer specials. Both the Sheraton and Marriott are often used by conventions—since they can accommodate them!

Another favorite of mine is the Hotel Provincial at 1024 Chartres Street. It’s a conglomeration of historic buildings and offers large rooms and suites furnished beautifully with old Southern antiques and reproductions. There was a hospital here during the Civil War and the entire property is supposed to be haunted. They have a pool and lovely courtyards and the staff are some of the most welcoming and nicest people I’ve come across—in a city where everyone tends to be really nice.

There are two Ws to be found in the area; one is nice and big and close to Harrah’s. (333 Poydras) The other is on Chartres Street as well and this hotel is really charming. The building is, of course, historic. It offers an absolutely charming and large courtyard with comfy seating and lanterns and is really lovely. I highly recommend it. 316 Chartres Street. (Across from my favorite NOLA tea shop! Around the corner from the Monteleone. A block or so from K. Paul’s.)

2127 Prytania offers up the gorgeous Magnolia Mansion—no children allowed, but they actually offer a “haunted” package. It’s popular with weddings and showers and celebrations—and those looking for the ‘haunted,’ of course. The street car can get you around. It like many of the wonderful bed and breakfast places that are in the Garden District, are historic and beautiful and well worth the stay. Just remember, you won’t walk out and take a two or three minute walk to the center of the French Quarter.

Just a few more to mention—Place d’Armes in the Quarter offers easy access to many venues; it’s at 625 St. Ann Street and it’s fun and historically charming, though not as plush as some of the others and you may hear your hotel mates doing some celebrating through the night. But it’s friendly and fun and we’ve stayed or had family members there several times. The Nine-O-Five Royal is at 905 Royal Street—and they’re fun and funky and convenient. They advertise that the building was erected in the gay nineties and has no particular history—I love their sense of hey, we’re here, and we’re in a darned good spot.

There are so many treasures in the city! It’s impossible to get to a tenth of a tenth of them. I’ve given you just a few, but I really didn’t mention any of the incredible mansions in the Garden District...

So, the thing, figure what means most to you—price, location, history!—and find the perfect home for you in the Big Easy!

Day Twenty-Seven - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly - The Slave Market and the Civil War

There were many flags over New Orleans and more nationalities than flags—and a color palette that would confuse the makers at Crayola.

There were French in the city, of course. A lot of prisoners—convicts given a new life—as in much of the New World and Australia. There were Frenchmen, Spaniards, Englishmen, Scots, Irish, Americans, and Islanders, so many from Haiti, especially after the Haitian Revolution.

Pre-Civil War days, New Orleans has the largest New World slave market going. One of the markets was at the corner of St. Louis and Chartres Streets at the old St. Louis Hotel and Slave Market. It had an elaborate rotunda where every afternoon, slaves went up for sale. It could be a brutal market; slave traders wanted to make sure that they sold their human “goods” before summer. Summer could bring on malaria and all kinds of other diseases and God forbid your income up and die on you!

As mentioned before, it was while seeing the activity at the slave market—while staying at the Cornstalk Hotel—that Harriet Beecher Stowe became compelled to write “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” (There were other slave markets; this was the largest.)

But nothing is black and white. Well, some were legally white, and some were legally black. But there was also a curious system of colors, and names that more or less went with NOLA more than any other place.

Because in this same space where human souls were bought and sold, balls often went on. Quadroon balls. So, how does one become a quadroon? I’ll begin at the curious beginning of color-coding that went on at the time. First, if you were of mixed race, you were a femme de colour or gen de colour. Now, if you were half white and half black, you were a mulatto. If you were half mulatto and half black, you were a griffe. If you were mulatto and white, you were a quadroon. See? Easy.

Many blacks and mulattos and quadroons and griffes in New Orleans were free men or free woman. As such, they sometimes owned slaves as well. Quadroons were frequently prized as mistresses. Now, that’s not hard to comprehend if we look at the multitude of Americans of mixed race—they are some of our most beautiful people.

But it was a hard and confusing social life. Some men of color might do business with their white neighbors—and yet never sit down to a meal with them.

Just as some men were cruel and wickedly beat their slaves and wrenched families apart, some were kind, and saw their slaves as part of their own extended families with all on the plantation or in the home working for the best of everyone there.

Oh, I forgot one of the other colors in the palette—you could be rouge! Yes, sounds lovely. That’s what you were if you were mixed with Native American blood.

So much that we look at in the past is so horribly ugly. But, sadly, we can never erase the past. To forget history is so wrong. In the words of the great philosopher George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

We need to learn from the past.

Now, I’m not saying that things are always rosy-cheery in New Orleans or that old prejudices don’t raise their ugly heads now and then. But I am saying that it can be one of the most wonderful cities in the world because it’s certainly one of the most mixed cities in the world. I can tell you that my friends there cover just about every shade in that palette I was talking about. They are of black, white, Spanish, French, Italian, African, you-name-it descent.

But back to the slave market.

It’s gone. After the war, it was used for a while by the state legislature. By 1915, it was abandoned and a haven for rats and roaches and...yes. It was condemned.

Today, the beautiful Omni Royal Orleans stands where it once stood.

And guests of every color in the palette are welcomed and enjoy the hotel’s hospitality.

But back when the Civil War fell upon the country, New Orleans was the biggest city in the South. It had those horrible slave markets. But, to a Union fighting to keep the country together, it was most important as the main port along the mighty Mississippi. The river was a life line for Confederate troops. It was imperative that the Union take New Orleans. Admiral Farragut set out to win the city; gunboats sailed the Mississippi and by the end of April, 1862, New Orleans was forced to surrender.

It would remain in Union hands for the duration of the war. The General who would become known as “Beast” Butler would wield military rule with a brutal hand. His worst offense was issuing Butler’s General Order #28. It was wordy, but basically it said that any woman who insulted a Union officer was to be treated as if she were a prostitute.  That brought about a lot of anger—from the North and South! He was also known as “Spoons” Butler—that was for all the looting the man did.

I guess the thing to really remember here is this—the good, the bad, and the ugly came on both sides. It’s easy today to wonder how anyone could have condoned such an inconceivable notion as slavery. But, back then, it was as old as the Bible, as old as time. Just as Union generals left the Federal military to join their states—they were Louisianans, Virginians, Georgians, Floridians, etc., first—loyal to their states before their Federal government. We still hear a lot about states’ rights, and they remain incredibly important in our politics today.

But if you are a Civil War buff like me—intrigued, like me, by some of the incredible, honorable and dedicated men and women of the time—there are some sites you can visit. First, to me, and the most gut-wrenching, is to stand on that corner and imagine the human misery of the slave market. Then, you can check your times and head on over to see the Museum of the Confederacy. (See previous blog!) To view the forts that were important, you have to travel a bit out of the city.

Fort St. Philip is only accessible by boat or helicopter, is privately owned, and in a bad state of disrepair. Fort Jackson, however, can be visited, though it, too, sustained heavy damage during the summer of storms. Check with any of NOLA’s fine tour companies if you want to see it.

Chalmette Battlefield is a great day trip for history buffs. While the Union pretty much sailed by the Chalmette defenses during the taking of New Orleans and you’ll learn more about the War of 1812, excellent guides who love history can make you see just how important the city of New Orleans was to the North—and just how they maneuvered to take the city.

I love New Orleans for all its wonderful colors. While the past was sometimes horribly ugly, it leads to our present, and a city as beautiful as all the shades in a rainbow.

Day Twenty-Eight – Lagniappe

The word lagniappe actually entered the world through the Louisiana French who adapted it from the Spanish Creoles who came to New Orleans who adapted it from a Quechua word. Confusing?

It originated from lapay, which sounds like a slangy version of “you pay.”

It means just the opposite. It means a little something for nothing, or a little something extra. It’s very nice. Lagniappe is all the little extra wonderful things about New Orleans.

There really so many things to do in New Orleans; it would take a massive travel book to begin to point them all out. But today’s the day to mention a few I’ve missed. A few more of the wonders to be found in NOLA.

We’ll start with the steamship Natchez. Some people call it Natchez 9. That’s because there have been many ships called the Natchez. The one you can board now in New Orleans was actually built in 1975. Her pieces come from earlier years, however. Such as her steam engines which were built for the Clairton in 1925. Her whistle is an antique, and her calliope was hand produced just as the calliopes of old. Her steel-and-copper bell was produced from 250 silver dollars—I’m not really sure how a copper bell was made from silver dollars “for purity of sound,” but that is the case.

Hop aboard for a cruise that can include different meals and entertainment, and the sense of what it was like in days of old, traveling the city by the mighty Mississippi. Great views can be obtained, and to me, true perception of the river. The Mississippi is mighty and powerful.

We hopped aboard the Natchez for Writers for New Orleans once and had a great time; it was a costume party with a jazz band on one level and karaoke on another—fantastic food and a beautiful night on the river.  Having seen the play Show Boat and then the musical with Howard Keel, I was anxious to actually get aboard a steamboat.

The Natchez doesn’t disappoint—hop aboard! Naturally, you can find the Natchez at the river. The ticket office can be found at Toulouse and the river.

Walk the river—yes, of course, there’s a river walk. If you’re not going to cruise, it’s great just to walk the walk—and watch the great big muddy Mississippi. Also, there are the Riverwalk Shops and the Riverwalk Marketplace. (500 Port of New Orleans Place.) While you’re heading that way, you could stop in at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. (The Museum of the American Cocktail just found new digs and is in process of moving as I write!)

Are you a gambler? Harrah’s is there, large, in Mardi Gras style, and offering everything from slots to poker to craps and roulette, fine restaurants, and a very nice hotel. Harrah’s can be found easily at Canal Street—you wouldn’t want to hide a big Casino!

Convenient and offering changing exhibits is the Historic New Orleans Collection. This museum is dedicated to New Orleans and Louisiana. Artifacts chronicle life, art, music—you name it—in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding environs. You can find events happening here—life, art, music—you name it—and ever-changing special exhibits. Since the Historic New Orleans Collection is easily found at 533 Royal Street. You can make a great day of shopping, browsing—and enriching your sense of the city and history by stopping in. The last time I visited, the exhibits gave the visitor a great sense of day to day life in the area during the mid 1800s. Ladies gloves, gentlemen’s pursuits, all displayed thoughtfully and artistically in handsome displays.

Hopping over to Algiers for the day is intriguing. Algiers is on the west bank of the Mississippi and is actually the “15th” ward of the city of New Orleans. (There are 17) Algiers can be reached by the Canal Street Ferry. The area has had its ups and downs through the years and has a rich history all its own. Now the area offers pleasant shopping and browsing. A number of Mardi Gras “krewes” maintain warehouses in Algiers for their floats and costume materials and supplies. There are beautiful late 1800s churches and libraries here, along with the shopping. When the Confederate army left Algiers behind  when the Union was about to take over, they destroyed any arms, munitions, and supplies, not wanting them to fall into Union hands. Most of the area was burned and most buildings there were obviously constructed post-Civil War.

Have some energy and want to cover some space? You can head to 1815 Elysian Fields and to Confederacy of Cruisers. Bike around the city on a Schwinn with a guide who will give you all the ins and outs. Depending on your mood and desires, you can see the city in dozens of ways; tour companies abound. By carriage, by motor vehicle, by bike—and by Segway!  Now, there’s a fun challenge. Learn to balance and see the city at the same time.

You can also go up in a plane for a tour—Big Easy Tours can give you a bird’s eye view of the city. I’ve had friends who have loved it—pricing is around $250 a person. (I can’t personally attest to this one; too chicken for small planes I don’t have to be on!)

You can also book a Hurricane Katrina Tour. This will take you to the 9nth Ward where, to this day, residents are trying to put back the pieces from the flooding after Katrina and the devastating summer of storms. While it’s humbling and heart-breaking to hear many of the stories, it’s also uplifting to see the resiliency to be found in the human soul—and the energy put in by so many people to bring back all that was broken. We are a great nation.

So, you’re worn out and tired. You’ve biked or Segway-ed, walked, listened, learned—seen. Take a little jaunt to Magazine Street. You’ll find wonderful and unique shops that will grab your attention even if you’re worn out. You’ll also find some of the most wonderful bars and restaurants in the city—places to chill after a long day of loving New Orleans.  During the day I’m particularly fond of Artz Bagelz (3138 Magazine.) For dinner, I suggest Domenique’s on Magazine, 4213 Magazine. You can also find great coffee, chocolate, desserts...trust me. It’s just a nice place to be. You’ll find something that will make you very happy!

Day Twenty-Nine - Everybody's Got an Opinion

So…I love New Orleans, which is pretty evident. I’ll never know exactly what made me so very passionate about the city. Is it the history—is it a real mystique, or something that we’ve given to it.

More than anything, I think it’s the way that NOLA manages to be a city of living history. People live out their lives in homes where others tread before, dealing with the tragedy of the Civil War, slave markets, Civil Rights, and more. Restaurants are places where those creating the eras that came before us dined and talked and voiced their own opinion about “current” political situations that shaped the nation we live in now. Since the summer of storms, the city is more international than ever. Everyone is welcome in NOLA—Southern hospitality abounds. There’s the “decaying elegance” of bygone times; there is the good and the bad—an outlook that is resilient and hopeful for the future. There are the cemeteries where the past seems to seep right into your skin and Jackson Square where you see the performers, hear the performers, and the wonderful laughter of the children. Ghost stories in carriages as you listen to the voice of your guide...and the clip-clop of the mule’s hooves.

So, coming almost to the end here, I’ve asked a few of my children and friends to give me their opinions of this amazing city. There’s usually something that draws everyone, and for everyone, that something is just a little bit different.

From Jason Pozzessere  (my son and co-author of A Child’s Cry, Cast of Characters)

When in New Orleans there are three main attractions that most people just can’t get enough of. Bourbon Street, with its wide array of bars, club, and restaurants is a sure bet for a crowd pleaser. Second is the art, it is everywhere, and you can find beautiful works in galleries, shops, hotels,and even on the streets. But the third, and most important one—in this foodies humble opinion—is the food!

From K Paul's, to the World Famous Acme Oyster House, there is plenty to find that is sure to please. But nothing beats a late night round at the Original Cafe Du Monde when one needs a respite from a fun night on the town or a crazy all night bender.

Since 1862 this French Market Original has been serving tasty treats to folks that have no known equal in the modern world. From its scrumptious food specialty, the French beignet, to its perfect partner in crime, a steaming glass of Chicory coffee, the cafe is sure to please just about everyone with working taste buds.

You also never know when you might catch a show, as the locals often times burst out into spontaneous song, or perform a little "reality drama" right in front of you. And have no fear for your safety, as some of New Orleans' finest can be found there taking a breather from a hard night on the streets at just about any time of day.

So if you find yourself in the mood for a great snack head on down on your next visit. I love it, and my moneys on the bet that you will too!

From Connie Perry (Organizer extraordinaire of Writers and Louisiana native)

One of the reasons I love New Orleans is because it is a part of me, part of my heritage.  I was born and raised in Louisiana, although it was in a different city, it really doesn’t matter.  Louisiana is one of the greatest states in America.  We may be one of the smaller states, but our state offers a myriad of opportunities to all.  Our state and New Orleans have a flavor all of their own.  All you have to do is come on over to visit and you too will be enchanted by the people, culture and some of the best food on this planet.  Ah, but my favorite thing? My son lives in New Orleans.  And my best friend comes to visit several times a year.  The memories we share are priceless!

From Erin McCarthy (USA Today bestselling author of True, a new adult novel, and many more!)

I love New Orleans because of the joie de vivre of both the locals and the tourists... how it's a city that embraces the philosophy of live and let live.  The deep sense of history, the amazing food, and the wonderful music all draw me back to NOLA again and again!

From Chynna Pozzessere (daughter and hard-working L.A. actress.)

Uptown—While a lot of people love the French Quarter, I love Uptown. The area has a great neighborhood feel, wonderful coffee shops, and a real sense of community. I also love the cigar shop in the alley by the Monteleone—lots of friends have worked there!

From Kathleen Pickering (author of When We Began and more! Kathy’s family owns a jewelry store—she is our expert!)

I'd never been to New Orleans until I attended Heather's first Writers for New Orleans conference eight years ago. Returning to New Orleans—and Heather's conference—has been an annual love affair for me ever since. New Orleans is vibrant with history, character and a passion for living that reaches a body through the city's diverse culture and heritage. Locals are delightful. Food is amazing. Music is as abundant as the breeze and keeps you dancing down the sidewalk with a smile on your face. Oh, and did I mention the jewelry and antique stores? Beignets and chicory coffee? Reasons enough to return each year! Thank you, Heather for choosing New Orleans as playground for writers. The city offers inspiration around every corner, indeed!

I was truly interested in myself in everyone’s answers—because, as I suspected, there’s not really just one thing—or perhaps it’s everything. New Orleans offers its own unique ambience; yes, it is the architecture, the history, the beignets, the laissez faire, the old and the new, and maybe, especially, it’s a piece of America that is just as special as we are as a people—a beautiful part of the puzzle that’s the American dream.

Maybe, sometimes, it’s because there’s nowhere else you can get such wonderful cheese grits!

Ah, you never really know.

But you may just find yourself falling in love with NOLA anyway.

Day Thirty - The Hotel Monteleone and Writers for New Orleans

The tale of the beautiful Hotel Monteleone began in the city—and far away, in Sicily. That’s where Antonio Monteleone was born. He’d heard great stories about America and the American dream and decided he wanted to come to this country. He settled in New Orleans—considered to be America’s most European city, which of course, since it had been under French rule, Spanish rule, and American rule—not to mention that those nationalities had been joined by the Brits and others who had wandered in. Antonio arrived sometime around 1880. He opened a cobbler’s shop on Rue Royale and prospered.

He loved his new city.

So, when a hotel became available in 1886 in the Vieux Carre that he loved so much, he bought it. It was on the corner of Royal and Iberville and had 64 rooms.  He did well with his hotel. He soon bought a nearby hotel, the Commercial Hotel. By 1903, he was adding more rooms.

When he passed away, his son added even more rooms. Neither financial panic nor storms nor any other hindrance, natural or other, swayed the grand hotel. After his son, his son’s son took over—and that’s what has happened to this day.

After the “summer of storms” had gone through NOLA and the levees broke and disaster struck the city, there were hard times. Somehow—and it still boggles my mind—we could drop newscasters on bridges—and food and water all over the world—but still had a hard time saving way too many of our American people. But NOLA is a tough old grand dame. I was there the weekend before Katrina struck Miami and then moved on across the Gulf and I returned to the city as soon as I could after the disaster. It was a wretched summer; right after Katrina, Rita and Wilma came on through.

The people of the city were strong. But it was while I was with a friend who owned one of the carriage companies that Writers for New Orleans was born. She told me how grateful residents were for the people of our country—not governments or parties, but the people. And still, what they needed was not handouts after the worse, but work. To get back to work, the carriage drivers, hoteliers, bar owners, musicians, artists—all—needed tourists back in the city. And she mentioned, “You’re a writer; maybe you could get some writers to come.”

Ah, yes. We could put together a conference. So, okay, a writer’s conference. What kind of a writer’s conference? What would make people come?

Okay...any kind of writers! Fiction, non-fiction, mystery, horror, sci-fi...poetry.

What if we couldn’t get enough writers?

Well, then, we’d just have to have readers.

And what if that wasn’t enough?

Hm. We’d try to throw a few good parties!

So, with Connie Perry and my carriage-driving friend, Writers for New Orleans came into being. Having decided that we were going to have a conference, we needed a place.  And that place needed to be a local hotel. Sheraton was going to take care of Sheraton just as Marriott would take care of Marriott—nothing against the chain hotels; I love many. But we wanted a local hotel.

I had just lost my sister, Vickie, the summer before.  She’s the one who had come to Jazz Fest as long as I could remember. She loved the Monteleone.

We headed there.

And we’ve there for eight years.

I love the Monteleone. I love that it’s been owned by a single family for so many years, and I love that the employees there are people I see again and again. I heard great stories from those I worked with about the assistance given to the employees when they were devastated after the storm—they were, if strapped when the hotel was closed, handed checks for electric and other necessities. I have loved their banquet crews and the management we work with. Every year, it’s really like coming home.

Rather sad, but when we went there, I wasn’t aware of the hotel’s literary credentials. (You think I might have gotten this when I realized there were rooms available such as the “Tennessee Williams Suite” and the “Eudora Welty Suite.” The hotel is one of only two others in the country—those being the Algonquin and the Plaza in NYC—recognized as “Literary Landmark Hotels” by the by the Friends of the Library Association.

Tennessee Williams did indeed stay here; 214 Royal was his favorite address in the city. William Faulkner wrote here. Truman Capote liked to tease that he was born at the hotel. Actually, his mom made it to the hospital, but she had been staying at the hotel.

There’s so much to love. The lobby is beautiful and ornate. Entering from the street, if you make an immediate right, you’ll be at the Carousel Bar. The carousel was installed in 1949. The bar itself came about because performers—like Louis Prima!—enjoyed meeting friends and enjoying a cocktail after performing.

The pool is on the roof. It’s a lovely place to go, sit, soak in the sun, cool off from the sun, and enjoy a bird’s eye view of the surroundings. There are meeting rooms—like the Riverview—that look over the Mighty Mississippi. There are ballrooms that are truly beautifully designed and decorated.

And the food—even for banquets—is delicious.

When people come here, they never want to leave. Aha! That leads to another draw. The hotel is haunted. (Naturally, right?) Several paranormal groups have carried out investigations here and found definite “haunted” activity. An employee died here of natural causes and he’s still around, walking the halls, checking up on the guests. Sometimes, you can hear children’s laughter in the hallways, even though there are no children. While these merry lads and lasses did not die here, it’s speculated that they had such a great time while staying at the Monteleone, that they returned to play.

If you’re interested, we stick to our original plan—Writers for New Orleans happens yearly at the Hotel Monteleone at 214 Royal Street. It’s for all writers, all readers—and/or friends who just want to tag along for fun. Our registration fee is strictly kept at cost—the idea remains to bring people into this incredible city so that they can fall in love, too—and so that more and more people can understand how unique and precious New Orleans is to our very unique and precious country!

Of course, any time you come, you might want to stay at the Monteleone. And if you can’t stay, at least pop in for a cocktail or soda at the Carousel Bar and see the beautiful lobby. Privately, family-owned for over a hundred years—if it weren’t for the fantastic beauty and incredible beauty, that alone would be a reason to come!

Table of Contents

- Day One - Let the Dead Sleep

- Day Two - The Cemeteries

- Day Three - National World War II Museum and the Civil War Museum (Warehouse District)

- Day Four - FiFi Mahoney's and More
- Day Five - Rounding the French Quarter
- Day Six - The Haunted Mortuary
- Day Seven - Mardi Gras World

- Day Eight - The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

- Day Nine - Food! Glorious Food!

- Day Ten - Meet Susie Q and the NOLA of Anne Rice

- Day Eleven - The Myrtles (Day Trip 1 from NOLA)

- Day Twelve - More Plantations

- Day Thirteen - Lower Mississippi Plantations

- Day Fourteen - The Zoo

- Day Fifteen - Music & All That Jazz

- Day Sixteen - The Historical Wax Museum of New Orleans - Musee Conti

- Day Seventeen - Jambalaya Jubilee-ing, French Quarter Fest-ing, Bent Pages—and Strawberries!

- Day Eighteen - Who Do Voodoo You Do - Tea Leaves and More!

- Day Nineteen - Blue Dog—Red Dog, Yellow Dog—and Art!

- Day Twenty - Jackson Square, The Cabildo, The Cathedral, and the Presbytere

- Day Twenty-One - Pirates!

- Day Twenty-Two - Bayou Baby

- Day Twenty-Three - Ghosts!

- Day Twenty-Four - Bars, Booze and Broads - Bourbon Street

- Day Twenty-Five - Vampires!

- Day Twenty-Six - Sometimes You've Just Got to Sleep

- Day Twenty-Seven - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly - The Slave Market and the Civil War

- Day Twenty-Eight – Lagniappe

- Day Twenty-Nine - Everybody's Got an Opinion

- Day Thirty - The Hotel Monteleone and Writers for New Orleans