The party atmosphere of Mardi Gras prevails year round, so you won't miss out on anything there. Bourbon Street is always loud and proud with parties, bands and booze-to-go from mid-afternoon to middle of the night year round.
Beyond Bourbon Street is where you'll experience a rich history, wondrous foods and excellent drinks (New Orleans claims to be the birthplace of the cocktail.), a melange of cultures, nice people and gentle southern hospitality.
Post Katrina NOLA is a smaller city, with almost half of the population not yet returned from evacuation locations or now entrenched in new homes. Mike Osmond, a waiter at Wolf's, one of the Big Easy's many fabulous eateries, explains, "My girlfriend's family lived in St. Bernard Parish, (one of the hardest hit areas) and they evacuated to Baton Rouge. After three years, they've built new lives there, so they're not coming back."
Perhaps this makes those who still live in the Crescent City, called so because the first settlers of the area built on high ground ridging the Mississippi River, appreciate and cater to the tourist trade more than ever before. You can learn about any aspect of this area's culture, history or cuisine on a tour or 10.
Tour companies, with licensed guides, abound, offering ghost tours, cemetery tours, plantation tours, river tours, swamp tours, French Quarter tours, steam boat tours, vampire tours and Garden District tours.
You can tour on foot, by boat, carriage, limo or bus. Our favourites were the walking tours, as they are the least expensive, and you get an up-close perspective on all aspects of this fascinating place.
Some of the city's most beautiful homes and lush vegetation are the centre of attention during a Garden District tour. A native New Orleansian, Billy Murphy works for Historic New Orleans Tours. A former actor and college professor, Murphy weaves humour and history as he leads groups around this amazing set of homes. For instance, as a cousin of Anne Rice, he is happy to trade bits of trivia regarding his favourite author while showing off the houses that she's occupied in the Garden District.
Murphy is definitely a name dropper, showing us Trent Reznor's (of Nine Inch Nails) house (now owned by John Goodman), the house where scenes from Benjamin Button were filmed, Nicholas Cage's home, the famous Commander's Palace restaurant, where J. Edgar Hoover was known to enjoy drinking gin fizzes, and Archie Manning's house, complete with the yard where Eli and Peyton learned to play football.
Walk through the French Quarter with tour guide and former chef George Thomas and experience the city's history through your tastebuds. You'll learn the difference between Cajun and Creole food and get to taste offerings from several restaurants, including muffalettas at the Napolean House -- more on this later.
Part of the mystique of NOLA is its cemeteries. Historic Tours provides a quality experience here, too. Greg Osborne shows off sections of the French Quarter and its architecture, including slave quarters, St. Louis Cemetery Number One (just off Rampart Street), the burial site of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau and the Voodoo Temple, complete with an explanation of this important part of the city's culture by Priestess Miriam.
If touring sounds like hungry work, try one of the French Quarter's most popular places for casual dining, Acme Oyster House. The near-constant lineup at the door moves quickly but, more importantly, tells you what a great place for local cuisine this place is. Grilled oysters (rich bites of local flavour), Cajun crawfish, and etouffee are a few of the array of fresh seafood choices here.
Across the way is Felix's and the raw oysters can't be beat, especially if you're too hungry to wait in line at Acme.
The Napoleon House is home to a delectable, large creation called the muffaletta, New Orleans' second most famous sandwich (after shrimp and oyster po' boys, which are seafood subs gone wild). This place was built as a home for that notorious French ruler while he was in exile, but later became an Italian grocery store and is now a sidewalk eatery with just one of the city's amazing patios, complete with palm trees and pond.
Away from the Quarter, the River Shack Tavern lives up to acclaim earned from its debut on Guy Fiere's Food Network show called Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. The po' boys, alligator sausage and fried green tomatoes are excellent, and go down well with the local beer - Abita. Enjoy them all while perched atop one of this restaurant's unique bar stools, with legs crafted to resemble human legs in clothed in fun ways.
In Jackson Square, Cafe Du Monde is internationally famous for local favourites chicory coffee and beignets. Breakfast for two runs you around five bucks and can be topped off with a short climb up the stairs of the city's old retaining wall for a panoramic view of the Mississippi River and New Orleans Harbour -- hosting huge container ships and riverboat paddlers.
Staying in the French Quarter, at somewhere like the Hotel Monteleone -- famous for its lush roof-top pool, carousel bar, ghost sightings and its appearance in a movie with Ashley Judd called Double Jeopardy -- is a lot of fun but also demands the traveller be tolerant of late night noise and walking wet streets early each morning. Sometime after the quarter quiets down in the small hours of the night and businesses start taking deliveries at 6 or 6:30 a.m., all the streets are washed down to cleanse them of the previous night's revelry. So when out on a morning walk, beware the soggy sidewalks, but a walk around the Quarter is a thing of beauty and will ensure this city is enmeshed in your heart.
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When the heat is on
Spring, summer and fall are great times to visit NOLA to maximize your tourist dollar.
While hurricane season officially lasts from May to October, August and September are the months most likely to be affected by this weather phenomenon.
To maximize your enjoyment of this southern city during hotter months:
- Use lots of sun screen
- Have all travellers in your party wear hats
- Be extra aware of hydration needs; drink lots of water
- Plan afternoon excursions to indoor, air conditioned venues, like museums or the aquarium
- Plan walks around the French
Quarter, Garden District and
cemeteries for cooler morning or evening hours
Tipping
In New Orleans, many people make their living depending on the kindness of strangers, but visitors to the city may be unfamiliar with local tipping customs.
Bellmen -- generally $1 a bag
Waiters -- 15% - 20% of bill
Oyster shuckers -- Just as you would drop a few bucks in the sushi chef's direction, don't forget to tip your oyster shuckers if you find yourself bellied up to an oyster bar.
Bartenders -- generally $1 per drink
Musicians -- If the club does not have a cover charge, look for a tip jar near the stage. Send the band home with a couple of dollars each.
Street musicians -- If you stick around for a song, or take a picture of the band, drop a couple of bucks in their tip bucket.
Street performers -- Mimes,
magicians, dancers, live statues -- if you stay for the show and especially if you take a picture. It's customary to throw them a couple of dollars.
Tour Guides -- If you are on a large group tour (20 or more people) $3 from each person is a good tip. If it is a personal tour, say you and the family, $15 - $20 is good.
Taxi -- generally 15% of fare.
(Information courtesy of New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corp.)
If you go:
www.neworleansonline.com
www.tourneworleans.com
www.noculinarytours.com
www.hotelmonteleone.com
