A Jazzy Time In New Orleans

Three Favorite Tours:

1) Grey Line Super City Tour
2) Le Monde Creole
3) Haunted History Tour Best Food 1) Cafe Du Monde - so not miss the Beignets!

2)Acme or Felix's Oyster House. These two establishments are located across the St. from each other. Both are excellent.

3)Brennans for Breakfast - It won't be cheap - but your stomach will thank you.

4)The Gumbo Shop, has the Best Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce I have ever tasted in my life.

**Tip - alcohol is like a condiment in New Orleans. (Where else in the world do they have Drive-Thu Daquiri Shops??)Our waiter at Brennan's referred to alcohol as New Orleans Holy Water!

Quick Tips:

Buy an Entertainment New Orleans Book. There are many great Buy-1-Get-1-Free Coupons that will save you a lot of money if there are two or more in your group. The books cost after June since you are half-way through the year.

Best Way To Get Around:

Street cars, walking, French Quarter Carriage Tours -- a little cheesy -- but part of the charm of the city!

Best Things Nearby:
French Quarter, French Market.

Best Things About the Resort:
Location.

Resort Experience:
We had an incredible week in New Orleans. The resort is on the older side, and seems a little run down. Check-in was friendly and easy, but we did encounter a few problems during our stay.

We had unit 203. The unit featured all the basic amenities, Coffee, Tea, small Microwave, Small refrigerator. The Unit was furnished with antiques and was a comfortable size for two people.

The cleaning was surface, as I discovered lint and "debris" between the night stand and the dresser. I moved the nightstand so the dirt could be seen. One day we returned to the room and found sheets had been changed, but they were so worn to the point of having a few holes in them.

There was daily maid service and they did wash the dishes in the sink. The Location was very quiet for sleeping at night because the Resort is situated on the edge of the French Quarter. There were laundry facilities in the parking garage, and Laundry soap was provided.

I would give the resort a 6 out of 10 - since the location is excellent and the Timeshare adequate. We would love to return to New Orleans, but we agreed we would try to book one of the other properties we toured next time.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Not Available
• Amenities: Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Fair
• Family Friendliness: Good
• Service: Good

New Orleans has to be one of the greatest dining experiences for your palate. In no other American city can one taste such varied cuisines, by walking such short distances to the next excellent meal.

While researching New Orleans before our trip, I came across the Brennan's menu. I printed it out for my husband to see, so I could convince him that while this wouldn't be the cheapest meal on our trip, it might be the most memorable. My ploy worked and I made reservations three weeks in advance!

Brennans

As we entered 417 Royal Street we were transported to another world. Our senses were immediately assaulted by all kinds of delicious smells. As we were led to our table, we saw one of the waiters making Brennan's most famous dish, Bananas Foster.

We had Boris as our waiter and he was fabulous. You don't just get a waiter at Brennan's, you get a history lesson and a theatrical experience.

We Ordered:

Oyster Soup to start

Eggs Nouvelle Orleans

Eggs Houssarde

Bananas Foster

Crepes Fitzgerald

Needless to say the food was superb and we did not eat lunch that day! My husband was heartbroken to have to skip a meal when so many tasty choices awaited us around ever corner.

As restaurant experiences go, Brennan's is NOT to be missed.

The Breakfast At Harrah's Casino is a great deal for the money. I have seen a lot of buffets, as my husband is a big fan of buffets, but this was one of the best ever.

Harrah's is located on the very edge of the French Quarter, just over Canal St. Even though it is out of the Quarter, it is still worth the trip. We arrived around 9am and even though there was a little bit of a line had no trouble being seated within five minutes.

The breakfast buffet runs from 2am - 11am, so if you are out on the town and hungry, Harrah's would make a good early morning choice as well.

Buffet hours and prices are as follows:

Breakfast:
Daily: 2am - 11am, $7.99

Lunch:
Monday - Saturday: 11am - 4pm, $11.99
Sunday: 11am - 4pm, $18.99

Dinner:
Sunday - Thursday: 4pm - 10pm, $18.99
Friday and Saturday: 4pm - 11:30pm, $21.99

Moonlight Brunch:
Sunday - Thursday: 10pm - 2am, $11.99
Friday and Saturday: 11:30am - 2am, $11.99

The all you can eat buffet features New Orleans/southern cooking at its finest with menu items such as:

Grits w/Cheese

Thick cut Bacon

Country Saussage

Biscuits

Smothered Pork Chops

Of course any style of eggs cooked in all types of ways, oatmeal, and other traditional fare are also available. Later in the day they serve the famous Bananna's Foster and this is an ideal place to try it if you don't want to pay Brennan's Prices.

The waitstaff was delightful and full of southern charm. The waiters take your drink orders at your table and bring you refills as you need them.

We recommend this buffet highly. The only drawback is you really need to go hungry so you can enjoy it!

Harrahs Casino

We thought it would be romantic and fun to take the Natchez Steamboat dinner cruise.

We arrived around 5:45pm and had our picture taken by the Natchez photographer. These photos are developed while you are on the two hour cruise and available for you to purchase as you leave the boat later.

The Natchez Crew was warm, friendly, and full of the southern hospitality. They start serving dinner at 6pm. Dinner consists of:

Sternwheeler Salad

Green Beans Almondine

Praline Chicken

Catfish Louisiane

Prime Rib

Mardi Gras Pasta Alfredo

Spinach Southern Style

Roasted Potatoes

French Bread and Butter

New Orleans Bread Pudding

Community coffee an ice tea are served at no additional charge with your meal. There is a bar on board and drinks are available for an additional charge.

The food was pretty good - but average as New Orleans meals go. The sunset was gorgeous and the music group Dukes of Dixeland give you a real feel for the crescent city. We found the trip enjoyable and would recommend the cruise highly - but suggest skipping the meal as there is no reason to eat a 'marginal' meal in New Orleans.

Steamboat Natchez

Entertainment Books

The one experience we agreed had to be repeated at least twice the next time we set foot in New Orleans was Preservation Hall. For the uninitiated, this will be your most thrilling Jazz Experience in the crescent city. The building itself is really nothing to look at. 726 Saint Peters St. looks old and run down, but come 8pm it comes alive. Shows are presented every night Monday – Sunday.

If you are planning to go, do not linger over dinner. Make sure you are in line no later than 7:20pm if you want to be close to the front. If you arrive late, the sound is still pretty good in the back – but you will envy those down front and kick yourself. Once the music starts, people line up out front and it becomes next to impossible to get a seat. Once you are inside, the building looks even more run down – except for some instruments and a small wooden stage up front. Around 8:30pm the musicians file in and start playing and the party has started.

The bands are slightly different from night to night, but many of the songs performed are the same. There are a lot of old timers who really sing with flair. My favorite song was "The Saint James Infirmary Blues. After the first couple of sets a hat is usually passed for those who would like to deposit money to request specific songs. The cost for this not to be missed jazz experience at Preservation Hall is $5 per person. A jazz lover can sit till 11pm and listen to some of the best music on the planet. Preservation Hall does not serve any food or drinks. During the heat of summer, this little room can get hot, so I recommend bringing along a bottle of ice cold water.

If you go to New Orleans and you are only going to do three activities – you should go to Preservation Hall three times. I cannot recommend this experience highly enough.

Preservation Hall

I was very interested in the Creole culture and wanted to learn more about it. I got hooked on a historical series by Barbara Hambly about a man named Benjamin January who solves mysteries in Creole New Orleans. These books have made the rounds at my job and are quite a hit.

The first book is called A Free Man Of Color.

Anne Rice also wrote a book about the Creole culture in New Orleans called The Feast of All Saints.