Discovering the REAL New Orleans

A visit to New Orleans is a contradiction of experiences. It is seductive, sinful, and shrouded in mystery and magic. It is tacky and tawdry. It is beguiling and beautiful. It is enchanting, eccentric, and exciting. It is impossible not to be captivated by its sheer joie de vivre and deeply rooted history.

Most visitors to the Big Easy head straight for Bourbon Street. Hurricanes, Hand Grenades, Daiquiris, and Dixie beer flow freely. Nightclubs offer enticing glimpses of topless and nearly-nude male and female strippers. Sultry jazz clubs and plaintive blues bars invite visitors inside for overpriced, water-down drinks. T-shirt, Mardi Gras souvenir, and sex toy shops vie for tourist dollars. As the night hours pass, the crowd strolling the blocked off pedestrian street becomes increasingly rowdy and risqué. Inhibitions give way to exhibitions. Vintage hangovers are born and flourish. It is a show to behold.

Get a taste of the ribaldry or if you’ve been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt to prove it, leave the bars of Bourbon Street. Join me for some tours, treks, and treats that make the real New Orleans come alive as you read the entries for Discovering the Real New Orleans.

Quick Tips:

During your trip planning, check out the websites for actvities you are interested in. Don't know what to do? Read more journals at IGOUGO! Many websites for tours and restaurants offer discounts for booking online. It pays to plan ahead.

Arriving at the Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans, head for the tourist information racks in baggage claim (or at your hotel). There are two publications that offer discount coupons and event listings. Look for WHERE and VISITOR magazines.

Best Way To Get Around:

Forget the rental car! First, there is the New Orleans parking fee shock. The majority of hotels in the city charge between and per day to park your car. Traffic is challenging, a maze of one-way streets and narrow alleys. Restaurant parking is virtually non-existent without valet service.

Grab a shuttle at the airport ( round trip), and use the cost of a rental car and parking for fun and food, or shop ‘til you drop at the French Market, Riverwalk, or on Magazine Street.

Try public transportation: ride the historic St. Charles streetcars ( for a 24-hour pass), a riverfront streetcar, or take one of the plentiful taxis. Besides, New Orleans is a great walking city.

Looking for authenticity and a blast from the past? Try The Cornstalk at 915 Royal Street. This intriguing old home was the 1800s residence of Judge Francis-Xavier Martin, author of the first history of Louisiana. Harriet Beecher Stowe stopped there and found inspiration for "Uncle Tom’s Cabin" from the nearby slave market. Surrounded by an ornate green-and-yellow cast fence that looks like a row of cornstalks, legend has it that an early owner brought a young bride to New Orleans from her home in Iowa. The cornstalk fence was erected to soften her homesickness for the swaying cornfields of home. It is one of the most photographed sites in the city, a stop on virtually every city tour.

Entering the front parlor with its brilliant crystal chandeliers and antique mirrors, you feel you have stepped back in time for a visit with a favorite elderly aunt. Guest rooms are very small, but have high, vaulted ceilings; antique furnishings; fireplaces; stained glass windows; and oriental rugs covering the original hardwood floors. Modern touches include private baths (not the case at many area bed and breakfasts), central air and heat, cable TV, and internet access. Guests may enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast and morning newspaper in their room, the parlor, the upstairs balcony, or courtyard patio.

The Cornstalk is located one block off Bourbon Street. There is also a "party courtyard for hire" across the street, so be prepared for some noise especially on weekends. It’s the price you pay for authenticity close to the action. My solution: invest in a good pair of earplugs - they have saved many a night’s sleep in hotels around the world. For added insurance, request a room in the back away from Rue Royal. Rates range from $75 to $185 except during Mardi Gras and other special events. If you want to step back into the past, this is your place! (www.cornstalkhotel.com)

Want to be close to the action, but not too close, getting a little rest and respite from the party scene? The Chateau Sonesta Hotel perches on the edge of the French Quarter on the corner of Canal Street (a major artery through New Orleans), Iberville Street, and Bourbon Street. Only steps away from the action in Jackson Square, close to the Riverwalk and Harrah’s Casino, and for comfort, convenience, and charm, it’s usually my first choice on a visit to the Big Easy.

By New Orleans standards, rooms are spacious and elegantly appointed. Request a room facing the interior courtyard away from the traffic on Canal and Bourbon Street. Rooms are equipped with a mini-bar, coffeemaker, hairdryer, ironing board and iron, and internet access. There’s an outdoor pool and fitness center. Standard room rates (excluding special events like Mardi Gras) start at $130 per night.

In a town where food is king, the Chateau Sonesta houses one of the most popular area restaurants, the Red Fish Grill, open for lunch and dinner. At lunch, try the Blackened Red Fish Burger. For dinner, the Sweet Potato Catfish will please your palate and your purse strings. After a night on the town, step next door to Storyville Jazz Parlor at 125 Bourbon Street for some mellow music and a nightcap before you call it a day.

For more information: visit www.chateausonesta.com.

Staybridge Suites offers studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom suites. Located at 501 Tchoupitoulas (pronounced show-pi-too-las), it is across Canal Street from the Quarter. Only one block from Harrah’s, one quarter from the Riverwalk, and less than a half-mile from Jackson Square, you’ll get a little exercise - a great way to work off all those Creole calories. Room rates start at $130 to $300 per night and include a complimentary full, daily breakfast and late afternoon snacks Tuesday through Thursday.

Staybridge Suites is a good family location. It is quiet. The suites afford privacy and room to spread out. The breakfast and snacks are a budget plus!

Jumpstart your day at Café Du Monde, located at 800 Decatur Street since 1862. No visit to New Orleans would be complete without a visit to Cafe du Monde for beignets (ben-yays) and cafe au lait (cahfay-oh-lay). The beignets are small, square, French-style donuts nestled in a cloud of powdered sugar. Café Au Lait is a tantalizing mix of half-strong, chicory coffee and half-steamed milk - the perfect complement for the beignets.

During morning hours, Café Du Monde is crowded. Expect to wait in line. When you reach the front of the line, grab a table as soon as you see someone getting up. Don’t wait for it to be cleaned or you’ll lose out to more fleet-footed diners.

Don’t want to wait? It's open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on Christmas and during hurricanes, so go for a late afternoon or midnight snack. It's a great place to sit outside and people-watch at any time of the day.

Hint: Don’t wear black. There’s no way to avoid dusting your face and clothes with powdered sugar as you dig in and delight in this New Orleans tradition!

Central Grocery is a typical neighborhood Italian grocery. Muffulettas are huge round sandwiches on crusty Italian bread that are stuffed with meats, cheeses, and the secret ingredient, an olive sandwich spread.

Two people can easily share one sandwich. Order one to-go along with a bag of Zapp’s Chips and a couple of Abita beers or cokes, and take your treat up to one of the shady benches by the Mississippi River or to Jackson Park for a great picnic.

Don’t forget a jar of Central Grocery’s olive spread to take home and enjoy as an appetizer spread on your favorite crackers.

Just a half-block from Jackson Square, The Gumbo Shop is a charming 1794 Creole cottage with a tiny garden patio in back. All gumbos in New Orleans are not created equal. Some are rather short of seafood. Simmered in a dark roux, served with crusty French bread for "sopping and savoring every drop," and topped off with an icy Dixie beer, gumbo at The Gumbo Shop is a must on every trip to New Orleans.

If you only splurge on one dinner in New Orleans, make it Bella Luna. Located at 914 N Peters Street, on the second floor high above the levee, Bella Luna’s massive windows overlook the mighty Mississippi River. You’ll find breathtaking views coupled with renowned haute cuisine, rare in New Orleans’s restaurants. Bella Luna has both!

Come early and watch the sunset turn the muddy river a rich golden hue as huge ships and graceful river boats slide past. Linger and watch the moonlight splash across the water.

Chef Horst Pfeifer’s menu matches the setting. It is sophisticated, savory, and superb. Try the roasted eggplant penne pasta, the stuffed portabella mushroom, or the fresh grilled redfish in a pesto crust.

Plan ahead. Reservations must be booked two weeks or more in advance. Visit Bella Luna at www.bellalunarestaurant.com.

Take in a daily jazz brunch at Court of Two Sisters, 613 Royal Street. Dating back to 1880, this historic courtyard is one of the largest and prettiest in New Orleans. The Jazz Brunch features over 80 dishes, including traditional local favorites such as eggs benedict, spicy oysters bienville, and decadent bread pudding.

At $25 per person, it may seem like a pricey lunch, but considering the bountiful hot-and-cold buffet choices, you may never want to eat again. The brunch is served from 9:00am until 3:00pm daily. Arrive early, relax, linger, and savor this New Orleans extravaganza.

Just one street over from Bourbon Street, Le Monde Creole Walking Tours is tucked away in a lush courtyard that whispers secrets of the past. Our guide, Bill Coble, made the Creole world come alive sharing his vast knowledge of stories, secrets, and legends. Tracing five generations of a prominent Creole family through the struggles and triumphs of New Orleans society from early days, through the Civil War, birth of jazz, and Americanization of the city, we visited grand mansions and secluded private courtyards. Most visitors only catch fleeting glimpses of the cool respite offered by lush, tropical courtyards nestled behind locked gates.

Think green. Think tranquil. The cacophony of street smells, heat, and noise fade away. You begin to imagine you are a privileged Creole lounging dreamily among almost banana trees, lush bougainvilleas, citrus tress, and tropical bromeliads. You can almost hear tangible whispers of ghosts of the past. In between courtyard visits, we visited the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum with its 19th-century medicinal gardens, voodoo potions, and cures.

Another highlight of the tour was a trek through St. Louis Cemetery #1. Often called the cities of the dead, the burial tombs in the 42 cemeteries of New Orleans are above ground due to the extremely high water level just below the ground. The whitewashed brick and stucco tombs look like miniature houses in rows on city streets. Flowers, votive candles, and a variety of offerings such as cigarettes, herbs, and toys are left at graves. The Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau, tomb is covered with triple X’s (XXX), symbols of rituals that call for making three X’s and turning around three times to make a wish come true. No harm in trying. I’ll let you know if it works!

There are public vaults, family vaults, and society vaults. Depending on a family or individual’s wealth and affiliations, burials range from simple to grandiose. Legends and tall tales abound, and a visit to one of the 42 cities of the dead is fascinating, not morbid. A word of caution: do not visit the cemeteries on your own. Take a tour. Ghosts of the past offer no danger, but present-day muggers are a danger. Group tours offer safety and intriguing bits of gossip and trivia.

As our Le Monde Creole tour came to an end, I overheard comments of surprise and pleasure from all the guests. "I had no idea," seemed to be the common refrain. Tours are offered twice daily and last 2.5 hours. Uneven pavement and narrow passageways are difficult for wheelchairs and strollers. The cost of the tour is $20 with a $3 discount for online purchases. Visit www.lemondecreole.com , or call 504/568-1801 for more information.

No trip to New Orleans is complete without spending some time at the French Market, strolling along the Moonwalk along the Mississippi River, or at Jackson Square.

The Square has been the focus of the French Quarter since the Civil War days, when war widows sold family paintings to support their family, and local vendors sold their crafts and wares. Today, the atmosphere is still colorful and lively with artists, street performers, fortunetellers, professed psychics, clowns, and craftsmen. The going rate for a brief tarot or palm reading is $10 to $15.

Indulge in the revelry or grab a muffuletta sandwich, a bag of Zapps chips, and a Dixie beer at Central Grocery. Then pick a shady bench, and treat yourself to some of the best people-watching on earth.

By the way, if an enterprising young man walks up and wants to bet you $5 he can, "tell you where you got ‘dem shoes you have on," just laugh and tell him, "You got ‘em on your feet." It’s one of the most popular local tricks pulled on unwary tourists.

No single brief visit to a city as diverse as New Orleans can be complete. One trip whets the appetite for more. There are swamp boat and airboat tours into the boggy bayou nesting grounds of alligators and other Louisiana wildlife. Plantation tours reveal a bygone era of the Old South. The National D-Day Museum follows the events and campaigns of World War II. The New Orleans Zoo is one of the top-rated zoos in the country, and the Audubon Aquarium offers 50 exhibits of more than 15,000 marine species. AND, there's always the shopping. New Orleans is a shopping paradise. After a dozen visits, I still discover new experiences and shopping and dining treats on every trip. I predict, like me, you will return again and again to the Big Easy nestled in the crescent of the Mississippi River.

Visit me often for updates and entries on other unique New Orleans adventures.