The Big Easy

1. Take a haunted history/ cemetery tour of the French Quarter and its surrounding cities of the dead, or cemeteries. I would reccomend the Save Our Cemeteries Tour because it provides a police officer to accompany the tour.

2. If you have time, on a quiet early morning, grab a copy of one of Anne Rice's vampire novels (Interview With A Vampire, Lestat, Queen of the Damned), and venture to Cafe du Monde to enjoy sugary beignets and coffee.

3. For a slice of culture, try a Central Grocery muffalatta (from the Central Grocery on Decatur Street) -- it's a tradition since 1906 in its mixture of ham, cheese, olives, and more. People like the Fonz (Henry Winkler) have come to enjoy the famous sandwich.

4. If you're visiting in December, you must see the Christmas in the Oaks Celebration in City Park and Botanical Gardens. The best time is at night where millions of lights illuminate the park and gardens. There is also a "Storybook" kids land that opens up and has scenes from nursery rhymes and Disney stories. Rides from the kiddies is also operating. Although it may be chilly, there is always a tent with hot chocolate near.

5. If you're visiting in February, hopefully you booked your hotel far in advance because during Mardi Gras rooms are rare to find. You have to try a Randazzo's king cake (if you get the baby, you have to buy the next king cake). Catch a few parades that are in Chalmette, New Orleans, Uptown, Mid-City, and Metairie.

6. Stroll around the Moonwalk and see the Natchez Steamboat, or the Creole Queen steamboat. You can also become a passenger aboard these ships for an lunch or dinner excursion.

7. See the different types of art at the New Orleans Museum of Art, and visit the sculpture garden. Until March of 2010, the NOMA is featuring old Disney movies in celebrating the new movie, "The Princess and the Frog".

8. Take a picture in front of the St. Louis Cathedral and the Andrew Jackson statue.

9. Dine at one of the many restaurants in the French Quarter. A outside dining lunch experience in a French Quarter courtyard is waiting at Court of Two Sisters. Cafe Maspero's is also another awesome restaurant, but get there before 11am because the lines are long.

Quick Tips:

When in the French Market, keep your purse or wallet near where you can know it's there at all times. Most pickpocketers think it's their paradise. Also, be careful when you go in the cemeteries. The narrow alleys can hide muggers that have even stolen from tour groups and tour guides! The safest tour is the Save Our Cemeteries company which has a police officer on every tour. In the French Quarter, you don't walk on the sidewalk. You walk on the banquette.

Best Way To Get Around:

The Riverwalk is a great place to shop when you want to be near the Imax Theater, the Aquarium of the Americas, Harrah's Casino, and the Spanish Plaza and Moonwalk (the street that lines up near the Mississippi and stretches to the other side of the French Quarter). However, it is a tourist trap and some of the items are a bit pricy. Yet, you can find great bargains like a pack of peppermint gum that gives a person a shock when they reach for a piece from the toy store. There are many specialty stores like Louisiana items, clothes, shoes, food, coffees and beignets from Cafe Du Monde, and some restaurants.

Spanish Plaza is one of my favorite plazas because it always so lively and bustling. Dixieland jazz can be heard in the air. Kids love to play in the circular fountain that is the focal point of the square. The sidewalk (when coming from the Riverwalk to the Aquarium) is another one of my favorite things about the Plaza because it has black and red squares that creates a festive look. Although the square is busy, you can move closer to the Aquarium and Moonwalk and enjoy a peaceful afternoon watching the barges, the Carnival cruise line, and the steamboats coast by. Spanish Plaza is where you can sign up for many tours and boat rides. There is also a new tour with the Creole Queen that goes to Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World for $36 an adult, $21 for kids. During this trip, you get an hour tour of the Mardi Gras floats factory.

The Degas House is the home of Edgar Degas' uncle Michele Musson. Degas came to New Orleans around 1872-1873. During this time, he was redefining himself as a painter and was having eye problems. In New Orleans, the city was recovering from the Civil War. During his stay in New Orleans, he did family portraits of his cousins. Estelle was his great model. Edgar's brother Renee married Musson's Estelle, who was blind and had children with her. Unfortunately, the neighbor on Tonti Street caught his attention and he abandoned Estelle and her children for the neighbor woman who would read to his wife. Musson was so upset at Renee that he legally adopted Estelle's children and changed their name to Musson, never mentioning Degas again.

The bed and breakfast room is in the second building that leads upstairs. The rooms are very cozy and luxurious. The Estelle Room is done in a deep burgundy with a Jacuzzi tub. Another room is like a little girl's room in cream and white. The best was this one bedroom that had a large window where you could look out on Esplanade from the balcony where Degas once painted his cousin Mathilde. The balcony is slanted so you do have to be careful.

There are tours that can be conducted through both houses that are both educational and exciting. Since Estelle was blind, schoolchildren were blindfolded and had to find their way to the other parlor or the hall. Plus, since Degas was nearly blind, we also got to make a sculpture blindfolded. There was a theory that said it was a family defect since Estelle and Edgar were blind, but Degas was into art and the oils and chemicals was the cause of his eye problems. If you're into art and New Orleans history, this is a place not to miss.

Elevators and moving stairs decorate the walls along with the beautiful carnival paintings between sofas and capitols. Christmas time is always a great sight because the halls are lined with trees, ice, snowflakes, and gives the appearance of a winter wonderland.

Towards the back of the long hall was a restaurant. The breakfast is cheap, but lunch and dinner are more expensive. A gift shop is near the back doors, which leads down a street. By moving up the street, you'll find yourself on busy Canal Street and near a Walgreens. A great spot during Mardi Gras season when you can catch a parade, and get an icepack for the incredibly large bead that was hummed at your head.

On the corner of Toulouse and Decatur Streets is Cafe Maspero, where Andrew Jackson discussed plans for the Battle of New Orleans with Privateer Jean Lafitte. I arrived just when the restaurant opened at 10 or 11am. It's always better to get there when it opens, because lines tend to wrap around the building until 1pm. The restaurant is surrounded by French doors that can open on humid days and a bar with a variety of drinks. Brick columns stand in the middle of the room with paintings, and there is even a wall portrait of the city on the back wall. The restaurant served Creole, New Orleans-style dishes.

When I was younger, my grandmother made me listen to the oldies. Eventually, as I got older, I started to like the oldies and Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville was one of them. My French Club and I found the place wasn't crowded, so we went in.

We were really going to Cafe Maspero, but the colorful place caught my teacher's eye. There are brilliant colors with all of his songs. There is a beach house (Creole cottage is what it looks like) on the moon, a plane with spinning wings, and a margarita glass above pirates and sharks.

The menu ranges from $10 to at least $20 to cover one's meal. They offer hamburgers, the Cajun Pasta Alfredo, "Come Monday" Red Beans and Rice, quesadillas, a Caesar Salad, Volcano nachos, and huge po-boys to name a few. The portions are quite small, except for the po-boy and plate of gumbo.

The best spot was near the window, where you could see the French Market area. Also, the chairs and tables were beautiful. The tables had maps with pictures of him, and the chairs had sayings and songs. I sat in the "Treat Her Like A Lady" while across from me someone sat in the "Big Rig". Near my right was "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes".

Every night at 5 and later there is always some musician playing. If you want to waste away in Margaritaville, this is the place.

Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro is one of my favorite restaurants on St. Charles Avenue. It also has free valet parking, and has really interesting booths that are shaped like a croissant. There are many things to eat from here. Appetizers are spinach and artichoke dip and creamy crabcakes. Entrees are several varieties of brick-oven pizzas, salads, soups, California wraps, burgers, steaks, seafood platters, and sandwiches. Then, of course, for dessert, comes the cheesecake! My favorite is the Signature Cheesecake, which has white chocolate strawberries and strawberry sauce. Other deserts include white chocolate bread pudding, fudge brownies, German chocolate cake, banana split, and carrot cake. Coffee and expresso drinks are also served. Not as pricy as other restaurants, but perhaps it would cost about $20.00-$30.00 a person.

Antoine's had been family-owned ever since it opened. I knew the Queen of Shangri-La 31st, so she was hosting a party in one of its dining rooms. Antoine's is known for its superior service.

There are six dining rooms. My favorites are the Japan Room, the Mystery Room, and Roy Alciatore Room. The gumbo the waiters served was great! The food was New Orleans-style, with gumbo and seafood dishes.

To get to the Roy Alciatore and Japan Room, you enter from the front room. The room is bright and has reflecting mirrors on both walls. A slit on the right-side wall is a staircase where you walk up to go to the dining rooms.

The Japan Room had lanterns and was decorated in an Oriental flair. Roy Alciatore hadn't been used, since it was December of 2004, so it contained a large picture of one of the family members and views of the street where the Kesto Club was. Downstairs, if you go straight back and take a right, there's a ladies' restroom and the Mystery Room behind it.

Ladies, during prohibition, would go into the restroom, go through a secret tunnel to "the Mystery Room", and get drunk. The men never knew what was going on, thus the Mystery Room. Sadly, the tunnel is boarded up, but the Mystery Room is there.

Other dining rooms like the 1840 Room (where the family ate on Sunday), the Comus Room (of the Krewe of Comus), and other rooms are near it. Despite having to pay very much, the food and service is excellent, and so is exploring this restaurant.

Established in 1906, the Central Grocery Co. is a blast from the past. The Italian delicatessen has world-famous muffalettas. When you enter through the small, old-world store's doors and stand in a line, wrapping around a variety of items,you gaze around the charming grocery. Posters written in Italian display Italian cities. Toward the back is a row of bars and stools with drink machines, decorated with pictures of celebrities who have tried a muffaletta. One famous star is Henry Winkler, and his picture is near the counter on the right side. Next to him is Bob Hope and his wife Dolores. A muffaletta is a sandwich made with ham, olives, and cheese, which creates a mouth-watering taste. The guy who first made these made them in his house. The bread was mulutto bread or something like that. In one newspaper article, it was said these sandwiches were as important as the St. Louis Cathedral and the Super Bowl. This is absolutely a highlight of any French Quarter tour.

I have to have my muffaletta! Locals and few tourists know this secret place exists. It looks like a grocery store in front, and some people pass it up without ever knowing what's inside. Whenever I go to the French Quarter, I always take the time to visit this place. My favorite spot is near Henry Winkler's picture. Who doesn't like the Fonz? A half of the sandwich is $5 or 6, and the whole is either $10 or $12 dollars. It has a drink machine to fight the heat, a Tv to watch sports on, and a restroom.

Since 1862, this French coffee stand has been serving cafe au laits and beignets, French powdered doughnuts. The Cafe is near the Jackson Square. I went to mass at the St. Louis Cathedral around eleven o'clock one Sunday evening and ate beignets afterwards. Coffee with chicory and half hot milk is also served. It is open 24 hours daily. Early morning crowds flood the place until after 11am or so. I recommend coming early or try to fight the crowds. The waiters move around quickly and the outdoor section has its tables close together, so watch out that you don't collide into them. When trying a beignet, don't wear any fancy clothing or anything that could get stained unless plenty of napkins are at hand. The beignets are covered with sugar and can be pretty messy. I know this from personal experience.

Did you know in 123 years, only one Rex, King of Carnival, has married his queen? In 1895, Frank T. Howard (one of five members of his family to gain royal honors from Rex)married his queen, Lydia Fairchild. Mardi Gras is New Orleans’ hometown celebration, where locals dress up in colorful, humorous, and intriguing costumes; party all hours of the night; go to parades; and attend carnival balls. There are few things you have to do during Mardi Gras to make your visit complete:

1. Participate in a parade--any parade. It doesn't matter which one. Catch beads or go to the Endymion Extraganza for illuminating floats.
2. See a Mardi Gras Indian.
3. Taste a king cake.
4. Go to Royal Sonesta's Greasing of the Poles at the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Royal Street.
5. Get a Krewe of Zulu coconut. They're cute! It's a coconut decorated with glitter and a mask of its own around owlish eyes.
6. Have fun! Let the good times roll. A trip isn't enjoyable unless you have fun!

During Mardi Gras, I usually bring empty grocery bags to a parade. The whole SI system for measurement doesn't work when it's Mardi Gras. We use the certain amount of how many grocery bags were used. At Endymion or parades in the city, you'll see kids being put on special ladders. Locals have a parade ladder that makes them more obvious to see to the people on the floats.

People believed those wearing masks were spirits who wanted to party until Ash Wednesday. This is the only time you'll be pushing little old ladies out the way, see a teenager and a drag queen fight over a strand of plastic beads, and debutantes get all the more beads from the men krewes.

The official end of Mardi Gras isn't when water trucks spray powerful amounts of water to clean the street. It's just prior to midnight of Mardi Gras when Rex's officers and royalty join Comus and his queen at their ball. Rex and Comus escort each other's queen in a lavish ballroom. When the clock strikes the twelfth hour, Rex waves his scepter, and officially brings Mardi Gras to an end.

Decatur was once called Levee Street until 1870 when it became Decatur. This street was named after Commodore Stephen Decatur in the United States Navy who became a hero because of his tactics against the Algerian pirates at Tripoli on the northern coast of Africa.

The French Quarter was originally the city of New Orleans during its foundation as a French military war post. The French Quarter offers an amazing view to allure and intrigue visitors with its wrought-iron balconies, multicolor architecture, and easy-going personality. It has a main street for everyone's interest. Decatur Street is the main street which has the St. Louis Cathedral looming above the Jackson Square with the bronze statue of Andrew Jackson. Restaurants such as the Italian delicatessen Central Grocery Co., Cafe Maspero, Hard Rock Cafe, and Cafe du Monde are down the street. Tourist shops are not hard to find here, especially one store which is near the French Market which has magazines, brochures, and tourist attractions for the taking. There's a Mega Virgin Records store with books, movies, and music near the Jax Brewery. The Jackson Brewery and the Jax Brewery are the same thing. Jax Beer was made here, thus being Jax Brewery.

Near Mega Virgin Records, Ripley's Believe It or Not shop is on the corner near a coffeehouse. This shop is next to the House of Voodoo, a shop for the paranormal enthusiasts with t-shirts, cups, and everything else as a souvenir from love and voodoo kits to Mardi Gras beads. The back of the shop is a sight to see. The back wall has a scene of a New Orleans' cemetery. The shop has a restroom, but I doubt you'd want to you use since a skeleton (who wasn't a customer) eternally occupies it. The shop Jazz Funeral, further down from the Brewery, has its own eerie carriage with a skeletal driver. And he makes a great postcard to send home to friends.

A quick way to get to Royal Street is by walking to the St. Louis Cathedral, moving through one of its narrow alleys. I'd suggest Pirate's Alley, the alley near the Cabildo, because of its historical value. Pirate's Alley was named after Jean Lafitte, the pirate (privateer) who assisted Andrew Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans. The alley has the William Faulkner bookstore and a look at the Pere Antoine's Gardens. When dueling for gambling dets or a pretty woman, Frenchmen of high class would duel with swords to the death in this garden. The Americans were in City Park. Royal Street is called Antique Row, and Rue Royale (Royal Street in French).

The gate surrounding the Garden is where local artists sell their paintings. The street has so much to offer. The charming, quaint antiques shops are in a variety. Scriptura is for invitations and fancy paper. Rodriguez's Studio is where you can see paintings of the legendary Blue Dog on posters. T-shirts and souvenirs can also be bought here. Madam LaLaurie's House and the mansion on Royal and Ursulines are two of my favorite houses. The woman Delphine LaLaurie beat her slaves, which was a big scandal for this elite woman. One of the slaves she starved and tortured in the attic lit the house on fire, letting firemen and cocktail party guests reveal her secret. The LaLauries escaped out of New Orleans.

The house on the corners of Royal and Ursulines is the house of Count de St. Germain. The story goes, the man who was a descendant of an 18th-century alchemist. Two girls were lured to his house. The older young lady was charmed by him, and the younger girl didn't know what he was doing to her sister, so she went home to tell their parents. When the parents came, it was too late. The girl was bitten, and St. Germain was nowhere to be found. She died in Charity Hospital and was one of many victims, by the blood types kept in his mixed wine and blood collections.

NOMA is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Thursday is 12:30am to 8:30pm. The museum is closed all legal holidays and Mondays. Children (3-17) are $4, students (full-time) are $7, senior citizens (65+) are $7, and adults are $8.

There are three floors altogether. The first floor has Italian art from the 15th to 18th century and Dutch and Flemish art of the 17th century. The second floor has French art, decorative glass, photographs and prints and drawings, European art, American art, Louisiana art, contemporary art, and American furniture, and Faberge eggs! The third floor has Asian art, oceanic art, African art, and Native American art. The Courtyard Cafe has a great view, looking out at a lake near the museum. The day I went was May 15, which happened to be Japan Fest. A friend wanted to win a trip to Japan in a raffle that's only one dollar. Each month is always something different. May was the month for the Japan Fest and art by John T. Scott.

In front of the steps of the museum were the Kaminiari Taiko with small to huge drums for high-energy drumming. Mayor Ray Nagin said a few words after that. I saw anime in one corner, a Bonsai display, Ikebana (flower arrangements), and bought a bookmark with my name written in Japanese. I then sat through the Kozakura Japan (classical Japanese dancing). They were amateur dancers, because the pros work for money. Sadly, I didn't win that trip, but there's always next year.

The Italians of New Orleans used to sell their goods in the French Market. Why it was called French instead of Italian is possibly because New Orleans was founded by the French.

The French Market has much to offer. The market sells food products such as pralines (you have to try it), city books, and other things as you progress through the lanes. A praline is a type of candy that makes your mouth water. Once you try one, it has you addicted, like chocolate. Aunt Loretta's Praline Shop, where you can buy chocolate, regular, and other kinds of pralines, is in the French Market. The prices at the French Market and Flea Market are determined by the vendors. Oriental souvenirs, purses, wallets, sunglasses, clothes, and anything else that would be a perfect souvenir can be found here, but some of the items can be pricy. A major suggestion would be to keep purses near you and watch out for pickpockets because of the narrow squeeze when you first enter.

Pirate's Alley may not seem interesting, but it is a historic place for New Orleans. The alley was where pirates and privateers sold their goods here. A famous privateer would be Jean Lafitte. Some people find it very interesting how the black market and Spanish capitol building were next to each other. Today, you can stroll down the quaint, narrow cobblestone alley.

A cafe where a tour meets is next to William Faulkner Book House. The Book House is very small. I'm not kidding when I mean small. An adult elephant could fit inside the room. The books there are pricy. This is the place where I first bought my first Anne Rice novel. Behind the Cathedral is the Pere Antoine's Garden where a garden is surrounded by an iron gate. The garden was where the Frenchmen dueled. Early in the mornings, it is said you can still hear the metal clanging--swords clashing for a gambling debt or a woman. This little alley, which was once a black market area, is a shortcut to get from Decatur Street to Royal. And at night, you can sometimes see ghosts of men walking down the alley. Until they walk past you, you'd never think you have just seen a ghost.

After cutting through Pirate's Alley to get to Royal Street, you see a picture of a blue dog. Don't be frightened. The Blue Dog is known throughout New Orleans as a creation of George Rodrigue.

George Rodrigue, a Cajun painter, began painting the landscapes of beautiful Arcadia and followed with the cultural scenes of Cajuns and their way of life. Then, he had an idea. Based on his beloved pet Tiffany, Rodrigue wanted to paint a picture of a scary loup garou (a Cajun werewolf) that inhabited the marshes of Arcadia. In the first picture, the artist painted a grayish-blue dog at night that many people said was actually blue, hence the Blue Dog was born. A series of many paintings featuring the Blue Dog is here.

Rodrigue's other pictures included the Arcadian culture as well as a few portraits of Pete Fountain and other famous people. Since he painted everything Arcadian, he even has an Arcadian Ambulance in one of his many pictures.

The office is very small, with posters hanging from the wall and in a rack. You can browse and see the dog almost anywhere: on a dollar bill, the Venus painting when she's in the middle of a clam, and in a picture with Louis Armstrong. The gallery offers signed and numbered silkscreen prints, as well as original works throughout the artist's career.

The Aquarium of the Americas has changed since it opened after Katrina, but with changes comes some new attractions. For the most part, the Aquarium looks just as it has for years. The same large, two-story fountain with metal scale that look like fish scales greets visitors as they enter through the front door. The gift shop to the right has a new appearance like being under the sea with more of a grotto and bright coral design. The Aquarium is open from 10am to 6pm Tuesday through Sunday. I think that they are closed on Mondays. Also, if you park in the parking lot that has a huge "Whale Wall" (off of Poydras, in the view of Harrah's), you can go to Information and get it stamped, so when you return to your car, you have $5 taken off the parking fee. Sure it's a good way to walk, but you're saving $5 on parking -- which is a good deal. Especially when you need to save money.

Some of the great views are the tunnel where fish and stingrays swim above your head and around you. The kiddies always seem to like this part, and pose for pictures. Further is more tanks of fish and eels, jarfish (yellow fishies), and a circular tank where a school of fish swims in one firection. By proceeding up the staircase beyond that is the Amazon Forest. A fun representation of the Amazon (along with a huge anaconda) and a kids treehouse to get a bird's eye view of the tanks, lush greenery, and a small grotto that makes for a great picture. Through a sliding glass doorway, penguins and tropical sharks are the next encounters of the deep. Next to the tanks is a huge mouth with big, sharp teeth that kids love to climb on and take pictures with.

Beyond this, seahorses and frogs are the next on the list. The frogs have their own chamber and a frog king to take pictures with behind Kermit the Frog (in a collage of Favorite and Famous Frogs). On the other side of the frogs are Ursula's eels, playful otters, and a glass cover that looks down on a huge tank of Carribean creatures (sharks, fish, stingrays). There is also a food court with ice cream, pizza, and Burger King. Further is a new playplace for kids where they can touch a shark, play on a pirate ship, take a picture as a mermaid, seal, or starfish. You can do this or continue to the Mississippi River section. A white alligator is the first creature you'll encounter below a Cajun cottage. Owls and hawks fly through the air as you look at the small tanks of fish. After this, you can take an elevator or walk down two flights of stairs into the Carribean waters section.

The Carribean water section has jellyfish, and the large tank that you viewed from the glass near the Otters. Now there's a larger view at all kinds of creatures existing in one tank. At 1pm, there's a show where brave divers go into this tank (with the sharks).

I love visiting the cemeteries. They are my favorite places in New Orleans besides the Central Grocery Co. and Decatur Street. One of my favorite cemeteries is the St. Louis Number One on Basin and St. Louis Streets; it is my favorite because of three things, including the Hex Tomb, or the Italian Mutual Benevolent Society Tomb, because its builder and designer, Pietro Gualdi, was the first to be buried. You can't miss this marble tomb with a woman standing high on its roof. It's not far from Marie Laveau's tomb, but this monumental structure towers over the City of the Dead.

The second person, oddly, was the society's president Joseph A. Barelli. The founder's son was killed when the steamboat Louisiana blew its boiler. In Saint Louis No. 2, the tomb has five praying angels. Inside the tomb is a scene of the explosion and sinking of the steamboat, and the spirit of the Barelli boy is in an angel's arms being taken to heaven.

The cemeteries are dangerous at times, with muggers in the small alleys between the aboveground tombs. Any tour will take you in, but Save Our Cemeteries offers a policeman to venture inside with their tour. Oh, as for the third experience, make sure you look down at the ground, because there are small pieces of remaining tombs, and guess who tripped over one and skinned her leg?

The St. Louis Cathedral has Masson Sunday at 10am and earlier. Once you enter the doors, you see a small area where candles can be lit for special occasions. Past this, a statue of an angel holds out the bowl of holy water, where you can see a gilded and spectacular altar. The ceiling is breathtaking. Designed in colorful scenes and Latin writing, you can see "Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus: Dominous Deus Saboath." Or else, I think that's the last word. If you sit in the front pew on the left side, you can be on TV!

For those who don't know, the St. Louis Cathedral is a cemetery! It contains the remains of the only colonial governor buried in Louisiana. I'm not sure if that's who's under the small table, before the altar, where the priest says Mass, but there is somebody under there. Religious men and women, as well as the wealthy, were buried in this place. The first person to be buried was a French engineer by the name of Adrien de Pauger. The last person to be buried in these walls was the Archbishop Rummel in 1964.

I found out who was the Louisiana governor buried in the cathedral! Manuel Luis Gayoso, one of Spain's best diplomats. He had a short office from 1797 to 1799. He died at the age of 48 from yellow fever.

When I was walking on the side of Royal, close to the Mississippi River, I saw a black post with a Haunted History tour sticker. I gazed at the gray building on the streets of Royal and Governor Nicholls. I had no idea what the building was until I later looked at the pictures in their book about the tour. It was the LaLaurie House.

This name is what schoolchildren are taught when they study New Orleans' history. This was a dark moment in history, and even shocked the city. For those who have never heard of Delphine LaLaurie, she and her physician husband lived in the Quarter. She beat her slaves and had them locked in the attic, tortured and starving.

That was the terrible moment in our history that she’s remembered for. Delphine and her husband were rich, inviting people to their cocktail parties. On a few occasions, she was brought before court on abusing her staff. This one girl was combing her hair and pulled on a knot, so the woman had beaten her.

The night of April 10, 1834, rolls around and a fire broke out. The slaves were thought to have started it while the LaLaurie’s were entertaining at a cocktail party. Screams and cries came from the room where they were locked. The firemen came and broke down the door. The men smelled the rotten stench of death after the barrier was broken.

They saw numerous slaves chained to the walls, disfigured and victims of cruel medical experiments, since her husband was a physician. Many were dead, but there were some survivors. One woman broke free of her shackles, and instead of being relieved someone had come to save her, ran in fear. It's assumed she thought the men were coming to torture her. She jumped out of the window, plunging to her death.

When the survivors were being removed from the house, her guests grew angry and began to ransack the house. LaLaurie and her husband and children escaped from the mob, disappearing from New Orleans entirely. It is said that on Halloween night, those who gather in front can still see the woman scream as she falls to her death.

In Mid-City (up Esplanade Avenue from the French Quarter) during December, City Park is blossoming with life because the Christmas in the Oaks Celebration is going on. During the Christmas season, the park gets many local schools to come and sing Christmas carols and have the dance teams dance to the Chipmunks' Christmas Song. There is also a path where you can drive through the park and see a myriad of Christmas lights and scenes from the comforts of your heated car on those cold, chilly nights. It's about a two and a half mile drive.

Carousel Gardens, or the Botanical Gardens, is another section of the park to see. The gardens has fountains, a pond with incredibly large lilly pads, and large oak trees. All are illuminated by millions of lights. This makes for a romantic atmosphere, too. There are also conservatories where christmas trees are made out of pointsettias, more indoor plants can be seen, and is very warm when you're freezing.

Near the Botanical Gardens is Storyland, a kids place where stories come to life. You can go inside Pinnochio's whale's mouth and see all of his teeth, play on a pirate ship with Wendy and Peter Pan, find the wolf who was trying to eat Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother, and find Ariel sitting in the middle of a wishing fountain. There is also a fire truck and a large dragon that has a back and tongue that function like a slide.

The park's forest today numbers 14,000 mature trees and includes the largest live oaks in the world. A 20-foot poinsettia tree is the focal point of the garden in the rotunda of the conservatory, along with tropical rain-forest settings with gar fish and beautiful waterfalls. This is a romantic place for you and that special someone to share the holidays.

From personal experience, it is quite easy to get lost. The heart of the city is the French Quarter. An easy way to remember the streets is to look at its history. Scotsman John Law proposed an idea to the Duc d'Orleans in France during a card game: the city of New Orleans. He said to honor the Duc, the longest running and main street would be named Orleans. Since Toulouse and Dumaine (the Duc's family members whom he despised) had also put in money to build the city, these two were named after streets. So, to "protect" Orleans from his family, Law used St. Ann and St. Peter to serve as a buffer between these streets. To add extra buffers, then came St. Louis Street and St. Philip Street. Next, a royal and powerful family of France was named the Bourbons, where Bourbon Street got its name from. The Duc d'Orleans' son's title was the Duc of Chartres. Decatur was known as Levee Street since it was close to the River. The street bordering the French Quarter like a castle's ramparts is Rampart Street. Esplanade Street was where the settlement's soldiers would march and drill. Finally, Canal Street was where a canal was going to be placed, but the plan was never carried out.

The Central Business District, or CBD, is to the left across Canal Street. The CDB has the Crescent City Connection, the Superdome, and its major buildings. Canal Street is where new bright-red streetcars run up and down. By going down St. Charles Avenue, a street to the left of Canal, you are in the Garden District.

Back in the early days of foundation, the mighty Creoles livd in luxurious homes in the lush Garden District. The Creoles believed they were from the thigh of Jupiter, and were gods on earth who danced at masquerades all night, and slept all day. Overall, the Garden District is where you'll find many illustrious mansions with names like Camp, Catholic-related names, Magazine, Barone, and even the hard-to-pronounce Tchopitoulas (chop-it-too-las). Also, you can tell you're close to the river when you run into names of the Nine Muses like Euterpe, Terpsichore, Melpomene, Erato, and so on.

By taking Esplanade Street (on the right side of the French Quarter), you'll travel into Mid-City and find City Park. Across from City Park is Delgado Community College and the best burger joint (that is unfortunately no longer in existence), Bud's Broiler. Farther west would bring you to the Faubourg Treme. In City Park is the New Orleans Museum of Art and Sculpture Garden, which is a must-see.

If you go south from Mid-City towards Bywater and Chalmette, you'll be in the Faubourg Marigny. Named after Bernard Marigny, he began a "suburb" of French gentlemen and their mistresses to live with in their children during the French tradition of placage, taking on a woman of color as a mistress. Now, the Marigny is a colorful place with a bohemian flare. Further south, you'll enter into the small town of Chalmette.

Everyone in New Orleans isn't buried in the ground. Early settlers to the city found that out the hard way. The cemeteries didn't have walls, so when dug into a few feet in the ground, water would sprout up since New Orleans is below sea level. Large amounts of rain would push the coffins out of the ground and into the city streets! The Catholic Church decided to put a wall around the cemetery, but that made these places swimming pools with floating remains.

The French aboveground tomb was popular in France, thus building aboveground tombs. The aboveground tombs were built together with the narrow alleys between them. Muggers hide between the cracks, so be extra careful. When France gave New Orleans to the Spanish, they built wall ovens since it was a growing custom in Spain. The wall ovens make up the 9-foot walls.

The aboveground tombs are decaying, but organizations such as the Save Our Cemeteries are making efforts to save them. Save Our Cemeteries also has a tour group, and they're the only ones who bring a policeman on the tour, being very safe. I suggest, when walking between these narrow cracks, that you look before you step, as you may trip on a part of a tomb and find yourself eating dirt near the Italian Society Tomb in St. Louis Number One Cemetery on Basin Street. I know from personal experience.

Another sight to see is Marie LaVeau's, the Voodoo Queen, tomb, which is not far from the Society Tomb, with a large marble woman on top, and it can be recognized by the X's on it. In the 1970s, it was believed to be tour guides who said she granted wishes to those who left (money) offerings and put an X on the tomb, and the tour guides would come back later to collect the money. Nowadays, if you're caught placing an "X" on the tomb, you pay a $1,000 fine.

From December to January, you have Christmas in the Oaks. Festival of the Bonfire is in Grammercy (not far from New Orleans, in the country), but it's worth it. Many people park near the levee to see the wooden designs aflame at night. My great-grandfather said he invented them in Grammercy. New Years Eve morning is when the beer trucks come by the dozen and flood Bourbon. I've been there, and I've never seen so many beer trucks in my life. Fireworks that night usually follow. January is when the Anniversary of New Orleans takes place in Chalmette, not far from the French Quarter, at the Jean Lafitte Historical Park and Preserve.

February is known for one thing: Mardi Gras! Lundi Gras is the Monday before Fat Tuesday. It was a tradition in the 1700s and 1800s that everyone had to wear a mask, because people were souls who put on a mask to party until their soul vanished in the dawn of Ash Wednesday. My birthday was on Ash Wednesday, so I can't tell you how I felt knowing everyone partied the night before more than me. Radio stations usually want people to call and say what they did and how drunk they were.

March through May there is the Earth Fest at the Audubon Zoo, with booths, music, and food. St. Joseph's Day is popular at the Pere Antoine's Garden, where a Saint Joseph Altar was. There is no parking near the brewery. Believe me, I know. April has the Crescent City Classic run, the French Quarter Festival, and best of all, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Mostly bands that don't play jazz perform. The Dave Matthews Band performed at 2005's festival. They don't want you to bring your own drinks, but you can bring a cooler. Go figure on that.

In 1788, New Orleans was prospering. Good Friday was on March 21st of this particular year. It was not only a bad day for the city, but a disastrous one at that. The military treasurer guy named Vincent Jose Nunez lived on Charters Street, one block from the St. Louis Cathedral. A fire broke out when the wind blew a lace curtain over a candle on the private altar in his home. In only a short time the entire house was ablaze. A strong wind caused the fire to spread rapidly. So rapidly that it spread to the entire square was quickly engulfed in flames.

Explosions caused storage of gun powder and ammunition in private homes caused the fire to leap across the city streets from one place to another. By nightfall, four-fifths of New Orleans (865 structures) lay in smoldering ashes. When Pere Antoine, pastor of the St. Louis Cathedral and has his own garden in the back, was advised of the fire asked to ring the bell in the church tower, which also served as a fire bell, he stated that church regulations ruling Good Friday services did not allow for the ringing of the bell on the anniversary of the day that Christ died.

A perfect time to not ring the bell. Instead of citizens running out to put out the fire (no professional fire departments were at that time) upon hearing the fire bell, the flames moved from square to square. The only structure that was spared and is still standing today is the Ursuline Convent. This was in thanks to the quick action of Pere Antoine. He directed a bucket brigade of about a dozen men on the roof of the convent. They were able to keep the roof of the convent wet and extinguish any stray embers from the fire that landed thereon. The St. Louis Cathedral was not so lucky; it burned to the ground.

After the fire of 1788, the Spanish, who owned Louisiana at the time, rebuilt the city. They of course used their own Spanish style of architecture; thus, the French Quarter is more Spanish than French, architecturally.