A weekend in New Orleans

--visit a jazz club (the Preservation Hall Jazz Band performs every evening and although it's a small space, it's worth standing in line to hear them perform)

--BOURBON STREET

--Catch a sporting event (the Saints play at the Super Dome but so does Tulane football and now a new minor league hockey team plays in the new arena next door to the Super Dome)

--Eat a wonderful meal at a great New Orleans restaurant (and don't forget to make it to Cafe du Monde for beignettes and coffee)

Quick Tips:

Although it is free to visit popular tourist locales like Bourbon Street, keep in mind that many of the restaurants in the French Quarter are pricey. Also, parking in the French Quarter can be tough to find, so check to see whether your hotel has a shuttle to the quarter...most do!

Best Way To Get Around:

I like to stay in the French Quarter when visitng New Orleans, that way I can leave my car at the hotel and walk anywhere I need to go and it's easier to find parking if you're visiting someplace that isn't in the Quarter. Otherwise, the trolley will take you out to the Garden District if you're headed that direction. Taxis aren't exceedingly expensive to most of the desired tourist destinations. Remember, again, that many hotels have shuttles that will deliver you to the casinos or to the French Quarter.

The Hyatt will certainly live up to your expectations in a hotel. The hotel has a 30 or so story open atrium complete with glass elevators and several restaurants and bars, including the city''s only revolving restaurant. The hotel is usually reasonably busy due it''s extensive use as a conference host, but this shouldn''t scare you off from staying here. If you''re attending an event at the Super Dome, you''re only a few feet away but if you''re visiting New Orleans for the French Quarter and it''s other tourist destinations, the Hyatt operates a shuttle that runs every 15 minutes with 2 stops, one at the Harrah''s Casino and next to Jack''s Brewery on the river.

If you can''t find enough to entertain you in the hotel itself, there is a small mall attached to the hotel with a food court and several gift shops among the many name brand stores.

Overall, the Hyatt was a wonderful hotel that I will probably return to and I think that once you''ve stayed here you will do the same.

Imagine sitting in a wonderful little French style street cafe sipping a hot cup of chocolate coffee and nibbling on beignettes while street musicians entertain you with their talents. You will find all of this at Cafe du Monde. The best time to visit the cafe is on a nice days when the tent-like flaps are up and you can truly experience the French cafe feel.

Beignettes and coffee are cheap and will offer you a truly New Orleans experience. Don't waste your time with the Cafe du Monde restaurants you'll find in some of the malls in the New Orleans area. Make a trip to the REAL one and enjoy! Be aware that the birds that inhabit the area are also drawn there and will often fly around and pick at the sugar from any left over beignettes that may be laying around. You've not experienced New Orleans until you experience Cafe du Monde!

Brennans is perhaps my favorite restaurant in the world. Although a bit pricey, you will certainly not forget your meal here. Known for their "Breakfast at Brennans" they serve a wonderful multi-course full traditional breakfast that is unforgettable, but their dinners are what I keep coming back for. The fixed price dinner runs at least $37 (more if you choose certain soups or desserts) but the money is definitely well spent. You can't visit Brennans without trying the Bananas Foster which was invented here is fixed at your table. It's a rich blend of bananas, banana liqueur, rum, brown sugar and cinnamon served over vanilla ice cream and is simply amazing. The service is first rate and you will not be disappointed. Brennans is also world famous for their wine cellar which annually ranks among the best in the world in Wine Spectator's wine rankings. Keep an eye out for seasonal specials like their traditional French Christmas 5 course meal. I had the opportunity to try this myself last December and it was wonderful! The meal started with Brennan's famous gumbo and then continued with Eggs Husarde followed by a salad and then the main course, grilled salmon in a creole mustard sauce, all to be finished with the Bannanas Foster. Combine this with a glass of egg nog and it made for a spectacular meal (but I've never had a bad meal here!!!) Visit Brennans, you won't regret it!

On my latest trip to New Orleans I was fortunate to come upon a truly wonderful restaurant. I had passed by the Court of Two Sisters many times, but never taken the time to eat there. The misplacement of our reservation at another New Orleans eatery was the excuse to finally give this famous restaurant a try.

You enter the restaurant through what appears to be an old New Orleans alley-way, complete with hanging moss and iron light fixtures, reminiscent of "A Streetcar Named Desire." However, once you turn the corner into the restaurant-proper, the scene changes dramatically. Artwork and fine linens adorn the tables and walls and make you truly feel as if you've entered a five star restaurant. The menu certainly doesn't change that perception.

The fixed menu of appetizer, salad, entree and dessert seems to be the house specialty and the food options provide a wonderful palate of tastes and flavors that complement each other wonderfully.

In New Orleans, one would be remiss not to try the seafood gumbo as an appetizer choice. It was delicious. A thick blend of shrimp, clam, and okra with creole seasonings was a treat that I shall not soon forget.

For your salad, choose the caesar option. Impressively, they prepare the caesar dressing at the table blending the classic ingredients with an anchovy and generously topping the fresh greens. It will cost you an extra couple of dollars, but the tableside preparation is worth the difference in price.

The entree choices are wide ranging but overall include mostly seafood options. I tried the "Trout Wellington" a play on words of its more famous cousin beef wellington. They start with a large filet of trout and encase it within a fluffy, crumbly pastry shell (of course shaped like a fish) and then surround it with shrimp, crawfish and crabmeat topped with a choron sauce, a rich flavorful sauce that will leaving you craving more.

Save room for the delectable dessert options. Born in New Orleans, the local favorite is Banana's Foster but the cheesecake and homemade pecan pie looked excellent also. The Banana's Foster, too, is fixed tableside. Flambe bananas with banana liquor, rum and brown sugar and serve over ice cream and the resulting concoction is a fabulous dessert to top off a fabulous meal that will leave you needing an after meal walk around the French Quarter.

Besides the great dinner menu. Court of Two Sisters is known for their jazz brunch served daily in the courtyard for which the restaurant is named. Although I have not been fortunate enough yet to try the brunch, I'm told that brunch is served buffet-style with more than 80 different choices under the canopy of ivy on the courtyard, all set to the stylings of a live jazz band.

All in all, the quality of food, and the unique New Orleans feel make this a truly special restaurant that deserves at least a repeat visit!

The River Walk Mall sits at the location of the old World's Fair Grounds on the riverfront in New Orleans. This is a shopping mall for those with eclectic and expensive tastes. Composed of mostly boutique type shops, this is the certainly the place to be if you're looking to do a little window shopping. In addition to shops, there are several restaurants in the mall. However, since it's easy to find a great New Orleans cajun meal or seafood restaurant in the surrounding French Quarter area, I would shy away from the chain type restaurants you're likely to encounter in the River Walk Mall. Overall, this is my favorite mall in the New Orleans area and can be a lot of fun to visit.

I was a bit skeptical the first time I visited Preservation Hall. I was drug to this small-looking club with a reasonably long line coming out the door and didn't think that anything in this building could be worth this line. I was wrong! The Preservation Hall Jazz Band is incredible. Some of the musicians in the group are probably in their 60s but they haven't lost a beat as they play every night to a full crowd in a very small space. If you're looking for a good time and some great music that you can take your family to, this is the place! The band plays a mix of classic New Orleans jazz as well as some newer jazz woven in to create a wonderful blend of music that you'll remember for a long time.

If you're in the French Quarter, it's hard to miss the St. Louis Cathedral's spire rising above the surrounding buildings. Take a detour inside and you'll see a gorgeous old cathedral that is lined on the inside with flags of various nations as well as lots of statues and ornate artwork that adds to it's appeal. Pay particular attention to the ceiling which is covered in beautiful murals. If you're fortunate enough to be there when there's a concert going on at the Cathedral the acoustics are wonderful. There are nightly concerts of Christmas music in December and periodic concerts the rest of the year. This should definitely be a stop on your agenda when you visit New Orleans.