New Orleans is Better than your Town

One of the things I love most about New Orleans is how incredibly friendly and social it is. We stayed with my friend Ross, pictured here, in the Bywater neighborhood. A lot of our time was spent on his porch, talking to the neighbors who were also sitting on their porches.

Anyone from New Orleans can tell you that the porch culture is a social center of the city, and it's amazing how vibrant this culture remains even today, when so many American cities have become suburban sprawls without even any sidewalks, let alone a porch.

A lot of people are not aware that the national World War II museum is in New Orleans, and it is definitely worth your time to visit. The architecture is superlative, and the multimedia displays are a great education even if you come to the museum with no background in the history of this war.

Downtown New Orleans is a potpourri of color and form, beautiful in the light of sunset. This sunset vista is from the Rooftop Bar of the Higgins Hotel which is managed by Hilton and adjoins the World War II Museum.

And the food is fabulous. This is an oyster po' boy sandwich, containing deep-fried oysters, a special sauce, and a ton of joy for this intrepid foodie. 

And let me show you one more vista from the Rooftop Bar, because it is just so lovely...

Below you see crabmeat beignets. Beignets are usually a sweet specialty of New Orleans, but the crab meat added a savory twist to a classic dish.

The dinner jazz cruise on the Riverboat City of New Orleans was a treat for us. The food was a series of New Orleans classics, including gumbo, Bayou seafood pasta, bread pudding, and bananas foster (two new additions to my dessert repertoire). The night views of the city are spectacular, as witnessed here by Yours Truly and his fabulous daughter, Rachel.

The New Orleans School of Cooking, in the heart of the French Quarter, has a fabulous teaching chef named Rene Brunet. He spent 25 years living in Montreal, Canada, so I knew of course that he had fabulous taste (being from Canada myself).

He taught us how to make corn-and-crab bisque, crawfish étouffée, and pralines for dessert. All I needed was a buttery chardonnay to wash it all down, but being the serious man that I am, I chose to abstain in the name of recording all this fabulous research for your future travel edification. You’re welcome. Below is the étouffée de joie:

JAMnola is a new cultural funhouse featuring many New Orleans artists.

One of the best-known artists is this rather large crawfish who decided he was going to turn the tables and place this worried Canadian in his cooking pot. If I look anxious in this photo, it's because I was. I barely escaped with my life.

Of all American cities, you may have guessed that New Orleans is one of the most unique. It starts with the fact that the city is actually a few feet below sea level, which makes it very tricky to bury the dead. A visit to Saint Roche Cemetery is definitely worthy...

...to see how they solve this rite of passage with above-ground mausoleums like this one below:

Another characteristic of the Big Easy is street murals everywhere you go of rather breathtaking beauty. I drove past this one several times during the day and in the evening, and seeing it in different light made it seem brand-new each time.

The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is a visual treat, with a great ambience. I can't say I know much about Southern art, but I can guarantee you that I know more for having visited this museum than I did before, and that is a mitzvah, my friends.

My favorite place in New Orleans is Jackson Square, both because it is so photogenic and also because it is right beside the Mississippi River.

I loved walking through Jackson Square and sitting down on the bank of the Mississippi and just absorbing the incredible history that has taken place on this river and in this port. There was a time when American trade was largely focused on the port of New Orleans. The city sits on a bend in this mighty river before it empties into the Gulf of Mexico.

And of course anyone who visits New Orleans has to play cards, right? Well, I'm not sure that necessarily follows, but I can tell you that we had big fun playing several card games that thrive in our family, and bring us much joy, as pictured here. 

You will notice that I won the first game and then got killed in the second. What can I say? They got lucky that second time.

Well friends, on that sad note I must leave you with a lovely and wistful photo, which I gaze upon nostalgically as I pen this tome to you. Sigh. Please take me with you when you visit New Orleans. I'll pay for my own flights if you pick up the hotels and meals. Do we have a deal?

Love, Dave