Become a Virtual Tourist Member Today!  Sign Up for Free | Sign In

"Do You Know What It Means to ..." a New Orleans Travel Page by Rixie

Search:
email to friend | help
Home » North America » United States of America » Louisiana » New Orleans » Rixie New Orleans Travel Page

New Orleans Pages by Rixie


"Do You Know What It Means to ..." a New Orleans Travel Page by Rixie
See the Entire New Orleans Travel Guide
Click Picture to enlarge.
 email me
 add as friend


Rixie   
Travel may be an addiction, but it's cheaper than drugs.


Real Name: Laverne
Lives In: California, US
Member Since: Apr 13, 2002
VT Rank: 789

Sponsored Links for New Orleans

ORLEANS VACATION
Photos, customer ratings & reviews. Save on travel to Orleans.

Family Fun On The Bayou
Thrills, Chills, History, Music and Great Food. New Orleans has it all!

New Orleans Hotel Deals
Mystery Saver: Luxury Hotel 65% Off Book Online Today or Call Toll Free

InterContinental Hotel
Walk to French Quarter, Superdome. Official site, book direct.

French Quarter Getaway
Best location in the French Quarter Come join the party! Great Rates.



 

Page Views: 2,752            Last Visit to New Orleans: April, 2008      

Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?

by Rixie - last update: May 18, 2008

The Way It Is

The unsinkable city
This page is printed in traditional Mardi Gras colors: Purple for Justice, Green for Faith, Gold for Power.

************************************
I'm pleased to report that 18 months after Hurricane Katrina and the levee break devastated New Orleans, the downtown area of the city has made some progress. On my latest visit, in February of 2007, French Quarter businesses seemed almost normal. The French Market and Cafe du Monde were bustling, music was pouring out of Bourbon Street bars, and there was once again a line at the Gumbo Shop.

However, if you look a little further, you'll see that it's not anywhere near a full recovery. The historic St. Charles streetcar line, for example, has been reopened only from Canal Street to Lee Circle, a distance of about two blocks. In the areas surrounding the city where many business employees live -- Metairie and St. Bernard Parish -- the picture is still grim. However, there is the same unquenchable spirit of hope and optimism that so impressed me in 2006. You still see defiant bumper stickers and signs proclaiming as reflected in a bumper sticker reading “New Orleans – Proud to Call It Home,” and “We’re strong – we’re coming back – we will rebuild!”

This beautiful cosmopolitan city needs our help to rise again. Please consider it as a future travel destination!
Joan of Arc statue

The Way It Was, and Will Be Again

The flags of the United States, France, and Louisiana fly in front of St. Joan. Not shown is the Spanish flag, which represents another part of New Orleans history.

********************************************************************************

"Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?" is a catchy slogan, but it's not accurate, because the city's denizens pronounce its name more like "Noo Awlins."

Whichever way you say its name, New Orleans is a fun city. I've been there as an adult four times now, and I always feel very comfortable. It seems to combine elements from other places I've been: the red brick and cobbled streets of Georgetown, the big front lawns of Maryland, the humidity of Honolulu, the streetcars of San Francisco.

Canal Street in New Orleans is a ringer for San Francisco's Market Street -- a wide, busy thoroughfare, bordered with tall buildings and leading down to the water -- and the narrow streets and throngs of pedestrians in the French Quarter remind me of Chinatown. Bourbon Street, of course, is like SF's Broadway, which San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen used to call "Bawdway" for all the strip joints. Although I must admit that on Broadway you don't usually see scantily clad women hanging over wrought-iron balconies...

New Orleans offers delicious Southern cooking -- oyster and shrimp po'boys, muffalettas, gumbo, pralines, jambalaya, beignets and chicory coffee -- as well as Italian, Thai, and other types of ethnic cuisine. Be prepared to eat your way through this city.

And, oh, the music! Just standing outside some of the clubs on Bourbon Street, you can hear great blues and jazz. Even the street performers and the pianists who play background music at restaurants are top-notch. Jazz enthusiasts won't want to miss the famous Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

To get a true picture of The Big Easy, leave the drunks on Bourbon Street behind. Take the St. Charles Avenue streetcar out to Riverbend and browse through the thrift shops and bookstores. See a movie at the Prytania Theater; attend a concert at Tulane or Loyola University. There's more to New Orleans than the French Quarter, and you won't be disappointed.
St. Louis Cathedral looms in the background. I've read that the gaily decorated horse-drawn carriages are actually pulled by mules. Horses can't take the heat and humidity in New Orleans, but mules can.
Jackson Square, river side

> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]

Pros:"Great food, great music"
Cons:"High humidity and changeable weather"
In A Nutshell:"The Best of the American South"
Rixie's New Orleans Travel Tips

OverviewThings to Do
Tips: 4 - Photos: 3
 
Restaurants
Tips: 8 - Photos: 6
Hotels & Accommodations
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
 
NightlifeOff The Beaten Path
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
 
Tourist TrapsWarnings Or Dangers
Tips: 3
 
Transportation
Tips: 3 - Photos: 2
Local Customs
Tips: 1
 
Packing ListsShopping
Tips: 2 - Photos: 1
 
Sports Travel
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
General Tips

Rixie's New Orleans Travelogues
Title [Click to view]Travel YearPictures
Team TedFebruary, 2006 8
Digging Out After Hurricane KatrinaFebruary, 2006 8
Mardi Gras 2006February, 2006 8
Down by the Mississippi- 8
In the French QuarterMay, 2005 6

Comments for Rixie about New Orleans
BarbaraA1 Wed Sep 12, 2007 00:46 UTC
 I could not agree more. Leah's has the best pralines in the Quarter, which is to say the world. Their heavenly hash and rum pecans are also delicious.
JessH Wed Apr 18, 2007 05:39 UTC
 Hello Laverne. Excellent page on New Orleans here! I really enjoyed each & every single tip with great info & personal insights. Thanks for sharing! Greetings from the desert :-) Jess
sourbugger Thu Feb 15, 2007 16:00 UTC
 Highly thoughtfull
pieter_jan_v Tue Aug 22, 2006 18:30 UTC
 So good to see in the T-logues what you did! You're great! PJ
See More Comments

More Sponsored Links for New Orleans

Loews New Orleans Hotel
Vacationing to New Orleans? Stay at the Loews for a luxurious stay.

NewOrleansHotels.com
Comprehensive local guide to help plan your travel to New Orleans!

New Orleans Tours
City, Plantation, and Swamp Tours Discounted - Reserve Today.

Find:       Matching:  Advanced