New Orleans Things to Do Tips by Rixie

I had wanted to hear the Preservation Hall Jazz Band for years and years, so when I finally got to do so in 2001, it was almost like a pilgrimage for me.

Preservation Hall is just a dusty little warehouse room around the corner from Bourbon Street, smelling faintly of mildew, with grime-encrusted windows and scuffed wood floors. It's dark inside, the walls are covered with pegboard, and there's a big electric fan whirring in the corner. There are three rows of wooden benches and more along the walls, but other than that, it's standing room only.

We had a half an hour wait, but it was so worth it. There were six musicians, all black men, ranging in age from 30's to 70's and wearing white shirts and ties in the heat: trumpet, trombone, clarinet, bass, piano, and drums. Heavenly music -- the dingy surroundings fall away when you hear it.

The thing that impressed me most was the honesty of their music. There were no amplifiers, no microphones, no fancy costumes or stage sets or strobe lights, just the musicians, their instruments, and unadorned New Orleans jazz. A sign on the wall noted that standard requests were $2, non-standards $5, Saints $10. :)

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Phone: 504/ 522-2841
Address: 726 St. Peter Street

The D-Day Museum, the national World War II museum, is well-researched and beautifully laid out, focusing not only on the Normandy invasion but also on other aspects of World War II. It's located in this city because of New Orleans boat builder Andrew Higgins, whose landing craft (LCVP, a.k.a. Higgins Boat) ensured the success of the D-Day invasion in 1944.

I've been to museums where war was presented as a glorious undertaking, with trumpets blowing and banners waving and God on our side -- no mention of the fear and blood and ugliness -- and I had expected a similar slant from a military museum in the American South. I was wrong. The National D-Day Museum courageously gives a warts-and-all view of WWII. It tells about doubts and worries and strategy gone awry, and includes first-person accounts from everyone in the military hierarchy, from frightened young Marines, sitting in Higgins boats off Omaha Beach, to General Dwight D. Eisenhower, agonizing over whether to give the "go" order or wait. The museum also includes displays of propaganda from both the Allied and Axis sides, with a discussion about demonizing the enemy.

Throughout the museum there are little film nooks where a handful of people can sit and watch video clips and slide shows. On one tape, one soldier spoke about shocking scenes at a concentration camp: mountains of bodies, a whole room full of jawbones. "I've never talked much about it," he admitted.

Another said that, just before they hit the beach at Normandy, his buddy turned to him and said in panic, "I can't swim."

"Don't worry," he assured him, "they'll take us right up to land." ... except that someone hit the release for the ramp too early, while the boat was still in deep water. His friend was carried off by a massive wave and never even made it onto the beach.

There were so many poignant stories from different viewpoints, which is what makes history fascinating to me.

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Phone: 504-527-6012
Address: 945 Magazine Street
Directions: In the Warehouse District, two blocks from Lee Circle
Website: www.ddaymuseum.org

If getting drunk on Bourbon Street isn’t your idea of a fun evening, take a New Orleans Ghost Tour. It’s an interesting and educational way to see the French Quarter. I wasn’t enthusiastic when my family wanted to take a ghost tour, because I have an overactive imagination and can manage to freak myself out quite nicely without any help. But our tour guide, Jessica, was perfect. Her goal was not to scare us but to inform us. She was more like a historical lecturer and had a laidback sense of humor that I enjoyed -- the kind of person I wouldn’t mind talking to at a party.

A story from the tour:

The present-day Andrew Jackson Hotel was a boys' boarding school in the 1800s, but when a yellow fever epidemic swept the city, all of the students died. The hotel today is said to be haunted by their ghosts. The ghostly happenings are very mischievous, the sort of thing you’d expect from little boys, but it would still scare the bejesus out of me! Guests have reported hearing children laughing and running up and down the halls at night, faucets turn on by themselves, female guests have been awakened by someone tickling their feet. A few of the latter have said they saw a little boy giggling at the foot of their bed. It made me wonder how the ghost tour affects the occupancy rate of the hotel.

This is a walking tour, so wear comfortable shoes. Tours last about an hour and a half. The brochures say that tours are at 7, 8, and 9 pm, but our 8:00 tour actually began at 8:30. $19 per person, discounts for students and seniors. Reservations are necessary, as the size of tour groups is limited. Tips are gratefully accepted by your guide at the end of the tour.

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Phone: 504-524-0708 or 504-628-1722
Address: 625 St. Philip (between Royal and Chartres)
Directions: Ticket office and meeting place: Flanagan's Pub, address above.

A visit to Mid City Lanes (locally known as Rock 'n' Bowl) is a fun and different way to spend an evening in New Orleans. It's a regular bowling alley that also offers live music and a dance floor. There are usually far more people dancing than bowling. The type of music varies from rock and roll to zydeco to country -- check the website for the schedule.

Although it looks like a tough place and beer is served, the atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable, like a family gathering. The night we were there, a bachelorette party was in session. Owner John Blancher took a turn dancing with the bride, who wore her veil with a T-shirt and jeans.

Mid City Lanes can also be rented for private celebrations and children's birthday parties.

Open Tuesday through Saturday - doors open at 5:00 p.m. If you don't have use of a car, take a cab -- this part of town can be sketchy at night.

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Phone: 504-482-3133
Address: 4133 S. Carrollton (at Tulane)
Website: www.rockandbowl.com