ReNew Orleans – Jazz Fest is just one way

All of us who love New Orleans — must help — ReNew Orleans.  The help the people of New Orleans need most is for all of us to visit and spend our money. 

Donations are helpful and we should continue to send money for the rebuilding of the 9th Ward – but we need to visit so the musicians have someone to play for; so the waiters and cooks have someone to prepare and serve food to; so store owner’s have someone to sell to.  Get the picture.  Good – hope to see you in our favorite city.

 See our Best Places to Visit Again and Again to get some ideas of where to go in New Orleans and other great times to visit.  Peace and Good Vibes to all. 

Best Places to Visit Again and Again…….

Best Cities to Visit Again and Again ………… and in some cases Again

There are a few cities you just want to keep going back to: NYC, San Fran, London, Paris, we have a few more – and what we like to do while we are there –

1.  New Orleans – not just for Partying, but you can do that Too!!!!!  Our first trip was in 1986 for a convention with two teenagers in the month of July (not usually the best combination).  Having never been in the south in July we didn’t have any idea what to expect.  It was very hot and very humid – but we fell in love with the city anyway!  The music, the food, so much history, the natural beauty, the old world atmosphere and the friendly people, these are all the reasons we have visited 15 times since ’86. 

Need a quick trip to unwind? With online travel you can book last minute package deals to fit your schedule and budget.  We found airline tickets, three nights at a historic hotel with breakfast and airport shuttle – off we went because we needed a “Big Easy Fix”. 

Booking travel on the web part is not new, but this was the first time we booked travel on a travel site that we OWN and we will make commission on the travel, in addition to getting a very good price. 

Our travel site is www.travelwithbabyboomers.com – anyone can and use our site to book your travel – and we hope you do.  We liked the idea of a weekend getaway package because it allows you to pick and choose to make the travel deal fit your schedule and budget. 

We were able to find two airline tickets, three nights in a historic hotel (complimentary breakfast with fresh fruit and waffles), and a shuttle to and from the airport all for just a bit over the price of two airline tickets. We were so pleased with ourselves. We started planning what we would do – we have to hear live music (wonder if Marva Wright is back in town?).  Must eat at Mothers (need an oyster po boy and gumbo) and of course we must visit Cafe du Monde for beignets and café au lait.  The “Have To” list grows …… Maybe we should have planned to be there longer! 

Arriving mid-morning Friday we went right to our hotel and deposited our suitcase.  We had most of the day to eat then walk it off then eat again and so on.   First stop Arnaud’s Remoulade Restaurant (a sister restaurant to the upscale Arnaud www.remoulade.com for some oysters on the half shell.  We sit at the Oyster Bar and talk to Eric as he shucks the oysters (a dangerous job), usually George or Eric will tell you what is happening in the city. The oysters were wonderful as usual, but today the conversation was a bit different.  First thing Eric says “is this your first time back?”  Instantly, we knew he meant since Katrina.  We said yes, we had dreaded coming back after the storm, but could not stay away.  He told us how glad everyone was that tourists were coming back and how much they needed the tourism dollars.  Eric also explained just how important it was to the city that the New Orleans Saints had come back to play football.  The city was overjoyed with the number of fans coming to see the games and while supporting their teams also bringing in much needed revenue into the city. 

Visiting New Orleans and spending money in this wonderful city is the only real why we can RE-NewOrlens.  Not to say donations don’t help but the citizens need to be able to share their city in order to bring it back.

Following the first of many adventures in eating, we headed to the flea market/ French Market but not without a little window shopping along the way.  Every window tells a story and looking at the beautiful antiques and estate jewelry I wonder what their story was.

Then on to the market where we stroll among the stalls filled with the most unusual combinations (fruits, vegetables, VooDoo dolls, Cajun spices, tie dyes, Oscar’s Original Jewelry (funky stuff that I’ve loved since he opened in 1989) read his story at www.oscarofneworleans.com (mention this blog and Oscar will give you a discount), and, of course, t-shirts/hats with New Orleans or the Big Easy on the front.  Every tourist needs something to tell people where they’ve been. 

Then the long walk to Mother’s www.mothersrestaurant.net where I learned they serve a quarter million homemade biscuits (and even more eggs!) every year.  We’ve never had breakfast there –a must for the next visit. Everyone has their favorite and I’m always glad when we are in a group – so we can get a taste from everyone. The gumbo, oyster po’ boys and bread pudding are our favorites (see if you can guess the secret ingredient).  As we pass one of the many bars on Bourbon Street we stopped to listen to some live Zydeco music then headed back to our hotel for the night.
 

Bourbon Street is its own place – and best in the evening. We love it, but it is not for everyone.  You can always tell first timers because they stare just as first timers do in the big city.  What we love is the music coming out of every bar and people dancing outside where it is too full to get in.  

Bourbon Street is a pretty much an anything goes area.  If you don’t feel comfortable on there just walk one block from it and you will be in an area that has beautiful architecture and fabulous antique stores, windows filled with estate jewelry.  These streets are better seen in daylight so you can enjoy all the store windows and outstanding buildings.

The Dauphine Orleans www.dauphineorleans.com is in the French Quarter one block off Bourbon.  The hotel is bursting with history: parts of the hotel date back to 1775; some rooms have been renovated exposing brick walls and original beans which reveled handmade nails they believe came from the Old Jean Lafitte Blacksmith Shop (the same buccaneer that fought side by side with Andrew Jackson).  In 1822 John James Audubon stayed in one of the cottages while he painted his American Birds series.  This cottage has been restored and now serves as a conference room.  And last but not least, the May Bailey’s Place lounge was a famous or infamous bordello in 1857. Today it’s still quite a fancy place where you can sit at the bar and visit with regulars and tourists or huddle together on a red velvet settee to have your cocktail in privacy.  Did I mention, you get a free cocktail coupon when you check in?   Saturday at breakfast we discovered Marva Wright, the Blues Queen of New Orleans would be sitting in at a benefit with other great New Orleans musicians that evening.  They would be honoring legendary bandleader and producer Wardell Quezerque a long time resident and revered member of
New Orleans music scene. The benefit was at Ernie K Does Mother In Law Club.  Read about the Mother In Law Club at http://oldies.about.com/b/a/256047.htm.  What an outstanding night!!!! The little club was filled with college kids to folks much older than us; blue collar workers to folks with plenty of money making up a very diverse crowd.  They did not come for anything but the MUSIC and no one left disappointed.  Ms. Antionette (Ernie’s wife) supplied gumbo and rice for everyone and the drinks were very reasonable –no one came because of the low prices they came to listen and pay their respects to Wardell, There have been other benefits since Katrina and more are planned to help support the New Orleans musicians.  You can also help by donating on this site http://nomhrf.org/3/

Sunday we walked past the Cathedral in Jackson Square, had a drink at The Alpine bar before heading to the LePetit Theatre to see Vernel Bagneris’s musical One Mo’ Time: a musical depicting the Black Vaudeville circuit from 1920’s.  Vernel wrote and stared in the play here and in New York City.  The musical was very enjoyable and played to a packed house.   Monday, after a leisurely breakfast at the hotel we headed back home and to the real world.  We love
New Orleans because of the magical feeling you get while you are there.   

Other things to know about New Orleans — everyone knows about Mardi Gras, but we think that NO is also remarkable during two other events:  Jazz Fest and Halloween.  We have attended at least 5 Jazz Fests, a celebration of New Orleans Music, food and culture.  The festival is held the last weekend of April and the first weekend of May.  The music starts at 11 a.m. and ends at 7 p.m which leaves the evening to party at New Orleans many small clubs or just have dinner and collapse – depending on your energy level.  There are 9 stages which play music continuously and set up so well that the music seldom overlaps.  You have lots of choices – pick the performers you what to hear and move from stage to stage or pick music style you like and stake out your space for the day.  During the two weekends of the Jazz Fest nearly every musician in Louisiana (it seems) has a chance to perform and, of course, there are “big names” who are in some way connected to New Orleans and its unique music styles. 

Sometimes we want to avoid the big stages and the crunch so we head to the Blues Tent or the Gospel Tent where we have seen some remarkable performances.  Perhaps you love traditional or contemporary jazz – there is a stage for each of them too.  It is always fun to go to the Fa Do Do Stage and dance (or try to) to Cajun and Zydeco music. 

Then there is the Congo Square stage (celebrating where New Orleans music started).  Mardi Gras Indians can be heard and seen in feathery finery and where we experienced a particularly moving performance from Hugh Maskala and other South African musicians in 2004. 

The food is legendary from Crawfish Monica to Oyster Po’Boys to Iced Café Au Lait – it’s all good and a fund raiser for many local organizations.  The fest also features many craft persons from the local area – remember, spring is not too early to start shopping for holiday giving – especially when the items are so unique.

We hate to put a damper on this great event but a few warnings might be helpful: 

Book your hotel early – many people reserve their hotel rooms for the following year when they leave their hotel.  You can always try booking later – you may get a room.  Don’t forget to use our web site to book your travel – even if you are late www.travelwithbabyboomers.com

Late April and early May can be hot and humid in New Orleans so wear a hat and sunscreen and drink plenty of water.  (Beer does not count – as it helps to dehydrate you)

Also there could be a one or many thunder showers – torrential downpours so footwear for walking or dancing in mud would be appropriate. 

If you don’t like crowds or intoxicated college and/or 20 somethings you may want to arrive early and leave a bit early and head for dinner at The Café Degas on The Esplanade (one of our favorite restaurants in the Fairground area) and relax while everyone else is heading back to town.  Actually if you chose your niche you can avoid some of the crowd issues and groove to your favorite New Orleans music.There are many clubs in New Orleans that will feature live music after the fest – on our first few trips we were able to do the all day and the evening – but now it is just too much so as mentioned we head for Café Degas and relax then head to our hotel and prepare for the next day. 

One year we did both weekends and on the days between the fest we went to the Lafayette and the other Cajun County areas to absorb more music and, of course, more great food.

Halloween in New Orleans – One of the most fun times we have ever experienced!  We stood  outside The Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon Street watching the Halloween parade – great fun to watch the Halloween revelers pass by.  You need to be broad minded as there is a lot of irreverent and risqué activity.  Anyone can don a costume and join in the parade.

The French Quarter Festival is April 13-15 this year.  We have not been to this event, but have heard very good things about it.  Maybe 2007 is the year to try something new.  We will let you know what we think if it if we go.

Remember, if we want to help RE-NEWORLEANS all we need to do is head to the Big Easy and Spend our Money.  Helping with donations is great, but what the citizens of
New Orleans want is to share their city with all its’ unique music, food, culture and just plain fun.  Enjoy the city and you will feel RE-NEWED also. 

As you have most likely observed, we are FOP’s or Food Oriented Persons.  We love food, music, people and traveling – we’re lucky they fit together so nicely  More restaurants we have enjoyed in New Orleans: It’s hard to find a bad restaurant in New Orleans, we have tried hard but everywhere we go seems to serve great food through some are more memorable and each is unique in its menu and approach to good dining.  It is hard to classify the cuisine in a New Orleans restaurant because Louisianans have been blending flavors from various cultures long before “fusion” became a culinary byword.   With traditional eateries we first think of Galatoire’s 209 Bourdon Street, where you feel like you are going back in time with waiters who seem like they have been there since day one and little old ladies in hats and white gloves, but the food is marvelous especially the fish dishes don’t bother to call they don’t take reservations. 

We had to try breakfast at Brennans 417 Royal Street, its all about eggs and sauces – rich, pricey and delicious   - enough to keep you satisfied for the day.  Even if you are not fond of bananas – give the Bananas Foster a try (this dish was originated at Brennans). Jazz Brunch at Commander’s Palace in the Garden District 1403 Washington Avenue – is a uniquely New Orleans experience — great food, music and atmosphere all at the same time.  Dress up or you will be banished to a less desirable part of the restaurant.  All the food is memorable and desserts incredible — especially the Bread Pudding Soufflé.   Rated one of the best restaurant in the US – don’t miss it.  By the way, just like Key Lime Pie in the Florida Keys, Bread Pudding is the dessert of choice in New Orleans.  We always taste test the variations to determine the best and Commander’s Palace was our WINNER.

The Palace Café 605 Canal Street – has more of a bistro feel, but the same great food especially the seafood dishes.  We also recommend their White Chocolate Bread Pudding because of our extensive research for the perfect Bread Pudding.

New Orleans has great restaurant that are not Creole or traditional, we especially liked, Bayona
430 Dauphine Street, we had the Saturday Lunch menu of small dishes.  We ordered enough for two and shared. Everything we tasted was excellent.  The offerings change often.  The wait staff and owner were very pleasant and interesting to talk with.  Bayona has a very romantic atmosphere and would be an impressive place for a special dinner.

As a contrast consider Emeril’s, or NOLA (another of Emeril’s places) the food is great (even spectacular) but the atmosphere tends towards busy and loud (reflecting Emeril’s personality?) a fun place to take a group.  A great culinary experience – just don’t expect to see Emeril cooking.

Speaking of loud and fun – try the Sunday Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues on  Decatur Street –  You don’t have to be “church going folks” to enjoy the spirit of the music and the buffet style food is plentiful and good as well as soulful and filling.

There are also a lot of small, out of the way, unique places with sensational food and often long lines – plan to go at non-peak times (you are on vacation and can eat when you want to). We already wrote about Mother’s but another great small place is Uglsich’s  at 1238 Barrone – no reservations and no credit cards – just really great seafood.  Try the Voodoo Shrimp or Shrimp and Grits (thought shrimp and grits was a joke before we moved South – now it is something I try anywhere they serve it).  We also like Cassmento’s  on Magazine Street where oysters and other seafood are their specialties.   By the way Magazine Street has many interesting shops (boutique clothing, antiques, etc.) and is often missed by visitors to the city. 

In the Quarter, we like Acme Oyster House – for guess what — oysters – good any way you want them (on the half shell, in stew, in po’boys).  Way out on the St Charles Streetcar line is the Camellia Grill 626 S. Carrolton Avenue (check to see if they have reopened before you go)  If they have reopened try any of their omelet’s or the excellent pecan waffles.  We understand they are to have the “best burgers in town” – don’t know since burgers are not our thing. 

Although these are our favorites – it is always fun to try something new  — that’s how we found all of these places.  There are so many great choices that as we said – it is hard to find a bad place to eat.   

If you are going to New Orleans and have a question feel free to contact us and we will be happy to try and answer it for you.  We would also love to hear about your favorite things to do or places to visit.  Send us a comment to the blog and we will get back to you.   

2.  Not just the most southern point in the 48 states – Key West is whatever you want it to be – natural beauty, wild night life, sunny days, history — perfection.  Key West, Florida – has such beautiful climate and atmosphere it is almost like visiting a tropical
Caribbean island, but at US prices. 

Yes, Key West is pricey, but you are better off deciding to do it right and pay the price and enjoy the experience.    That means staying in the historic area rather than staying in a chain hotel on the outskirts of town.  There are lots of small hotels, especially attractive guest houses and B & B’s downtown.  It would be best to check if the B & B caters to a particular cliental or has unique clothing options before booking your stay. Travel to Key West is a bit of a challenge, we usually drive there from one of the SE Florida airports – it always seems romantic to envision yourself tooling down US 1 in a convertible through the keys and across the seven mile bridge with turquoise, azure and amethyst water all around you.  However, it is a three hour drive from Miami and the water is only beautiful in good light.  So it might be better to save time and car rental money by flying directly toKey West (especially if you can use frequent flier points).  When in Key West, a car is not a plus since parking is limited and expensive.  The way to go seems to be to rent a motor bike or just a “you powered” bike and ride to your destinations.  Open air electric cars are the new thing and looked like fun, but you still have to park those in a parking spot.  Downtown Key West is small and you can really walk everywhere is you stay downtown.  If you do have a car and need to park, look for one of the $10 all day lots – it will save you money.  There’s a lot to do either real active or slow moving.   We did a guided kayak trip through the mangroves and salt lakes and really enjoyed it.  There is also open water kayaking in the ocean.  Charter fishing boats, sunset cruises along with various other sailing opportunities are available including a trip to Dry Tortugas even further South, where you can snorkel, see unusual birds, and visit Fort Jefferson where Dr. Mudd as in “Your Name is Mudd” (the doctor who treated John Wilkes Booth after shooting President Lincoln) was imprisoned. Good places to visit are:  Hemingway’s House (Papa is an icon here and you will see many references to his escapades around town) in addition to the Hemingway memorabilia the house is also unique for its pool – hacked by hand out of the coral.  There are also many six toed cats (supposedly descendants of his cats) wandering around the beautifully landscaped grounds. We also found Truman’s Little White House very interesting.  Harry and Bess wintered here.  We also heard good things about Mel Fisher’s Maritime Heritage Society www.melfisher.org where some of his treasure finds are on display. Of course, Key West is famous for the Duval Street Pub Crawl.  There certainly are enough watering holes to keep the most dedicated pub crawler active.  We could manage only three pubs, must be another side of advancing years!  We drank at the Lazy Gecko, where the frozen drinks were great, the crowd younger, and the music by Joal Rush which was excellent. Stop by and say hello to Robyn, often found behind the bar, but who showed us all how well she can sing that night with Joal. Next we tried the famous Hog’s Breath Saloon (Hog’s Breath is Better Than No Breath At All)  - the crowd included many BabyBoomers who were enjoying the music and drinking enough to keep everyone happy.  Finally we crawled to the Schooner Wharf Bar in the Old Harbor with lots of Key West atmosphere and blues music.    Key West is also excellent habitat for great food, of course, seafood is the food of choice – yellow tail snapper and grouper being some of the best. 

Our favorite place to eat in Key West is Blue Heaven in Little Bahama – this is perfect Key West – al fresco dining with a rustic setting (families of chickens running around).  The food at breakfast, lunch and dinner is uniformly excellent.  The last time we were there we had breakfast with a Bloody Mary to start and then Shrimp and Grits and Lobster Benedict with Key Lime Hollandaise; they were just what we needed to start the day.  We ate at the B.O. Fish Wagon www.keywesttravelguide.com/bos-fish-wagon.html, which is totally informal with good not great food.  For the prices they charged the portions should have been a bit larger.  We had the blackened grilled shrimp and the fried fish and conch fritters.  We decided conch fritters are probably over rated in general, but you should try them at least once.  If you are going to indulge in a Key specialty try Key Lime Pie, we have never tasted a bad slice anywhere in the Keys.   Another place we really like in Key West is Kelly’s’- a little more upscale with garden dining – very pretty at night with little white lights on the trees and a bar made out of an airplane wing. The building was formerly PanAm’s headquarters in Key West.  Kelly’s, although not a brew pub, they do brew their own beer.  The IPA – called Golden Ale was very good as were the margaritas.  This is the place to be at Happy Hour!  The Caribbean menu is extremely good and with good prices.  Of course, no visit toKey West is complete without spending a sunset at Mallory Square to watch for the Green Flash.  Many don’t believe there is a Green Flash (like my husband until he saw it, but once you see it you will always believe and remember – much like seeing the Northern Lights in Alaska or the Southern Cross in the Southern hemisphere for the first time.  You can also soak up some Key West culture as there are many street performers ranging from Calypso singers to pseudo tight rope walkers.  The acts run the gambit from talented to unusual to just plain weird, but it is all part of the scene.  Grab a frozen drink, wonder around and enjoy.   Many tourists leave the moment the sun actually sets – stay and watch as the fabulous colors fill the sky just before dark.   Hope you enjoy Key West as much as we do.  P.S.  If you drive to Key West you may need a stop along the way, try either of two places in
Marathon.  The Wreck on Grassy Key just before town heading south has very good food – try the grouper in any form, friendly atmosphere and one of the top three Key Lime pies we have ever tasted (and believe us we have tasted our share).  On your way back north try the Keys Fisheries Market at Mile Marker 49 in downtown Marathon, where the seafood is fresh and excellent and you identify yourself for order pick up with the title of your favorite song.  Being a BabyBoomer was great since almost everyone there was picking songs was from our teen age years.   Enjoy. More cities to follow — San Diego, London, Hilton Head, SC, Atlanta (we live here-but lots of fun things to do), San Francisco, D.C., Baltimore, and the Harrisburg/Hershey/Lancaster, PA  (where we lived for 50 some years and still have many great memories).  We need to stay home and write more – instead of visiting these great places Again and Again.