In a message dated 10/12/1999 4:26:09 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> Seeing how successfully the group rallied to calls for advice about
'must-see'
>  and 'must do' things in the UK, I thought I might try my luck with advice
> for New Orleans.

Just a warning, you are going to want more than one day free to look around.
If you can manage to stay longer, the city is really worth a visit.

Some of my favorite items:
  -I did get a chance to tour one of the plantations, San Francisco, and it
was worth the time to get there (I had to reserve on a 1/2 day bus trip in
order to go, since I didn't have a car.) Very interesting house, the water
cisterns were AMAZING, and the furniture collection was quite nice. The house
felt like it had been recently reinterpreted--  the history was quite
de-romanticized. My guide was informative, but a little grumpy. Personally I
think she probably wanted to be dressed up in a hoop skirt.
  - walkup daiquiri windows. In many parts of the US, it is illegal to walk
around the streets with an open container of alcohol. But not in New Orleans.
So the city has walkup windows, (similar to fast food drive-thru) to order
one's favorite potable-to-go. You can also get a 'doggie cup' at a bar, if
you haven't finished your drink, and your companions want to leave.
  -Garden District. Lovely suburban Victorian housing district. Take the
streetcar down (I think its) Charles Street. Its a cheap ride, and beautiful.
Get off at your leisure, and walk around. Anne Rice, famous novelist, lives
in the District (_Interview with a Vampire_, etc) The streetcar will take you
past Tulane University, and I recall there is a large beautiful park nearby.
  -the French Quarter. It's very beautiful, but plan on how long you really
want to spend there. You can idle away hours watching the parade of street
performers, browsing knick knack shops (you just HAVE to check out that crazy
feathered mask,) and drinking coffee and eating beignet.
  - ... which leads us to ...Food. Go to New Orleans hungry. And be prepared
to gain weight. (The town is the heart attack capital of the US) Beignet is a
fancy, yet tasty New Orleans donut. Kind of like eating cheesesteaks in
Philadelphia, or lobsters in Maine... a speciality. Also try the gumbo- spicy
but delectable. I can also recommend the Po'Boys (fried clams or shrimp with
lettuce and mayo on French bread.) New Orleans is home to Emril Lagasse,
celebrity chef, who makes everything, even his ketchup, from scratch. For
fine dining, try Emril's restaurant, or NOLA, which is in the French Quarter.
  -as tacky as it is, I took the tour of Mardi Gras World, which is basically
a chance to walk around the warehouses that store many of the Mardi Gras
floats. Have a few drinks before you go, and take friends. You can try on a
variety of Mardi Gras costumes, and the opportunity for blackmail pictures is
ENDLESS. Also, on this side of the river... keep an eye up for the local
vernacular housing: shotgun houses, long skinny houses one room wide and
three or four rooms deep "you can open the front and back door, and shoot
straight through 'em."
  -You can't spit without hitting a bar or nightclub, so entertainment
shouldn't be a problem.
  -I always wanted to do one of the riverboat cruises, but I didn't have time.

I wish I could recommend an activity that isn't as 'tourist oriented', but my
visit wasn't that long, and part of it was spent seeking medical help due to
an unfortunate handstand accident. I doubt I need to wish you a good trip,
'cause its hard to have a bad time there.

-Heidi