After saying our goodbyes early afternoon to Cathy's family who were staying on at Jellystone Park for another night, we headed down to our next stop in New Orleans.
Cathy is essentially a New Orleans area native, having spent most of her childhood and early adult years there. Ironically, the weekend she helped me move to Virginia was also the weekend that the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina was starting to be felt along the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Mississippi. We resolved that we would visit the area during the Christmas season of 2006 and support it with our tourist dollars. We received our first clue of what was to come when we saw the damage along the Biloxi shoreline. Cathy pointed out areas where grand homes once stood but were there no longer. A few casinos had reopened on land after the riverboats that had once housed them were destroyed. The entrance into New Orleans itself was rather eerie. It was early evening and there was nary a streetlight in sight so we drove mostly in darkness through the New Orleans East neighborhood. Cathy recognized a mall and pointed out a high water mark that was taller than both of us combined. Around where we stayed in the French Quarter, recovery was well underway although some businesses were closed a couple days early so that the employees could enjoy their holiday on what was an unusually slow time. Those in the hospitality field that we did encounter were genuinely thankful for our business and grateful to be working even on Christmas Day.
Fast forward to about two and a half years later. We chose the Astor Crowne Plaza French Quarter, our home for our previous stay. The hotel is literally around the corner from Bourbon Street, making it convenient to all of the excitement there. The property had completed its renovations and was everything one would expect from a four-star property known for understated elegance. I particularly enjoyed the exercise room - which was not yet available previously - from which one could see the rooftop pool. The one drawback would be its valet parking fee of $31 per night. While one may consider it excessive, the hotel is not alone in charging at that level since parking space is at a premium and self-parking options are not a convenient walk from most surrounding hotels.
One of the best things about Bourbon Street is having the street closed off to traffic so visitors can wander around the many music venues, bars and, er, "adult entertainment" clubs within relatively close range. However, this may not always be an advantage for a larger person. There are no benches or other places for people to rest along the street. Patronizing a venue would be the only option to find a seat. Fortunately this is relatively easy to do, or at least it was during summer mid-week. Outside of the Hurricane drink purveyors and hot dog cart merchants, most other businesses offer reasonably priced fare. For a somewhat more local flavor, check out the bars and clubs along Frenchmen Street a mile north in the Fauborg-Marigny neighborhood; if returning home late night, having a cab phone number handy would be useful.
One morning I indulged myself in a ride on the revamped St. Charles Avenue Streetcar. For a mere dollar and change, I received a good hour or so of laid-back if humid entertainment , the highlight of which was observing all the stately home in the Garden District. The streetcar seats were ample and if traveling outside of the commuting rush, it should not be a problem to find a place to sit. Some may need a hand up on the streetcar as it is not a "kneeling bus".
On the way out of town, we stopped along Magazine Street, a somewhat contiguous area of trendy and funky boutiques and restaurants. Parking on a mid-day afternoon wasn't bad but could be challenging on evenings and weekends. However, few would look at you askance if you decided to rest a bit on the high curbs.
If you're looking for a city where you can both party hard and experience history all in a laid-back atmosphere, you can't do much better than New Orleans.
No comments:
Post a Comment