New Orleans Reports: The Big Easy
America's Party Town
By: Charles Giuliano - Apr 30, 2008
While tourism slowed in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina during the recent Jazz and Heritage Festival the city was jumping. The outdoor festival got rained out last Sunday but for lots of folks that just meant moving closer to the action to take over abandoned seats.
Day and night the fun never stops on Bourbon Street where every day is Mardi Gras. The souvenir shops sell the beads and masks so you don't have to wait until Fat Tuesday to have them tossed to you from a passing float.
In addition to the drinking from powerful Hurricanes and Hangrenades, which begins early in the morning until one passes out, there is all that fabulous Creole and Cajun food. New Orleans arguably has the best cuisine and restaurants in North America.
When not eating and drinking you can stroll along the waterfront or even take the ferry (free for pedestrians, cars pay) over to Algiers. It affords fabulous panoramas.
Or just stroll around the French Quarter with its unique architecture. We took the Saint Charles trolley on its long rattling ride through the city to its Garden disctrict with a range of stately homes and the campus of several colleges and universites including Tulane. We also explored one of the fascinasting cemeteries. But more on all that later. For now we just offer a jambalaya of images of the Big Easy.