Well, ya gotta spend an evening in the French Quarter (but then, you probably knew THAT).
I really enjoyed touring the cemetary and then we toured a few of the anti-bellum mansions. There's a few companies that do tours of the places, but I never did that. We just drove out to Oak Alley and the San Francisco and (I think) The Evergreen plantations.
They were pretty cool, and the food anywhere is GREAT. Unfortunately, the weather this time of year is nigh unto insufferable (at least for me).
If you've got the time, stop into "Howl at the Moon" on Bourbon ST. and say "HI" to Jason, the
quote:Does anyone know of anything fun to do in New Orleans?
MasterP! Surely you jest!
If you like Drinking, Eating and Gambling... but if you don't like to do those things you might want to go somewhere else... there's the graveyards, too!
1. Walk the French Quarter. Be sure and do coffe & beignets at Cafe du Monde. Avoid Bourbon st. Stupid tourist stuff there. Don't miss the French Market. Good eats include Muffaletta at Central Grocery, Palace Cafe, Acme Oyster House, Mona Lisa, Louisiana Pizza Kitchen. Also, plenty of 'spensive places in the Quarter. We like Bayona and Arnaud's for pricey. Cross out of the "back end" of the Quarter and walk around Faubourg Marigny, a GREAT neighborhood. The place to for cool music, poetry readings, lesbian theater, bongo conventions, you name it.
2. Ride the St. Charles streetcar line to the end and back. Excellent. Cheap. If'n you're hungry, get out at the end and eat burgers or omelets at the Camellia Grill.
3. Music. Music. Music.
Some good places: The Funky Butt...mostly young & hip brass bands; Checkpoint Charlie's...combo laundromat, grill & juke joint; Tipitina's (forget House of Blues unless they have a must-see); Mid-City Bowling Lanes & Sports Palace...my all-time favorite music venue. Lots more. Lots.
4. I think the D-Day museum is one the best museums anywhere. Be prepared to be emotioanlly blitzed (especially after the Pacific War section). On the St. Charles streetcar line
5. On your way back to the airport, stop & eat at Andy Messina's Restaurant & Oyster bar (it's very near the airport on Williams Blvd.)...my wife's cousin and a fantastic Italian restaurant. Reasonable too.
New Orleans has to be the best people-watching place in the US, after Manhattan. Enjoy the smells :o-->
quote:Does anyone know of anything fun to do in New Orleans?
MasterP! Surely you jest!
If you like Drinking, Eating and Gambling... but if you don't like to do those things you might want to go somewhere else... there's the graveyards, too!
Why not Mazatlan?
That will be the week before Christmas, providing I am employed or have enough money at that time.
Well, ya gotta spend an evening in the French Quarter (but then, you probably knew THAT).
We were looking at bed and breakfasts there, so definitely. :)-->
quote:Originally posted by George Aar:
I really enjoyed touring the cemetary and then we toured a few of the anti-bellum mansions. There's a few companies that do tours of the places, but I never did that. We just drove out to Oak Alley and the San Francisco and (I think) The Evergreen plantations.
What is good about those places? I'm completely ignorant of the city, so I don't understand the attractions of that.
quote:Originally posted by George Aar:
They were pretty cool, and the food anywhere is GREAT. Unfortunately, the weather this time of year is nigh unto insufferable (at least for me).
Where I live, it is nearly 100 degrees every day this week, and we have been overcast due to the ozone pollution. It's pretty nasty, and I figure there will be about the same, minus the ozone.
quote:Originally posted by George Aar:
If you've got the time, stop into "Howl at the Moon" on Bourbon ST. and say "HI" to Jason, the
Thanks for the suggestions. I definitely want to go there for the food so those suggestions will be noted. I don't think the wife would be into blues a whole lot, but I'll take her to somewhere anyway just for the experience. :D--> Also, the museum sounds good. I'm interested in WWII stuff, so it sounds to be up my alley.
Pmosh... it's probably Houston times 1.25 or so, on the heat combined with humidity index... but you should be OK (if you're OK with Houston)...
Mazatlan at Christmas? very good time... we went the week after Thanksgiving one year and it was spectacular...
We figure we'll be in Sinaloa for Christmas anyway, and Mazatlan is not that far from where we will be going. I've actually been out at Topolobampo (my bachelor party) and found it to be good, but there wasn't much beach. Mazatlan is not that far away, so it should be a fairly quick trip to get there from my wife's grandmother's house, and then back in time for Christmas.
This year's National Scrabble Championship will be in New Orleans. here's a peek If you are there that weekend, poke your nose in, just to see how seriously geeky it really is. They may have a viewing area, especially for the championship rounds, which will be taped by ESPN. Otherwise, you will not be allowed to look over people's shoulders -- they don't like it.
You mean you are choosing Nawlins over my home town?
You could drive by my birth site and see the home of my youth. You just need a map of "Where the Stars Live" and follow the huge neon signs. "This is where Lindy first kissed a girl....where he went to his first Way fellowship....where he wet his bed..." The fun would be endless.
Geo!! I've beeen to Howl at the Moon. I went there on my first trip to New Orleans, and it was one of the most enjoyable nights I had there. I'm sure that was way before Suz's son worked there, but I would have loved to see him...drats! Small world.
There was a blues singer named Rooster performing there...I have his cassette still. A maker of Mardi Gras masks from deep in the bayou did his best to teach me the Cajun aaaaayeeeeeee yell. Fun memories.
PMosh, I'll answer your question with a question: "Where in Atlanta can you find a street with the word "peach" in its name?
New Orleans is so much fun that I concluded pretty quickly I could never live there. I'd be way too distracted to work!
I used to know a guy from New Orleans who, when I asked him where to go for good food said, "It's everywhere. You won't find bad food in New Orleans." I put his endorsement to the test when I ate in a cafeteria at the airport because I didn't have time before I left for there. Best red beans & rice I've ever had. If the airport food is good, just imagine how it is in restaurants!
And the music. Wow. I listened to street musicans there who were 100 times better than some pros I've spent big concert bucks to see.
Just one word of caution (advice I got from locals when I asked directions while walking down the street in the French Quarter): Don't wander off the beaten path at night, and if someone offers to show you the way instead of just explaining directions, don't go...it's a common ruse to set you up for a mugging.
There are dusty little used book stores, unique shops all over...much to do.
Last time I was there, we ate at Mr. B's and loved it. It's upscale and pricey though, but if you want to splurge on a great meal, it's alotta fun. Fantastic service. And you don't have to hurry at all.
We also ate a Nola's, one of Emeril's restaurants, and it was pricey and pretty disappointing. :(-->
And then there's always the antiquing on Royal Street. I like Pat O'Briens for good ole fashioned fun. There's something about singing corny songs with a bunch of strangers, while drinking a blue hurricane, that is uniquely New Orleans to me. :)-->
I'm sure Evan can fill in the details much better than I (I'm a mere Yankee, aftuh awl), but the Cemetary in Nawlins is full of fabulous statues and Mausoleums (everyone is interred above ground, due to the sealevel, which N.O. is BELOW). Lots of famous Civil War Generals and leaders and nere-do-wells. And the famous tomb of Marie LeBeau (sp?), a witch or Voo-Doo Priestess or something or other, is a virtual Mecca for every counter-culture wacko, or fringy, new-age religion fan, or just those with an off-beat sense of humor. They leave all sorts of trinkets and talismen there, and kiss her tombstone or something.
The Anti-bellum Plantations are worthwhile primarily for their landscaping and exteriors. Interiors are O.K. but pretty unremarkable. The front entry to Oak Alley (as it's name implies) is a corridor of dozens of 200+ year-old Oaks whose branches intertwine overhead creating an amazing canopy over the walkway. It's been in several movies ("Incident at Owl Creek Bridge" was one, I think). The grounds and the subtle pink mansion are just stunning. I liked it, anyway.
Personally I didn't care much for Crawfish, despite their reputation. They're rather bland and more work to eat than they're worth, but that's just me. Alligator is wonderful food, though. And be sure to try "cochon du lait" ("pig with milk", I think?) po' boy. And the gumbo is good (and omnipresent) everywhere.
And be sure to tell the conmen working the streets ("I know where ya got your boots") to $%^& OFF, right away, or they'll pester you for hours...
Yeah, Mr. B's is good stuff. We've eaten there 3-4x. Not nearly as pricy as their sister estaurant a few blocks down Ryal: Brennan's. Last I checked, "prix fixee" breakfast was $37+ p.p., dinner 67.50. That was years ago. Don't even think about a la carte!
Friends took us to NoLa. Yeah, big disappointment. Nancy & I ate at Emeril's, his original, and it was fantastic. But that was just months after it opened and years before he was a star. Y'know, he visited every table, that sort of thing.
Commander's Palace in the Garden district is a great place to do upscale lunch. The food and service are the best it gets. Then after lunch (or before) you can wander the Garden District and look at the great old mansions, all pre-war, and there's a great cemetary caddy-corner to Commanders. Much safer than the cemetary adjacent to the Quarter. And it's on the street where Geo & suz's son lives. Right?
Yeah, that white-haired boy is about four blocks from "Commanders".
I remember eating at "Cressiers" in the warehouse (that's w-a-r-e house) district and having a wonderful meal. Of course, a good French restaurant isn't exactly unique there.
MasterP, does the espoza get to travel with you to these assignments?
Definitely. We have a system down, actually. If the contract is 6 months or more, we move. If it is less than 6 months, we stay in a hotel. She's been considering going back to school though, in which case she'd go live with her sister in Phoenix, and I would go visit on weekends (of which I would also request a lot of working from home, if possible. It could be 4 days on site, one day of travel, then a week at home.) The only potential problem is if the job would require some sort of secrecy where I wouldn't be able to work from home at all. The work is with very important and sensitive data, which I can't elaborate on further, so it's possible that they won't even want me to check work email from home. It doesn't require a security clearance, but if I go to that position, there is a really high chance I'll need one before too long.
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George Aar
Well, ya gotta spend an evening in the French Quarter (but then, you probably knew THAT).
I really enjoyed touring the cemetary and then we toured a few of the anti-bellum mansions. There's a few companies that do tours of the places, but I never did that. We just drove out to Oak Alley and the San Francisco and (I think) The Evergreen plantations.
They were pretty cool, and the food anywhere is GREAT. Unfortunately, the weather this time of year is nigh unto insufferable (at least for me).
If you've got the time, stop into "Howl at the Moon" on Bourbon ST. and say "HI" to Jason, the
tall, blonde bartender/manager (Suzie's oldest boy).
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Tom Strange
If you like Drinking, Eating and Gambling... but if you don't like to do those things you might want to go somewhere else... there's the graveyards, too!
Why not Mazatlan?
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TheEvan
Oh man.
1. Walk the French Quarter. Be sure and do coffe & beignets at Cafe du Monde. Avoid Bourbon st. Stupid tourist stuff there. Don't miss the French Market. Good eats include Muffaletta at Central Grocery, Palace Cafe, Acme Oyster House, Mona Lisa, Louisiana Pizza Kitchen. Also, plenty of 'spensive places in the Quarter. We like Bayona and Arnaud's for pricey. Cross out of the "back end" of the Quarter and walk around Faubourg Marigny, a GREAT neighborhood. The place to for cool music, poetry readings, lesbian theater, bongo conventions, you name it.
2. Ride the St. Charles streetcar line to the end and back. Excellent. Cheap. If'n you're hungry, get out at the end and eat burgers or omelets at the Camellia Grill.
3. Music. Music. Music.
Some good places: The Funky Butt...mostly young & hip brass bands; Checkpoint Charlie's...combo laundromat, grill & juke joint; Tipitina's (forget House of Blues unless they have a must-see); Mid-City Bowling Lanes & Sports Palace...my all-time favorite music venue. Lots more. Lots.
4. I think the D-Day museum is one the best museums anywhere. Be prepared to be emotioanlly blitzed (especially after the Pacific War section). On the St. Charles streetcar line
5. On your way back to the airport, stop & eat at Andy Messina's Restaurant & Oyster bar (it's very near the airport on Williams Blvd.)...my wife's cousin and a fantastic Italian restaurant. Reasonable too.
New Orleans has to be the best people-watching place in the US, after Manhattan. Enjoy the smells
:o-->
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Mister P-Mosh
That will be the week before Christmas, providing I am employed or have enough money at that time.
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Mister P-Mosh
We were looking at bed and breakfasts there, so definitely.
:)-->
What is good about those places? I'm completely ignorant of the city, so I don't understand the attractions of that.
Where I live, it is nearly 100 degrees every day this week, and we have been overcast due to the ozone pollution. It's pretty nasty, and I figure there will be about the same, minus the ozone.
I'll let you know if we do.
:)-->
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Mister P-Mosh
TheEvan,
Thanks for the suggestions. I definitely want to go there for the food so those suggestions will be noted. I don't think the wife would be into blues a whole lot, but I'll take her to somewhere anyway just for the experience.
:D--> Also, the museum sounds good. I'm interested in WWII stuff, so it sounds to be up my alley.
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Tom Strange
Pmosh... it's probably Houston times 1.25 or so, on the heat combined with humidity index... but you should be OK (if you're OK with Houston)...
Mazatlan at Christmas? very good time... we went the week after Thanksgiving one year and it was spectacular...
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Mister P-Mosh
We figure we'll be in Sinaloa for Christmas anyway, and Mazatlan is not that far from where we will be going. I've actually been out at Topolobampo (my bachelor party) and found it to be good, but there wasn't much beach. Mazatlan is not that far away, so it should be a fairly quick trip to get there from my wife's grandmother's house, and then back in time for Christmas.
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shazdancer
Scrabble!
This year's National Scrabble Championship will be in New Orleans. here's a peek If you are there that weekend, poke your nose in, just to see how seriously geeky it really is. They may have a viewing area, especially for the championship rounds, which will be taped by ESPN. Otherwise, you will not be allowed to look over people's shoulders -- they don't like it.
I won't be going, too expensive.
Have fun, stay cool,
Shaz
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Tom Strange
Three words you must remember when travelling to New Orleans this time of year... Air Con Ditioning!
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lindyhopper
You mean you are choosing Nawlins over my home town?
You could drive by my birth site and see the home of my youth. You just need a map of "Where the Stars Live" and follow the huge neon signs. "This is where Lindy first kissed a girl....where he went to his first Way fellowship....where he wet his bed..." The fun would be endless.
But if you want to go to Nawlins thats aaaight.
Maybe next time.
;)-->
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Linda Z
Geo!! I've beeen to Howl at the Moon. I went there on my first trip to New Orleans, and it was one of the most enjoyable nights I had there. I'm sure that was way before Suz's son worked there, but I would have loved to see him...drats! Small world.
There was a blues singer named Rooster performing there...I have his cassette still. A maker of Mardi Gras masks from deep in the bayou did his best to teach me the Cajun aaaaayeeeeeee yell. Fun memories.
PMosh, I'll answer your question with a question: "Where in Atlanta can you find a street with the word "peach" in its name?
New Orleans is so much fun that I concluded pretty quickly I could never live there. I'd be way too distracted to work!
I used to know a guy from New Orleans who, when I asked him where to go for good food said, "It's everywhere. You won't find bad food in New Orleans." I put his endorsement to the test when I ate in a cafeteria at the airport because I didn't have time before I left for there. Best red beans & rice I've ever had. If the airport food is good, just imagine how it is in restaurants!
And the music. Wow. I listened to street musicans there who were 100 times better than some pros I've spent big concert bucks to see.
Just one word of caution (advice I got from locals when I asked directions while walking down the street in the French Quarter): Don't wander off the beaten path at night, and if someone offers to show you the way instead of just explaining directions, don't go...it's a common ruse to set you up for a mugging.
There are dusty little used book stores, unique shops all over...much to do.
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ex10
Last time I was there, we ate at Mr. B's and loved it. It's upscale and pricey though, but if you want to splurge on a great meal, it's alotta fun. Fantastic service. And you don't have to hurry at all.
We also ate a Nola's, one of Emeril's restaurants, and it was pricey and pretty disappointing.
:(-->
And then there's always the antiquing on Royal Street. I like Pat O'Briens for good ole fashioned fun. There's something about singing corny songs with a bunch of strangers, while drinking a blue hurricane, that is uniquely New Orleans to me.
:)-->
Have a wonderful trip, P mosh.
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Tom Strange
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George Aar
P-mosh,
I'm sure Evan can fill in the details much better than I (I'm a mere Yankee, aftuh awl), but the Cemetary in Nawlins is full of fabulous statues and Mausoleums (everyone is interred above ground, due to the sealevel, which N.O. is BELOW). Lots of famous Civil War Generals and leaders and nere-do-wells. And the famous tomb of Marie LeBeau (sp?), a witch or Voo-Doo Priestess or something or other, is a virtual Mecca for every counter-culture wacko, or fringy, new-age religion fan, or just those with an off-beat sense of humor. They leave all sorts of trinkets and talismen there, and kiss her tombstone or something.
The Anti-bellum Plantations are worthwhile primarily for their landscaping and exteriors. Interiors are O.K. but pretty unremarkable. The front entry to Oak Alley (as it's name implies) is a corridor of dozens of 200+ year-old Oaks whose branches intertwine overhead creating an amazing canopy over the walkway. It's been in several movies ("Incident at Owl Creek Bridge" was one, I think). The grounds and the subtle pink mansion are just stunning. I liked it, anyway.
Personally I didn't care much for Crawfish, despite their reputation. They're rather bland and more work to eat than they're worth, but that's just me. Alligator is wonderful food, though. And be sure to try "cochon du lait" ("pig with milk", I think?) po' boy. And the gumbo is good (and omnipresent) everywhere.
And be sure to tell the conmen working the streets ("I know where ya got your boots") to $%^& OFF, right away, or they'll pester you for hours...
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Tom Strange
Yeah Pmosh... check out the voodoo there and give us a report back!
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TheEvan
Yeah, Mr. B's is good stuff. We've eaten there 3-4x. Not nearly as pricy as their sister estaurant a few blocks down Ryal: Brennan's. Last I checked, "prix fixee" breakfast was $37+ p.p., dinner 67.50. That was years ago. Don't even think about a la carte!
Friends took us to NoLa. Yeah, big disappointment. Nancy & I ate at Emeril's, his original, and it was fantastic. But that was just months after it opened and years before he was a star. Y'know, he visited every table, that sort of thing.
Commander's Palace in the Garden district is a great place to do upscale lunch. The food and service are the best it gets. Then after lunch (or before) you can wander the Garden District and look at the great old mansions, all pre-war, and there's a great cemetary caddy-corner to Commanders. Much safer than the cemetary adjacent to the Quarter. And it's on the street where Geo & suz's son lives. Right?
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George Aar
Evan,
Yeah, that white-haired boy is about four blocks from "Commanders".
I remember eating at "Cressiers" in the warehouse (that's w-a-r-e house) district and having a wonderful meal. Of course, a good French restaurant isn't exactly unique there.
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Mister P-Mosh
Oddly enough, I may be getting my next job there, so I won't take a vacation now. I'm going to wait and see what happens with the job front.
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Tom Strange
MasterP, does the espoza get to travel with you to these assignments?
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Mister P-Mosh
Definitely. We have a system down, actually. If the contract is 6 months or more, we move. If it is less than 6 months, we stay in a hotel. She's been considering going back to school though, in which case she'd go live with her sister in Phoenix, and I would go visit on weekends (of which I would also request a lot of working from home, if possible. It could be 4 days on site, one day of travel, then a week at home.) The only potential problem is if the job would require some sort of secrecy where I wouldn't be able to work from home at all. The work is with very important and sensitive data, which I can't elaborate on further, so it's possible that they won't even want me to check work email from home. It doesn't require a security clearance, but if I go to that position, there is a really high chance I'll need one before too long.
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Tom Strange
oooh... well don't tell them about GSC or JWO!
that's nice she gets to go with you... but you need to figure out how to go north during the summer and south during the winter!
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