Skip to main content

Review: New Orleans: The Good & Not So Good

Updated 4/2021

New Orleans is a city of contrasts, some amazing, some ...well, not.  Most of the positives, I expected as well as some of the negatives.  However, I hadn’t counted on finding this one particular negative in any American city in these current times.  To find out more, let’s explore the good, bad, ugly, and amazing New Orleans together. 

Note: Due to Covid, it's best to check Louisiana Covid and the business's websites before visiting.  Always wear your mask and social distance.  Follow CDC advice.

Typical building in downtown New Orleans.

The architecture is beautiful!  

Greek Revival Home in New Orleans

Some of the buildings are a mixture of styles and types, like a townhouse built in a Greek Revival Style.  This is one of my favorite styles.  With wide round columns and double galleries, these buildings are quite lovely.  

Typical Creole style building in New Orleans

More common though, is the Creole style.  It is a combination of styles seen in other cultures, Spanish, French, and Caribbean, and is very simple.  Basically, it looks like a box with a lot of windows and long doors.  Many of those in the French Quarter have added a gallery, which adds outdoor space for the resident and mega doses of character. 

I could go on and on about the fascinating charm of New Orleans’ architecture, but many have beaten me to it.  I’ll just leave it as that it was much more amazing than what I expected.  Check out this tutorial for more information. 

The smoke is choking me!

So, as I’m strolling around the French Quarter admiring the eclectic mixture of...just about everything, it hits me hard in the chest—cigarette smoke.   I literally can’t breathe at times.  There’s just so much of it!  With so many cities, many in other countries, banning smoking in public places, I was surprised at how many people were still lighting up.  My lungs are still recovering. 

Food at Bubba Gumps
Yum, try some shrimp.

  

Cajun/Creole food is everywhere and is not to be missed.   Smells of Gumbo, a rich soup of shrimp, crab, and andouille sausage, wafts through the Quarter like a snake pulling all into the abundant restaurants.  

My favorite, though, was the jambalaya, which is a rice dish full of shrimp, andouille sausage, bell peppers, onions, and great Cajun seasonings.  Yum!

Note: The Gumbo House is still open.  Best to try takeout.  

Maybe try something sweet!

Café Du Monde beignets

Not shrimp, but a New Orleans' classic are the yummy, crispy beignets.  These heavenly, rich, slightly heavy fried doughnuts are not to be missed. 

Sit at a table in the historic Café Du Monde and enjoy the free music while munching on these hot delights showered with powdered sugar accompanied by their perfectly blended chicory coffee.  Let the good times roll.

Note: Café Du Monde is still open.

Café Du Monde in New Orleans

Watch for dangerous sidewalks

Watch your step.

Beware the ground on which you walk, as there are two major issues to note.  One is the result of the mere age of the city and Katrina.  Even the sidewalks of the areas unaffected by Katrina were nearly unwalkable. 

Secondly, consider that this is a city of “to-go-cups”.  One can purchase a cup of most any libation, any time of day, and wander through the city.  Just imagine how intoxicated a person would be after an entire day of walking around with never-ending cups of alcohol.  Yikes!  Continue to imagine the ugly picture of what ends up underfoot.  It’s not pleasant. 

Lace up your dancing shoes!   


Music in Jackson Square

My oh my, do I love street music; and here, it is everywhere!  Jackson Square is the place to be for those who love art, performers, and music.  Everywhere we turned, we found something amazing to see and hear. 

New Orleans is all-inclusive.

We have visited many progressive cities before.  Nevertheless, New Orleans is one of the most open we’ve found.  This city is Gay-friendly, multi-racial couple friendly...and just plain friendly.  The locals are also some of the most friendly, kind, and polite people we’ve experienced.  I just love the way they address others as “Baby” and “Darlin.”  They also use the phrase, “I’ve got ya” quite a bit. 

The people of New Orleans are lovely, warm, and welcoming.  Care to visit?  Share your experiences with us.

Please Read

How to Maximize Your Visit to Universal Studios Florida

Sonoma, California: Visiting Kendall-Jackson

Travels to Venice, Italy 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kauai Vacation: Room Review

The Room Over The Power Plant Revised 4/2021 The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas offers guests beautiful rooms, which include kitchens or kitchenettes, outdoor grills, and a number of pools.  Most often, it includes an excellent restaurant, poolside bar, and small store.  A large grocery store is within walking distance as well.  Thus, the theory is that guests will not have to leave the property once they cross the big pond to reach it. Great theory, but that’s not necessarily true when the only on-site restaurant is closed.  Add to that the incredibly loud room...well, let’s just say I needed a break from the property at times.   Note : Follow Hawaii and CDC guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public. May we just see the room we should have had? After an exceptionally long journey that included a broken plane and a rushed connection—not to mention airport security—we were surprised to find that our hotel had our room ready an hour early.
5 comments
Read more

Look Closer at the Hilton Garden Inn, Waikiki

  Why We Might Not Return: Hilton Garden Inn, Waikiki My dear polite travelers, Imagine waiting three years to revisit a pleasant memory.  You’d probably be thrilled to be on that journey.  Right?  Well, I am, and ...well, I’m lukewarm to some aspects of it, especially our room: #1537.  But the Ocean is Right There! In our room, #1537, we have the ocean view and the fresh breezes associated with it.  Still, due to the central, otherwise excellent location, it’s noisy—very noisy.  Thus, those breezes remain outside all night.  Darn.  The pleasant sweet-ocean-air-in-our-room-memory I dream of often eluded us on this trip.  Now, it’s just sad. The Good & the Weird Beyond the noise, it is a comfortable room—especially the shower—but there’s not enough counter space.  Instead of a long counter or desk, the hotel designer thought a long built-in seat would be a clever idea??  Hint.  It’s not.  We can only use it to store our suitcases and bulky items.   The only place to us
Post a Comment
Read more

Sonoma, California: DoubleTree Sonoma

Updated 4/2021 Our Stay in the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel Sonoma Wine Country in California As over-worked small business owners, we decided to play hooky traveling through Sonoma County for a couple of days.  Since we recently experience excellent service on our last stay in a DoubleTree, we booked a room at their Sonoma Wine Country property in Rohnert Park. Our Journey Through Sonoma County Our drive from our home in Davis pleasant with light traffic.  We chose a slightly longer route through Sonoma so we could take in the beauty of the Glen Ellen area vineyards.  The vineyards here are quite beautiful with green rolling hills as a backdrop.  Arriving at the DoubleTree As we arrived, I mentioned to my husband that since this trip would focus on cheese tasting, it would be perfect if we were given a free upgrade to a room with a refrigerator.  The hotel appeared fully booked, so I assumed that was impossible.   Astonishingly, when we asked about an upgrade, the polite rec
8 comments
Read more