I’m tres excited as the months (weeks and days and hours and minutes!) tick down to a reunion with my favorite city . . . New Orleans! My Virtual Assistant and I are flying down for a research trip and to celebrate Halloween in the Crescent City! My first visit was in the ‘80s for a writers conference (also over Halloween!). It was LOVE at first sight (taste, touch, and smell)! I’ve been multiple times since then, for conferences and to celebrate one of my bestie’s wedding AND five-year renewal of vows. Each time is a like visiting an old, dear (and sometimes smelly, since I was there shortly after Katrina!) friend. What’s to love? Where do I start?
The FOOD! Nothing like sitting down to a seafood platter walked up from the Gulf just that afternoon! And beignets! Hot dough puffs sprinkled with powdered sugar, served with a cup of artery stripping chicory coffee. Monster po’boy sandwiches no one can eat in one sitting! Grits on the side of every meal (my southern mom taught me how to eat them-salt, pepper, and butter, not syrup!). And cuisine from every country imaginable – all within walking distance.
The SHOPS! Upscale fashions, jewelry to die for (and I bought plenty!), regional bookstores (where I add to my tarot deck collection), antiques and trendy places to get tats and piercings. Everything and anything!
Did I say TOURS? Check out bayou swamps from an airboat to see alligators (one had an attachment to my white tennis shoe thinking it was one of the marshmallows the tour guides use to bring them up to the boats!). Who’d have thought cemeteries could be so fascinating, each with wonderful and sometimes spooky stories. Stroll down the stately drives of Antebellum homes. Take a night walk through NOLA’s dangerous past with pirates, smugglers and politicians -Oh My! Dine on the deck of a Mississippi Riverboat. Every street and building has a story – some of them spooky! Kathy Bates, anyone? There are elegant parks and Riverwalks, and musicians on every corner. Try the unexpected: Our surprise favorites were Mardi Gras World and a buggy tour through the NOLA districts.
Worried about your safety? It’s no more dangerous than any large city. Be smart. Don’t travel alone – especially after dark! Groups are good (and fun!). Make sure you tell someone where you’re going. Keep your cellphone charged. Be wary of those smiling street peddlers who want to sell you knock off watches and music CDs that are empty. Hang onto your purse/wallet like it was your favorite small pet so it doesn’t wander into someone else’s pocket. Don’t be afraid to try something – New! – in the company of friends. Who would have thought going to Lucky Chang’s to watch a drag show would be the highlight of one of our trips! (unfortunately, it is no longer there. Pout!).
New Orleans is like a sophisticated grand dame with a suspect history and stories to tell! Take the chance and take a listen. Y’all be coming back, ya hear!
2 comments:
Soooo looking forward to it!
Have fun. I've only been to NOLA in the summer. Not the best time of year. Hot, humid. I just finished a Linda Howard book set in New Orleans. It was like discovering the city again. Can't wait to see what your research comes up with.
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