subject: New Orleans on My Mind [print this page] New Orleans on My Mind New Orleans on My Mind
Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans? Visit it just once and you'll know what I mean.
Perhaps your favorite memory will be of looking out from the French Quarter balcony overlooking slate roofs and age-old chimneys. It may be the rolling ride of the streetcar, rattling under grand oaks trees past the restore mansions on St. Charles Avenue.
Or it could be the taste of a juicy gravey laden roast beef Poboy sandwhich on crisp French bread. It might just be the sound of ships sounding their horns on the river, or the clip-clop of the mule-drawn buggies, or the ringing of bells in St. Louis cathedral.
Whatever it may be, the memory will always make you smile, and want to come back to one of the most exciting cities inAmerica.
My many friends who have ventured to the Big Easy have sensual memories of strolls down New Orleans' most famous (or infamous) thoroughdare - Bourbon Street.
Here you can feel the magic that New Orleans' offers immeadiately. It's a sense of carefree joy..a feeling of an impromptu and spontaneous party just waiting to happen upon the slightest excuse.
The sense of sight is among the first to dazzle you with a combination of neon lights around you juxtaposed against mysterious darkened balconies above you. But you must be patient because your other senses are simply waiting in line to be tickled and amused.
Before you travel a single block, music comes spilling out into the street in a cacophony of sounds. It's a wonderous blend of rhythms as if the world has come together in this one magical spot to create a musical banquet just for you. (Even Disneys' animate flick The Princess and the Frog, picks up on this vibe).
There's Dixieland Jazz from one doorway mingling with smoky blues from the next courtyard. Sounds of a reggae band coaxing an audience to its feet can be heard, while just around the corner a torch singer entrances onto an ever-appreciative crowd.
Nearby a dimly light musical hall with a traditional jazz band that you thought disappeared after Hurricane Katrina still bounces out those lound and marvelous tunes with an obvious love and respect of the craft.
After the sights and sounds of New Orleans have woven their magic on you, get ready for the ultimate siren call.. a sensual taste of feast for the palate like nowhere I have ever been.
Start with a steaming cup of local gumbo, where every spoonful can bring up a hidden trove of treasures from blushing shrimp to plump oysters with a rich smattering of rice throughout.
Next, you may wish to trya serving of hot and spicy crawfish etouffee with a taste that explodes upon your taste buds with a joie devivre that has to be experienced to be belived.
One of my favorites and simply worth a try is trout Eugene, a speckled trout filled with fillet sauteed and topped with lump crabmeat and succulent Gulf shrimp and laced with a lemon beurre blanc. Like many people, I had concerns about the seafood after last years' Gulf Oil Spill, by quickly found that my fears were completely unfounded.
Don't forget to dive into New Orleans' famous bread pudding topped with rich whiskey sauce that would make a sailor stagger and savor.
Finally grab a horse-drawn carriage for a midnight journey down to the French Quarter to savor and lock in your memories forever.
What's the best time to visit New Orleans? Well. it all depends on what you're looking for. The summer months offer the best hotel rates when the convention and tourism business is a bit slower.
One should not overlook the Christmas season, when New Orleans offers a creole holiday spectacle of lights, sounds and tastes like no other time of the year.
