I can't think of another American city that's created as much culture as NOLA has. Cajun food is among the best and most distinct of all American cuisine. Jazz was basically born in New Orleans. So were the Blues. And when you invented Blues you get a lot of credit for Rock and Roll as well. All that, plus the quirkiness of locals, their friendly and hospitable attitude, the fun-loving and anti-puritanical culture that celebrates good times at all times -- that makes for a truly great city.
My sister moved from Chicago to NOLA (NOLA = New Orleans, Louisiana) a year and a half ago and I drove a truck down with her and her things. She'd actually already been living there a while so I had lots of insider knowledge. Here's a bit of what I got into in 3 days in NOLA:
Po' boys... lots and lots of po'boys. You can find a cheap and delicious sandwich at bars, bodegas, and even gas stations!
It rained a lot while I was there, but it made for some nice clouds
Nice little park and church in the French Quarter
One thing I really wanted to do was see some bayou - the famous swamps of the Gulf Coast. We drove south over the Mississippi to the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. It doesn't take long to get into bayou from New Orleans.
And it's real bayou... there lots of wild gators!
Saw a turtle too!
We stopped at a place to check the schedule of their swamp tours... they had a bunch of fake gators around and my sister assumed this one wasn't real either. She got pretty close and thought I was messing with her when I told her to get away from it.
On the way back we got daiquiris at the Daiquiri Drive Thru... yes, they have drive thrus for alcoholic beverages in NOLA.
South of the river is a mostly industrial area. Great Vietnamese food there.
This was near my sister's place in the Upper 9th Ward. There are still a lot of buildings condemned from hurricane damage from Katrina.
Sazerac - a classic New Orleans cocktail. Love these things
it's pretty cool that they still have streetcars running here
The French Quarter has some really nice streets and buildings
While you're there you have to get beignets and chicory coffee at Cafe du Monde
More a Southern thing than a New Orleans thing, but I had my first Waffle House and it didn't disappoint.
And finally, a bar I thoroughly enjoyed. I found a lot of bars here that I liked a lot, and I'm picky with my watering holes. According to their sign they've been open since the end of prohibition.
New Orleans is definitely a place I'd like to get back to every few years. It's crazy to think that there were some people calling for the city to be basically abandoned after Katrina. What a shame that would have been.
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