It is very Easy to enjoy The Big Easy

I fell in love with New Orleans during my first visit in 1984 for the World’s Fair. My next visit, which was 5 years later, showed me that New Orleans does not need to be hosting a special event to be buzzing with amazing energy…the city IS special.

As I write this post from the French Quarter, I had to pare down the content since there is so much to DISH!  Let’s start with my first day which was chock-full of “only in New Orleans” experiences.

The day kicked off with a delicious veggie Mufaletta and an Abita Amber at Café Maspero on Decatur followed by a salted caramel tortue from Southern Candymakers.  A post-lunch walk led me to the Warehouse District, which is an area I do not know well and tends to not be frequented by visitors.  When you are in NOLA, there are two poignant and important things to view at the entrance plaza of Mississippi River Heritage Park on Convention Center Boulevard: a sculpture made from Hurricane Katrina debris entitled “Scrap House” by Sally Heller and a touching memorial plaque. I was very moved.

“Scrap House” by Sally Heller

Honoring.

My next destination was Louis Armstrong Park via the French Quarter, which was temporarily put on hold after I stumbled upon a fantastic find for wine lovers: W.I.N.O (Wine Institute of New Orleans) on Tchoupitoulas Street.  It is a tasting bar/shop/wine school that has a hi-tech self-service wine machine that allows you to choose what wines and how much of each you wish to taste. Very cool! Jackpot!

Back on track, I meandered through the streets of the Vieux Carré (keeping in mind that it was Halloween, so the people-watching was prime)!!

Louis Armstrong Park/Congo Square/New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park is made up of 31 acres bound by St. Philip Street, Rampart Street, Basin Street, St. Peter Street, and N. Villere Street in the Tremé. My timing was terrific as I was able to catch the last day of the Jazz in the Park Fall 2013 Season, which is a festival of food, drink and craft vendors but the main attraction for me was the JAZZ!  I had never seen the Rebirth Brass Band and Kermit Ruffins live before and was blown away (brass pun intended)! The scene was colorful, lively and the sounds were delicious.  Being enveloped by the music, being with the people of New Orleans and being in a park that symbolizes survival in a multitude of ways, I was once again very moved and so very happy to be there. http://www.pufap.org

Jazz in Louis Armstrong Park

I will summarize the rest of the evening in one sentence:  the French Quarter on Halloween is tremendous!

So, that was Day 1 in NOLA!  Stay tuned for more dishing….