We are staying outside of the city, but within the public transportation system. One of the things that Wilson and I enjoy is experiencing what it's like to travel via buses, subways, etc. Travelling via the system allows us to avoid the headaches of finding parking, it's cheaper, and in this case it allows us both to drink :) It also allows for a different sense of the city and the people who live there. If you never travel this way, I suggest you do so.
New Orleans is like nothing that I've ever experienced. As we hit Canal & Bourbon Streets, I made the comparison (at least of how in awe I was) of my first time in Atlantic City. For the first half hour I think I was walking around with my mouth wide open and my eyes focused on everything and anything...except of course the road. On more than one occasion Wilson needed to pull me back prior to stepping out in traffic :)
We spent two days downtown. The first day, we meandered around the French Quarter without any specific plan, soaking up the sites. In our meandering we met a very nice Australian couple, while having coffee and beignets (fried dough). We also met a guy from Franklin county (VT) who lives in TX now and was there with a bunch of his buddies for his bachelor party. Random really...we had to use the restroom, so we stopped by Good Friends bar for a beverage so that we could use the restroom...
The place is like no other - we were shocked when ordering a libation whether or not it was for here or to go...crazy. You can also drink very cheaply if you look around. The best deal we found was 2 - 12oz cans of Yuengling for just $3.
One talks about Las Vegas as being filled with temptation but I don't think it really compares to New Orleans. Not only does New Orleans tempt people I think that it also creates an environment that allows one to recognize, acknowledge, accept, and "feed" their dark sides. This could be very dangerous for some...
The second day we started in the Garden District where we visited Lafayette Cemetery and walked around looking at the lovely homes. We also walked by the Commanders Palace which is in this district. We took a streetcar to the River Walk and down to Frenchmen Street. Down there we visited the Old Mint which is now a museum housing money making machines and a music history museum on the second floor. We also went to the French Market, which is a large Art Market, with a wide variety of items ranging from chatchkis (sp?) and handmade arts.
You can't talk about New Orleans w/o discussing the music...it's everywhere on the streets, restaurants, and clubs. There was a lot down on Frenchmen Street, which is kind of the up and coming hippster place. The Spotted Cat bar reminded me of something that you would see in Montpelier.
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