Serious case of NOLA on the brain

Bourbon Street, New Orleans

Last year I fell in love with the city of music: New Orleans. I attended its annual Jazz & Heritage Festival. I’m thinking about New Orleans not because of football (though GO SAINTS!), but because it’s cold. It’s about 30° F in Providence, and I’ve come across pictures from my trip last year. Staring back at me is a sunburned version of myself all jazzed about the jazz.

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I participated in musical history and saw firsthand that not even the most devastating hurricane can break this city’s indomitable spirit. There’s an energy here, in the music, in the cuisine, in the French Quarter, in the city’s iron-clad will to survive.

It’s one of the most walkable cities I’ve ever visited. From our hotel in the heart of the French Quarter, I was a block from Bourbon Street and about ten small blocks from the Toulouse Street Wharf. So basically – cafes, boutiques, shopping venues and mouthwatering dining establishments were uncovered at EVERY turn! From the Toulouse Street Wharf, I boarded the famous Steamboat Natchez, operated by the New Orleans Steamboat Company for a river cruise filled with history and scenery.

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It’s a great place to get away to – and I have to agree with the masses. This place is about music. It’s about food. It’s a unique cultural experience for the traveler. Spicy Cajun and Creole food blending in perfect harmony with the free form, hypnotic sounds of jazz? It’s a pure and sensory experience that can’t be missed.

BREAKDOWN:

Favorite restaurant: Court of Two Sisters

Guiltiest Pleasure: Beignets. You’ve never tasted anything until you’ve savored one of these little French treats, NOLA-style.

Favorite band at Jazz Fest: Hard to say. From Ingrid Lucia’s new take on old jazz to Beusoleil’s Cajun waltzes; from current artists such as Dave Matthews and Spoon to brassy bands and gospel singers – with two steppers dancing and classics like Tony Bennett crooning – every stage held something new and completely wonderful. Jazz fest tip – bring LOTS of sunblock and a rimmed hat. Maybe a portable fan, too. And drink lots of water.

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