........ you're concerned that you will:
- Wreck your eardrums. NOLA means great music. Jazz, ragtime, rock, blues, folks, rap, gospel, Cajun, zydeco. It's everywhere—but it can be ear-splitting. Bring ear protection.
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| This is the famed Trombone Shorty, second from left, at the legendary downtown Tipitina's. He's great, but to escape eardrum rupture, I embraced my status as an elder and claimed territory in the sound booth, which was heavenly. Voices and trombones of angels! And one Shorty. |
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Shrimp salad at Mother's in New Orleans. $11! With the BEST homemade blue cheese dressing ever.
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| PK and I devouring hot beignets, steaming chunks of deep-fried dough dredged in powdered sugar. If you recall that I recently denounced sugar in any form, forget I said it. This was vacation! |
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- Trash your shoes and your feet. You gotta walk a lot for maximum enjoyment, especially at the Jazz and Heritage Festival at the dusty roiling historic fairgrounds. It gets messy.
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Not pretty feet after a day at the Jazz Fest. .Especially the foot on the right with a bone spur that has nothing to do with being tired and dirty.
- Be shot, mugged, or molested. During a late-night walk to our hotel, we strayed unknowingly into nearby"Projects." The street was deserted until a car drove by slowly, then backed up. A young white couple urgently advised us to, Run! Don't Walk! This is a kill zone! And they meant it. NOLA still seethes with violent crime. But we never saw it, and even with warnings, I couldn't get worked up. I am admittedly naive and optimistic and stupid and lucky enough to have never been a crime victim. I think if you put out confidence and friendliness and the "I love NOLA vibe," you'll be OK. As far as I know, tourists are not usually targets but can be collateral damage.
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| The Projects as seen from our hotel room. |
- Strain your credit card. NOLA ain't cheap. However, to save $$, you could stay up all night and nap on benches during the day. Instead, we choose a hotel near the Projects. I could include a photo of our Visa bill, but it's too depressing.
- Be overstimulated. Constant music, art, museums, quirky shops, brilliant and not-so-brilliant street performances, tantalizing aromas, invitations to cheap and strong drink—all are ever present. Why resist?
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| Here we are at the Backstreet Cultural Museum in the Treme neighborhood, enjoying a private tour by the museum founder's son, who is also a Mardi Gras Indian and creator of costumes, which take a whole year to make and can be worn only five times. It was a delightful surprise. This tiny museum was founded and is curated by people deeply involved in the Mardi Gas tribal culture that includes Social Aide and Pleasure Clubs and other culturally rich aspects at the heart of New Orleans. It's pure and authentic and a treasure not to be missed. |
- Capsize your ship of time. If you stay long enough, you'll be carried onto the ocean of music til 3 a.m. in no time. PK and I ended up in a hard-driving show featuring drummer Stanton Moore and singer/songwriter/guitarist Anders Osborne that began after 1 a.m.. We were the oldest people in the room by a couple decades. We have many tales from that night, but the most noteworthy: A lush thirtyish woman sidled up to PK and inquired about our relationship. PK said we've been married for 35 years. She wanted to make sure he was still using condoms.
- Have too much fun. When's the last time you monitored your fun meter and declared it close to maxing out? Is there such a thing as too much?
- Cause your ordinary life at home to seem, well, far too ordinary. Visiting NOLA is a menace to routine and contentment. I'm not quite over it. I suffered a stinging re entry into the humdrum. My most important advice about NOLA is to go there. The City can fire up the synapses and bump you a little off course, at least temporarily, which is always good. And NOLA needs you as it continues to rebound with exuberance from Katrina and the BP oil spill. More NOLA photos here.
