New Orleans

Kathryn Lemmon

There’s something special about the French Quarter in the early morning—you’d swear in the night some mysterious force transported you to Europe. The smells, sights and sounds will deceive your senses. Savor the sensation.

Spend one day in "The Big Easy," immersing yourself in the fantastic world of Mardi Gras and Carnival. Between morning at Mardi Gras World and the afternoon at an exhibit at the Presbytere, you’ll come away with a much greater understanding of this unique way of life. Incredibly, Mardi Gras pumps nearly one-billion (that’s with a "B") dollars into the New Orleans economy. But it’s not just about money; tradition plays an important role.

A quick ferry ride across the river and a courtesy shuttle brings you to the mammoth warehouses of Mardi Gras World. The car ferry and the shuttle are free to pedestrians, but cars must pay a fee on the ferry. This is the spot where extraordinary parade floats and props are dreamed up, designed and created by hand. Manufacturing these wonders has become a year-round proposition at Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World.

Purchase tickets for the guided tour in their giftshop. The tour begins with an informative film and an opportunity to don a large sequin get-up or other costume of your choice. Then, the film goes into detail about the "Krewes," or non-profit social clubs, which are at the heart of the parades. It’s the Krewe members who are on board the floats and spend the entire trip throwing beads, doubloons and plastic cups to the clamoring crowds. Although Mardi Gras season has no overall theme, each parade depicts a specific subject characterizing the Krewe’s theme for that year.

Next stop on the tour: a chance to sample "King Cake," another long-standing custom. I found it tasted similar to coffeecake. Baked inside each King Cake is a small, plastic baby or other similar token. Tradition says the individual who gets that piece of cake provides the next King Cake. Officials in New Orleans estimate 500,000 King Cakes are sold in the city between January 6 and Fat Tuesday. Another 50,000 are shipped out-of-state. That’s one heaping batch of flour.

The tour continues into areas of the warehouse where staff members are working on props. We saw one employee scrapping styrofoam into the shape of a horse, and another concocting a papier-mache starfish. Fiberglass is the third major material used in float-making. The floats and massive props are a photographer’s dream come true, so stock up on film. The tour rounds out with a look at finished floats, just biding their time until next Carnival season. At the end, you’re allowed to wander and take more photos. The courtesy shuttle makes regular trips back to the ferry dock.

Back across the serpentine Mississippi, the Presbytere, easy to find near historic Jackson Square, houses an exhibit titled "Mardi Gras: It’s Carnival Time in Louisiana." This building was re-tooled in 2000 to be a single-theme museum, concentrating on Mardi Gras. The museum dedicates rooms to such individual aspects as Carnival balls, the power of the mask and parades, among topics. The costumes on display are phenomenal. I particularly enjoyed the short-subject films presented by third and fourth generation locals who are annual participants in the festivities.

After two hours browsing the Presbytere, you’ll deserve a sightseeing break at famed Cafe Du Monde, just a five-minute walk away. Listed in every New Orleans guidebook, their beignets (donuts, sans a center hole, that are covered with powdered sugar) and rich cafe au lait are worth the calories. The popular cafe is open 24/7, cranking out those morsels of fried dough day after day. Touristy, yes, but who can argue with great taste. It’s like getting your photo taken in front of the Grand Canyon—you just have to do it.

The "Crescent City" is reputed to be the most haunted in America. Parapsychologists claim the French Quarter is inhabited by more disembodied spirits than live flesh and blood. It is true New Orleans’ past is checkered with interesting personalities, pirates and voodoo queens. Their nefarious activities can provide fascinating tales for hours. Keep an evening open for one of the ghost tours. Several companies, including the New Orleans Spirits Tours and Haunted History Tours offer these two to three-hour, entertaining tours.

On the night of my tour, the guide had a natural flair for the dramatic, and it was obvious she knew her subject matter well. I thoroughly enjoying seeing the sights of dastardly deeds and haunted places.

Notorious socialite Delphine LaLaurie figures prominently on the tours. Well-to-do and married to a surgeon, Delphine is remembered for her lavish parties and unfortunate habit of torturing her slaves. A number of them were found chained in an upstairs room of their home on Royal Street. It took a house fire, perhaps intentionally started by her cook, to expose the horrendous activities. The firemen found the room of death, but Delphine and her spouse had slipped away. They left their two children behind and were never heard from again. Rumors about their fate abound. Today, the spirit of a small slave girl and Delphine are frequently seen running along the balcony.

But, try as I might, I saw no spirits or specters. Perhaps next time?

One of the newer attractions in New Orleans is the National D-Day Museum. Opened on the anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 2000, the museum is unique in the U.S. Three floors of interactive galleries can easily fill a half day. True history buffs may need even longer. Since its opening, 600,000 people have visited this facility, giving it high marks.

President Eisenhower once said the Allies could never have won the War without the Higgins landing boats built in New Orleans. Paying homage to these hometown heroes, a prototype of the WW II Higgins landing boat is prominently displayed in the front window of the museum.

Begin with the 48-minute movie, explaining the days leading up to this pivotal point in the conflict. Utilizing actual film footage, the realism can’t help with touch your heart as you watch Americans face the toughest challenge of their young lives. Many a person has left the theater choked up, myself included. Winston Churchill called it, "The most difficult and complicated operation ever to take place." This museum tells the story from the perspective of the average G.I., not just such greats as Patton or Montgomery.

Veterans are on hand to act as volunteers and guides. They encourage patrons to purchase an engraved brick at $100 each. Your name, or that of a veteran in your family, can be added to the likes of Colin Powell, immortalized on the sidewalk. With no federal funding, brick sales, admission fees and giftshop sales keep the museum going.

The newest section, chronicling the American landings in the Pacific during WWII, opened on December 7, 2001, Pearl Harbor Day. Take the St. Charles Streetcar to Lee Circle and the museum is just a five-minute walk. The museum is open seven days a week from 9am to 5pm. If more history is to your liking, learn about another aspect at the Civil War Museum, one block from the D-Day.

Speaking of the streetcar, if you weren’t already aware, the St. Charles line in New Orleans is the oldest continuously operated streetcar line in the world. The restored, olive-green cars are the best means of viewing the galleried mansions of this historic section of town known as the Garden District.

Leave the driving to the motorman and enjoy the breeze through large, open windows. The cars were constructed in 1923 and were once the city’s only form of public transportation. Local residents still use them. Although it’s probably not a new experience for repeat visitors to the Crescent City, it’s still a terrific way to rest weary legs and see city sights at the same time. At a dollar and a quarter for a one-way ticket, it’s also a bargain.

You’ll quickly find New Orleans has no shortage of organized tours; there are currently more than in past years. Whether half day or all day, you’ll find plenty of options.

Plantation excursions are popular, but this time I chose a "Swamp and Bayou Tour," for something slightly offbeat. Only about 30 to 40 minutes from the French Quarter, Cypress Swamp Tours offers boat rides into the watery world of alligators, egrets and nutria, a small furry critter that is rather like a beaver. Nutria can swim amazingly fast, which no doubt comes in handy when escaping from hungry, snarling alligators.

Wispy Spanish moss gives the waterways a theatrical look, just like swamps depicted in the scary movies. We saw three alligators of various sizes, all sleeping in the sun. The boat trip lasted two hours and had continuous narration from our amusing and well-versed Cajun captain.

Jazzland theme park is another new addition in the long list New Orleans has to offer. In an effort to bring in more families and children, this attraction is aimed at the roller-coaster crowd. Opened in 2000, the 140-acre park has thrill rides and tries to capture some of the sights, sounds and tastes of Louisiana’s varied cultures. The park’s five themed lands, as well as the Goodtime Gardens group picnic area, are arranged around a central lake. Jazzland is closed during some months, so call for their exact days of operation.

One of the newer restaurants, RioMar, is making a big splash, not easy in a town known for its world-class dining. A showcase of Latin American and Spanish cooking, RioMar is located at 800 St. Peter Street. Another fine eatery, Cafe Atchafalaya, may be difficult to pronounce, but it’s a favorite with locals. Unlike other area restaurants which focus heavily on seafood, the restaurant’s forte is vegetables. Cafe Atchafalaya is located in the Garden District at 901 Louisiana Avenue. Finally, if gumbo is on your must-eat list, the Gumbo Shop continues to be popular. You’ll find the Gumbo Shop also on St. Peter Street at number 630, in the French Quarter.

Whether it’s saucy jazz, tempting Cajun food or the offbeat, New Orleans is a city you won’t forget.

Hoosier native Kathryn Lemmon has been a freelance writer since 1990, with over 440 published credits. She writes on travel, health and money.