5 Ways to Ease into The Big Easy

I’ve had New Orleans on the brain a lot lately…despite the fact that I’ve never been there. Good thing, then, that one of my dearest friends and colleagues, Jessica Spiegel, has fallen deeply in love with the city. Here, she offers some great tips to help you fall in love with it, too.
__________________________________________________________________________________

I’d argue that when it comes to traveling, the biggest challenge for busy working couples (after finding the time to get away in the first place) is being able to physically and mentally relax.And because it’s so easy to bring work- and life-troubles with us wherever we go (thanks a lot, iPhone), it’s especially important to choose a vacation destination that encourages relaxation.

While it’s easy to think of relaxing in the same breath as beaches and resorts, I personally love finding urban settings brimming with great culture and food that still make me feel I’ve left my own version of the real world behind. In other words, I love New Orleans.

And to be perfectly frank, it’s almost impossible to not slow down in New Orleans. Not unless you want to give yourself a heart attack, that is.

Ah, the Mississippi River

New Orleans transplant and author Tom Piazza, in his fantastic post-Katrina book Why New Orleans Matters, says the city has “weather that for at least seven months a year is equivalent to wearing a towel soaked in steaming hot water wrapped around your head.” While that may not sound altogether appealing, it does demonstrate one of the (many) reasons New Orleans wears the “Big Easy” moniker so well; people take it easy in this part of the world, partly because it’s ingrained in the culture and partly because it’s just not possible to move any more quickly.

Despite the fact that this steamy oh-my-word-the-air-is-so-heavy-can-you-carry-it-for-me-please weather is fairly consistent year-round, it’s not the only ingredient for the perfect relaxing trip to New Orleans.

Here are five things that I think will help you ease into The Big Easy:

Avoid the Summer. The weather is hot enough during the rest of the year; there’s no need to torture yourself with a visit during the hottest period. Having visited New Orleans in both spring and fall, I can vouch for both being humid and warm without being too much of either. In late summer/early fall you may run into problems with hurricane season (even if they pale in comparison to Katrina, they can still be a pain), so a spring or late fall visit might be better. Later in the fall you might get periodic ferocious rainstorms, but they’re brief and it’s T-shirt weather on either side of the storm. It’s the perfect excuse to duck into the nearest bar for another Sazerac.

Come to New Orleans in the Spring to catch some sweet hat/carriage action at the Easter Parade

Avoid Bourbon Street. I know, I know, it’s super popular and you can hear the thumping bass from a couple blocks away, and you’ve just got to see what all the fuss is about. Fine. Walk down Bourbon Street once to say you’ve done it, and then stay the hell away from it. Bourbon Street is where the worst elements of bachelor parties, Las Vegas, and spring break have set up camp in New Orleans, and while this is the kind of stuff most people (who have never visited) think defines the city, it’s only a tiny part of what makes New Orleans. It’s also the furthest thing from relaxing. The sheer noise from karaoke and disco bars spilling onto the street, not to mention the guys with microphones yelling at passers-by to join the party, make intimate conversations impossible, and you end up feeling like you’re dodging both the drunkards and the microphone guys. It’s a spectacle, so have a peek, but then find another bar elsewhere. Lord knows there are plenty of ‘em.

Decidedly not Bourbon Street

Pick an Historic (& Locally-Run) Hotel or B&B. This tip has two purposes. First, by picking an historic property in either the French Quarter or the Garden District (the two areas I’d recommend looking in) you’re less likely to end up with the sorts of modern amenities we love and need when we travel for work but that make it far too easy to “just check in real quick” when you’re trying to disconnect. (Sure, that historic hotel might have WiFi, but let’s be honest – it’s slow when you’re on the 12th floor. It’s not worth it. Put the phone down.) Not only that, when everything (elevators, particularly) is a bit older it helps force you to slow down. Second, by booking a stay with a locally-run property as opposed to a big chain you’re supporting a community that still desperately needs the help. New Orleans is a city with more problems than anyone can count – Katrina-related and otherwise – but by giving your tourist money to the people who live there in the most direct way possible you’ll hit the pillow each night with warm fuzzies in your heart.

An historic house in the Garden District

Branch Out from Deep-Fried Goodies. One could argue that indulging in every deep-fried food imaginable would certainly slow you down, but unless this kind of thing constitutes your normal everyday diet, it’s likely to make you feel a bit ill after awhile…and that’s pretty much the opposite of a relaxing and romantic vacation. Thankfully, although New Orleans is certainly famous for its love of the deep fryer, there are chefs in the city creating exciting food that doesn’t need to be battered. Cochon chef and co-owner Stephen Stryjewski won a James Beard Award for “Best Chef: South” in 2011, and the restaurant’s other chef and co-owner, Donald Link, won the award in 2007. The Green Goddess isn’t nearly as new-agey as you’d think from the name – it’s noted for including bacon in everything, including dessert – and it’s an exciting mix of New Orleans culinary traditions and local ingredients with traditions and ingredients from the owners’ travels. Tickle your taste-buds with something intriguing and your gastro-intestinal system will thank you. Then go have a beignet and cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde. I mean, you kinda have to.

Branch out from deep-fried goodies right after you have beignets at Cafe du Monde

Follow the Music. Not everyone is a lover of jazz or passionate about music, but when in New Orleans, following the music is arguably the best way to live in the moment and catch the laid-back, smile-inducing vibe of the place. As my husband pointed out one night as we walked down an empty French Quarter street, a solo saxophone echoing through nearby buildings, “Music is everywhere in this city, isn’t it?” Even in the early mornings when some musicians are still sleeping off last night, you’ll hear music. Every shop has a soundtrack, half the French Quarter streets have their own resident street musicians, and if you’re lucky you’ll be led to the river by the unmistakable sound of the calliope on the Steamboat Natchez. Weddings almost always include a second line parade, sharing nuptial joy and Dixieland jazz with anyone who’s listening. Clubs all over the city have spectacular acts playing indoors, and then when you walk outside you’re hit with the sound of yet another performance that draws such a crowd on the street that the intersection is impassable to cars (who, by the way, don’t bother honking – they just wait). If you can soak in all that toe-tapping music and not find yourself smiling and moving with the music, you’re a stronger person than I am.

Just another wedding procession in New Orleans

New Orleans can get under your skin in a bad way, but if you let it, this is also a city that can deliver a unique sort of relaxed, whatever-happens-happens kind of a trip.

So, let New Orleans dictate the pace — a slow pace — and you’ll be have a much better time.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Jessica Spiegel is a Portland-based travel writer for the BootsnAll Travel Network, the RTW travel resource.
She often writes about Italy, but get her started talking about New Orleans and she’ll gush so much
you’ll be looking up cheap flights to New Orleans in no time just to get her to shut up.
Follow her on Twitter @italylogue.<All photos by Jessica Spiegel ©>

__________________________________________________________________________________

See also
TWT Travel Binder: Louisiana
48 Hours in New Orleans