Baltimore Boston Charleston Fort Lauderdale Galveston Honolulu Jacksonville Key West Los Angeles Mia

After weathering storms literal and economic, the city is back, and it's been back since 2007, when meetings and conventions returned, Mardi Gras drew 800,000 revelers and the St. Charles Streetcar once again made its way to the leafy Garden District. While annual visitors aren't quite up to the 10.1 million high of 2004, New Orleans' cache continues to rise with both business travelers and tourists, as increasing numbers are drawn to the city's unique intersection of serious fun and business. The hit HBO show Treme (say treh-MAY) brings the real New Orleans to light, a city defined by its brassy music, savory cuisine, historic architecture and cultural diversity.
Whether you have an afternoon in port or a few days pre- or post-cruise to explore, here's some advice: don't take the easy way out when discovering the Big Easy. There is so much more than Bourbon Street honkytonks to this gorgeous city, with its leafy garden district avenues, wrought iron balconies and hidden gastronomic gems.
Easily one of America's most intriguing cities, New Orleans represents a gumbo of cultures, from African and Spanish to Cajun and French, a melding over the last three centuries that deliversdining, music and art so diverse that it truly stands alone.
A major early port for products from the Caribbean, New Orleans was also home to a significant community of Creoles, a term that originally denoted locals with Spanish and French blood, including free people of color. Over time, the term has morphed to include persons of mixed ethnicity, often with Caribbean, African and Native American bloodlines. Yet its early ties to France are perhaps the strongest influence, as evidenced by the ubiquitous fleur de lis signet that is synonymous with the original French Quarter, not to mention the Super Bowl-winning Saints. The French Quarter, with its cobblestone streets and Creole cottages laced with ironwork, is the heart and soul of the town to this day.
Although New Orleans is famous the world over for its fantastic celebration of Mardi Gras and its all-party, all-the-time stretch of Bourbon Street, the mystique surrounding this Mississippi River city goes way beyond revelry. Besides its amazing cuisine, New Orleans keeps the brassy beat of some of America's finest jazz music, from blues-infused to traditional, modern to old school.
Sure, New Orleans, with its eccentric art, culture and cuisine -- not to mention its riverfront locale -- is a nice place from which to embark on or disembark from a cruise trip. But we've got to say that this city, more than just about any port in America, makes a strong case for adding a couple extra days to your stay.
Baltimore Boston Charleston Fort Lauderdale Galveston Honolulu Jacksonville Key West Los Angeles Miami Mobile New Orleans New York New York (Brooklyn) New York (Cape Liberty) Norfolk Orlando Philadelphia Port Canaveral Portland, Maine San Diego San Francisco Seattle Tampa
In a town where many bars never close and daiquiris are served from drive-through windows, the cocktail culture is as thick as the New Orleans humidity on a swampy August day. But you won't get too many arguments if you head for the Sazerac Bar , a Roosevelt Hotel landmark for decades. Once again under the Roosevelt moniker (it was the Fairmount Hotel for years), the Sazerac is home to not one, but two real deal libations: the Sazerac, made with rye, bitters and (the once again legal) absinthe, and the Ramos Gin Fizz, a frothy shake of gin, lemon and lime juice, egg whites, and sugar.
It's a toss-up. For music-lovers, shake your brass at home to tunes by local faves like Kermit Ruffins and Trombone Shorty. The best place to buy music is the Louisiana Music Factory (210 Decatur Street) in the Quarter, an Indie shop that often has free in-store performances. If it's a toothsome treat you're seeking, pecan pralines, buttery sweet candy patties that also come flavored, are sure to please. Buy them at Praline Connection in the Marigny and at the airport or Aunt Sally's on Decatur.
Neutral ground : called the median everywhere else, this strip of ground in the middle of a road may refer to what became Canal St., a division between the French Quarter and American sector, or it may have been a meeting spot for the adversarial Spanish and French settlers. Now, it's a place where kids play and people walk their dogs.
There are ATM's all over the French Quarter, and many at banks near Canal St., including Chase at 134 Royal St. and Whitney National Bank, 228 St. Charles Ave. Don't be surprised if fees are higher than you're used to; $2.50 and up is the norm in these parts. Tip: Pick up supplies at Rouses , a newly expanded grocery store at 701 Royal, and get cash back with your purchase (no fee) if you use your ATM card.
Located just behind the New Orleans Convention Center on the Mississippi, the Erato St. and Julia St. cruise terminals are in the heart of downtown with easy access to hotels and attractions. There is an ATM available, as well as a refreshment stand serving snacks, coffee and ice cream, and a souvenir kiosk in case you need to make last-minute purchases before boarding.
Thanks to the port's central location, you're a 10-minute walk or a streetcar away from the French Quarter, with its endless array of shopping, music and dining options. Or try your luck at nearby Harrah's , where you can play the slots or stroll along the adjacent Fulton Street Square, a pedestrian walkway with eateries including the seafood-centric Grand Isle and a Gordon Biersch brewpub.
Because the terminals are directly behind the New Orleans Convention Center, adjacent to the warehouse district and central business district, and within walking distance of the historic French Quarter, you don't need to worry about a shuttle service or taxis, although cabs are available. You can either walk 10 short blocks to Canal Street, the beginning of the French Quarter, or take the Riverfront Trolley line for $1.25 per person, with stops at Canal near Harrah's and Decatur, where the popular French Market is. Catch the trolley at the Convention Center, just steps from the terminal.
Asking a local for directions can be a comedy of errors. Most of the older city neighborhoods were laid out following the crescent-shaped Mississippi River. Except for the French Quarter, which is thankfully in a grid, streets were laid out either following the river's curves or perpendicular to them, not according to north, south, east and west. In N'Awlins, the four compass points are "up" (or "up river" or "up town"), "down" (or "down river" or "down town"), "river" (or "towards the river" or sometimes "in") and "lake" (or "towards the lake" or "back" or sometimes "out"). To stay oriented, just remember that the French Quarter is roughly a one-mile square sandwiched between Canal Street and Esplanade, and the Mississippi and Rampart Street. A good city map helps. And don't even try to pronounce street names like Tchoupitoulas ("CHOP-a-too-lis").
It may not be called Desire, but it's a thrill to take the St. Charles Streetcar into the leafy Garden District , with its many live oak trees and stately homes. Once home to new-money Yankee entrepreneurs shunned by the French Creoles in the Quarter, the Garden District is now a stately residential area with gorgeous architecture and fun shopping on Magazine Street, which features small, unique shops selling antiques, secondhand books, art, fashion and luxury items. The 13.2-mile crescent starts at Canal Street (at Carondelet) and heads uptown, around the riverbend, to Carrolton Avenue, past antebellum mansions, restaurants, hotels, Loyola and Tulane Universities, and the Audubon Zoo. Even if you don't get off, it's a great ride, a bargain at $1.25. (In case you were wondering, the Desire Line ran from 1920 to 1948, down Bourbon, through the French Quarter, to Desire Street in the Bywater neighborhood and back up to Canal.) Call the Regional Transit Authority (504-248-3900) for transit times and info.
Wandering Jackson Square (between Decatur, Chartres, St. Peter and St. Ann Streets), with its cast of ragtag tarot card readers, buggy drivers and street artists, is a definitive New Orleans experience. The iconic statue of Andrew Jackson on his horse, with St. Louis Cathedral looming in the background, may be the one photograph every tourist can't resist. Surrounded by a tall wrought iron fence and filled with banana trees and flowering shrubs, the small green park was once a training ground for the military. Rechristened to honor Jackson's triumph over the Brits in the Battle of New Orleans, Jackson Square is bordered by a flagstone pedestrian mall dotted with shops and street artists.
Make time to stroll Royal Street , a shopping mecca that runs parallel to Bourbon Street, just three blocks from the river. Although known for its concentration of antique shops and art galleries, there's a little bit of everything on this thoroughfare, from well-known restaurants like Brennan's and the posh Rib Room in the Royal Orleans Hotel to funky little boutiques and bars. The mix of artwork is just as quirky. The Rodrigue Studio (721 Royal) showcases the now iconic Blue Dog in all manner of settings, while Painted Alive (827 Royal) is devoted to artist Craig Tracy's adoration of fine art painted on the human form. There's a culinary antiques store, a shop proffering military hardware, and the list goes on. It's great fun, even if you're not a shopper.
The growing museum district around Lee Circle will interest art-lovers. The handsome new Ogden Museum of Southern Art (925 Camp Street) features artists from throughout the region. The Contemporary Arts Center (900 Camp Street) across the road, a combination theater and gallery, is as interesting for its architecture as for its offerings.
Countless walking tours are offered in the Quarter, with themes as varied as ghosts and voodoo, and art and architecture. A few to check include a haunted history str