I love New Orleans. If I could choose any city to live in, it would be New Orleans. Hopefully, someday I'll live there. My first visit to New Orleans was on the week of Halloween back in 1998. Jolene (my girlfriend at that time) and I made the mistake of staying at the Days Inn right across the street from the projects (yes it was really that bad). We had to walk ten blocks down Canal Street to get to the French Quarter. The hotel staff told us not to walk because we would get mugged and murdered but I think we were freaky-looking enough to ward off trouble. Since it was our first time there we went on a lot of tours and visited all the museums and historical places before partying too hard. If you get the chance, definitely take all the tours you can to learn about the city. Even though I thought it was going to be cheesy, we took the vampire tour given by this guy Chaz who had been doing it for years. He really knew his history and gave an awesome tour of the historical accounts of vampire slayings in New Orleans. One of his friends also gives the Garden District tour and she really knows her history as well. Make sure you visit the cemeteries and voodoo shops (if you're into that). Reverend Zombie's Voodoo shop has a great selection. If you only have time to visit a few cemeteries, I recommend Lafayette, St. Louis #1, and Metairie, cemeteries. So, you're probably wondering where you should eat and drink in New Orleans. If you're waking up with a hangover (which you will) and need some breakfast, lunch, or just something greasy and cheap, stop by the Clover Grill on Bourbon St. Be warned, 90% of the clientele are either drag queens or flaming gay so don't bring anyone that might be freaked out by that. When we left in 1998, the Clover was about to be remodeled so I'm anxious to see what it looks like now. If you want a quick breakfast and coffee, go to Cafe Du Monde which in the French Market by Jackson Square. Their beignets are yummy but really sweet and you probably only need one order for 2 people. Make sure you try their chicory coffee, it's probably the best coffee I've ever had. If the crazy crowds of Bourbon St. aren't your thing, then stop by Molly's Irish Pub off of Toulouse and Bourbon. The reason I liked it was because it was small and quiet unlike the flashy over-packed bars all along Bourbon Street. A lot of locals like going to Molly's because the tourists tend to stay away from it. Their drinks prices are extremely cheap too; just don't tell too many people about this place if you go, we wouldn't want to ruin the place. If you're going to spend a lot of time in the French Quarter, keep in mind that a lot of places don't have public restrooms. Molly's has one but it's more like a sink in a closet. The only thing I regret about my 1998 trip is that there were tons of things I didn't get to do, even though I was there for almost two weeks. Next time will be even better though since I know my way around now.

Send me e-mail, let me know what you think! diablerie13@yahoo.com