Laurie's light travel travel tips

In honor of Mardi Gras today (Feb 25) here's a brief list of reasons to visit the Big Easy this year, with a little assist from New Orleans & Co. 1. Sip a Sazerac at the Sazerac House: A new addition to New Orleans in Fall 2019, this attraction is dedicated to the famous spirit, a local variation of a cognac or whiskey cocktail. On the corner of Canal and Magazine, the historic building houses "a sensory experience that will take you through the history of cocktail culture in New Orleans. Learn the methods of distilling whiskey, taste some bitters and perfect the Sazerac yourself." You can taste the eponymously named mixed drink at the Roosevelt Hotel's Sazerac Bar , "where it has been served to everyone who’s anyone since 1938. No serious cocktail connoisseur would leave town without discovering it either here or at another fine restaurant or bar in the city. The recipe is a little complicated but well worth the result." 2. Napoleon House : There ...

Ever wonder how your U.S. hometown stacks up compared to others when it comes to green space? I was actually surprised, and certainly delighted, that a city I've often visited and reported on placed #1 by Pots, Planters & More. . Their publicity team writes that, "After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and Rita in 2005, the process to rebuild itself included finding more sustainable building techniques while maintaining the character and appeal of the city. New Orleans boasts the high score of 73 thanks to a high volume of parks per 1,000 residents (71 acres), high spending on parks per 1,000 residents ($156), combined with good air quality (7.5 out of 10) and a comfortable average year-round temperature of 70 degrees. Efforts like these make the Big Easy the greenest city in the country." Note, please pronounce it right: "N'awlins". Caveat: August in New Orleans feels like a sauna turned up to turbo-drive; it's not for the faint-hearte...

One of my favorite hotels, Windsor Court in New Orleans , will be celebrating February 14 at its Grill Room with a special menu that includes champagne cocktails. The Grill Room Chef de Cuisine, Gabriel Charpentier, will whip up three menus with three price points and optional wine pairings, according to a press release I received this week. The meals "were inspired by foods traditionally considered aphrodisiacs. The multi-course theme includes five, seven and nine course options, which are paired with wines from Napa Valley, New Zealand and France, among others. Complimentary roses will also be offered to the ladies." Sign me up. Windsor Court is already romantic. Even if you're visiting alone, with family, or friends, the hotel's old world classic charm will make you feel like you're in a silent movie. Or perhaps starring in a mysterious novel set in the 1940's. Highlights of the Valentine’s Day menu with liquor and wine selections include: Gulf Oys...

New Orleans is one of the most misunderstood cities in America. Mention the name to someone who's never been there, and her first quip will be about women taking off their tops and drunks in the street. Yet funny enough, no one seems to "go there" about places like Piccadilly Circus in London or Times Square in New York, two lively cesspools of human debauchery. NOLA is like the mirror you picked up when you were in your best mood. The reflection is both flattering and untrue. There is no place like it because once you've moved outside the city limits, say driven to Barataria Bay for a cruise, passing the shrimp boats and the humble gas stations along the way, you are reminded that the Big Easy really is an enigma. So come for that this Mardi Gras season. If you are sick of the election, the transition, the utter orangeness of it all, NOLA will satisfy your entire color palette. Here's the scoop. The official Parade Schedule has been published. Highlights inc...

The Mardi Gras season kicks off in New Orleans Friday, January 6th, known as Twelfth Night. Parades will continue through Mardi Gras Day on Tuesday, February 28th. The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau shares that Carnival season "welcomes more than one million revelers to the streets of New Orleans, generating more than $840 million for the local economy each year." Laissez les bons temps rouler, y'all! The Krewe of Rex chose the colors of Mardi Gras in 1872, with purple representing justice, gold representing power and green representing faith. Visit New Orleans any time of year and you'll find these colors strewn about the city, from tossed beads hanging from trees in the Garden District to the trinkets hawked in the French Quarter. To celebrate the season, make sure to buy a king cake! More than 500,000 king cakes are sold each year in New Orleans between January 6th and Fat Tuesday, and another 50,000 are shipped out-of-state via overnight courier. ...