We're Headed For the "Big Easy" New Orleans

June 16 (Monday) through June 21 (Saturday)

New Orleans has been selected as the site for the 2008 reunion.  The dates will be June 16 to 21 (Monday through Saturday and we will be staying at the Four Points Sheridan Hotel.  More information about making reservations, pricing information is in the right column.

The Best of the "Big Easy" 

by Dave Kennedy with the help of PBS-TV.

Thanks to PBS I was able to see some of the highlights of New Oleans, a town I've only passed through or by, the first time in 1959 just after completing OCS at Fort Benning, Georgia.  Although there are some portions of the program that covered some of the fancy hotels I am going to highlight other locals.

Jackson Square is one of the more famous tourist venues in the french quarter with the St. Louis Cathedral serving as a reference point.  A great place to sit and relax and watch the other tourist mill around.

It's time for all to lose about 10 pounds so you will be able to enjoy all the fattening foods the Big Easy has to offer.  There are several must do's when it comes to padding the waistline.  The first is a trip to Cafe Du Monde where you can enjoy their famous biegnets which is basically a oversized donut adored with lots of powered sugar.

Once you've had couple of these you'll be ready to head for Brennians for a nice two hour breakfast which wil suffice for lunch as well if you time it right. Brennians has been owned and operated by the Brennian family for years and still is. 

Their specialty is their Bananas Foster which is bananas with butter brown sugar, cinnamon, banana liquor, all poured onto vanella ice cream and flambee.  They go through 35,000 pounds of bananas a year.  Hungry yet?

Still hungry and it's about lunch time  Go to the Central Grocery Company and have one of their muffulettas  which is a huge sandwich enough to feed 4 people or two very hunger people.

You gotta be full now if you've taken one of each on the same day with two notches let out on the belt it's time to wonder around the city.

How about some creole and cajun or gumbo, of course. Maybe a stop by the Gumbo Shop would be appropriate.  Check it out if dare.

One place that might be interesting to see would be Lafities's Blacksmith Shop (left)which was billed as the best dive in New Orleans. This is a historical landmark where the pirate Lafiitie used as a front for this operation.  They say is was never actually used as a blacksmith shop.  At night the interior is lit by candlelight only - no electric lighting.

Another historic place is Storyville, the famous red light district that was populated with 2,000 women persuing the world's oldest profession.  A man named Story traveled the world trying to find out how they tackled the prostituion problems and was told that they would use red lights to mark these areas of their cities, thus the "red light" district. When world war I came about the U.S. Navy said that their could not be any houses of prostitution within 5 miles of a military base.  That ended the history of Storyville.  There's really nothing to see of the old district other than a historical marker. 

One could take a trip to the New Orleans cemeteries which are featured on many of the tours. Here is the entrance to Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.  Because much of New Orleans is below sea level most of the buried above ground level in tombs. Bodies are placed in the tombs for one year and a day giving time for the bodies to totally decompose.  The remains are then pushed to the back of the tombs as more space is needed.  Some of the markers in the cemeteries are works of art and grand in scale.  Pictured below is one of the outstanding markers.

For taking a tour of the city get on board the St.Charles streetcar, the world's oldest still operating streetcar operating since 1884 and the inspiration for Tennessee Williams' Streetcar Name Desire.  Take the streetcar to the garden district and stop by the Columns Hotel. The garden district is the most beautiful part of the city with mansions throughout the area in what was once a sugar plantation.

Another area to visit is on Magazine Street where all the little craft shops and bargain shoppers gather and do their thing. 

Looking for entertainment just get out on the streets where the music flows continually.  The Maple Leaf Bar is one of the noted jazz clubs or you can, if you brought lots of money,visit the Ritz Carlton club which features Jeremy Davenport on the trumpet and song.    Also if you get to Decatur Street stop in the Lousiana Music Factory for free, yes free music where artist perform as they push their latest recordings.     

Hotel Information Here 

Previous Reunion Photographs

If you couldn't join us at our previous reunions you can check out some of the photos of our happenings by clicking on the appropriate link:

	Branson, Missouri
	Nashville, Tennessee
	Branson, Missouri