Why I Love New Orleans

by Heather Graham

  Why I Love New Orleans

  A Collection of Blogs

  Heather Graham

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright 2014 © Heather Graham Pozzessere

  Table of Contents

  Day One - Let the Dead Sleep

  Day Two - The Cemeteries

  Day Three - National World War II Museum and the Civil War Museum (Warehouse District)

  Day Four - FiFi Mahoney's and More

  Day Five - Rounding the French Quarter

  Day Six - The Haunted Mortuary

  Day Seven - Mardi Gras World

  Day Eight - The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

  Day Nine - Food! Glorious Food!

  Day Ten - Meet Susie Q and the NOLA of Anne Rice

  Day Eleven - The Myrtles (Day Trip 1 from NOLA)

  Day Twelve - More Plantations

  Day Thirteen - Lower Mississippi Plantations

  Day Fourteen - The Zoo

  Day Fifteen - Music & All That Jazz

  Day Sixteen - The Historical Wax Museum of New Orleans - Musee Conti

  Day Seventeen - Jambalaya Jubilee-ing, French Quarter Fest-ing, Bent Pages—and Strawberries!

  Day Eighteen - Who Do Voodoo You Do - Tea Leaves and More!

  Day Nineteen - Blue Dog—Red Dog, Yellow Dog—and Art!

  Day Twenty - Jackson Square, The Cabildo, The Cathedral, and the Presbytere

  Day Twenty-One - Pirates!

  Day Twenty-Two - Bayou Baby

  Day Twenty-Three - Ghosts!

  Day Twenty-Four - Bars, Booze and Broads - Bourbon Street

  Day Twenty-Five - Vampires!

  Day Twenty-Six - Sometimes You've Just Got to Sleep

  Day Twenty-Seven - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly - The Slave Market and the Civil War

  Day Twenty-Eight – Lagniappe

  Day Twenty-Nine - Everybody's Got an Opinion

  Day Thirty - The Hotel Monteleone and Writers for New Orleans

  Are you heading to New Orleans? Or have you ever simply been entranced by the pictures and stories about the city that fill your imagination with images of the Mighty Mississippi, the Cathedral, the "cities of the dead," and the picturesque architecture?

  It's a city I love, and have loved since I was a child and first saw the amazing bustle of every day life set within the arena of the unique and historic Southern city.

  The following is a series of blogs about New Orleans written to promote a number of different books I've written, utilizing the city. The blogs were done in 2013 and history, of course, goes on daily. But most of what you read is the same, has stayed the same for years, and will continue to be the same for decades to come.

  I hope I can impart just a little bit of why I love New Orleans so very much! Have fun—and feel free to disagree with me and love your own favorite restaurants, venues, tourist attractions—and pieces of history!

  Heather Graham

  Day One - Let the Dead Sleep

  Thirty Days of Why I Love New Orleans

  My book, Let the Dead Sleep, begins a series that highlights New Orleans. My protagonists—Danni Cafferty and Michael Quinn—are both from the city. They live and work in the city, love it, know it, and, naturally, want to keep it safe from harm!

  Well, I love the city, too. I've never lived there, but I spend a great deal of time there. I have since I was a small child.

  So, today's "Why I Love" goes to the city itself.

  New Orleans practices what I think of as living history daily. The French Quarter is filled with fantastic architecture—all being used today as restaurants, shops, hotels, homes, and what have you. While it's called the French Quarter, a lot of the architecture is actually Spanish. That's because of the fires. But, I'm setting the mule before the carriage.

  Native Americans lived in the area for hundreds of years before the first European explorers and fur traders began arriving in the late 1600s. 1718 brought the official founding of Nouvelle-Orléans by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. In 1722 it became the capitol of French Louisiana, but a hurricane came and wiped out most of the houses that had existed at the time. They'd been described as hovels, so, maybe the hurricane—despite the damage and the horror—helped out history a bit. Because, after all that damage and horror, Bienville set about to create the grid that remains the boundary of the French Quarter or Vieux Carre today. In 1763, with the British victorious in the Seven Years War, the land was ceded to the Spanish—and thus the Spanish rule. That didn't work out so well—a lot of the settlers, no matter where they came from, wanted it all back under French Rule. They drove the Spanish governor out in the Bloodless Revolution.

  Aha! The Spanish were not about to give up—a year later, they were back, and five of the ringleaders were executed and others were forced to pledge their loyalty to Spain. Next, great fires ripped through the city, the first being the Great New Orleans Fire of 1788 followed by another awful fire in December of 1794. Over a thousand buildings were destroyed.

  After these fires—and while the Spanish were still in control—the city began to rebuild with brick. The cemetery, St. Louis #1, opened in 1789. While it’s true that flooding could cause bodies to float through the city, the style of the cemetery was, scholars argue, decidedly Spanish.

  Rule got a little tricky and confusing. In 1795, the Spanish granted the United States "right of deposit." That meant the U.S. could use the port facilities. And then, in 1800 Spain and France signed the secret Treaty of San Ildefonso. It was so secret that many of the city’s residents wouldn’t know about it for years. It returned New Orleans to French rule, but only when the French were ready for a transfer of power and it wasn't to be for long. Then, as we know, Napoleon sold Louisiana (which included many other states or pieces of states!) to the United States.

  By then, of course, the "English"—some real English and many Americans—were trickling in and there was a magnificent mixture of cultures and people.

  However, from that time on, the beautiful city of New Orleans was American. Fantastic architecture was already in place and more was to come. The Garden District became part of the City of New Orleans back in 1833. Parcels of land were sold and since the “French” were in the Quarter, the “English” had to be somewhere. Both areas are unique, beautiful, and incredible.

  The Haitian Revolution that began in 1791 brought people—white and black, slave and free—to New Orleans and introduced incredible culture, including the Voodoo for which the city is so famous. Bad times were destined, of course. The Civil War came along, but the city was in the hands of the Union by 1862. And, as we all know, in our own day and age, the city was devastated by Katrina and the summer of storms and cast into further despair by the oil spill. But one thing about NOLA—the city is resilient! I was there yesterday and it was amazing to see the amount of people once again flocking the streets, making driving and walking a mad dash for survival, and most of all—appreciating the fantastic city.

  My favorite description of the city as a whole is that which denotes her as “a gem of decaying elegance.” Now, trust me—not everything is decaying. There’s work constantly going on and many places are just plain elegant. Others are just plain fun. Some—like Lafitte’s Bar—lets you feel that you are, indeed, living history.

  So, day one of loving New Orleans—she’s just a great city. There are all kinds of neighborhoods to visit extending beyond the French Quarter and the Garden District. There are the haunted cemeteries, the great Cities of the Dead, from St. Louis to Lafayette to those beyond the city limits. There is a bustling CBD, or Central Business District.

  Oh, there are bayous and parks and national heritage sights and more. There is an excellent aquarium. There are so many places to go; th
ere are carriage rides that must be taken, ghost tours, history tours, vampire tours! There is the Mighty Mississippi and there are paddle steamers and magnificent plantations just down the road and…

  The city, the beautiful city itself, is a gem. Just sit at Café Du Monde as others have since 1862 and watch the pageantry at Jackson Square or the abundance of people in the city as they pass by. See the beautiful buildings of Jackson Square, the cathedral, the Cabildo, the Presbytere…

  Ah. Those are for another day!

  Day Two - The Cemeteries

  Now, many people might start with Café du Monde. I do love Café du Monde and their café au lait, beignets and people watching across from Jackson Square, but this is me.

  So we’re heading to the cemeteries.

  First of all, many places in Louisiana have these “Cities of the Dead” so we’ll stay in the French Quarter and the Garden District. If you’re there and can only see one, it should be St. Louis #1.

  It was the first of three St. Louis cemeteries. One, two, and three, go figure. But it’s here where you’ll find the tomb that some swear belongs to Marie LaVeau, the Voodoo Queen, and some say is not where her remains actually reside. She had a daughter named Marie, so who knows? But, it’s accepted that her home in the City of the Dead is at St. Louis #1 and while you’re not legally supposed to deface a tomb, there are Xs on it and you can place a penny on the ground and turn around three times for her to grant you blessings.

  Never does that term “decaying elegance” come more to mind than in the cemetery. Many of the vaults are still pristine and beautiful. Many are chipping and aged and create images of ghostly beings sweeping from tomb to tomb when dusk falls or when a mist rises.

  St. Louis #1 was opened in 1789. Close by is St. Louis #2—by 1829, St. Louis #1 was already filled up—a horrible yellow fever epidemic had swept the city, speeding up the normal death rate. (In later years, room was made for some esteemed citizens of the city.) The Italian Society monument is the tallest and is quite beautiful, as are other society vaults. Wrought iron surrounds some tombs; there are “oven” vaults in the walls, and just following the paths is fascinating as you discover what interesting people found their eternal rest here. The classic cult film “Easy Rider” had scenes filmed here and the cemetery stars in a few other movies, as well.

  St. Louis #1 remains special to me for several reasons—it’s one of the first places I saw in NOLA when I was a child and has provided me with both nightmares and fascination ever since. The first year Connie Perry and I put on Writers for New Orleans—a workshop for writers that I host, at cost, to bring money into the city after Katrina and the summer of storms—our friends who ran a carriage tour business brought our people here as one of the activities. It was so soon after the storm that the gates had not been locked at dusk and our group entered into the City of the Dead by night while our host told us history—true stories—more frightening than any ghost tale. I will never forget standing in the midst of the vaults beneath a half moon and thinking of the lives gone by—and appreciating life!

  St. Louis #2 was built circa 1823 as an extension of #1 and can be found between Bienville and St. Louis Street, and between Claiborne Ave and N. Robertson Street. There are Creole tombs here along with stunning monuments, more wrought iron, more broken vaults. Many of the most beautiful and ornate tombs here were designed by a man named Jacques Nicholas Bussiere De Pouilly who had come from France. He loved the grandeur of the Pere Lachaise Cemetery outside of Paris and put his love of the artwork of the tombs there into his own creations.

  St. Louis #3 can be found at 3421 Esplanade Avenue. It was opened in 1856, and is a distance from the other two cemeteries. It is remarkable as well with its statuary and monuments. While parts of Esplanade are exceptionally beautiful, the city and I both recommend that newcomers (and old comers!) go in groups or with specially designed tours. While NOLA is one of our most unique and wonderful cemeteries, it is not without crime. Now, I’d say this if you were coming to Miami, too, New York, L.A., or just about anywhere; be careful where you go. Crime is a fact of life. That’s just the way it is.

  Heading to the Garden District you’ll find Lafayette Cemetery, peaceful and charming by day. It was laid out in 1833 to accommodate the residents of the Garden District. It was the second Protestant cemetery to open in New Orleans. Confederate General Harry T Hays lies here along with many other notable luminaries. Fascinating and historic, Lafayette has great surroundings. From here, you can pop into the very wonderful Garden District Book Shop (2727 Prytania Street,) and perhaps dine at one of the city’s really wonderful restaurants, Commander’s Palace, right across from the cemetery entrance!

  Going beyond the French Quarter and the Garden District you’ll find Metairie Cemetery—certainly the most beautifully landscaped cemetery in the area. Walking among the trails of this vast cemetery is really akin to an afternoon at an art gallery—a pretty big gallery at that. It was opened in 1856 and the famous dead you’ll find here include Father Rouguette who was a missionary to the Choctaw and still esteemed for his acts of human kindness. You’ll see Metairie Cemetery along the road as you travel into the city from the airport, and you’ll also catch glimpses of Cypress Grove Cemetery, established in 1841 by the Firemen’s Charitable Association. It offers an incredible Egyptian-style gate as one enters. Right across the street you’ll find Greenwood Cemetery—an extension of Cypress Grove. You just can’t make enough room for the eternally dying dead. It offers a Civil War Monument and many other excellent examples of funerary art.

  Is it the art? Is it the continual wonder of what lies beyond? Is it just the way the moon falls over the tombs and angels and cherubs and crosses that guard the dead? There’s really no one answer or right answer; NOLA’s cemeteries, the Cities of the Dead, are both fascinating and beautiful. They’ve given writers, artists, moviemakers, and more endless resources upon which to draw. If you get to NOLA, drop in on friends, enjoy the living—but don’t forget to visit the dead!

  Day Three - National World War II Museum and the Civil War Museum (Warehouse District)

  Where to begin? New Orleans is an amazing place to discover museums, big and small. It’s hard to figure out where to start.

  So, we’ll head to the World War II museum. In the scheme of things, it’s fairly new—but that doesn’t take away from the size. We were just there to check on a possible venue for opening ceremonies for a future con and I was amazed to see the construction going on! It will be absolutely huge. (945 Magazine Street, official address!)

  Huge, we all know, doesn’t mean good. But NOLA’s WWII Museum is really both. It’s walking distance from the French Quarter and there’s decent parking when you’re coming from further afield. As the name implies, it tells the story of WWII.

  There are planes—there are tanks. There are weapons, uniforms, and more. There are exhibits that grip your heart and don’t let go. Like so many venues in the city, the museum teaches us about the past and makes room for the living—and the future.

  Walking through the museum, I’m always in awe of the massive scope of what our nation went through and how we contributed and amazed by some of our allies, as well. I’m also drawn into the small and very human stories of the individual men and women who put their lives on the line.

  I came across a wonderful story about a Jewish woman who had been in a concentration camp—bound for the death chamber—who managed to escape right at war’s end. She was found hiding along the trail and was terrified at first. The man who found her was an American soldier. Still frightened, she told him she was Jewish. He told her that he was Jewish, too. They wound up falling in love and marrying and they had a wonderful family and remained happy until his death at eighty-plus separated them.

  The American Sector is a John Besh restaurant and the food is exceptional—and reminiscent of a bygone era as far as the seating, the ambiance, and the food goes. Soup served in tin cans and good old American fare, ice cream, fun stuff�
�and stuff for those with a healthful-eating life-style as well. Many entrees, naturally, have a bit of local flare, too. If you come to the museum, think about lunch or a cocktail. If you plan your trip, you can have “Dinner with a Curator” and become part of a discussion on specialized topics with a curator and fellow historians. Now, there’s a soda shop, too.

  You can see a movie at the Solomon Victory Theater, learn what you thought you knew but didn’t, and then listen to the Andrew Sisters inspired Victory Belles; they are great, trust me! You can catch any number of live shows at the Stage Door Canteen, see some of the stars of the era—those who fought, and those who performed for our troops. I’ve seen a tribute to Frank Sinatra there—the voices and performances were excellent. We rented the Canteen for an event once, too, and everyone involved was helpful and wonderful.

  They have a pretty decent web site if you want to check out times and what’s showing. Just remember—it’s big! They say you need three hours for the exhibits. You may also want to catch a show and a meal. (I dream some days about the soup and sandwich special!)

  The Civil War Museum is right across the street. (929 Camp Street) This museum opened in 1891 and houses one of the largest collections of Confederate memorabilia in the United States. I particularly love this museum not because I love war, but because I hate to see history forgotten in any way. The building is beautiful and the exhibits are fascinating and truly part of the American experience that makes us what we are today—still feuding within our states’ rights, but, hopefully, never to face such a tragedy again.

  Here, we see the great scope of things—all that led to our country’s “great divide.” But, more importantly, we see the war through the eyes of those who fought it. For military strategy buffs, there’s information on who made certain decisions, where plans were brilliant, and where they went astray. Home life is an important part of the exhibition. And the tragedy that befell our nation becomes all the more evident as we see families torn apart; sons who faced their fathers, brothers who went to war against brothers. Some believed in the sanctity of the nation while others gave their first loyalty to the states. The issue of slavery is not ignored. But the realities are there, too.