Over Halloween I decided to spend a few days using my travel benefits. After a conference in Dallas, I drove down to New Orleans, Louisiana, to see how the city had changed since my college days, and to do my small part to help boost the returning economy. I cruised into the area late in the day, and was amazed to see how beautiful the swamps and highways were. I could tell I was in the South when the Spanish Moss began to drip from the roadside trees. The bridge over Lake Pontchartrain was the longest I’d ever driven, and the light bouncing off the little houses on the shore was dazzling. Hurricane Katrina devastation was apparent still, but only rarely in the city. Mostly you could see it in the outlying areas, near the swamps where tourists don’t spend as much time.
Everywhere I went people were friendly and happy to see me. Tourist dollars comprise up to 30% of the city’s income, so I’m sure that’s part of it. But even folks on the bus who didn’t really know if I was a tourist or local were super nice.
I spent Halloween night on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter. It was as expected, raunchy and lots of drinking, but no trouble and again, super friendly folks.
The next day I went to the cemetery and on a walking tour of the French Quarter to learn of the local history. I love that kind of thing. The day after was the swamp tour where you could see the waterline 18′ above the street. Wow
The food, everywhere, was fantastic, and the sights amazing. I can’t wait to go back.
For anyone who’s interested, there are some photos of my stay with way too many of the swamp. 
http://picasaweb.google.com/gaylemichel/NewOrleans?authkey=fbXVMu4dGHY
