It's About the Journey

Category: Travel

Friday Five – New Orleans French Quarter

The first time I went to New Orleans was during college.   Between  the rounds of drinks at the time and the intervening years – I can’t say I remember much about the trip.  I’ve been back several times and have ventured beyond frozen drinks in grenade shaped cups to try a few new things.   Here are 5 that I recommend from the last couple of visits….

Street musicians on Royal

Best hotels worth the splurgeRitz Carlton or the Roosevelt (Waldorf Astoria).   It’s nice to find a quiet place after a evening of stepping over puddles of unknown origin and weaving through the drunken crowds.   Both of these hotels are just off the beaten path on Canal.     Close enough to feel the vibe of Bourbon Street but with a welcome dose of calm.

Best blocks for live music (spoiler alert, not the French Quarter) – Frenchman Street.   With a couple of notable exceptions, the music choices in the French Quarter tend to be of the cover-band variety.   I like a good 80’s song as much as the next guy, but there are much better bets among the bars on Frenchman Street.

Best quintessential French QuarterCafe Du Monde, Pat O’Brien’s, & the street musicians.   I like to experience new things when I go back to a city, but there is something to be said for tried and true.

Best new (or new to me) placesCochon & Patrick’s Bar Vin   Cochon is a good excuse to talk a long walk or a short Uber ride over to the Warehouse District and a chance of scenery.    Bar Vin is smack in the middle of the Quarter, but with a completely different vibe from its neighbors.

New Orleans is a bit what you make of it.   For me these days, it’s looking past the college crowd and ducking into the quieter places for great food and lively jazz.   And if you get the chance to stay beyond the weekend for a day or two – you might find yourself slowing down to New Orleans time and letting  a few cares slip away.

Laissez les bons temps rouler.

Friday Five – Chicago

One of those cities where it’s impossible to see even a fraction of it over several trips, so there is no such thing as an exhaustive list.   Here are five places that I found to be quintessential Chicago.

Wrigley Field – I’m only a passive baseball fan, but this is one of those Bucket List kind of places.   So much history.    Having a video version of Harry Carey lead the 7th inning stretch was priceless.   If only I’d made a trip for the real thing back in the day.

The Art Institute of Chicago – whatever your taste, chances are they have it here.   Probably a lot of it.

Millennium Park/Cloud Gate – anything nicknamed “The Bean” can’t be all bad.

Le Colonial – it wasn’t on my scouting report, but was highly recommended by a friend and right around the corner from my hotel.  I went to a couple of landmark restaurants while I was in Chicago, but this was hands down the best meal of the trip.  (Honorable mention to a Wrigley beer and hotdog).

Signature Lounge (or any place with a skyline view) – I’ll admit this place is super touristy, which is not normally my thing.  Sometimes you have to suck it up to enjoy the amazing panoramic views of this beautiful city.  Even better if you can make it for sunset.

Bonus Round – Five More Restaurants and Bars

Osteria La Madia – I ended up here after music at Blue Chicago only because it was open later than most places on the block.  It ended up being exceedingly good Italian food and a super friendly staff.

Hugo’s Frog Bar and Fish House – I was trying to get into Gibson’s but it was always too crowded.  It’s next door neighbor, Hugo’s Frog Bar, ended up being a great alternative.  They apparently share a kitchen and it was a more subdued setting to enjoy a drink and a nice meal.  Plus, the bartender recommended Celtic Crossing for a pint of Guinness, which ended up being another neat find.

Blue Chicago – I was turned off by the time the music started due to the ill-mannered tourist crowd.   The staff, who seemed weary from the fray, was surly at best.  My mood changed when the music started.  And turns out the staff are nice folks once you get to know them and they realize you are not another tool.

Andy’s Jazz Club – the crowd here was a better mix of local versus tourist than Blue Chicago.   A lot of people intent on listening to – and appreciating – good music.

Bernard’s Bar – I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with my visit.  The service was not nearly as sharp as I’d expect for a bar in the Waldorf Astoria and the prices that go along with it.  But this is one of those hotels where legit Chicago business deals get done over a couple of martinis.  I literally witnessed a multi-million dollar commercial real estate deal get done on a handshake at the table next to me.

 

 

 

The Not So Golden Age of Air Travel

It’s a shame that people under a certain age will never know that flying use to be a romantic and exotic part of the journey.  My own travel  bug started when my parents got divorced.   By the time I was 10, I lived in Houston with my mother, my father lived in Tulsa, and my grandparents, aunts, uncle, and cousins (more like siblings to me) lived in Minnesota.   While the distance was sometimes difficult – the upside is that it created an opportunity to fly during summers and holidays – mostly by myself since time and money were both factors for my working parents.

I remember being treated like a King – or perhaps more fittingly, a Prince – on my solo travels.   Wings pinned to my collar and deck of airline playing cards in hand, I’d venture back to my seat – often in first class if there was space so the crew could keep an eye on me.   Almost every flight included a tour of the cockpit before takeoff.    Once I got where I was going, I had a wonderful time seeing family but getting there ended up being part of the fun.  Granted, my experience was unique – but this was in the age when adults got dressed up and acted on their best behavior for what was still a developing industry.    Being on an airplane opened, literally, a world of possibilities.

I thought back to those days last week while I was standing beltless and shoeless waiting my turn through the body scanner – hoping to avoid a prison style patdown.    Looking around at the frazzled masses – most were dressed in a rough approximation of what I’d imagine they wear to clean their garage.   I was carrying my bag – both to avoid the extra expense and also to prevent the airlines from losing or damaging it (I’ve experienced both).    And I broke down the day before and spent a few extra bucks on an assigned seat so I didn’t get the dreaded middle.   It still astounds me that a seat no longer comes with an airline ticket, but that’s a story for another day.    Most airline ads now consist of slogans to convince consumers their brand sucks less than the competition.  And of course, I’d have to stop and buy food in the terminal since you can’t bring your own and the airlines don’t serve it.

I realize that 9/11 ushered in a new world of travel – and I don’t envy the job of either the airlines or the TSA in keeping us safe.   But surely there is a happy medium where airline travel returns to a status somewhere higher than riding on a prison bus.   I’ll still travel to get to ‘Point B’ but the plane now is entirely about the destination and not the journey.  The experience only starts once you’ve survived the exit gates.   In the meantime, maybe on my next flight I’ll dust off an old pair of wings and bring my Braniff playing cards to remind myself of how wonderful travel can be.

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