Introduction

First I want to say thank you for taking the time out to read my blog. I want to reiterate that I want you to get a better understanding of what is going on in New Orleans so that you may consider it once again as a viable place to take a vacation. We went on a tour of the city. We visited areas that were directly hit by Hurricane Katrina. During the tour we only stopped once for a bathroom/food break. When we were passing by the locations we could not get off of the bus to take pictures. The pictures that you are about to view on my facebook page in regards to the devastation show only some of the devastation that took place. I did not feel that it was necessary to bog down the reader with devastating images that we have seen unfortunately too many times. If you really want to see more images like that, I have recommended some literature for you to read. I hope that this blog provides enough curiosity to make you want to visit New Orleans for yourelf.

New Orleans 2009

We decided to go to New Orleans this year for several reasons. First, it is one of our favorite cities to visit. Second, the food is second to none. Third, ever since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, the amount of people visiting New Orleans has diminished. We got a great rate for air and hotel. If you use Jet Blue, you can get a great price on a combination trip. (Airfare and Hotel) Don't bother renting a car if you are staying in the French Quarter. It is too expensive. Between the new surcharges allocated to rental cars, increases in gas prices, insurance liability, expensive parking garage fees at hotels and the overall inability to park on the street, you are better off walking, riding the trolley, or taking a cab.



Besides enjoying the city, we wanted to find out what really happened after Katrina. I spoke with a woman named "Denise" as we arrived at the airport in New Orleans. She stated that the city is still a wonderful city to visit, and an even better place to live. We asked her about Katrina because we wanted to know what was going on in the city. She informed us that the city received money to rebuild, but now the recession is hitting them. She believes that it will take ten years for the city to come back. (By 2015)