Catch a ride on the Dixie Belle paddle wheel steamboat (invented by a distance relative, yes really) & travel down the Mississippi River to the Crescent City, New Orleans founded in 1718 by French explorers. Once you debark, take a short walk to the Treme Bistro for a coffee with chicory & a New Orleans favorite, a beignet. Now that you are refreshed, you are ready to tour around the French Quarter with it's famous Bourbon Street. Make sure you have your music on for a Blues music feed, so you get the full effect of sight & sound. Stop in the Absinthe Cafe & across the street at the Mardi Gras restaurant & bar , where you may swear you see Dr John at the piano or stand on the balcony overlooking Bourbon Street. Be on the lookout for a gypsy fortune teller who can tell you how your dreams will come true, or a voodoo priestess who can put a hex on your enemies. You may find that you will want to stay awhile, so you can check into the motel or find a place to rent & live here full time, which I have done for nearly 10 years. Just remember the only good hurricane here is one that comes in a tall chilled glass.