Contemplating The Big Easy

I admit it. I was never a big fan of the Big Easy.

Of all the times I visited the city, I was not impressed. But rather came away depressed. Each time was in the summer with the stifling humidity. Each time the police force was on a "Blue Out." One time, a male co-worker--a large young guy--came back to the hotel announcing he had been mugged in the middle of the day in a busy part of town. And also each time I tried out of the local famed eateries I was surprised how dirty they were--this from a native New Yorker. And this too from a girl born and bred in the Big Apple, New Orleans was the one city I truly felt unsafe in. One minute you're walking down a brightly lit street, the next you turn down a dark alley. And, of course, there would no one on site to help since the all the police were out "sick." And speaking of walking down the street, one or two trips down the French Quarter was enough for me--what with the open drinking and people puking up and down the block. Don't get me started on the sales tax--it was outrageous. I thought if the taxes were this high and supposed to go to the upkeep of the city, then someone's got to be pocketing some of it for sure. 'Cause the city was just plain run down.

But despite this, the state of New Orleans today is staggering to me. For some reason I am becoming nostalgic for a city that really didn't thrill me. Maybe it was the people. During my travels there, the people always seemed so proud of the city. They wanted to talk about their city. They wanted to show me the highlights of the city. They wanted to feed me. Then, of course, with it being birth place of jazz, you can't help but feeling a heart sting or two pop. After all, this Louis Armstrong territory. Also, I had an open invitation to the International House Hotel. After writing a piece on the boutique hotel for Black Enterprise because it was the first major hotel in the Crescent City to have black investors, the owners offered me the Penthouse whenever I came to "N'awlins." And for some reason I still believe this--and the article came out in 1999. Maybe that's how New Orleans gets into your system--southern charm with a dash of sass--for good measure.

Maybe I will return to New Orleans and check out the hotel's Sanctuary Love, a Voodoo ritual they do to bless guests. I'll say a blessing for the city while I'm there.

TRAVEL TIPS...It's March madness in Toronto at the Delta Toronto East hotel---well, sort of. March is when they pull out all their March break promotions. And this year is no exception. One package, for example, includes: one-night's accommodation in a Delta room, Toronto Zoo passes for a family of 4; pop & popcorn delivered to your room one evening; cookies and milk delivered before bedtime a second evening. The March Break Packages also includes the following: supervised resort activities, $20 Angel’s Spa & Wellness Centre voucher per room, use of indoor pool, monster waterslide, saunas, whirlpool, new exercise room, squash court and mini-putting green. Kids eat free in any of the hotel's three family restaurants. There's also a kids check-in desk and kids get a welcome bag upon arrival. Available March 10-18...Le Blanc Spa Resort just had a grand reopening following the passage of Hurricane Wilma in late October. To celebrate, the Cancun resort is introducing a winter/spring special offering 20% off new bookings when guests stay for three nights or more from now through April 22. A Le Blanc Spa Resort vacation package includes luxurious all-suite accommodations with double Jacuzzis, haute cuisine, premium drinks, dazzling entertainment, taxes and gratuities, to name just a few. Discount, the savings averages out to be about $93 nightly, making the new rate $369 a night. For more info, call 877-753-2526 or visit www.leblancsparesort.com ...Toronto's finest Chinese restaurant will create menu items for business class on Air Canada, as the airline has partnered with Lai Wah Heen, renowned for its traditional Chinese cuisine with a modern interpretation. A series of authentic Chinese dishes will be offered to guests of Air Canada flying business class from Toronto and Vancouver to Hong Kong and Beijing. In total, seven dishes were created for Air Canada by Lai Wah Heen's executive chef, Ken Tam, and Hemispheres Restaurant executive chef, Raymond Cheung, (Lai Wah Hee's sister restaurant at the Metropolitan Hotel Toronto). The dishes range from Pan-Seared Beef Tenderloin in a Sweet Tomato Sauce paired with Seasonal Chinese Vegetables and Egg-Fried Jasmine Rice to Shredded Peking Duck Breast in Braised Vermicelli and Pickled Mustard Greens to Deep-Fried Tofu stuffed with Shrimp Mousse, topped with Egg White Sauce and complemented with Seasonal Chinese Vegetables and Crab Meat-Fried Rice on the side. Each month, two of the seven items will be featured on the menu, alongside Air Canada's other gourmet selections.