This is the airport in New Orleans.  I took a picture of Lake Michigan from the air that I wanted to share also.

We stayed at the Hotel Monteleone on Rue Royal.  It was a little expensive, but very nice, with an elegant lobby and such.  The rooms were small but comfy as Benia demonstrates on the big bed.  It was located close enough to Bourbon St. for an easy walk to the action.  We did spend some time in the carousel bar, which actually turned, but sadly did not play the traditional calliope music.
The young lady in this picture is Brandy.  She was working as a "menu".  It was her job to get people to come into the restaurant by getting their attention and showing the menu.  Her charm worked on us, so we gave the place a try.  The funny part was that they were showing surveillance video on several screens in the dining room.  Brandy said, "They do that to torture me."
We walked all over the French Quarter to take in the sights.  Here I am resting, which was a good excuse for a fountain shot.  This was by the French Market, which is a large collection of vendors selling everything from fruit to tshirts.
There was a lot of alcohol to be found on Bourbon St., but the alcoholic slurpees were particularly interesting.  As seen in the picture, they come in a wide variety of flavors.  Remember too that in New Orleans you can drink in the streets, so grab one of these big cups and enjoy yourself.
In addition to the booze, there was a variety of music.  We heard zydecko, jazz, rock, 70's, pop and more!  Of course the music was just a way to get us into the bars so we could buy drinks.  Our favorite promotion was the 3-for-1 Happy Hours.  The flaming fountains found as several bars were also fun.
Each night, after sampling the excellent Cajun/Creole cooking and alcohol, which can be found in the French Quarter, we ended up at Cafe Du Monde.  The beignets and cafe au lait were a tasty way to wind down the evening.  Du Monde is open 24 hours, so by going at 2AM, we beat the crowds that pack this place in the morning.
We generally stayed in the French Quarter, to look at buildings and stuff.  We did wander down by the river where I saw an anatomically correct horse statue.  Several people seemed to have a fascination with tricked out bikes with banana seats, so I decided to get a picture with one.

There is no good way to convey with pictures how good the food is in New Orleans.  One high point of our trip was brunch at the Court of Two Sisters.  They have a delicious buffet in addition to fresh cooked egg dishes.  I particularly enjoyed the crawfish.  Don't even mention the word "diet" if you are in the French Quarter.  Just eat and enjoy yourself.

We did go out of New Orleans on a "Cajun Encounters" swamp tour, but that turned out to be a bad idea.  While it was warmer in Louisiana than in Chicago, it was still winter.  The wind chill on the boat served as a reminder of that.   The only animals we saw were an egret and a few nutria.  The alligators were all hibernating.  The tour operators should not allow people to buy such a substandard experience.
For Thanksgiving dinner we went to Mr. B's Bistro.  The choice was partially made for us.  It was raining, and Mr. B's was directly across the street from the hotel.  Also, they did not require reservations.  We passed on the traditional turkey and instead had a couple of delicious filets.  Topping it off was a cute little bee dessert that Benia spotted on the menu.
There were many different types of street performers.  One of my favorites was a group of acrobats.  These guys were in great shape and pulled off some amazing stunts.  One guy walked up/down stairs on his hands.  The big finale was a jump over members of the audience.