Getting downtown from the airport was no problem at all, and we were checking in shortly after 5:00pm. Having never been to NOLA, I relied on tour book recommendations and we elected to stay at the Crowne Plaza Astor, right on the corner of Bourbon and Canal Street, in the heart (or crotch) of the French Quarter. The hotel was beautiful, but when we had to listen to nonstop music from Bourbon Street ALL night long -- from the 12th floor no less -- I had some minor regret as to our choice.

There were several conventions in town and the city was overflowing with visitors, so we used the hotel concierge to line us up a dinner reservation . On the condition that we changed immediately and walked right down, he scored us a table at Arnaud's for dinner. Evidently it is a very well known, and old, restaurant just off of Bourbon Street. The concierge had mapped us out a walking tour for after dinner, and cautioned us away from being on Bourbon Street -- particularly with Anna -- after 9:00pm. Well, in what we saw over only the course of a couple blocks, and before 6:00pm, I think it would be safe to say NEVER go on Bourbon Street with children. It was as if a college mixer had exploded, and prospective sorority and fraternity pledges had been scattered throughout the French Quarter in various stages of dress and intoxication.

With the "vivid" images our of Bourbon Street walk slowly ebbing away, we enjoyed a very nice meal -- outstanding seafood -- and then headed for a French Quarter stroll which avoided Bourbon Street. That helped immensely in terms of "scenery."  We made the obligatory visit to Cafe Du Monde for fresh beignets -- fried doughnuts, absolutely heaping with powdered sugar -- and slowly made our way back to the hotel, doing some souvenir shopping along the way. I remain amazed at the sheer number of people walking around with open containers of alcohol, and in various stages of inebriation. It certainly seems to have rightly earned its reputation as a party city; still, it seemed excessive to me.