Super Bowl Sunday means that we will have a feast or party of some magnitude today. Me, I will stay home and rest. But what about the rest of you. After all, this is the second biggest food holiday in the US, after Thanksgiving!
Surprisingly, one in seven Americans order takeout today. Sixty six percent of those takeout orders are pizza. How boring.
More than 100 million pounds of chicken wings will be consumed. That’s 1.25 billion wings!
What about chips? Over 11.2 million pounds of potato chips will be consumed. Add to that 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips and 4 million pounds of pretzels.
This is also the second biggest grilling weekend of the year, after the 4th of July. Over 14 million burgers will be grilled and served today.
What to eat while attending the game? Over 40,000 hot dogs and sausages were served at SB 47 in 2014 when I went (Nawlins).
Would you believe antacid sales increase 20% as a result, and 1.5 million of you will call in sick.
Guacamole (139 million pounds of avocados) is the number one food consumed at Super Bowl parties.
Other popular food items today are popcorn, ribs, shrimp, subs and sandwiches, chili, nuts, brownies, cookies, veggie trays,
Speaking of beer, 51.7 million cases of beer are consumed during the game. Soda sales will reach $2.4 million.
Fully one third of all households will tune in to the big game. I will enjoy the Puppy Bowl, and watch for my numbers in a football pool. We will have a ribeye steak, veggies, and rice, with a green salad today. A special dessert, manju, was purchased yesterday at Kogetsu-Do. Hopefully, it will bring us good luck for the Niners next season. And a bottle of Domaine Carneros brut rose’.
See you in Vegas on February 11, 2024.
I double dare you to create a menu with more imagination than the typical American today!
This map makes me feel like I am a real traveler, and that the world is so small. Yet, I have places to go and people to see.
And I need to revisit a few, like Helsinki, Reykjavik, and Budapest.
My trip in May might be my last to Europe (I keep saying this). I need to refocus on SE Asia, Japan, and South America.
Along with a return to Athens to see my Greek brothers, I may also head north to Thessaloniki, in northern Greece, or south to Crete, then up to Slovenia, and the capital city of Ljubljana. After that, maybe Estonia, Slovakia, or Albania. Or maybe all three?
I also want to see some of my European friends again, in France, as well as Portugal, Greece, Switzerland, and England. And don’t forget Barry the V down in Cape Town. He would never forgive me, even though he wrote a book about me and never paid me any royalties!!!
In Asia, I need to visit friends in Bangkok, KL, Siem Reap, and Penang.
My “Water Pail” list must have a few holes, the bucket never seems to fill up!
Destinations were chosen based on factors like the number of reviews for friendly hospitality, and the number of rental properties and hotels in the region. These are from Booking.com, so it is not an independent survey.
This year’s most welcoming places in the world span five continents.
Most welcoming places in the world 2023
La Rioja, Spain
Epirus, Greece
Oberösterreich, Austria
County Down, U.K.
Mures, Romania
Marlborough, New Zealand
Ninh Binh, Vietnam
Limon, Costa Rica
Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
North Dakota, U.S.
Of all of these places, I have been to all ten countries (and state), but not the specific city or location mentioned above.
I have my own list of friendly places (in their countries or locations) to visit.
Athens, Greece-after all, I have my adopted Greek brother to hang out with.
Hanoi, Vietnam-like a French city but in the far east, with no bullsh*t!!!!
Chiang Mai, Thailand-a typically friendly Thai city with great food and a great night market.
Santiago, Chile-of course, this is where we met the famous barrister, Barry the V!
Amtrak-seating at dinner is entirely random and creates the most interesting conversations.
Munich, Germany-maybe it is the beer, maybe it is the Bavarian sense of enjoyment, but I love it here!
Bucharest, Romania-a great visit with Dirty Pat, and meeting my new travel hero, Katy.
Queenstown, NZ-one of the great fun and adventure spots in the world, an adult playground!
Puerto Banus, Spain-our home for two weeks of golf on the Costa del Sol, home to mega yachts and great nightlife.
I have been so fortunate that most everywhere I have visited, I have found friendly people. The only exception was Belgrade, Serbia, not Moscow or Siberia! As someone once said, “always expect the unexpected!” Someone actually said they hated Americans! Though he backtracked a few seconds later, I did become a bit apprehensive. I found out he is Russian and moved to Serbia to fight for their independence. He closed by saying he loves Chicago!!
Everyone seems to have a bucket list, including Sherman’s Travel. Of course, their motives are to get you to buy their travel packages. I have no motive, other than to tell you what I think about them.
And I prefer to use the term. “Water Pail List” instead!!!
Oahu North Shore-truly spectacular, biggest waves I have ever seen. While you are there, hit Giovanni’s Shrimp Truc or Matsumoto Shave Ice. We also enjoy I Am Paradise (pearls and jewelry).
Kentucky Derby-you must attend at least once, truly spectacular, often called the “most exciting two minutes in sports.” Make sure you bring your best hat, visit the bourbon houses in downtown Louisville, and get to the track early on Derby Day. (pictured)
Las Vegas Strip and Fremont Street-most of you have already done this, but it never gets old. New mega casinos open, new attractions are built, shopping is great, and now the food has improved exponentially.
Hot Air Balloon Fest in Albuquerque-actually never been there in October, but many other times. I actually prefer Santa Fe. And the food is outstanding, as are the area’s artists and natural beauty.
Niagara Falls-not yet, but I have been to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, which is not as spectacular. But the animals in Africa more than make up for the New Yorkers.
The Narrows, Zion National Park-be prepared for the towering walls. Not for the faint of heart. You will get muddy, wet, and cold. I love Zion and other Utah National Parks.
Cherry Blossoms in DC-luckily, we hit peak bloom day several years ago. It is one of the most beautiful scenes I have ever experienced. And best of all, no sneezing! (pictured)
Grand Canyon-as I mentioned before, each visit is magical, no matter how many times I visit. I have hiked, and also taken the helicopter over the canyon. But the best part of the visit is the burger at the El Tovar restaurant on the South Rim.
Pacific Coast Highway-again, no matter how many times, this drive is both beautiful, and daunting. The trip from SLO to Monterey in particular is enjoyable since I get to use the “inside” lane. Many stops along the way for photos and snacks.
Great American ballparks-visiting the two “cathedrals of baseball, Fenway and Wrigley are the best baseball experiences, short of my Giants winning the three World Series in the last decade. Wrigley is my personal favorite.
Diner tour of New Jersey-I have not done this, but I have dined in my share of greasy spoons in my travels.
Mardi Gras in Nawlins-though I have not been there for the actual event, I have been there often enough to understand the excitement and creation of the krewe. One of these days?
Walt Disney World-it was a long time ago, back in the 80s, but memorable. I was ferried around on a wheelchair since I pulled a muscle playing tennis prior to my visit. BTW, wheelchair guests go to the front of the line!
Yellowstone National Park-truly a unique experience, and worth the long trip to see both Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Both the scenery and the animals make the trip a truly American venture.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-one visit is not enough, so I went twice in two days. Any music lover will consider this their “musical mecca.” Cleveland is not much, the HOF is definitely worth a visit to Ohio.
Northern Lights of Denali-yes it was quite a trek (flew up, and bus back) up to the Arctic Circle (Cold Foot) to see the Aurora. Denali is spectacular, even in late winter on the Denali Star Railway, a true flag stop railway. I walked across the frozen Yukon River and followed the Alaskan pipeline for too many miles.
Blue Ridge Parkway-all I can recall is the John Denver song, “Take Me Home, Country Roads” where he says he belongs.
South Beach, Miami-not one of my favorite visit, but I did enjoy Joe’s Stone Crabs and Little Havana nearby.
Ski Aspen-one of my best ski trips ever, a place where I won my very first ski race! Aspen is great fun, a real party town, even though Claudine shot Spider the week before I arrived.
Redwood National Park-giant Redwoods have no match anywhere in the world. It is hard to believe anything living thing can be this old! When friends visit from the east coast, they all seem to want to see the giants.
Freedom Trial in Boston-great fun, if you do it in sections. There are too many famous places along the way, and so many great food choices as well. Plus, your visit should include Hah-vad, Fenway, the Gah-den, and the Pops on the 4th of July.
Pearl Harbor National Memorial-a truly sobering experience, once is enough.
Georgia Aquarium-??
See a Broadway Show-another truly American experience, along with dinner before or after, the deli experience, Mama Leone’s, Sardi’s, Central Park, MSG, Yankee Stadium, and Jimmy Fallon.
Live music in Austin-I would only go to Austin for the Salt Lick Barbecue just outside of the city. You can have Texas music.
Sedona-another truly magical place, and great for food, hiking and photography. One of the favorite places here is the Elote Cafe, one of the best places I have ever dined. Make sure you find your vortex!
Chicago Architecture River Cruise-I much prefer Chicago to NYC, for many reasons: Wrigley, Wicker Park, Mag Mile, Portillos’ beef, the museums, Ravinia, the “L”, Second City, but mostly, “where’s the lake?”
Central Park, New York-just don’t go after dark, as the Simon and Garfunkel song warns. I much prefer Golden Gate Park, but the very existence of large city parks is truly a testament to our forefather’s insight into the cement jungles they built.
Chaco Culture Park, New Mexico-not yet.
Acadia National Park and lobstah-yes, sometimes twice a day. We had a lobster roll for lunch and a lobster dinner late that evening. Acadia is quiet and beautiful. And the people in Maine are truly a hoot.
So, out of 30, I have been to 28. Yet, I think they missed a few. These should be added:
Indianapolis 500 Auto Race (pictured)
Continental Divide
Mojave Desert
Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz
Seventeen Mile Drive, Monterey
Monument Valley, AZ (pictured)
Yosemite National Park
We each have our favorites. Perhaps you would be so kind to share yours?
Admittedly, I have not been to a college fraternity reunion since the late 70s. But as we have all aged, I figured it was time to go, and see the fraternity brothers one more time. But no more flag football games!
I lived in our fraternity house on the University of Pacific campus for 2.5 years, including my last semester before graduating. And I will be the first to tell you that whatever success I had in school was due to the fraternity. Why? My fraternity is a professional fraternity but had a big social element back in the late 60s. The plethora of test files (a vast collection of previous exams) and lecture notes pretty much ensured a passing grade or better on almost all exams.
Our fraternity was founded back in 1883 at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Our chapter, Alpha Psi was founded in 1956, one year after the School of Pharmacy was established.
We always had the best parties on campus. Maybe it was our access to pure ethanol? I learned to really enjoy beer, a necessary element to survival back then. But I don’t want you to think we were a drunken bunch of frat brothers, only on weekends! How appropriate we are having this big event in Fe-BREW-ary!!!
What precipitated my involvement in this reunion was quite simple. One of my fraternity brothers, two years older, passed on recently. Though I was unable to attend (since I was in Europe), the brothers who were present made the wise decision to have a reunion before we all passed on to that great pharmacy in the sky.
True to form, we have a two hour and fifteen-minute happy hour before dinner. I doubt any of us can consume alcohol like we did back in the day. But I am sure we will try and have lots of laughs at someone’s expense. Maybe I will take Uber to and from the dinner?
A few memories stand out for me in my four years as an active fraternity member:
Midnight panty raids on the girls’ dorm across the street
Becoming the “poet laureate” of Phi Delta Chi
Winning several intramural sports championships
Initiating a student strike (Vietnam War) at the pharmacy school after the Kent State shootings
Establishing a lifelong bond with my fraternity brothers
Drinking beer at “The Rock” after our Wednesday night meetings
Participating in several pranks at sorority houses
Appointed to the tip of the testing “pyramid” (I was a good student!)
Making midnight snacks in my rice cooker and watching Johnny Carson.
I am as guilty as anyone for not staying in touch with my brothers. One brother who was instrumental in inviting me to pledge, lives in our hometown. Over the years, I have met or run into several others: Bill playing tennis at Seascape, Tony at Asian affairs events, Cal at his workplace, Jerry at breakfast. I even sent a case of persimmons to one brother in Asheville last year.
Having changed careers midstream, spending about twenty years outside of pharmacy, my focus has been on my grad school classmates, and general health care career. After all, when two grad school classmates reach the heights of the profession, it is difficult to ignore. My good friend, Ken became the Surgeon General of the US, and another, Eugene (Tex) is now Chancellor for Health Affairs at Duke University.
But Saturday is all about Phi Delta Chi, a professional fraternity with a big social agenda, at least when I was an active member. I look forward to seeing the brothers, and particularly my pledge class, and my graduating class (1970). Some have passed on, some have not responded, maybe some choose not to participate. I need to see these guys before we move on.
So, our fraternity motto is “Alterum Alterius Auxilio Eget” meaning “Each needs the help of the other.” And I think that is exactly how we got through 4 years together. graduated, passed the Boards, and became decent contributors to health care and society.
Now, if I can only remember the Phi Delt drinking song, “Throughout the land, across the sea, no matter where we be………..you’ll find us there with no despair……….” I am certain the words and memories will return!
My trip to the Lisboa area, and Porto are, as they say, “Up in the air” for now. My friend has not yet closed on her beach home in Cascais, due to many issues related to closing the sale. So, as always, I have a Plan B just in case.
So, after a few days in Munich, I will either take the train to Slovenia, then maybe on to Athens, or perhaps make a little side trip to Albania.
The train from Munich to Ljubljana is rather short, just over six hours. And very affordable. It takes about the same amount of time as flying. In fact, travel experts are suggesting I fly into Venice, and take the bus! I don’t think so!
Actually, I ended up in Lisboa on Monday. I decided that heading south was a better idea. The people and food in Lisbon are very interesting. Then after stuffing myself full of lobster, and fresh seabass, I decided to fly up to Porto.
Why? It is the home of Port wine, at one time quite a favorite. In fact, you may remember that Mr. Mike and I chased all over the southern Portugal area for vintage ports. It turns out that one of them, the 1963 Quinto do Noval is the envy of every port drinker in the world!!
I just did not realize Porto is the second biggest city in Portugal, and just seems too busy for my liking. I was expecting a sleepy little port village, but instead, it is the hotbed of growth and construction.
So, I am headed out of here tomorrow for Warsaw (to visit a refugee camp), Munich, then close the trip in Istanbul.
I apologize for not sending this in November while I was in Europe (with a bad cough). I was sick for another two weeks after returning home.
I forgot to send this back in November. I was golfing in Portugal, back in 2002.
Not long after 9-11, my buddy Mike and I went golfing in Spain and Portugal. We decided we were not going to let a bunch of terrorists dictate our lives and travel plans. We spent a week in Spain, on the Costa del Sol (Puerto Banus), and a week on the Algarve, with side trips, including Seville and Lisboa. Since then, I have returned to Spain, but not Portugal. Why has it taken so long to return?
First, why is Lisbon called Lisboa by some people, me included? Many think it is just the translation from another language. Why is Christopher Columbus called Cristobal Colon in Spanish, Cristoforo Colombo in Italian, and Christophorus Columbus in Latin? In French, Lisbon is Lisbonne, and in German it is Lissabon. Others say Lisbon’s name was derived from Allis Ubbo, meaning safe harbor in Phoenician. Or maybe they just decided Lisboa sounds better? Different names for places in other languages are called exonyms and seems very common in Europe.
What do Portugal and Japan have in common, besides tempura? The Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach Japan back in the 16th century. And they left a linguistic mark on the Japanese, such as pan, probably came from the Portuguese pao(bread).
Portugal is also the westernmost point (Cape Roca) of Europe. Look on a map! Portugal also has 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites. And it is the largest producer (50% of the world’s supply) of cork, which we need for wine.
Now, for the first time since 2002, I have a great opportunity to return to Portugal. I plan to visit the Lisboa oceanside suburb of Cascais. Why? A dear friend is buying a home in Cascais. Cascais is often called the finest resort town on the Portuguese coastline (better than the Algarve?). And I plan to buy and leave a bicycle there for now and future use.
Historically, Cascais was a sleepy fishing port. But in 1870, King Luis I declared Cascais would be the summer home of Portuguese nobility. Cascais became a sophisticated and refined destination. Today, it is still a charming town with a strong fishing heritage, with 19th century grandeur, and expectations of modern tourism. Fortunately, it has been responsibly developed into a popular resort town.
The historic center still has cobbled streets, a fort, museums, with many bars and restaurants. To the north is the wild and untamed Sierra de Sintra coastline, with surfing beaches and dramatic natural scenery. And Cascais is just a short 30km train ride into Lisboa via the Linha de Cascais” urban railway.
My route to Cascais is rather circuitous. But I did find an outstanding airfare. I leave SFO and land in Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. From there, I will spend a few days in Munich, before flying to Lisboa and Cascais. I love Munich, from my very first visit back in 1971 to the famous Oktoberfest. On the return, I will have an overnight layover in Istanbul, giving me enough time to shop, eat, and spend the night in the city.
Would you like a souvenir from Lisboa? Their most popular souvenir is canned fish! This would be sardines, mackerel, tune or anchovies.
Ginjinha is Lisbon’s most popular drink. It is a sweet liqueur made from soaking Ginja berries in sugar and alcohol. Little shot shops can be spotted almost everywhere. In my culture, we make a sour plum liqueur by soaking the plums in raw sugar and vodka. It is called ume-shu, and perhaps a distant relative?
Can you believe Lisbon has a Market of Female Thieves? Known as “Feira da Ladra” in the Alfama district, the market is a secret, so they say. It is held twice a week near the National Pantheon.
The weather in November is quite pleasant. Most days are sunny, and a bit breezy. Mostly, the people here are so friendly, and the food is both delicious and inexpensive compared to many of its northern European neighbors.
Traveling and seeing the world is something that you will never forget. Adventures and experiences are some of the best things that money can buy. Traveling can be affordable. You can travel the world much cheaper through travel hacking and using points from travel rewards cards.
As you make your travel bucket list, make sure to put things you would be interested in. May it be adventurous, or to see beaches and cities, make your list your own and enjoy the journey. These 25 travel bucket list ideas are here to help you to create the best list possible.(I will only include those that I have done)
Viva Las Vegas
Probably one of the easiest and closest places to visit. Vegas offers gambling, shows, shopping, golf, dining, nature, and in my case, dear friends. When my Mom was alive, we celebrated her birthday every December in Vegas. How I miss those days.
Santorini, Greece
While it is a couples place, the sunsets, offbeat minerality of the wine, and friendly people make it a unique experience. How many times can you actually stay on a former volcano with beautiful caldera views? If you only get to choose one island in Greece, choose Santorini. The sunsets are simply magnificent.
Paris
After being treated so badly in the 70s France of de Gaulle, I have slowly warmed up to Paris, and mostly the French countryside. I love Bordeaux, Loire, and Champagne. I attended my first French Open tennis last May. I plan to watch the Tour de France one day, and perhaps combine it with the Olympics in 2024. Oh, and the museums are quite interesting as well.
Grand Canyon
This is probably one place a person can visit a multitude of times, and always be overcome by its majesty. My suggestion for a first visit is taking the train from Williams to the South Rim. And make sure you have the burger at the El Tovar, best ever. Just be careful around the rim, or on the trail down to the bottom.
Boat Ride in Venice
I have just awful memories, a stinky, sewage filled city, with overpriced hotels and food. At the time, I thought it was the biggest tourist trap in the world. I vowed never to go back, unless I brought a clothes pin for my nose! Ask me how you spell gondolier? A$$hole!! Maybe the Venetian Resort in Vegas is a better option? Or the klongs of Bangkok, often called the “Venice of the East!” Definitely the klongs.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Another tourist trap, but a fun tourist trap, with good food, friendly people, great bars, and a beautiful old walled city. Just too many people in a small area. Try to find a quiet hotel off the beaten path and plan some excursions (Montenegro) outside of the city. There are many islands along the Dalmatian coast that are beautiful, with fewer tourists, and nice cycling routes. And decent wines.
An African Safari
We took several, and most of the safaris are well done, safe, and interesting, with decent food. Mr. Mike and I took four different ones, through Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana, followed by a luxurious two week stay with Barry the V in Cape Town, South Africa. These trips are expensive, and it is not worth cutting corners out in the wilderness.
Diving the Great Barrier Reef
The reef is huge, 133,000 square miles, and with over two million visitors per year. The reef is endangered, so tread carefully, with a reputable outfitter. We went to the far eastern side of the reef, where there were fewer people, more sea life, and quite remote. Nearby the Daintree Rainforest is a definite day trip. The seafood in this area is outstanding and cheap!
The Rocky Mountains
Yes, I miss the days when I skied about a dozen days a year outside of Denver. But winter or summer, the Rockies are magnificent. Take the train over the Continental Divide. I spent many winter days skiing with my Denver based buddies. And many après ski activities that cannot be retold.
The Acropolis of Athens
Though it is a permanent state of restoration, it is the most iconic place to visit in Greece. Down below, Plaka is my favorite section of Athens. The food and people will astound you. I am headed there for the fourth time, to see my adopted Greek brothers.
Sail in Halong Bay, Vietnam
While I am not a big boat or water person, Halong Bay was a good introduction to a boat cruise (overnight), with beautiful views, pristine karsts, and the bluest waters. The water is so calm, it does not feel like the ocean. And the cabins and food were decent!
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
One of my two favorite places in the world (the other is Amazonia). I have visited three times, and hope for a fourth. Our friends there now have children, and I look forward to visiting with them again. The temples are magnificent. The people in Cambodia are friendly, and love Americans. The food is very interesting, with a strong French influence, at very affordable prices.
The Roman Colosseum
My visit was so long ago, but all I could think about were the poor Christians being fed to the lions. The Italians need to do a better job of restoration and limiting access to the ruins. Can you believe it would hold 80,000 people?
Machu Picchu
Just too many people here in a small area. The trip to Machu on the train is tedious, the food is just average, and the area is very expensive. But if you feel you need to go, just go once and be done with it! I much prefer the National Parks in Utah, and Monument Valley.
They left off too many great places to visit and experience.
So what remains on my Water Pail list?
The Australian Open (I have made it to the US Open, French Open, and Wimbledon)
The Orient Express (if I win the lottery)
Traverse Japan from the far north to the far south on the Shinkansen (maybe partly by bicycle?)
Visit remaining Canadian provinces (mostly in the east: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island)
Slide on the salt flats at Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia (world’s largest salt flats)
Another Summer Olympic Games, and my first Winter Olympics.
The Tour de France
Not bad, just seven on the Water Pai list remaining. What about you?
I understand that there can be a weird stigma around eating alone, but that is mostly in one’s head. What dining alone affords you — as I’ve found out over years of being seated solo at tables and bars — is chance. And there’s a lot I mean by that word, “chance.” It could mean an opportunity to meet a person next to you. To linger longer with a bartender and ask questions about the big and small things in drinking (and life). It could also mean just taking a chance to listen, whether that be to your own thoughts or to just bask in the bustle of the city.
From my days of business travel, dining alone never bothered me. But wearing a suit while dining versus wearing Bermuda shorts and a golf shirt are quite different. And these days, everyone has their nose stuck in their cell phone anyway.
But the experience can be enlightening from many viewpoints. First, it is easier to engage the waiter or waitress in conversation. It seems easier to find out which wines, specials or dinners to choose from. Second, it is also easier to engage others in conversation.
A couple tips from a seasoned pro. One, just find a seat at the bar. This is the simplest solution. You will also find other “singles” here. Another tip is to dine at “off hours”, when the restaurant is not busy. Or, if you are really bold ,just sit down at the table of the most attractive person in the restaurant!!
Getting a “to go” order is really a poor excuse to miss some of the most enjoyable parts of your trip. My last trip to Munich was a great example. I was seated on a large table, with what turned out to be two Americans. We started talking about food and football, the two important “F’s”. We started buying each other beer and some shots. Next thing we know, two young German ladies are sitting at the table, buying and drinking shots with us!!! I ended up staying until closing, even though I went for a quiet, early dinner!
Sometimes, dining alone can serve other purposes. The time can be used to communicate back home, make future plans, read a book, or take photos. Or in my case, I try to do all of these things!
But I enjoy trying to establish a relationship with locals, find out what they like to eat, where they hang out, and what they want to know about the U.S. And more often than not, we have a toast to our new friendship!!!
Funny how the NBA team from Nawlins moved to, of all places, Utah, and kept the nickname, Jazz. The current NBA team are the Pelicans, not a bad name, but certainly not as colorful as jazz. But Nawlins is all about jazz. Check this out from Fodor’s.
A strange juxtaposition??
No one knows exactly when jazz was born. Some say it is rooted in New Orleans’ Congo Square before the Civil War. Others say it began in 1895 when Buddy Bolden started his first band. Or perhaps it was in 1917 when Nick LaRocca and his Original Dixieland Jazz Band recorded the first jazz record, “Liberty Stable Blues.” Whatever the case, jazz originated among the African-American community in New Orleans, digging into blues and ragtime as its main influences. Today, this improvised, syncopated genre of music remains a mainstay along New Orleans’ festive streets, where you can hear it on corners, in jazz clubs, and nearly everywhere you turn.
The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park hosts free performances and educational events in two locations around the French Quarter, and the New Orleans Jazz Museum presents in-depth exhibits about the history and culture of jazz. The absolute must-see is Preservation Hall, the city’s most famous jazz hall, though the Spotted Cat Music Club is always lively. Louisiana Music Factory is an independent record store on Frenchman Street that’s known around the world for its rich inventory of rare records and obscure titles by jazz artists.
I have been to Preservation Hall several times. It is an only in Nawlins experience. You must add it to your “water pail” list.
The New Orleans Jazz Museum is another fun stop. It is located in the old U.S. Mint.
The museum’s collection includes the world-renowned New Orleans Jazz Club Collection, which was gathered over several decades by the New Orleans Jazz Club. The collection includes the world’s largest collection of jazz instruments, prized artifacts, photographs, and ephemera. Examples of artifacts within the collection range from Louis Armstrong‘s first cornet to a 1917 disc of the first jazz recording ever made. It includes the world’s largest collection of instruments owned and played by important figures in jazz- trumpets, cornets, trombones, clarinets and saxophones played by jazz greats such as Bix Beiderbecke, Edward “Kid” Ory, George Lewis, Sidney Bechet, and Dizzy Gillespie. Other artifacts in the collection include some 12,000 photographs from the early days of jazz; recordings in a wide variety of formats, including over 4,000 78 rpm records that date from 1905 to the mid- 1950s, several thousand 12-inch LPs and 45 rpm records, and approximately 1,400 reel-to-reel tapes; posters, paintings and prints; hundreds of examples of sheet music from late 19th-century ragtime to popular songs of the 1940s and 1950s – many of them first editions that became jazz standards; several hundred rolls of film featuring concert and nightclub footage, funerals, parades, and festivals; hundred of pieces of relevant ephemera; and architectural fragments from important jazz venues.
In addition, the collection includes research materials such as letters, photographs, and interviews, which are available to researchers by appointment.
My other musical pursuit here would be finding a gospel brunch. Any ideas??
A city with its own signature cocktail is bound to be fun. New Orleans actually has several with classics, including the French 75 and Hurricane, invented here. The Sazerac, a potent concoction of sugar, cognac and bitters, served in an absinthe-rinsed glass, is the drink most closely associated with the city.
Totally irrelevant statistic: Brennan’s uses 35,000 pounds of bananas yearly to make their famous Bananas Foster.
Nawlins is one of my favorite cities, not only in the US, but the world.
A strange juxtaposition??
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