Beignets and buskers are among the Big Easy's delights, writes Megan Singleton.
The heart of soul in the US has to be New Orleans and this year I'm planning my fifth visit. Here are five things I'll be doing.
1. Eating beignets
Cafe du Monde is the iconic place to get your morning fix of a sugary beignet (pronounced ben-yay). These square doughnut pillows are dusted in icing sugar and are perfect with coffee. There are several locations in the city, but I'd recommend you go to the large one opposite Jackson Square, where street musicians will entertain you as you eat.
2. Seeing a show
The sound of jazz and blues floats on the air throughout the French Quarter, but for a great acoustic performance, get tickets to the thrice-nightly show at Preservation Hall. At 8pm, 9pm and 10pm the jazz band play to a packed out (tiny) hall. General admission will get you standing room (US$15-$20 at the door; first come, first served) or book online and pay US$35-$50 for a bench seat. preservationhall.com
3. Throwing a buck at the buskers
After Hurricane Katrina many of the street musicians left the city as their homes were destroyed. The French Quarter was strangely quiet and the soul that we took for granted seemed to be gone. Today, buskers are back and one of the best things we can do is pack our pockets with dollar notes to show our appreciation of their incredible talent.
