No matter what your idea of the ideal New Orleans trip is, this chapter will give you the information to make informed plans and help point you toward some additional resources.

Visitor Information & Maps -- Even a seasoned traveler should consider writing or calling ahead to the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, 2020 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70130 (tel. 800/672-6124 or 504/566-5011). The staff is extremely friendly and helpful, and you can easily get any information you can't find in this book from them.

To read a few blogs about New Orleans first try the Gumbo Pages website for plenty of information about New Orleans-related food and music, plus updates on the native author's many local friends and family. For additional blog action, there is the Appetites US website for excellent NOLA food coverage. The following is a roundup of literate locals, musing (and sometimes ranting) about the state of their beloved city, post-Katrina.