"Norleans"

I arrived in New Orleans early yesterday afternoon. This town is into celebrating the Saints win at the super bowl, next week's Mardi Gras and the election of a new mayor. That’s probably the order of importance in the celebration.

I took the back roads again from Alabama into Louisiana passing through Mississippi. I chose to go through Pascagoula, Mississippi. I’ve been saying that tongue-twisting name on the air for various stories for nearly 50-years so I had to see what the place was like. Its principal industries are ship building and oil refining and a lot of memories of better times. Hurricane Katrina did some heavy devastation to the area and so did closing a naval base several years ago.

Now to New Orleans. In many ways the city of New Orleans ought to change its name to Phoenix after the mythical bird that dies and arises out of the ashes of destruction. Katrina nearly ruined this city and its people five years ago. It is now surviving and functioning as before the hurricane.

I’ve been here two times before. Once for Marti Gras when I was co-hosting the CBS Morning Program in 1987 and later for a convention. If partying had another name New Orleans would be it and not just Marti Gras.

I will be out of here before the main event starts on Sunday and goes through Fat Tuesday.

I’ve already sampled some crawfish and a beignet, some tuna tartar, braised short ribs and a couple of wines. Wonderful!

More tomorrow maybe. It depends on my partying.