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Nassau<br />
BAHAMAS<br />
— Michelle Petty<br />
GO SHOP<br />
PORT LUCAYA MARKETPLACE<br />
Sea Horse Rd, Freeport • 242-373-8446<br />
portlucayamarketplace.com<br />
Wander this market to discover a treasure<br />
trove of items unique to the Bahamas, like<br />
straw hats and bags plaited with leaf from the<br />
native Silver Top tree.<br />
GO SEE<br />
ARDASTRA GARDENS, ZOO AND<br />
CONSERVATION CENTER<br />
Chippingham Rd • 242-323-5806<br />
ardastra.com<br />
Bahamian fl amingos were the original<br />
inhabitants of this decades-old park, which is<br />
considered the Bahamas’ fi rst zoo. These days,<br />
visitors can take a stroll through the gardens<br />
and see rock iguanas, parrots and a host of<br />
other creatures.<br />
FORT CHARLOTTE<br />
West Bay St • 242-322-7500<br />
Built in 1788, Fort Charlotte has drafty<br />
dungeons that will make you glad you were<br />
never imprisoned there. Cannons still face<br />
the sea that pirates once sailed, and the walls<br />
of the barracks are etched with the names of<br />
soldiers who slept within them.<br />
GO EAT<br />
COMPASS POINT<br />
At Compass Point Beach Resort<br />
West Bay St • 242-327-4500<br />
compasspointbeachresort.com<br />
To make the most of your meal, sit on the patio<br />
and order the crab cakes served with herbed<br />
mayo, and fi nish things off with sweet guava<br />
duff, Bahamian pudding made with fresh guavas<br />
and drenched with a rum butter sauce. $$$<br />
GO PARTY<br />
MANGO TANGO EVENING CRUISE<br />
Freeport, Grand Bahama • 800-688-5871<br />
bahamastourcenter.com<br />
When you dine aboard the Fantasia, you’ll<br />
enjoy an array of scrumptious hors d’oeuvres,<br />
wines and cocktails, including a classic<br />
Bahama Mama rum punch. While this doubledecker<br />
party boat takes you sailing along the<br />
breathtaking Grand Bahama Island coast,<br />
you’ll have a chance to bust out your best<br />
dance moves under the limbo stick.<br />
FUN FACT!<br />
There are more than 700 islands in the Bahamas.<br />
New Orleans<br />
LOUISIANA<br />
— Richard Meeks<br />
GO SHOP<br />
AUX BELLES CHOSES<br />
3912 Magazine St • 504-891-1009<br />
abcneworleans.com<br />
The scented soaps at this delightful cottage<br />
will refresh you after a day of Uptown shopping.<br />
The owners travel to England and France<br />
to bring back linens, antique enamelware,<br />
collectible plates and decorative accessories<br />
that smack of Old World country charm.<br />
SERENDIPITOUS MASKS<br />
831 Decatur St • 504-522-9158<br />
Leave caution at the door of this daring<br />
boutique, which features fl ashy, over-the-top<br />
disguises made by local artists with everything<br />
from feathers to leather.<br />
YVONNE LAFLEUR<br />
8131 Hampson St • 504-866-9666<br />
yvonnelafl eur.com<br />
“A lady has to have confi dence to wear a hat,”<br />
says milliner and shop owner Yvonne LaFleur.<br />
Luckily, self-assured shoppers can visit this<br />
unique boutique, which features customdesigned<br />
vintage hats, as well as an exquisite<br />
selection of lingerie, dresses and gowns.<br />
GO SEE<br />
FALL AND GARDEN SHOW<br />
At New Orleans Botanical Garden<br />
1 Palm Dr • 504-483-9386<br />
garden.neworleanscitypark.com<br />
This popular event features landscape design<br />
exhibits, plant sales, food and plenty of live<br />
music. The real attraction, though, is topiary<br />
artist Pearl Fryar, who’ll give a lecture and<br />
demonstration on Saturday. Oct. 16-17.<br />
SECRET GARDENS OF THE VIEUX CARRÉ<br />
Vieux Carré • no phone<br />
patioplanters.org<br />
Once a year, visitors are offered a rare glimpse<br />
into the spectacular (and very private)<br />
courtyards and lush, semi-tropical gardens of<br />
French Quarter residences. The self-guided<br />
tours are sponsored by the local garden<br />
society, the Patio Planters du Vieux Carré.<br />
Tickets are available the day of at Creole<br />
Delicacies (533 St. Ann St). Oct. 16-17.<br />
CRESCENT CITY BLUES & BBQ FESTIVAL<br />
At Lafayette Square Park<br />
580 St. Charles Ave • 504-558-6100<br />
jazzandheritage.org/blues-fest<br />
This free outdoor barbecue and blues<br />
extragavanza mixes the best in food and<br />
music. The result is a fi nger-lickin’ good time<br />
listening to the city’s premier entertainers.<br />
Longue Vue House and Gardens<br />
7 Bamboo Road, New Orleans,<br />
LA 70124<br />
www.longuevue.com<br />
Drive minutes, not miles!<br />
Saturday, check out Taj Mahal, and don’t miss<br />
Ruthie Foster on Sunday. Oct. 16-17.<br />
GO EAT<br />
FIVE HAPPINESS RESTAURANT<br />
3605 S Carrollton Ave • 504-482-3935<br />
fi vehappiness.com<br />
This Mid-City establishment is a perennial<br />
favorite for Chinese food. The triple dragon,<br />
made with chicken, beef, shrimp and<br />
vegetables, ladeled with a spicy garlic sauce,<br />
is the premier dish. $$$<br />
CHARLIE’S STEAK HOUSE<br />
4510 Dryades St • 504-895-9323<br />
charliessteakhousenola.com<br />
Former Charlie’s bartender Matthew Dwyer reopened<br />
this popular eatery in 2007, two years<br />
after Hurricane Katrina forced its closure.<br />
Don’t ask for a menu (they don’t exist), but do<br />
choose the fi let over the T-bone. $$$$<br />
THE GROCERY<br />
2854 St. Charles Ave • 504-895-9524<br />
thegroceryneworleans.com<br />
This Garden District deli features chicken and<br />
sausage gumbo, served with a dark roux not<br />
found in many places. The po’boys are nontraditional,<br />
served on pressed French bread,<br />
one of a few sandwich shops making that<br />
brave leap. $<br />
GO PARTY<br />
BOURBON COWBOY<br />
135 Bourbon St • 504-231-8519<br />
bourboncowboy.com<br />
Saddle up to one of the French Quarter’s only<br />
mechanical bulls, and lasso the high energy at<br />
this party hotspot. Three-for-one drink specials<br />
and three-for-$5 bull rides keep people<br />
coming back. Expect music that’s a little more<br />
rock and country, a little less Top 40.<br />
COOTER BROWN’S<br />
509 S Carrollton Ave • 504-866-9104<br />
cooterbrowns.com<br />
A beer connoisseur’s oasis, this sports bar<br />
features more than 400 brands of suds, 45<br />
of which are on tap. Check out the quirky<br />
“Obeertuary and Barsoleum”: caricatures of<br />
dead celebrities—Jackie Kennedy Onassis,<br />
John Wayne and Jerry Garcia among them—<br />
sipping brews.<br />
FUN FACT<br />
Lafi tte’s Blacksmith Shop was once a hideout<br />
for pirate Jean Lafi tte, a hero of the 1812 Battle<br />
of New Orleans between America and Britain.<br />
Longue Vue House & Gardens<br />
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OCTOBER <strong>2010</strong> GO MAGAZINE<br />
137
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