Rolling on down to New Orleans

The train rolled to a jolting stop as the brakes let out a final moan. We had arrived at the hot and tasty city of New Orleans. With kids in tow, I headed toward a city filled with tastes and sounds.

For accommodations I had selected the Hyatt Regency, mostly for location since it is only two short blocks from the train station. This cosmopolitan hotel is huge and modern in design, encased in glass and steel.

The friendly clerk handed me a key and directed me toward a glass elevator to the towering 19th floor. "Hmm, 19th floor," I pondered as I wondered if I should tell him I am terrified of heights and had a 2-year-old who has the escape tactics of Houdini.

"Naw," I thought. I took this minor setback with the same attitude I have in life -- everything is an adventure and a new chapter in the book of life. Besides, it is okay to face your fears, they rarely come true, and of course nothing is more challenging than keeping a watchful eye on any 2-year-old!

First thing out of the elevator, my 9-year-old is up on his tippy toes peering over the edge of certain death, saying "Cool Mom, come look." So I edge over, palms sweating, heart pounding and peek with one eye and whisper, "Please stay away from the edge, or you'll be a grease spot on some poor guy's lunch table below."

As with every family vacation the most important second step is to check out the hotel pool. I've always joked and told clients it doesn't matter where they go with their kids, as long as the hotel has a pool. As we headed toward the pool, I noticed we were surrounded by thousands of stylish people who not only looked good, but smelled good too!

We had arrived during one of the largest conventions in town -- the Southern Baptist Annual Convention. For me this was a great thing, because everyone was so friendly and courteous and there were tons of kids at the pool for my kids to play with while I read. Plus, it is nice to vacation around people who have some of the same morals and life goals.

As my head hit the pillow, I was happy. So far day one was a success -- great hotel, great pool, great people.

Day two was scheduled full of excitement. I had booked an early morning swamp tour via Grayline Tours. One of Hyatt's services is a free shuttle to the French Quarter every 30 minutes, which dropped us off in front of Grayline's waterfront office. We boarded our Grayline bus for a short informative drive to the Cypress Swamp tour. This was certainly one of the highlights of our stay in New Orleans. I had picked a 9 a.m. tour to avoid the heat. Our rickety old boat was driven by Captain Jerry who spoke in a thick Louisiana accent.

Once we hit the bayou (which means still or slow moving water), my kids started screaming, "There's a snake!" "Oh, I see a raccoon!" Suddenly a women well into her 80s jumped and squealed, "An alligator!" Everyone rushed to the side of the boat as Captain Jerry threw a small marshmallow to lure the alligator to the boat.

After a trip to the gift store, my two kids emerged covered in rubber snakes and alligators, and promptly asked, "What next?"

What came next was a city tour that included a walk among the "City of the Dead." Graveyards in New Orleans are above-ground cities. Because of the sea level, the caskets don't stay under ground. Visiting graveyards is a famous thing to do in New Orleans.

We finished off our evening with dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. By 9 p.m. we dragged into bed -- plastic alligators and rubber snakes, and we all had exhausted smiles on our faces. I watched my kids as they slept, knowing their dreams would be full of the day's adventures.

Our final day in New Orleans was our best. We walked Jackson Square where we were entertained by street performers, and visited little hidden shops full of unique wares. We strolled the beautiful waterfront and found our way to the Aquarium, which is one of the best I have seen.

We spent hours looking at jellyfish, sea horses, frogs, toads, otters and fish. We petted sharks and poked and peeked at the strangest creatures. Then we watched a 3-D movie in the IMAX theater.

Somehow, as the late dinner hour approached, we found ourselves in the middle of Bourbon Street. I suddenly realized why they call it "Sin City." Scared to go down a dark side street, I pushed the stroller with one hand and covered my 9-year-old's eyes with the other. In short, Bourbon Street is no place for kids at any hour!

We finally found a terrific restaurant called the Seaport, where we listened to great blues and Cajun music, and enjoyed a feast of crab, shrimp, and hot beans and rice.

New Orleans is a city of many adventures -- old plantation homes, murky dark waters, abundant animal life, wild night life, hidden shops and history. In three days we only scratched the surface of what this mysterious city has to offer.

Carolyn Kempf is president of Elite Travel Inc. in Cape Girardeau. (www.elitetravelinc.com, 334-1234)

PIC -- Levi and Skyler Kempf watch an alligator swim toward their boat during a tour of Cypress Swamp.