SEPTEMBER 2019 businesstravelerusa.com36
DESTINATIONS
obligatory ego boost places guests in the center of Bluegreen Vaca-
tions’ message – to exceed expectations, to surprise and delight every
customer. With each successive floor, the colors of the décor deepen
with chromatic drama, symbolic of the literary journey, the “allusion
to the Yellow Brick Road,” according to Timothy Schwering, vice
president of planning and design at Bluegreen Vacations.
Stepping out of the elevator, the traveler is met on both ends of the
short hallway which leads to the rooms by two large framed portraits.
The striking poses are of two different women
peeking alluring out from behind red velvet
curtains. As you approach the pictures, you
realize these are not just lifeless paintings,
but rather augmented reality portraits that
come to life once you come into their personal
space. Once again, the gaze, the spirit of
Storyville, the clandestine moment, the silent
seduction which underlies the entire motif.CRESCENT CITY QUEST
Besides the Marquee Resort, New Orleans
finds a balance between the old and the new. The nearby
French Quarter, especially on a Saturday night, is alive
with a pulsing decadence. Within arm’s reach,
tourists crane their necks up to the balconies
where, during Mardi Gras, beads are the currency
of flash and flesh, groups of pleasure seekers
saunter to an unsteady gait, and jazz riffs-turned-
hip hop beatbox fill the streets like the aroma of
spilled beer and powdery sweet beignets.
Bars and casual eateries entice the palates of pedestrians, as seduc-
tresses coax customers to enter neon-buzzed establishments. This is
Storyville 2.0, tamed and diluted to the point of tourist charm.
In daylight, quaint shops provide vignettes for every taste, from
voodoo shops where strategic pins bring more healing than revenge,
to old book sellers with aisles narrow enough to comfort any book-
worm and art galleries translating emotions in a mixed-media soup of
inspiration.The new and the old
coming together in
a city most capable
of sustaining that
historical divideFor those whose tastes run more to the macabre, The Museum of
Death will not disappoint. From the private letters of serial killers to
their victims to death masks to photos and newspaper clippings from
the most infamous news – images we once chose not to see – conspic-
uous horrors force themselves into our cautious gaze. This venue is
certainly not for everyone.
Arguably the greatest escape New Orleans has to offer comes from
its cuisine. Gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish, rice and beans, bananas
foster, and of course, po-boys round out the traditional fare of the
Crescent City. Nestled between Central City and the Seventh Ward
lay some of the finest restaurants New Orleans has to offer. Emeril’s
New Orleans, Arnaud’s, Brennan’s and Willie Mae’s Scotch House,
just to name a few, will cause many a waist band to be let out. Howev-
er, no one seems to be complaining.
Still, for all its glitz and glamour, New Orleans has seen its share
of heartache. In the 13 years since Hurricane Katrina, humanitarian
efforts from organizations such as Habitat for Humanity have recruit-
ed any and all to bring residents back to all the flood stricken areas.
The worst hit was the Lower 9th Ward. Currently, homes are being
painted and landscaped so that new homeowners and new hopes can
return to the region.
Despite continuous threats from Mother Nature and her burden
of climate change, the residents of New Orleans persevere. As flood
waters subside, one can hear the reliable mosaic of joy in the melodies
of jazz coming from corner bars, spilling out into the damp grid of
New Orleans streets. BT^PREVIOUS PAGE:
French Quarter
ABOVE AND
LEFT: Marquee
Resort lobby
and guest room
BELOW: Brennan's
Restaurant