Getting to know this city is as easy as going for a walk

Do a little dance. Make a little love. Get down tonight. This is the Big Easy, after all.

The first time I visited New Orleans (pre-Katrina), I fellFrench Quarter in love with the energy, the passion, the joie de vivre that defines the people who live here. My girlfriend and I walked from the French Quarter to the Garden District - an adventure that took us through some of the poorest sections of the city.

We walked past historic buildings, street sellers hawking sweet pralines, run-down tenement buildings, seedy coffee joints and plenty of people willing to stop and chat with us - and quite a few who saw us as a blight.

The history of New Orleans isn't an easy one - slavery, plagues, fires, floods - but the people here are amazingly resilient. It's almost as if each tragedy gives birth to a new way to celebrate life - Mardi Gras, African-Indian parades, saints holidays - and don't forget Zydeco and jazz musicians and Cajun food.

Walking New Orleans is as much a history lesson as it is a study in human behavior.

I'll fess up. I took a walking tour as well. Tour guides are gold mines of local culture and they love people who ask questions - it gets the group more involved - and they're more than willing to chat after a tour (maybe even share some local secrets over a beer).

New Orleans RemembersIf you've never been to New Orleans before, you'll have a different experience post-Katrina. The city has embraced its recent history and offers tours that will guide through the still-ravaged areas of the city. Voyeurism or a healing balm? If you agree forgetting this tragedy is equal to forgetting slavery, you'll understand why they do it.

My favorite tour company, Haunted History Tours, is recommended by the Travel Channel, Fox Network, A& E for its enthusiasm, knowledge and attention to detail.

I love that you can choose the part of New Orleans you want to get up close and personal with - ghosts, antebellum history, vampires or garden homes.

Have you been to New Orleans lately? What do you love most about the city?

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