Riverwalk, New Orleans

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The Riverwalk is a peaceful spot, with just a few beggars and homeless musicians as well as a good amount of tourists checking out the dikes and realizing that the Mississippi River *is* above the level of the city streets by about 5-10 feet. Last hurricane the dikes between Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi broke, next hurricane or flood? Maybe the Mississippi?

Along the Riverwalk visitors seem to enjoy the Steamboat Natchez, which is one of just 5 true steam-powered boats with stern wheels in North America. Operated by New Orleans Steamboat Company, the Natchez was just built in 1975, and it makes 2-hour round trip cruises down the river.

This area also has a Jewish Memorial.

the riverwalk market is a shopping and entertainment venue located on the mississippi river next the convention center in the warehouse district. the riverwalk market is home to a number of specialty shops and several restaurants and bars. sadly this shopping center was totally looted just after hurricane katrina but now it has been repaired and is back in business.

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This unique memorial is located along the Riverwalk are of downtown New Orleans. It consists of about 9 parallel panels each decorated with various art. When viewed from a particular angle, the panels form a Star of David, while from other angles they just look like modern art.

What's so special about getting drunk on the Riverwalk? It's more romantic - getting sh*tfaced with that lovely breeze coming down the Mississippi... listen to some street music or make your own... you are drunk.

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Watching the river traffic is one of the most fun things to do in New Orleans. Big cruise ships, little tugs, barges, heavy cargo ships and paddlewheelers come in and go out of docks and ports 24 hours a day. There are walkways along the river side of the French Quarter all the way down to the Convention Center. The French Quarter piece is called the Moon Walk and as it meanders south, the path runs through Woldenburg Riverfront Park and past the Aquarium of the Americas, At the World Trade Center, it takes a jog through the Spanish Plaza with its huge fountain, and then becomes part of the Riverwalk Marketplace complex. I'm guessing it's a little over a mile from end to end.

Aside from the Riverfront Streetcar, this is the best route to-and-from the Quarter if you're a walker and staying in the Warehouse District - no traffic to contend with, a great view of the river and there always seemed to be a nice breeze along the waterfront. Street musicians often play in the park section - throw a little something in the hat if you like the tune. While a fun activity for any age, it's great for kids as there's room to run and they seemed to get a huge kick out of the big ships. Best of all? It's free!

A 20 minutes walk along the Mississippi River will lead you to the Audubon Aquarium of Americas, IMAX Theatre and a shopping mall called Riverside. Wear a wide brimmed hat on a hot sunny day and carry an umbrella for it might rain.

Actually Riverwalk is the name of a big shopping area right along the waterfront between where the riverboats dock and the Convention Center. One would think from the name that you would be walking along the river. NOT.

We did not go to Riverwalk

The riverboat guide told us about the Chinese grain ship that crashed into the building. I guess ships have no brakes. (They really don't.)

WHAT HAPPENED ?

About 2:30 pm Saturday 14 December 1996 Liberian registered freightliner, Bright Field, rammed into a dock housing a Riverwalk mall and hotel complex in New Orleans LA. The 763 foot freightliner.. was loaded with 56,000 tons of corn bound for Kashima Japan via the Panama Canal.

A fault in the engine lubrication automatically shut down an engine at a very bad time The Bright Field was going downriver and had just cleared the Crescent City Connection (bridge) but was unable to make the hard turn right after the bridge. The captain was able to drop the bow anchor and when it caught it jerked the bow around and cause the ship to 'parallel park' between two cruise ships (one was the Nieuw Amsterdam) and a casino boat named Hilton Flaming Casino with 800 people on board.. There may have been a communication problem with the mostly Chinese crew. When the Bright Field finally came to rest, it was about 70 feet from the Flamingo Casino.

The URL is for a quicktime movie of the crash.

The Riverwalk was built in 1986 at a cost of $58 million and had suffered a few ship minor ship impacts before, but none anywhere near as violent as this. The Bright Field hit the Riverwalk in the middle at the Cafe du Monde at 2:30 p.m. when a large crowd was on the Riverwalk. ...

116 people sustained injuries and no deaths have been reported. 15 shops and 456 hotel rooms were demolished

You have to try the Cajun cooking school at the riverwalk mall. Not only do you learn how to make a few dishes, but the instructor makes it fun, as well. You don't actually cook here--it is a demo--but that may be just as well for some of us, no? I learned how to make cornbread, red beans and rice, pecan pralines, and pecan pie. The menu changes, so call the school before going. You may go more than once and learn to cook different foods. In fact, there was a cook who went to the class four times. After sampling some of the food that was made, you get the recipes for the food you made to take home and a coupon for 10% off items in the store such as Mexican vanilla and pecan pralines.

The Riverwalk is a great place to go if you want to experience several place in one convenient stop. You can stop at the Aquarium/IMAX, shop in the mall, (also a good place to take a Cajun cooking class) or ride a ferry. Plus if you walk far enough there are outdoor performances. If you decide to talk a ferry or go to the aquarium, check out their combined ticket prices advertised in some of the tourist brochures, it is a better value and you can see more.

It doesn't matter whether you like fudge or not, because you will be absolutely delighted to watch the theatrics at The Fudgery. The jolly employees make the fudge right in front of you, and they laugh, sing and dance as they prepare it, encouraging audience participation. It was a happy interlude during our browsing at Riverwalk, and highly recommended to all!