Sunday, January 29, 2006

GETTING THERE: Airlines are steadily adding flights to Louis Armstrong International Airport as life slowly returns to New Orleans -- and the fares are pretty low. We found early February round-trip fares from BWI for $169 (Northwest) and $172 (American), with one connection, and a nonstop on Delta for $224. In one sign of normality, fares soar for Mardi Gras weekend. Leaving Feb. 24 and returning March 1, Orbitz's "multiple carrier" feature listed flights for $304 from BWI, and they climb steeply from there.

STAYING THERE: Hotels seem to be coming back almost daily, but finding a room can be tough, as tourism climbs and rooms are still filled with staff and relief workers. To find properties that are ready for guests, check out the new "Open for Business" feature on the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau's Web site ( http://www.neworleanscvb.com/ ).

A couple of favorites that are running at full capacity include the huge Royal Sonesta (300 Bourbon St., 800-766-3782, http://www.sonesta.com/neworleans_royal ), in the center of the French Quarter, starting at $162 a night; and the International House (221 Camp St., 800-633-5770, http://www.ihhotel.com/ ), a hipster haven just ouside the Quarter, starting at $179. Rooms will be particularly scarce -- and pricey -- over Mardi Gras weekend.

A major provider of package tours to the Crescent City, Collette Vacations , announced a return to the city starting in May, and the company will donate 100 percent of profits from its 2006 New Orleans tours to Katrina relief efforts. The five-day "New Orleans Getaway" includes hotel, meals and lessons at the Culinary Institute of New Orleans for $599 (air is extra). "New Orleans and the Deep South" adds three days in Natchez, Miss., and Lafayette, La., for $1,199. (800-340-5158, http://www.collettevacations.com/ .)

EATING THERE: While some of New Orleans's most famous eateries are still waiting for the all clear (Commander's Palace, for one, is expected to remained closed until late spring or summer), there are now more name restaurants open than you'd have time to visit in a week. Some are operating a limited schedule and most seem to be avoiding late hours. Innovative fine dining is available in such Nouveau Orleans establishments as Bayona (430 Rue Dauphine, 504-525-4455), Peristyle (1041 Dumaine St., 504-593-9535) and Restaurant August (301 Tchoupitoulas St., 504-299-9777). Gumbo, etouffee and other traditional Creole specialties are plentiful at the Gumbo Shop (630 St. Peter St., 504-525-1486), Remoulade (309 Bourbon St., 504-523-0377) and Chartres House Cafe (601 Chartres St., 504-586-8383).

BEING THERE: For a frequently updated list of what's open, particularly in the French Quarter, pick up the free weekly Quarter Crawl ( http://www.quartercrawl.com/ ). Distributed in hotels, restaurants and bars around the city, it also details functioning restaurants, attractions, bars, clubs, shops and services in Uptown, the Central Business District and Marigny.

In Uptown, the Audubon Zoo (6500 Magazine St., 504-212-5148, http://www.auduboninstitute.org/ ; $12) is open weekends only, with expanded hours expected in March. In Algiers, Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World (233 Newton St., 800-362-8213, http://www.mardigrasworld.com/ ) is an unforgettable way to explore the city's signature carnival blowout.

After hours, the live music scene is already robust. Along Bourbon Street, follow the bass line to the crowded mosh pit of your choice. For more sophisticated listening, Rock n' Bowl (4133 S. Carrollton Ave., 504-482-3133) is unharmed and open Tuesday through Saturday nights, but you'll have to park at the still-devastated shopping center. Tipitina's (501 Napoleon Ave., 504-895-8477, http://www.tipitinas.com/ ) is not only open most nights for jazz, funk and Cajun music, it's emerged as a center for helping local musicians recover from Katrina. For a list of nightly offerings, see the Quarter Call and the Lagniappe , the Times-Picayune's Friday entertainment tabloid.

At least two companies offer "post-Katrina" tours that get as close as possible to the levee breaks and pass by the Superdome, the Convention Center and several demolished neighborhoods. Gray Line New Orleans's twice-daily, three-hour tour is $35. Info: 800-535-7786, http://www.graylineneworleans.com/ .

MARDI GRAS: New Orleans will hold its annual party this year, but it will be slightly leaner, with a shorter parade schedule and a more limited route. Fat Tuesday is Feb. 28, but the first parade will roll on Feb. 11. Each weekend will build, with 10 parades currently scheduled for Mardi Gras Tuesday. For updates and info, follow the Mardi Gras link on Nola.com, the Times- Picayune's New Orleans guide.

INFO: New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau , 800-672-6124, http://www.neworleanscvb.com./ -- Steve Hendrix