Few cities are as storied as the Crescent City, also known asNew Orleans, La. More than a destination, NOLA is a statement ofhow life should be lived in a genteel, more-than-slightly decadentfashion. New Orleans is an American original frosted in Frenchinfluences, and that's what makes it appealing to so manyvisitors.

For attendees at this year's CUNA CFO Council Conference whosefree time is limited, CU Times has rounded up somesuggestions to help make a few free afternoons and evenings in TheBig Easy more memorable.

EAT

New Orleans is a dining paradise boasting a cuisine with its ownunique aromas and flavors. The best of the best are too numerous tolist, but here are some highlights to feed your culinaryjourney.

Veteran visitors often make a beeline for Café du Monde (800Decatur St., 800-772-2927) for warm beignets and hot coffee.Located at the gateway to the New Orleans French Market and open24/7 with the exception of Christmas Day and anytime a hurricanegets a little too close, the café has been an institution since1862.

The coffee is rich andunique thanks to the addition of chicory, a wild perennial that wasused to help stretch the limited coffee supplies during theAmerican Civil War. Beignets are deep-fried choux pastry covered inpowdered sugar. No, it isn't good for you, but it's a tradition inNew Orleans, a city where a lot of things aren't good for you.

Earthy seasonality and an ongoing homage to locally sourcedfoods give Restaurant August(301 Tchoupitoulas St., 504-299-9777) a definite edge over moretraditional New Orleans eateries. Award-winning Chef John Beshepitomizes not what New Orleans cooking has always been, but itwill one day become.

Savor hot appetizers of handmade potato gnocchi with bluecrab and black truffle, or huitlacoche agnolotti,slow-roasted Sandy Hook rabbit with smoked chilies. Enjoy roastedduckling with tomatillo, hominy and blackened foie gras,or roasted Dorado with turkey neck, morel mushrooms and asparagus.Critics say Restaurant August is the Antoine's of the 21stCentury.

Small plates and main courses clutter the menu atHerbsaint(701 St. Charles Ave., 504-524-4114) like little culinary jewels.Chef Donald Link is a five-time James Beard Award winner, which istestimony to what a little crawfish and creativity can do.

Start with Louisiana shrimp and fish ceviche served withcucumbers and pepitas, or butter-poached gulf tuna with pickledchilies and mint. Move on to the braised Kurobuta pork belly withmushrooms and potato puree, or even lamb and mushroom lasagna. Asmall Sazerac on the side makes everything nice.

DRINK

Speaking of Sazerac, New Orleans' official cocktail made fromcognac or rye whiskey, absinthe, sugar and dash of Peychaud'sBitters, there is no shortage of libations in the Big Easy. It'snot only what you drink, but where you drink that makes adifference.

Few watering holes are more historical than Napoleon House Bar &Café, (500 Chartres St., 504-525-2431). First owned byNicholas Girod, New Orleans' mayor from 1812-1815, the house wasoffered to Napoleon Bonaparte as a refuge during his exile in 1821.The famous French general never made it, but the legend stuck andNapoleon House has become a French Quarter attraction.

Open on two sides, the bar's stone walls provide a cool refugeon even the sunniest and hottest days. Sip a little Pimm's Cup andsoak up the history.

New Orleans is no stranger to the emerging craft beerscene, and the Crescent CityBrewhouse (527 Decatur St., 504-522-0571), the city'sfirst brewpub, brews fresh French Quarter beer daily. Whether yourtastes run to the Munich-style Black Forest with a sparsely-hoppedbut richly-malted character, or the unfiltered Weiss Beer, brewedwith wheat and sporting flavors of banana and clove, the fivestyles brewed on premise offer something to please mostpalates.

According to an April 8 post on Culturated.com, Crescent CityBrewhouse was named one of the best places to eat oysters in NewOrleans. That's handy knowledge to have in case you need somethingfor the beer to wash down.

Craft beer aficionados may want to hop in a taxi and head forNew Orleans Lager& Ale (NOLA) Brewing Co. (3001 Tchoupitoulas St.,504-301-0117).

In addition to typical blonde and brown ale, NOLA also brewsHopitoulas, a West Coast-style pale ale that combines six malts andsix varieties of hops that create a highly hopped, yet balancedbrew with hints of pine and citrus. Unfortunately, its not yet timeform Hurricane Saison – saison is Flemish for “season” – aBelgian style wheat beer, but that may be a good thing for manyreasons.

EXPLORE

Colorful doesn't begin to describe New Orleans, a city foundedin 1718 and owned first by France (1718-1763), then Spain(1763-1802), then France again (1802-1804) until it became part ofthe U.S. Its wide-ranging national and cultural influences havemade one of the world's unique cities with much to see and do.

No other city has managed to turn voodoo, the ecumenical mashupof Catholicism and African religious beliefs, into a businessenterprise. But New Orleans offers several opportunities forvisitors to get their voodoo on.

Voodoo Authenticaof New Orleans Cultural Center & Collection (612Dumaine St., 504-522-2111) offers a complete line of voodoo dolls,gris gris bags and other Haitian and African spiritual arts andcrafts. The store, just off Jackson Square, also gives spiritualreadings and consultations.

If that's not enough, there's also Marie Laveau's House ofVoodoo (739 Bourbon St., 504-581-3751), theNew Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum (724 DumaineSt., 504-680-0128) and the Voodoo SpiritualTemple (828 N. Rampart St., 504-522-9627), where youmight find Priestess Miriam Chamani hard at work on herbal healingand West African spiritual practices.

New Orleans' Garden District is just a shortcable ride from downtown, but miles away from the city hubbub inits Southern mentality. Developed between 1832 and 1900, theNational Historic Landmark District is considered the bestpreserved collection of Southern mansions in the U.S.

Bordered by St. Charles Avenue on the north, First Street on theeast, Magazine Street on the south and Toledano Street on the west,the district was settled in the 19th Century by the city's elitewho didn't want to mix with the Creoles populating the FrenchQuarter. The district was developed to include only several housesper block, each surrounded by a large garden.

The area is still home for the elite. Keep your eyes open forfamous residents, including actors Sandra Bullock and NicholasGage, musicians Mos Def and Trent Reznor, and athletes Drew Breesand Peyton and Eli Manning.

Inevitably, you will be drawn to BourbonStreet, New Orleans' boulevard of debauchery thatstretches 13 blocks from Canal Street to Esplande Avenue. The mostfamous street in the city's oldest neighborhood is home tocountless bars, clubs serving all persuasions, and endless revelryinto the morning's wee hours.

But you will also find Galatoire's (209Bourbon St., 504-525-2021) where classic French Creole cuisine isserved and jackets are required after 5 p.m. There also arenumerous restaurants with balconies where you can dine in peacehigh above the human jumble below.

But if you do dine al fresco and overlooking Bourbon'sstreet-seething mass of humanity, don't forget to bring beads.