Embracing Jaleo’s total tapas experience in Orlando, Fla.

I love to cook.  I love to eat even more.  It’s probably because of people like me that we have so many celebrity chefs in our culture.  One of my current favorites is Jose Andres, partly because my culinary tastes have been going through a phase where I can’t get enough of the tapas, or small plate, dining that is so synonymous with Andres’ cuisine and Spanish heritage.

With this in mind, when Punky wanted to spend a couple of nights in Orlando as part of this year’s spring road trip, she knew exactly how to get me to go along with it.  She booked us a dinner at the Disney Springs location of Andres’ signature restaurant, Jaleo.

Surviving American Airlines’ ‘cancellation culture’

I should have known to expect problems with our return flights from our most recent trip to New Orleans. 

Flying for a quick Memorial Day weekend seemed like a good idea for a while, especially since we already had an Airbnb lined up and paid for.  The renter had been kind enough to allow us to rebook after we cancelled an earlier trip scheduled for February this year because COVID-19 effectively cancelled Mardi Gras.  If only American Airlines had the same customer service ethics.  As it turned out, cancellations became somewhat of a theme for the trip.   

The first hint that things were not destined to go smoothly came in an email two months before our scheduled trip. 

A commoner drinks (and dines) at Bibinger’s Bar & Restaurant, Cedar Creek, Wis.

Every time work takes me to Wisconsin for an extended period of time, sooner or later I find the local spot that makes the best version of Wisconsin’s signature cocktail – the Old Fashioned.  In Madison it was, appropriately, the Old Fashioned restaurant downtown.  In Sheboygan it was the cozy Frankie’s Pub & Grill.  In West Bend, though, I had to look a little harder … actually, about 15 minutes south of the city in the unincorporated rural community of Cedar Creek.  There, in a building dating back to 1846, is Bibinger’s Bar & Restaurant.     

Doing NOLA the Airbnb way

As any of my handful of faithful followers can tell you, there’s no place this commoner would rather travel to than New Orleans, La.  It’s a city with a culture like no other – from great food and drink, to great music, to great parties – where “Laissez les bon temps rouler” is a way of life.   

With the French Quarter at the heart of the city’s tourist activity, I’ve stayed in more memorable historic and boutique hotels than I can count.  But what do you do if you really want to immerse yourself in New Orleans, or any vacation destination for that matter? 

In November 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic burst onto the scene, Punky and I tried something different for a planned Thanksgiving week in the Big Easy.  We decided that we truly wanted to experience New Orleans as much like a local resident as we could.  We wanted to immerse ourselves in one of the city’s diverse neighborhoods.  The solution was a vacation home rental through Airbnb.     

The experience was so successful that I haven’t booked a hotel in New Orleans since.  Not only did we love our first Airbnb in New Orleans’ Mid-City neighborhood, we booked three more Airbnb stays in 2020 in Mid-City and the Garden District.  Yes, during the COVID-19 pandemic.  As it turns out, it was the perfect way to stay in and explore New Orleans while practicing safe social distancing. 

So, what can you expect if you decide to book a homestay or vacation rental through Airbnb, Vrbo or another online marketplace?