Whole Life Magazine

February / March 2017

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I n New Orleans' near- ly 300-year history, it's been home to pi- rates, voodoo queens, celebrities, literary giants, important political fi g- ures, drag queens, and, in the late 1980s, drunk- en teen punk rockers like me, living on ramen, Schaeff er's beer and generic cigarettes. "Wellness" and "mind/body connection" wouldn't top the word association lists for this iconic city. But things change. In the 30 years since I lived there, New Orle- ans rebuilt from a massive hurricane, adding many miles of bike lanes, attracting eager young entrepreneurs, and multiplying the veg options on its famously meat- and seafood-heavy menus. And I got sober, devoted myself to fi tness, and expanded my veg diet beyond oriental-fl avored ramen. Now, in the year 2017, as New Orleans turns 299 years old, it's easy to have a fabulous time there while eating delicious vegetari- an food and engaging in healthy activities. Get the Lay of the Land on Two Wheels I never rode a bike when I lived in New Orleans. Honestly, I was a little nervous about joining Free Wheelin' Bike Tours for a spin around the city. Had Louisiana drivers heard of bikes? Would I disappear into one of the city's notorious potholes? It turns out that Free Wheelin' has the antidote to both those problems: Andrew Healan, guide extraordinaire, who manages to impart historical information while protecting tour members from traffi c; and bikes specially designed to stand up to New Or- leans streets. With their fat tires, tough tubes, and heavy frames, these bicycles are like tanks. My group of four took the Creole Crescent Tour. In three hours, we rode through the French Quarter and Faubourg Mari- gny, strolled between crypts in an above-ground cemetery and A New Orleans Wellness Vacation Livin' Healthy Big Easy in the Livin' Healthy Big Easy in the By Teresa Bergen Photos: Bottom Center, Two Upper Right by Teresa Bergen 30 wholelifetimes.com

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