My first stop is always Cafe du Monde for beignets. I like taking a carriage ride and you can do that right after you stop at Cafe du Monde. I've been to NOLA many times over the years and took a walking and tasting tour on the last trip that I really enjoyed. It gave a good overview of the city, samples of good food and behind the scenes looks at some of the most famous restaurants. Riding the St. Charles streetcar through the Garden District was fun too. We stopped and walked to Magazine Street and strolled for a while - stopping for macarons and gelato at Sucre. We walked through a cemetery on the way back. Others were taking a tour and I'm sure they are worth it. We liked the more casual approach.

I am not a fan of donuts, and basically that is what a beignet is, so I didn't understand that it was demanded that I to go to Cafe Du Monde and eat a fricking donut.

Well, there is a good reason the place is jammed. Do not buy the mix and bring it home - the secret is in the water and the oil, and you will have neither to mix with you mix. They cannot be replicated. Tourist tip 101, avoid the long line for a table and head to the far right which is a usually short takeout line and enjoy them up the stairs on a bench on the Riverwalk.

kansasmom, did you do a board search? New Orleans is extremely well covered on this forum. To get you started, please see my two trip reports:

http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/new-orleans-foof-experience.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/new-orleans-itinerary-184065-2.cfm

For the attractions trip report on the latter, see what I actually did in the later posts on the thread.

One caveat with tours: they often are not guaranteed to go out unless they reach a minimum number. A few tours seem to meet quotas regularly, such as the ones that go to Laura/Oak Alley, but some do not. I'd ask them before booking, as some companies do not share this "minimum" information with people who want to book.

Thanks, bachslunch. I will re-read your trip reports. (I did a search on this board quite a while ago and probably should do another.)

Sounds like we should make a stop at Cafe Du Monde!

We are not going to go on a plantation tour. The teenagers are less than thrilled at that idea. Probably a swamp or cemetery tour would be more interesting for them.

American Sector is a John Besh restaurant at the WWII Museum. Go for half price drinks and 75 cent sliders between 3/6 PM. Domencia has half price drinks and half price pizza freom 3/6 PM also. You can take the St. Charles Streetcar to Uptown/Garden District for lunch/dinner at some fine restaurants there. Commander's Palace would be a good one. You should have lunch at Commander's in the GD for $25.00 and 25 cent Martini's. Coquette is another great restaurant a few blocks from Commander's on Magazine. You should plan an afternoon walking and visiting the fine shops and restaurants on Magazine Street in the 3,000 to 5,000 block area. Take the street car to Washington and walk 2 blocks to Commander's. After lunch walk 3 blocks to Magazine. I like Cafe Atchafalaya in the GD also. Have a few drinks at The Column's Hotel on their porch off St. Charles. Patois, Clancy, Dick and Jenny's and Brigtsen's are outstanding restaurants Uptown. Bistro Daisy is fun also. You will have a lot of decisions to make planning in NOLA. Bon Appetit.

Commander's Palace @ 1403 Washington Ave., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 899 - 8221.
http://www.commanderspalace.com/
Coquette @ 2800 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 265 - 0421.
http://www.coquette-nola.com/index.html

Cafe Atchafalaya @ 901 Louisiana Ave., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 891 - 9626.
http://www.cafeatchafalaya.com/
The Columns Hotel @ 3811 Saint Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 504 - 899 - 9308.
http://www.thecolumns.com/
Patois @ 6078 Laurel St., New Orleans, LA 504 - 895 - 9441.
http://www.patoisnola.com/
Clancy's Restaurant @ 6100 Annunciation St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 895 - 1111.

Dick & Jenny's @ 4501 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 894 - 9880.

http://dickandjennys.com/

Brigtsen's Restaurant @ 723 Dante St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 861 - 7610.

http://www.brigtsens.com/

Bistro Daisy @ 5831 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 899 - 6987.

http://www.bistrodaisynola.com/

　

How about a bike tour or a walking tour?

Confederacy of Cruisers does a really great bike tour - takes a few hours and covers the Faubourg Marigny, Bywater, and Treme neighborhoods.

For walking tours, we have done 2 with The Historic New Orleans Walking Tour Co - the French Quarter tour and the Cemetery/Voodoo tour. Both were excellent.

We also did a culinary tour, which was fun, but I don't know if it would be that interesting for 15 year olds.

Carriage ride is a must-do IMO. Lots of fun.

I haven't done a city tour, so I can't comment on that.

One of the great things about New Orleans is just wandering through the Quarter, so make sure you leave time for that.

Cafe du Monde - of course. I've never been there when there was a line though, so hopefully your timing is as good as mine I have to say that the beignets at Cafe Beignet on Royal are much better than Cafe du Monde's - so go to both places and see what you think. Call it field research.

One of my favorite restruants in NO is Deenies:

http://www.deanies.com/

For some reason the snobs turn their nose up at it, but it has some of the best seafood in the town as far as I am concerned. It's right across the street from Acme Oyster House, which is good, but can be loud and overpacked . . Deanies is every bit as good without the noise and crowd

I miss New Orleans. We need to get back there soon.

Here is a Groupon for a tour that may interest you.
http://www.groupon.com/deals/southern-style-tours-5?c=all&p=1