1st trip to NO-need ideas!
 

I've been trying to search through old posts getting ideas for a trip in 2 weeks but I thought I might have better luck starting a new post.

I just got word that I'm going to a conference in New Orleans in two weeks and I booked some extra time in for sightseeing. I've never been to NO and don't really know what are the 'must sees' for the first trip. I'll have 2 free nights, and then an afternoon/evening and a full day/night.

I plan on taking the airport shuttle to the hotel (west side of the French Quarter, near Canal and Cathedral) and back to the airport for an early (7:50am) flight. I won't have a car, so I'll rely on my feet and whatever you can recommend to get around!

I know I want to see the WWII museum and I love history and architecture. I read in another post about some cemetary tours that sounded neat-any additional info on them? (starting point/time/cost) And I remember seeing a tv show that highlighted a certain kind of chicory coffee and a doughnut-like thing (beniegt? I'm sure I butchered that so I'm really sorry) and I'd like to try those.

Oh-and what kind of weather can I expect for early November??

I'll keep doing my own research but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

You'll want to set aside two days just for walking around the French Quarter (bordered by Canal, Rampart, Esplanade, and the river) admiring the architecture, popping into shops, the French Market, cafes, bars, and some museums.

Go hear some live music - it is THE quintessential New Orlenas experience.

There is tons to choose from.
http://neworleanswebsites.com/cat/en/mu/m-lm/m-lm.html

Right in the French Quarter is one of my faves, the Funky Pirate (blues) at 727 Bourbon St. (between Orleans St. and St. Ann street). Go after 8 pm when Big Al is playing.

I would plan on hearing some kind of live music every night. The bands are great and it's not always something you can do at home.

The coffee and beignet place you're thinking of is Cafe du Monde. You want the original location at 800 Decatur St. - http://www.cafedumonde.com/ Go your first day so you can keep going back!

New Orleans is a dining heaven. One fave of mine is RioMar. It's an easy walk from your hotel and close to the convention center. http://www.riomarseafood.com/

There are MANY different cemetary tours. I would just ask the hotel and pick one that is a convenient time. Cost vary per tour but $10 is ballpark cost.

Weather should be in the 60's during the day and cooler at night. Pack a light jacket and you'll be fine.

We just returned from a week in NOLA.

Half of our time was spent volunteering to help rebuild the city, half spent as tourists.

This is a GREAT city and in desperate need of tourist dollars as well as volunteers. You'll love your time there.

Two "tourist" highlights for us were a city tour with "Tours by Isabelle" - our guide was Ginny, and a swamp tour with Cajun Pride Tours.

Tours by Isabelle picked us up at our B&B (the 1896 O'Malley House which is an absolute gem). We had to drive to the swamp tour. After the swamp tour, we visited Oak Alley Plantation and Laura Plantation (a creole plantation.)

Here are some webites:

www.toursbyisabelle.com

www.cajunpridetours.com

www.lauraplantation.com

www.oakalleyplantation.com

All the food was fantastic. Our all-time favorite restaurant is Jacques-Imo's in Uptown. A new restaurant,Cochon,in the CBD was also good.

www.jacquesimoscafe.com

www.cochonrestaurant.com

Have a wonderful time - hope this helps.
Carol

Don't miss lunch at Galatoire's and/or dinner at Bayona, Herbsaint, August and or Emeril's which are all near or in the Quarter. Brigtsen's is a must if you have time to take a cab there. Have fun.

The New Orleans Ghost Tour was very interesting and included some local history. It was at night and our tour leader was a paranormal investigator. The New Orleans School of cooking provides an entertaining morning and lunch. After you visit Cafe Du Monde for beignets, head to the market area for interesting food items. It is wonderful to wander around Royal Street watching street performers and looking in shops. We rode the street car just so we could "sightsee". We loved the brunch buffet at Court of Two Sisters on Sunday. You don't realize the lovely courtyard interiors that you can't see from the street. Oak Alley Plantation is wonderful but you probably don't have enough time for everything. We visited in November 2004 over Veteran's Day weekend and the weather was perfect.

We did the cemetery tour of St Louis No. 1 (just outside the Quarter) with the Historic New Orleans Walking Tour Co - our guide was great. Check out their web site to see if they are currently doing tours. They also do other tours. I have heard that the tour by Save Our Cemeteries is really good too.

Is the St Charles streetcar up and running yet? If it is, you can take a ride through the Garden District - wonderful neighborhood with beautiful homes, large oak trees.

I'm traveling with a group from work to The Big Easy in mid November. I looked up the temperature ranges to see how to plan wardrobe. High average is 71, low average is 52. Thanks for helping our brothers and sisters in that area, battered by Mother Nature!

Yes! Cafe du Monde! Thanks so much! I never would have remembered that on my own and it's been a couple years since I saw the food network show it was featured on. I would have kicked myself if I missed it! Thanks for all the great suggestions. The tours look right up my alley. I'm already thinking I won't have enough time to see the city!

One of the most romantic dinners we ever had was at Bayona.

Also liked the Ghost Tour; funky, but a fun experience, with lots of interaction with your tour-mates.

The street car was not running as of this past Monday.

I saw on the bus/streetcar website that you can one day, three day passes of a dozen tokens at a time at certain places around town. It gives the addresses but I don't know where they are. I'm staying on the west edge of the French Quarter, can anyone tell me where I can get a 3 day pass or the tokens? Do you have to have tokens or can you pay in cash on the bus/streetcar? Thanks!

Wow-I totally must have been in a hurry on that last one-sorry!
[preview, chemgirl! preview!!]

I meant to say I read you can BUY the passes or tokens but I hoped maybe someone could tell me of somewhere near the west edge of the FQ to buy them before I spend the time mapquesting all of the places on the list.

If I remember correctly, we bought ours at the booth where you buy the steamboat tickets - right on the waterfront near Canal St.

Definitely make a stop to Cafe du Monde for beignets and cafe au lait. If you're a coffee drinker, you absolutely MUST try some of the chicory-based coffee...it's so amazing and I miss it so much after moving away from New Orleans that I have to have it shipped out to me in Wyoming.

Take some back home with you...check out Community Coffee, River Road Coffee, and definitely the Cafe du Monde chicory coffee in the little yellow tin.

The St. Charles line is not supposed to be fully operational until late 2007. The "downtown" part from Canal to Lee Circle may be running again this year or early next, however.

The Canal and Riverfront lines are both running.

Can't help but laughing about the chicory coffee. I am definitely a coffee lover, but I have yet to develop a taste for chicory. The first time I had it, I kept adding sugar and after I probably had a quarter cup of sugar in my coffee, I was asking myself what the hell was wrong with this stuff - LOL. Perhaps it in an aquired taste, I am not sure.

I consider myself a savvy traveler and have not had any problems here or abroad (W Europe) so I'm wondering if there's any glaring safety issues I need to be aware of. I usually err on the side of caution and since I'm not a late-night person I don't encounter many 2am walks back to the hotel. But I read in a travel guide that you shouldn't go to the cemtaries alone as there is a chance you can be victimized (robbed? worse? it didn't say). So that got me thinking maybe I should ask if it's ok to be a young single gal in NO who's out after dark or even just walking around during the day alone. Especially since when I'm there it will be dark by 5pm! I probably wouldn't stray too far from the hotel after dark. And I will stick to the touristy areas for now anyway. I don't mean to imply that it's a dangerous city but it's always better to be prepared. I read that the violent crime is mostly gang or drug related.

Personally I found Cafe du Monde to by dissapointing. I gues everyone has to do it but don't get your hopes up too high.

On the single gal thing (I am male), I would recommend caution no matter your location. Stick with crowds if possible. NO is a place where crime seems to be sort of common. I was next to a couple of undercover drug busts in the 2 nights that I was there a few years ago. I never felt unsafe by myself but again, I am not female. There are definately seedy areas all over. I live in Chicago so I am a big city guy. Don't venture off of Bourbon St. at night.

It seems to me that most violent crime happens late at night (when people are drunk) or away from the tourist areas. The thing to watch out for in crowds of course is pickpocketing. I think standard precautions are what is needed - stay in well-lit areas after dark, don't get drunk, if you feel uncomfortable then step into a shop or a restaurant, take a cab if you are going someplace out of the way at night, and so on. With regard to cemeteries in general, since they have the above-ground crypts and they are walled off from the street, they provide a perfect opportunity for muggings and worse. Better to be safe and go with a tour, plus you will learn more.

Re: Cafe du Monde, when we went there two years ago we loved the coffee and beignets, but the service was terrific on our first visit and appalling the second; we actually got up and left after watching several servers ignoring us while one overworked trainee tried to serve a large section. But I understand it is under new management; does anyone know if that is correct? Anyway, I would return.

You are correct - do not go to the cemeteries alone. Stick with a group. The cemeteries are rather maze-like, and getting isolated long enough to be mugged would be very easy. You're safe with a group.

Have a great time! Wish I could be with you.

I have been to NOLA several times. If you aren't on too tight of a budget, take a limo/town car from the airport. The booth is at the baggage claim. It is only $10 more than a taxi and they carry your luggage. You will be in a clean car and they will deliver you directly to your hotel. United Cab is the best once you are in the city. This cemetary tour donates to Friends of the Cemetary Restoration and many of the guides are part of the organization. Not as commercialized. http://www.tourneworleans.com/cemetery_set.html. Honey Island Swamp tours is run by an ecologist. They take you in deep into the bayou (not on noisy airboats). Will pick you up at the hotel. Takes half a day. Whttp://www.honeyislandswamp.com/ I am a single, female and walking in the French Quarter at night hasn't been an issue but just the French Quarter. Cafe du Monde is worth the effort. Beignets are better than Cafe Beignet and so is the site seeing. Palace Cafe on Canal St has white chocolate bread pudding to die for (I wasn't a white chocolate fan). Central Grocery on Decatur for a muffaletta. Try a praline from Laura's in the French Market. Coffee Pot on St. Peters has great breakfast. Pat O'Briens is a bit cheesy but has the original, dueling pianos bar. Late afternoon can be enjoyable. Their hurricanes are lethal however. The aquariam is at the foot of Canal and enjoyable. There is a short ferry ride across the Mississippi to Algiers. Takes 15 minutes. Many antique shops on Royal and Chartres. If you like jazz, Snug Harbor http://www.snugjazz.com/ is adjacent to the FQ in the Marigny. Ellis Marsalis (father of Wynton and Brandford) and Charmaine Neville (cousin to the Neville Bros.) are regulars.

I'm so happy to hear that the Funky Pirate and Big Al are still going strong! I second that recommendation.

I'd save a trip to the plantations for another time. With your limited time, I would enjoy the French Quarter and all it has to offer. And the homes and cemetary in the Garden District.

Have fun......I can't wait to go back to NO sometime in the future!

I'm baaaack!!

Thanks for all the input. What a great town. It's too bad it got dark by 5:30 because I didn't feel very comfortable being out alone after dark but by day I had a great time! Ok, so here's my mini-report...

Yes?

Sorry, I got sidetracked! Work always gets in the way of fun!


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I took the Airport Shuttle to my hotel-Holiday Inn French Quarter-for $13. The hotel was nice enough, nothing special but clean and safe. It was on Royal just off Canal, so a good location and lots of things in walking distance. The Canal and Riverfront Streetcars are running, St. Charles is due to be back up next year but I didn’t end up riding either of them. A resident told me they were still very understaffed and so it took a long time for them to come around since they didn’t have the staff to run more cars. And everything I wanted to do was easily in walking distance, so I walked.

And what did I do?

I visited the D Day museum and was very impressed. It was an amazing place and I wish I would have had a whole day to spend there so I could watch the films and listen to all the first-hand accounts. I also took 2 walking tours: the Friends of the Cabildo French Quarter History tour (excellent) and the Historic New Orelans Cemetary/Voodoo tour (just as excellent). Both guides were so knowledgeable and entertaining. Highly recommended. I would have liked to take more tours but as I was there for work I didn’t have as much time as I would have on a regular vacation.

I also went to the Aquarium of the Americas (love the white alligator and the otters) and saw the IMAX movie ‘Hurricane on the Bayou’. And then there’s the shopping! The French Market had the cheapest beads (1.99) which I only learned after having spend 3.99 at a store on Canal St. The French Market had some nice jewelry where you can get good prices if you haggle. I thought Royal St had some great antique and jewelry shops. Not that I could afford to buy that 19th century armoire but it was sure fun to look at!

I went through St. Louis Cathedral on a little tour from a volunteer there. He was really nice and gave a great tour of the church. I didn’t have time to make it through the Cabildo or the Presbytery, so that will have to wait until next time.

And what did I eat?
Beignets! Oh I can’t say enough! I thought they tasted kind of like funnel cakes if you’ve ever had one of those. I really had to make sure I had some protein before eating an order of those because all that powdered sugar is enough to send you into a diabetic coma! And I liked the coffee with chicory. I did bring home a couple tins of it for my MIL and coworkers. It’s not the same but if you close your eyes you can almost hear the jazz…

I also had jambalaya and gumbo, though I’d had those before. I like gumbo really thick, like a stew. It was good at the Bourbon House but what they served that I really loved was the spinach salad. Warm dressing, glazed pecans, feta (I think) crumbled on top---so good! I’m not a big seafood person, so please excuse me for not going to the Acme Oyster House. Though I did go to the Red Fish Grill and the salmon was excellent.

Not to play favorites, I tried Caf&eacute; Beignet but I didn’t like it as much as the Caf&eacute; Du Monde. I’m sure it varies with both, but the beignets at Caf&eacute; Beignet (Royal St. store) were over fried and kind of leathery. Oh-I did get my first muffeletta at River’s Edge across from Caf&eacute; Du Monde. Central Grocery was sold out when I got there late in the afternoon but River’s Edge was still really good.

I had a good time and I’m glad I was able to see New Orleans. I’m not a bar person, I never was, and the French Quarter late at night just wasn’t my cup of tea but there are many other great things about the city that I did like. If I had been with a group, I might have gone out more at night or at least got some daiquiris to go! I definitely wouldn’t want to be around for Mardi Gras. It’s a shame that people see the area as just a place to get drunk and act stupid. There’s so much more to it.

chemgirl, I'm glad you enjoyed visiting New Orleans.

You'll probably be pleased to know that the D-Day museum is going to be expanded greatly. They will be developing almost an entire block and turning the museum into the National World War II Museum. So, if you come back in a few years, you'll be able to see much more at that museum. It will really be more like a museum-complex when they are done.

So come on back!

So glad you had a great time, chemgirl! Thank you for the great trip report!:)