Almost done planning for NOLA - did we miss anything?
 

Well, thanks to wonderful suggestions from all you fodorites and hours of research, it looks like we are almost done planning our trip to New Orleans. Did we miss anything? Any other suggestions?

-Staying at Bourbon Orleans 12/18 - 12/27
-We've got reservations for Christmas Eve Bonfire Cruise on Creole Queen
-Reservations at the Hunt Room Grill & drinks at Carosel bar on Christmas Day
-Honey Island Swamp Tours
-Dinners at Rest. August, Bayona (should we do Brigtsen's instead of Bayona?)
-Sat lunch at NOLA, Fri lunch at Galitorri's (sp)
-Even more food(!) Cafe du Monde, Central Market, ACME Oyster, etc.
-Drinks, music, general revelry on Bourbon Street
-Gray Line Pckg incl. City Tour, Zoo, Aquarium, IMAX
-Katrina Tour (any recommendations on a company?)
-Blain Kern's Mardi Gras World
-Mardi Gras Museum
-Voodoo Museum
-Poker at Harrah's!
-Renting a car to visit plantations one day (probably Oak Alley & Laura, w/ cracklin for lunch)
-Cemetary /Voodoo Tour (any recommendations on a company?)
-Christmas lights in the park
-Shopping!!!
-Probably even MORE FOOD!!!

If there's a "must see" I've missed, please let me know! Thanks again for all of your help in planning this fantastic trip! :)

Andrea

Correction: Not cracklin, I was thinking of Boudin sausage for lunch...

I would add seeing the Preservation Hall Jazz Band play if possible.

Yes, thank you!

That's on our list, but I forgot it here, along with a Christmas concert at St. Louis Cathedral...

I visited pre-Katrina so I do not know the staus but do recommend New ORleans Museum of Art in City Park, and also the botanical garden and sculpture garden. ALso waslking around Jackson Square, listening to the outdoor entertainment. ANd if I remember correctly, there is a street (maybe Royal), where several blocks were closed off (I think on the weekend) and various street entertainers took over (clowns, musicians, mimes, etc).

one more thing ...eat beignets.

Have a hand grenade & a hurricane, but not the same day.

Frenchmen Street in the Marigny would be "must do" way ahead of the voodoo museum and other touristy things. Frenchmen is a lot of fun and it is where many locals hang out.

Thanks, Dan! I'll make sure and add it...

There is also a very nice restaurant at Oak Alley Plantation.

Cemetery Tours: saveourcemeteries.org
(non-profit tour company that sinks the money into restoring the cemeteries -- great tour). We went to St. Louis # 1 with them.

I'm really glad that you're coming into New Orleans and contributing to the economy. I'd like to let you know that typically, New Orleans is really quiet during the Christmas holidays, and with the lack of tourists that we normally have, it can be almost dead quiet during that Christmas week (New Year's Eve is crazy though, but you'll be gone by then). The good news is that you'll probably easily be able to get into any restaurant. The bad news is that many restaurants are closed on Christmas...

Most locals will be doing what everyone in the country does during the Christmas season - shopping, wrapping presents, putting lights up on the house, cooking a Christmas dinner, opening presents, eating a giant meal, and then watching the games. For New Year's however, the story is different. This may not matter to you, but I wanted to let you know how Christmas is around these parts...

I'd recommend taking the Canal Streetcar out to NOMA (New Orleans Museum of Art) and visiting the museum and sculpture garden. They are well worth visiting. While you are there, check out "Celebration in the Oaks" - it's not to be missed.
http://www.celebrationintheoaks.com/index.html

If you are looking to see alligators, you will be disappointed by the swamp tours. They are in hibernation for the winter right now.

No alligators! :(

Is it still worth our time to take the swamp tour? I heard the Honey Island tour has fascinating info about the ecology...

Yep, we're expecting NOLA to be quite quiet at Christmas - we're a little past the rip-roaring partying stages in our lives, and plan on doing a little relaxing, too! :)

Thanks to all of you for the great info!

I would do the swamp tour in the winter time - no alligators, but still very interesting. We went in May one time and only saw a couple alligators - they were cool, but we really enjoyed the rest of the trip too. The bayou is very different from anything we have at home - we have tidal marshes and things of that nature, but nothing like a bayou. We went with Capt Nick's in Lafite and had some really interesting conversations about ecology, conservation, salt water dilusion/intrusion issues, disappearance of the bayou and marshlands along the gulf, and so forth. I have heard that Honey Island tours does a really good job educating people about the ecology and so on as well.

We went to Oak Alley and Laura plantations and enjoyed them both. We did a tour through Spinato tours rather than renting a car. The car will give you more flexibility though. If you are an Annie Rice fan, Oak Alley plays prominantly in a couple books and in the movie version of Interview. Laura plantation is really neat, and had a terrific story to go along with it.

We did our cemetery voodoo tour with the Historic New Orleans Walking Tour Co - very good tour.

Don't forget that Gallatoire's requires a jacket for men

I have been reading the replies about things to do in New Orleans I will be there in Feb. I am planning to do some of the plantation tours and was thinking about a bayou tour but don't like the idea of seeing alligators. One of the posters said there would be no alligators in the winter. Why would this be. Being a northern girl I don't know alot about alligators.

Oh gosh, I think I've gained 10 pounds just reading your restaurant choices!!!

As for Bayona vs Brightsen's - both are great. Looks like most of your restaurant choices are in the FQ area, so Brightsen's might offer you a change of local.

When I was there last summer, I think only GrayLine was offering the Katrina tour. But maybe now there are more. I didn't take the tour (drove around my old neighborhoods myself), but I was considering it for my kids.

I would suggest taking in some Cajun or zydeco music or at least some local jazz or blues. New Orleans is so much about the music. If you're looking for suggestions, post again and I'll check schedules.

No way would I substitute Brigsten's for Bayona. There's a terrific restaurant across from Brigsten's called Dante's Kitchen if you want to get out of the Quarter. I also love Cuvee.

We were in New Orleans a couple of years ago, from Dec 26 - 31. While it was fairly quiet, compared to other times we've been there, things were still pretty crowded, especially as it got closer to New Year's. We waited a long time to get into Preservation Hall. With your dates, I think it would be pretty quiet.

One thing I didn't notice on your list, that we love, is the gospel brunch at the House of Blues. I think it is only on Sundays. You need to make reservations in advance. In New Orleans, they brought in gospel choirs from the surrounding churches. The singing was excellent. The food was good (for a buffet). We've also been in Orlando, and the New Orleans brunch was much, much better, due to the fabulous choir they had that day.

Galatoire's is a favorite. Been to Bayona a long time ago and liked it okay, but not as much as the hype. Really like K Paul's too. Even though I have conflicted feelings, we always seem to go to the Court of Two Sisters for brunch buffet, eating in the courtyard while listening to live jazz. I always say we are not going to go there, since there are so many much better food choices, but somehow we always end up going there ??

Zoo and Aquarium are okay, but I wouldn't waste my time in NO doing them, with so many other things to do...

We went on one swamp tour with a naturalist, which was great. When we tried to go a few years later, he wasn't running them. So, we went with one of the large companies. Although the swamp is a beautiful place, the tour was totally touristy and I hated it. We were just herded around like cattle. I can't remember the name of the tour operator, but I recommend you check around a little (if you haven't already).

Cafe du Monde, Central Market, ACME are all fun.

We always stay at the Bourbon Orleans (except once when we got a great rate elsewhere). I love the location. Reviews of the hotel are mixed, but we really like the place. (Well, once they were in the middle of construction, which I didn't know about, so it wasn't the best stay. But that was years ago...) Did you sign up for the frequent guest program, Wyndham By Request? I seem to remember getting a free fruit platter or something...

One time we spent a night in one of the plantations. That was very cool.

I love all the wonderful suggestions! Thanks to all of you, and keep em coming! :)

Travelgirl2, we had REALLY wanted to do a Sunday Jazz brunch, but, thanks to a scheduling quirk, the only Sunday we are there is Christmas Eve, and we are planning to take a Bonfire Cruise that leaves at 1 pm. The cruise includes a full buffet, and we just figured we couldn't fit it in (timewise and stomachwise). :)

We did want to hear a bunch of local music (esp Jazz and Blues, my husband loves both). We figured we would pick up one of the tourist magazines when we got to town and play it by ear (pun intended). Should we plan visits to the music venues in advance? We won't need reservations or anything, will we? Thanks!!