easygoer

Hi, I have been pouring over the boards copying and pasting all of the wonderful suggestions for New Orleans. My husband and I will be going for our first time (5 days) and then I’ll be staying an additional week for business. Yippy,12 nights in New Orleans. Will I survive? Anyways, I’d love to hear what your favorite things to do and eat. We love to experience the local flare. Thanks in advance.

travelinwifey

I like NOLA's walking tours of haunted places and history:

http://www.tourneworleans.com/

-See the Garden District and do a walking tour there.

-Visit the VooDoo museum and learn about Marie Laveau... yes you will always want to return to New Orleans

-Take a bus tour to plantation homes. My personal suggestion is Oak Alley, you may recognize it upon seeing as the beautiful places ends up being on the front of mystery novels.

http://www.bigeasytours.us/tours/tourtype.cfm?ttid2=664

or

http://www.toursbyisabelle.com/tours_plantation.html

-Do a city bus tour through Greyline

http://www.graylineneworleans.com/city.html

- Do a cementary tour

- There are also swamp tours

-Definitely take a trolley ride and see a lottle bit out of the city:

http://www.norta.com/

Hope this helps. There are many popular dining spots in the French Quarter plus you must just take the time to walk through and browse shops, perhaps someone else can give you more restaurant specifics....

jayne1973

A nice way to start a visit to New Orleans is an early morning stop for cafe au lait and beignets at Cafe DuMonde, then walking it all off during a free National Parks tour, which begins at 9 a.m. Get there early because they take only 30 people and it fills up fast. It's a great little history lesson that makes you feel connected to the city. www.nps.gov.

If in that same area around lunch, pick up a muffaletta sandwich at Central Grocery.

Another good tour is the cemetery/voodoo walk with Historic New Orleans Tours. I did one in January and the guide, Gwen, was fabulous. The information was authentic as well as interesting and fun. tourneworleans.com

bkluvsNola

Since you will be staying in New Orleans for 12 nights total, and your husband will be on business, chances are that you'll get to experience most of the reknown restaurants on the company's dime. That's definitely an added benefit. Thus, you need to include all the favorites, like Emeril's, K-Paul's, Galatoire's, Commander's Palace, GW Fins, Restaurant August, etc...

Also, assuming your husband is in a conference all day, you'll have plenty of time to walk around the French Quarter, see the Garden District, and other sites while your husband is working. You can also take this time to do things you may like to do that your husband may not (i.e. shopping). Perhaps do some antique shopping along Magazine or Royal Street.

One of the weekend days you and your husband should see the zoo and aquarium. You can even take a cruise along the Mississippi from one to the other as part of a package, or you can just take the St. Charles streetcar and the shuttle.

I also think your time on the weekend before the business trip should be spent doing tours around the area. I highly recommend doing a swamp tour in the morning. Alligators and other animal life are out in full swing this time of year, and the mornings are still pleasant (upper 60's to mid 70's) right now. You could either do a pontoon boat or a airboat, depending on your wishes.

Then you can do some plantation tours in the afternoon. I'd recommend seeing Oak Alley and Laura Plantation. They offer up two totally different styles of plantations.

Another recommendation is to use the weekend to tour some of Cajun country. Having 12 nights means you'll have two weekends, so I would recommend perhaps going out to see the Tabasco Factory and Jungle Gardens at Avery Island, and seeing St. Martinville, Vermillionville or Acadian Village near Lafayette.

The Food and Wine Experience is over Memorial Day, so check that out as well:

http://www.nowfe.com/

november_moon

I second the recommendation to go to Cajun country for a weekend. We spent a few days out there as a side trip from New Orleans last summer and it was great.

A couple recommendations:

Swamp tour at Lake Martin outside of New Iberia with Butch Guchereax. The lake is beautiful and Butch is a wealth of information.

Bayou on the Teche plantation in New Iberia. This is a nice contrast to the bigger places on the River Road closer to New Orleans. It has also been in the same family all this time and great collection of furnishings. They have a good introductory documentary at the visitor's center.

Cafe Des Amis restaurant in Breax Bridge - this is a wonderful place with great food, nice people, and a really fun atmosphere. Zydeco brunch on the weekends

november_moon

Hit post too soon

The Jungle Gardens at Avery Island are also on the must-see list. I expected a walking garden, but this place is huge and really neat. You actually drive through it and stop along the way to see things - and we had a convertible - it was so cool.

KTtravel

I think the Preservation Hall Jazz Band is a must.

easygoer

Thanks for all of the great suggestions and links. Love it! bkluvsNola, it is actually me who will be their for business after pleasure. My hubbie leaves after 4 nights. I'll be their to attend the IDDBA, which is the International Dairy Deli and Bakery Association for three days. Lots of great cheeses etc. That's why I mentioned 12 nights in NOLA may kill me. But what a way to go!

Thanks again for the thoughtful replies.

gyppielou

Some great advice here for my upcoming trip this week too. Just may do the Wine stroll on Thursday.

I am currently booked at Intercontinental, but have been adviced to research further for a better hotel in a better location.

Any ideas would truly be appreciated. We are staying 3 nights and prefer crisp linens to antiques and heavy fabrics. If that makes any sense.

Any favorite restaurants that I should not miss - preferabbly those that worked hard to restore community post katrina. I'd at least like to keep my eating local, if not my room.

easygoer

Hi gyppielou, we are staying at the Loews hotel. It looks really nice. I got a rate of $132.30 for Friday - Tuesday night. Then it jumps up to $169.00 on Wednesday May 28, for a Luxury King. Hope this helps.

gyppielou

Thanks easygoer! More centrally located, great fresh look, only missing the outdoor pool. We will have to tough it out!

Checking out that butchguch swamp tour to see if I need to rent a car. It looks interesting.

Babbitt

I'd also recommend taking the streetcar to the New Orleans Museum of Art to see the George Rodrigue exhibit if you are here before it ends June 8. Also, you can stop at Brocato's along the way for gelato or Italian desserts.

I highly recommend the New Orleans School of Cooking in the French Quarter for a fun cooking class.

Our other favorites are Cafe Amelie and Croissant d'Or in the Quarter.

Eating is big here and the many restaurants mentioned should be fun.

A walk around Audubon Park near Loyola and Tulane Universities is another must-do for our guests.

Hope you have a wonderful trip!

crepes_a_go_go

You might be interested in this exhibit. I have not seen it yet, but I hope to go sometime over the next couple of weeks.

An exhibit of “Treasures of Napoleon” is showing at the Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint at 400 Esplanade Ave.

The show, which began a U.S. tour in 2005 at the National Geographic Museum in Washington and has been seen by 125,000 people, will be on view here through Aug. 3. It is presented by the Russell Etling Co.

The exhibit comprises items assembled by collector and Napoleon authority Pierre-Jean Chalencon, including some that have never before been seen by the general public.

crepes_a_go_go

Some restaurant recs from a local:

Skip Central Grocery - if you want a muff, go to Napoleon House. Central's quality has gone way down. I find they are living off their reputation. Last time I took a visitor there, I was embarrassed at the skimpiness of the sandwich.

The restaurant named EAT on Dumaine in the Quarter - great for breakfast.

Cross over Esplanade from the Quarter and into the Marigny for Sukho Thai on Royal - one of the best Thai restaurants, more upscale with very authentic dishes. This is one of our regular haunts, have had most things on the menu and never been disappointed. Very good Middle Eastern cuisine at Mona's on Frenchman St. Good music joints on Frenchman too, especially Snug Harbor where you can also eat and hear a show.

Please take the street car down St Charles and on around to Carrollton. While your husband is there, you might enjoy The Delachaise on the St Charles route, a wine bar that serves some great food. Casual place, nice atmosphere. Go a bit on the early side if smoke bothers you. Go on around to Carrollton, get off at Oak St. and stop in Pazzo Gelato for gelato the closest I've had to Italy anywhere around. They also serve pannis and salads for lunch and have an Italian steak dinner. Great place, locally owned, everything made on site.

Get yourself over to Magazine St. This is another neighborhood in itself. Lots of shops, antique shops, good restaurants, bars and a great French bakery owned by two guys from France and called La Boulangerie.

Will you have a car? I can help you more if I know how you will be getting around. Hope these suggestions are helpful. New Orleans is a magical place!

easygoer

Thanks crepes_a_go_go, what great ideas. So much to do. I had thought about a car, but we will only have Friday - Tuesday (4 nights) together. Three and a half full days to play. Hubbie goes home on Tuesday.

Then I'm own my own. I actually have Tuesday & Wednesday next week by myself. Safe ideas for a female?

Then my company comes in Thursday through the following Wednesday for the food show. We'll have a car but will be working most of the time.

I posted a separate posting about the Wine & Food Exhibition Grand Tasting that will be on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, May 23 - 24. Have you been there? It would be our first night (Friday)and I would love it if it's a true taste of NOLA. Someone already posted it's a great way to start our personal 4 nights, but I don't want to miss one night of dining at the Superdome if it is just okay for $100.00 per person.

As always, any help is appreciated.
If any one is interested in Europe Trip Reports I have many. Let me know. Thanks to the US boards.

crepes_a_go_go

Regarding NOWFE, for someone on their first visit to N.O. and having only 4 nights to explore with your husband, I would prob give it a miss. I find it a venue for serious wine drinkers/collectors/diners, and many from here go in groups of friends or meet up with friends and associates. That's my two cents on it, but others may feel differently.

One reason I asked about a car is because so many on this thread have suggested activities that are outside of metro N.O., far outside if you don't have a car and have to arrange transportation.

starrs

If you do get a car to venture out, there is so much to see in the area. One of my favorite travel memories is visiting Avery Island and the Tabasco "factory".
http://www.tabasco.com/tabasco_histo...sland.cfm#targ

Oak Alley or one of the other plantation homes -
http://www.oakalleyplantation.com/

I enjoy getting out and about in bayou country as much as being in the city. For me, I'd make a day trip during one of the free days - especially with that much time in the city. There are a lot of threads on the boards with suggestions. Po'boys, zydeco music, the look and the smells of the bayou - there's nothing like it anywhere else.

Vttraveler

We visited Mardi Gras world and thought that was quite interesting. I know there is also an exhibit on MG at the Louisiana State Museum

I strongly recommend the idea of early morning coffee at Cafe du Monde. A nice time of day to enjoy the French Quarter

bkluvsNola

I'd suggest that you spend Friday in the French Quarter with your husband, spend Saturday morning touring the swamp and Saturday afternoon touring the plantations.

Sunday and Monday can be spent at the Audubon Zoo (take the St. Charles Streetcar), walking around the Garden District, and other things of interest to you.

Tuesday and Wednesday, when you have time by yourself, that would be a great time to do some antique shopping on Royal or Magazine.

During the conference, you'll be busy, but you can try to sway the powers that be to take you to the great New Orleans restaurants.

Enjoy!

gyppielou

If you do the zoo, do it early early and don't forget the sunscreen.

Any thought on Vaughan's and Kermit ruffin on Thursdays?

Avery Island looks interesting but a 5 hour roundtrip is too much for my short time there. easygoer, looks like an idea.