Also, looking for hotel thoughts -- between the Marriott at 555 Canal Street and the Intercontinental at 444 St Charles which would you all recommend? I'll need to be at the Convention Center three of the days I'm there.

You are welcome, LVAMY. :-)

For food, Domenica is great for Italian, and Commander's Palace has a wonderful bread pudding souffle for dessert plus 25 cent martinis at lunch!

Stay off Bourbon, but enjoy the rest of the French Quarter - the antique and jewelry shops on Royal, beignets at Café du Monde, Preservation Hall, Leah's Pralines on St. Louis, Acme Oyster House on Iberville, and the museum right next to the Cathedral with fascinating Mardi Gras exhibits. Go to Frenchman Street for great jazz at Spotted Cat and Snug Harbor. Ride the trolley through the Garden District and the Warehouse District.
On our last trip, we enjoyed the D-Day Museum. I'm not a history buff, but it was an excellent presentation, not just about D-day, but about WWII.
There are many excellent restaurants out in the Garden District; La Petite Grocery and Commander's Palace are personal favorites. My all-time favorite meal in New Orleans is a shrimp po'boy from Domilise's out on Annunciation between Napoleon and Jefferson Streets.
If you have a car and several hours, do take a look at one of the sugar plantations outside of town. I always love the gorgeous trees at Oak Alley, and the some slave quarters have been rebuilt to give a realistic presentation of that ers.

"Celebration In The Oaks" will be happening during your stay.
Scroll WAY down to the bottom of this page: http://www.neworleanscitypark.com/ce...on-in-the-oaks

The New Orleans Museum of Art is also located close by in New Orleans City Park.

Have lunch at Galatoire's and Commander's Palace--and you can walk the Garden District at the latter. A visit to Preservation Hall is mandatory.

topping