We will be driving to New Orleans June 13-18. We have reservations for lodging. We want to see as much as possible. Any suggestions? We will be staying in French Quarter. We want to do a swamp tour and maybe a plantation tour. Which is the best? also we want to try out the food. Which restaurants do we not want to miss? Also what about nightlife? We were thinking of trying to go to House of Blues. If anyone has been lately and has some advice please email me or respond on here.

Welcome to Louisiana! New Orleans is a far piece down south from us (Shreveport) but still a frequent stopover. Here are some (_very biased_) suggestions:

*Tours:
Take in a horse-drawn carriage tour of the Quarter; catch them from Jackson Square, just in front of Cafe Dumonde. The drivers are knowledgeable, entertaining and fascinating. They give a great orientation to the Quarter and its environs.
I've been on both the Swamp Tour and the Plantation Tour (there are several variations on the same them); the former is ho-hum, but then again, we're surrounded by the bayou here. If you want to get a feel for the swamp and perhaps get a glimpse of some 'gators, nutria and a great blue heron, do so. I might warn you, though, it's going to be s-t-e-a-m-y. The Plantations Tour was more my cup of tea: a touch of the old South, mixed with 90's marketing. It does take about 30-40 minutes to get there (from New Orleans' downtown). An even better tour is held with Ann Rice's books in mind and her special "take" on her native city - the Garden District tour (check out her web site -- unfortunately, I don't have the URL handy, but any of the search engines should unearth it for you). Not creepy at all -- my kids (8 & 11) enjoyed it. The creepy one was the "Paranormal" tour -- an examination of the supposed hauntings in the old Quarter.

* Food:
Unfortunately, asking about food in N'Owleans gets you a blank look: there is everything available and each restaurant will have its very fanatical supporters. Here are my choices (e-mail me at the above adress and I'll provide details):
Creole: Commander's Palace ****, Arnaud's, Galatoire's.
Cajun: Alex Patou's, Mother's ***, Praline Connection ***, Olde N'Awlins Cookery.
Eclectic: Nola's, Mr. B's Bistro ***, Palace Cafe, Mike's on the Avenue ****.

You mentioned the House of Blues -- go for the music, the athmosphere; the food is O.K. by New Orleans standards, but you can do better.

* Not to be missed:
Aquarium of the Americas.
Old time jazz at Preservation Hall.
Enjoying a microbrewed beer in the balcony of the Crescent City Brewery after a day of tramping around the Quarter.
French Market, especially the open market at the end of the Market.
A ride on the St. Charles streetcar, taking in the sights of the Garden District.

I can go on and on. . . and will! Anyway, hope you have a good time!

You must have brunch at Court of Two Sisters in the quarter! They have a dixie band playing, and a fantastic buffet that includes everything from eggs to crawfish! I was in New Orleans a couple of years ago and on suggestion from a co-worker (from New Orleans) went here and fell in love with it! But it isn't easy to get a seat, I urge you to make a reservation!

Try Bella Luna (near Cafe du Monde) for great food and view. Expensive but worth it. Also a lunch place in the warehouse district called something like Uzelstitch. Authentic and good value. Don't miss dancing at Mulate's cajun restaurant. It's a terrific city!!

Try Bella Luna (near Cafe du Monde) for great food and view. Expensive but worth it. Also a lunch place in the warehouse district called something like Uzelstitch. Authentic and good value. Don't miss dancing at Mulate's cajun restaurant. It's a terrific city!!

Try Bella Luna (near Cafe du Monde) for great food
and view of the river. Expensive but worth it.
Also a lunch place in the warehouse district called
something like Uzelstitch....inexpensive and good
value. Alpine has good, authentic N'awlins food.
Don't miss the Cajun dancing at Mulate's..whether
you dance or just watch, it's a lot of fun.
It's a terrific city.. have fun!!

Dinner Suggestions: 1) I think the best tasting food can be found at Paul Prudhomme's, but don't plan an intimate evening for two at Prudhomme's, because they will seat you with another couple (it is very small). Prudhomme's is fun because you get to visit with another couple and trade travel experiences, etc. 2) One of the most romantic dining experiences can be found at the Court of Two Sisters. The food is excellent and the service is excellent. I always eat here when I visit New Orleans. 3) For budget dining, I would suggest Maspieros, located on Decatur St. For around $10.00 you can get a fried dinner of your choice, and it will fill you up.
Lunch Suggestions: 1) You must go to Central Grocery, located on Decatur, for a mufalatta! These sandwiches are delicious. You will want to obtain instructions on how to have a mufalatta sent Fed-Ex to your home. Warning...Do not go to the mufalatta shop located next door to Central Grocery (it is called Progressive Grocery). The mufalattas at Progressive Grocery are nasty!
Night Life: You really don't need to make plans for night life in New Orleans. Just start walking down Bourbon Street and let the evening take you where it will. There are plenty of places for dancing, karokee, transvestite shows, and stipper wrestling. For some reason, when people are vacationing in New Orleans, they seem to do things they wouldn't ordinarily do...maybe it's the Hurricanes!
Daytime Activities: 1) Take the trolly from St. Charles Street down into the Garden District. It only costs $1.00 each way per person. You will really get to see what historic New Orleans looks like, and the old homes are gorgeous. It will also take you to the Audobon Zoo, Loyola University, and Tulane Universtiy. You can jump off the trolly at one of the stops if you want to and have lunch-just don't wander off the beaten track too far. 2) Go to the VooDoo Museum, located in the Quarter. The Prince of Love will make you a gris-gris bag for whatever suits your needs: love, fertility, lucky lottery, cop stay-away, etc. The VooDoo Museum also offers tours of the graveyard, which may be interesting.
Please note that I am originally from Louisiana and I go to New Orleans at least once a year for vacation. I know what I am talking about here.