My husband and I are planning vacation in New Orleans this October. Is this a good time to go? Would it be terrible to bring our one year old child? We are planning to stay at the Historic French Market Inn. Any information about this hotel would be great! Also, any recommendations on inexpensive restaurants that serve a variety of foods not just Creole or Cajun!

The good news is that October is an absolutely perfect time to visit New Orleans! The average daily temperatures range from the mid-sixties to the upper seventies. And it will be fine to bring your child. The bad news is that the Historic French Market Inn has a horrible reputation. There's a Louisiana message board on AOL that I searched (because I thought I remembered having seen negative remarks)and everything said about it was bad. One person said "it was the most terrible place I've ever seen". I'd advise you to look further.

Thank you for message on the Historic French Market Inn. Could you recommend a hotel that's inexpensive but nice in the French Quarter area.

"Inexpensive" and "nice" don't go together very well during high season in New Orleans. I think you will pay between $125-150 at a minimum for a nice hotel. Some hotels mentioned often on AOL: Le Richelieu, Provincial, Chateau. A B&B may be more affordable and offer more bang for the buck, so try historiclodging.com or search B&Bs via Yahoo!.

Holly, if you can, get your hands on a AAA Louisiana Tour book. It has lots of listing with lots of pictures of Quarter hotels. We like the Dauphine Orleans (www.dauphineorleans.com). I would avoid staying right on Bourbon Street with a little one. Have a great time.

Scrap the B&B idea; almost none of the B&B's in the quarter allow young children, and they are always impossible to baby-proof anyway. Two of the best when you are travelling with a young child and want value are the Provincial and the Chateau Motor Inn (that just means it has a parking garage!). My advice is to get an Entertainment Book and use the hotel discounts in it; we do it several times a year in the Quarter.
You may even get a deal on a really good
large hotel that has more open space to
let your child let off a little steam.

Holly: We also went in October a couple of years ago, and it seemed like a perfect time. Warm, but not hot, and the humidity was way down. Rained some, but not a big deal. Use the AAA guide for a hotel that's in the Quarter but definately not on Boubon street if you want any rest. By the way - be sure and take a cemetary tour - it was one of the highlights of the trip. Also, if you have a car, there are some absolutely beautiful plantations within a short distance.

October is a good month for a visit - but unless you are interested in VERY wild times (and I am guessing that with a 1 year-old in tow you are not) avoid Halloween. I was there on one trip over Halloween and was generally trampled, pinched, molested, and otherwise harrassed. People in the city were VERY drunk and it was actually a scary scene. If you are not interested in a 'marti gras" type atmosphere I would skip the 31st.

I was in NOLA last October and the weather was BEAUTIFUL. I stayed at an inexpensive hotel call Hotel Villa Convento. Sorry but I can't remember the street. Nice hotel, family owned. The rooms were clean. My group had a loft room(there was a king bed on the first floor and upstairs there were two twin beds)and the rate was 155/night. As for food, good luck. Every restaurant serves seafood, cajun food, etc.

I agree that Villa Convento is wonderful, but they don't allow children
under 12. It is on Ursulines Street a block up from the convent. I stick with my original recommendation for a larger hotel when travelling with a toddler; they may be able to provide you with a bonded sitter service if you are interested in getting out by yourselves for dinner one night.

You will love strolling around with the baby and window-shopping. October weather is the best, but the earlier poster had it right when noting that Halloween in the Quarter can get raucous.

Don't write off "Cajun or Creole" as an indication that it will always be fish, or always be spicy. Almost all restaurants will serve very conventional chicken or beef in addition to local specialties; look for posted menus in the Quarter. However, be aware that in South Louisiana, we don't count garlic as as a spice; we just put it in everything! Seriously, we live to eat here, and our food is a big part of the reason for that -- please try local specialties while you are visiting.