If you haven't yet visited this part of the world, pack your bags and go now. We just returned from a week in Mississippi and Louisiana. Most of our time was in the French Quarter of New Orleans. We stayed at the Place d'Armes which is about a block from Jackson Square. It's so well located and has a pool in an attractive courtyard. Breakfast is included. We were handy to Cafe' du Monde, a popular coffee shop, where we enjoyed beignets a few times. We are not the big city visiting kind of people, but New Orleans has many attractions beyond the famous Bourbon Street drinking and dancing vibes. It is an excellent place to people watch. We even got to see some scenes from a television show being filmed in the square. Once you get the lay of the land you can get almost anywhere on foot or public transportation. I highly recommend the museums on Jackson Square and the wonderful National World War II Museum nearby. Go on the free National Park ranger led walk to learn more about New Orleans.

Drive out of town to Lafeyette and nearby towns to experience Cajun history and culture. We went on a swamp tour, toured the Tabasco factory at Avery Island, and would have liked to tour the inside of an oil rig, but ran out of time. Many folks tour plantations. We did the Spring Pilgrimage tour in Natchez, Mississippi on the way down instead.

We enjoyed hearing all kinds of music. Most often we were able to enjoy bands and singers by simply strolling through Bourban Street. We went to Preservation Hall and Snug Harbor, both requiring a cover charge. My favorite part was probably the seafood. We simply cannot get fresh tasting seafood in Iowa. We didn't order anything that wasn't seafood for four days at least.

People were very happy to see visitors. I felt as though I was actually helping with post-Katrina buildup through my tourism dollars. That message was expressed by several residents with whom we talked.

Glad you had a good trip. We are headed to New Orleans in about a month and a half. Can't wait

We are also going to spend a couple days in Breaux Bridge, New Iberia, and that area.

Got any good restaurant recommendations for us?

We did not eat in that area. I was armed with suggestions from my Frommers New Orleans book. Look in any book dedicated to the city and it will include recommendations for Cajun country.

Good Report Marsan. Glad to see folks interested in NO. I live in MS but I go to NO 3/4 times/year. Great place and one of my favorites. Good luck to you.......

Ike~do you live in Jxn? Just curious, as Ike is not a common name~

LOL - yes, I have the guidebooks. Just looking for some recommendations by non-travel writers.

Amydelta........My name is Henry McCaslin. I got the nickname Ike when I was in college at Ole Miss. William Faulkner wrote of a fictictious character called Ike McCaslin. Are you from the Delta. I live in Cleveland, MS. I have lots of friends in Jackson though. Good luck.

Hi AmyDelta and Ike, I grew up in MS, graduated from Delta State. It always nice
to read comments from fellow Delta people. I now live in TN, but do get back to MS to visit. I do love this forum-lots of good info.

Nig when did you graduate from DSU and where do you live now. I live in Cleveland. Both my sons graduated from DSU. Good luck.

Hey Ike~nope, I'm not from the Delta. Lived in Jackson all my life~now live in Brandon. I was just curious about your name~I know a guy here in Jxn whose actual name is Ike. Nice to meet you.

I graduated from Delta State in 1975 and
now live in McMinnville TN.

nlg~where is McMinnville? Hopes it's bigger than it sounds

Not too big-guess about 13,000. Half
way between Nashville and Chattanooga.

Now I am really anxious to catch my plane Marsan! Thanks for sharing we are leaving for LA in a week and will be in New Orleans for JazzFest!

J Correa: I read of a place on Roadfood.com called Brenda's Diner in New Iberia. It's on my agenda while we are in Cajun country.

Roadfood is one of my favorite sites With my job, I sometimes end up travelling to some out-of-the-way places and driving between places. Roadfood is great at helping me find non-fast-food or Applebees type places to eat. Nothing against Applebees, but you can only eat there so many times in a week - LOL.

Thanks for the tip for Brenda's in New Iberia. We plan to spend a day bumming around there - visit Avery Island, wander around town, maybe go to Shadows or the Konrico rice mill. And of course - we will need to eat while we are there

The trip is getting closer and boy do I need a vacation!