We're visiting New Orleans in November - our first time back since Katrina. We're looking forward to being able to support the city with lots of our tourist dollars!

We've made quite a few visits in the past, and have done (and redone) all the obvious tourist activities that we're interested in. Mostly, we like walking around and appreciating the architecture and history. I think we've visited all the museums and houses that are open for viewing in the French Quarter, and enjoyed them all very much.

Are there houses that we could tour in the Garden District, or elsewhere within the city? Anything else that you could suggest that is not, for example, on Frommer's or Fodor's "Top 10" list? Anything that locals do that is enjoyable, but that visitors don't usually get to?

Thanks much.

Have you gone to Rock n Bowl on Carrolton Ave? www.rockandbowl.com

Had a drink at the Columns on St Charles one evening? It's also a hotel: http://www.thecolumns.com/

Did you ride on the St Charles streetcar?

Have you been to the aquarium, the zoo?

There are lots of threads on things to do in New Orleans you may not have considered. Have fun!

Thanks for the ideas - we haven't gone to Rock n Bowl, though it's on our list. I have many ideas for restaurants and places to have drink already, but I'll add The Columns to the list!

Been on the streetcar a lot (to get around the city); the aquarium, the zoo, several times each (all of those are in every New Orleans guidebook). We've visited, sometimes several times, pretty much anything that you'd see in a general-interest guidebook that would interest us (i.e., not interested in the World War II museum, but we spent a long time at the jazz exhibit at the U.S. Mint). I don't mean to sound "been there, done that," but I've been through the N.O. posts and my N.O. guidebooks, and am trying to come up with more ideas.

Maybe what I'm really trying to do is to come up with the kinds of things that people who live there do. (Just like, in my part of the world, the kinds of things I do for fun that aren't listed in guidebooks.)

Like most folks in any city, we dine out, visit friends and family, attend special events around the city like those at the zoo, Comtemporary Arts Center, private parties, etc. Maybe watch the events calendar of the Times-Picayune, www.nola.com, to get those kinds of ideas.

Visit Mimis in the Marigny or Vaughns, two funky and fun bars across Elysian Fields from the FQ. Walk the Marigny's streets and soak up the architecture. Explore City Park, including the botanical gardens and the sculpture garden. And we have a new insectarium, too. It's small but worth the visit.

The October issue of Budget Travel lists 25 reasons to love Nola. There are some good ideas in there.

Staying sober

Thanks for the additional suggestions. We've mostly been in the Fauberg-Marigny at night, but I think we'll explore during the day, as well. There's a Mirliton Festival in Bywater the weekend we're there - that might be kind of fun, and I'm sure the food and music will be much better than the local community festivals where I live (outside of Denver). Also, we'll check out the Farmers Market - bound to be some more local produce there.

We visited City Park right before Katrina - good to hear it's doing well again; I saw pictures right after Katrina, but haven't looked since then.