rolncathy

My husband and I will have 3 (possibly 4) days in New Orleans in November. What are the most interesting places to see that are typical of New Orleans? We are not shoppers and prefer nature over man-made. That being said, if there is something man-made that is typical of or unique to New Orleans we would be interested. We would also be interested to hear about any inexpensive lodging. We don't do 4 and 5 star hotels and are much more comfortable in a clean mom and pop establishment. We are in our 60's, but like to walk and do things. We will have a rental car.

bachslunch

Have you done a board search? This city is well covered on this forum.

november_moon

"if there is something man-made that is typical of or unique to New Orleans we would be interested"

Yes, there are a lot of unique man-made things typical of New Orleans. The city is known for its architecture. Being a city, most things in NO are man made anyway.

You won't really need a car for much, if anything, in NO itself - in fact parking can be a big problem, so if you are driving to NO, you'll more than likely want to leave the car parked at your lodging. If you are flying, I wouldn't rent a car for the whole trip - just rent one for the day if you decide to take a trip outside of NO.

BigRuss

You need to do some research because your statements mean very little. Your post shows that you know nearly nothing about New Orleans, which is a unique, strange, colorful, and interesting city.

There are lots of man-made things in New Orleans, including the Louisiana Superdome, the French Quarter, the Garden District, the levees that failed, and those that didn't, etc.

mike's rec of a swamp tour could be interesting -- bring an interpreter because the Cajuns who guide those speak a strange form of English.

rolncathy

I guess I blew it in my original inquiry. What I meant was we are not into going to someplace new and exciting and going parasailing, renting Ski-doos, etc. I do realize there is much man made, but what I want to be able to sort out are the things that make New Orleans unique. This trip came up suddenly, piggybacked on another trip to Florida. We found ourselves with a week to spare and New Orleans only about 600 miles or so from where we will be the first week. Living on the west coast 600 miles is a day's drive. We plan to take it in two days each way, to slow the pace, but then we want to catch the "must see" places that ARE NEW ORLEANS. There are so many options that we could be there for weeks. As we don't have weeks, I'd like to hit the high points and then go back at a future date to do it more thoroughly.

bkluvsNola

If you like "nature", then the swamp tour would be highly recommended. The scenery in the swamps is unlike anywhere else in the US, save the Everglades in Florida.

I think you'd also like a plantation tour or two. This is definitely something unique in the US (the plantations along the Eastern seaboard in the South were mostly burned by the Union whereas a couple of Union officers decided to spare some of the plantations in Louisiana as they knew the owners). The grounds are also lovely and you'll like to see that.

The whole French Quarter is unique, another experience that you won't find the US elsewhere. The architecture is beautiful - I suggest doing a walking tour of the area.

The Garden Distric is also a quite unique area, with antebellem mansions in a lush foliage. Do a walking tour of that.

The other thing that is only seen in New Orleans are the cemeteries. I suggest going with a tour group as some are in high crime areas.

New Orleans is not cookie cutter anything in any way so I think you'll like it (probably moreso than Florida given your preferences).

I always tell people that the unique cities in America are Boston, New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans.

rolncathy

bkluvsNola,
Will a self guided tour of the French Quarter do justice to it, or should we join a walking tour? Any recommendations? I just made reservations in the Garden district, off St. Charles, so we can easily use the trolly system and leave our car parked in their free parking lot. Getting some time in New Orleans will be a real treat. It has been on my list of "places to see before I die" for a long time. So many places to go and so little time!

sf7307

We took a walking tour of the French Quarter with Friends of the Cabildo and it was excellent - I think it's $15.00 and couple of hours.

http://www.friendsofthecabildo.org/

bkluvsNola

rolncathy,
I would definitely recommend a walking tour versus a self-guided tour. There's a lot of interesting history that may come out of the tour guides that you would miss if you follow a self-guided tour with a brochure. Also, sometimes you meet some interesting people that make things fun.

bkluvsNola

There's also some bike tours that are highly rated. On tripadvisor the top few attractions are bike tours.

rolncathy

I love guided walking tours. You do meet interesting people and learn all the little secrets. We will check it out! Also bike tours. Never would have thought about that one. Thanks everyone!

november_moon

We've done a couple walking tours with the Historic New Orleans Walking Tour Company - really enjoyed them.

DMBTraveler

Go to "Coops" for dinner. It is located across the street from Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville near Cafe Du Monde. Head to Cafe Du Monde afterwards for dessert but don't wear black


dmbtravelerusa.blogspot.com

lilsusiesunshine

Just the other side of the French Quarter is the Faubourg Marigny district, a secret with locals for quite some time. Lots of smaller historic places to stay, great eats and local music. It is walkable from the Quarter but why not stay in FB?

http://www.neworleansonline.com/tool...e/marigny.html

Take a tour of a plantation house (one is very close to New Orleans but most a further out on River Road).

Do a swamp tour at Jean Lafitte National Park - they have airboats and small aircraft as well - and it is also very nearby.

These are just a few things that are uniquely local to the area.

Bon Temps Rouler and enjoy your visit.

bachslunch

If it were mine, I would not stay in the Faubourg Marigny. The French Quarter is in the center of the action in NOLA, and that neighborhood has a ton of great bars, restaurants, and attractions.

I did not go the the FM when I visited the city, but my research suggests that the neighborhood can be bohemian vibrant but also very dicey depending on where you are, including the border between there and the FQ along Esplanade. While there are bars and restaurants in the FM, there aren't nearly as many standard "musts" there as in the FQ. Plus there aren't any tourist attractions to speak of in this neighborhood, nor does public transportation into and out of the area seem as extensive as elsewhere.

rolncathy

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I feel a little bit more prepared now. We are driving up to WA state (from Oregon) before we leave for northern FL and NO and start the trip this Friday. I don't travel with a computer, so unless I come across one at one of our lodgings I'll be out of touch within the next couple of days. Thanks again!

starrs

I just read that you are driving. One of my favorite things in LA was stopping at Avery Island to see the Tabasco "factory" -
http://www.tabasco.com/tabasco_histo...sland.cfm#targ

I found the entire thing fascinating - the salt dome, the "island", the birds, the (very simple) process in making Tabasco sauce. It's not your run-of-the-mill tourist site.
Visit the other pages on that website link!


If I were you, I'd definitely stop at one of the plantations - probably Oak Alley -
http://www.oakalleyplantation.com/

I'd try to find a good place to go hear (and watch) zydeco music. I was lucky enough to travel with locals who took me to great places (read, hole in the walls). Maybe a Fodorite would have a suggestion.

Here's a listing of festivals in November -
http://www.premier.net/~lafest/listing.htm#November
I really like stopping at local fairs/festivals to get a taste (literally) of the area.

In New Orleans I HIGHLY recommend http://www.dauphineorleans.com/
Just a few steps from the business of the French Quarter but a world away. There are really fancy rooms in the courtyard area but nice hotel rooms too.

I'd definitely hit a local po-boy restaurant (again maybe someone else can suggest a specific name). I love the sound of footsteps crunching on oyster shell parking lots to go in little "nothing" of restaurants that offer the best po-boys you can imagine.

As always, as you are driving through the countryside near lunchtime (dinner), look for a lot of local cars in the parking lot and stop. The BEST way to find great eats

starrs

via Google, zydeco options -
http://www.gumbopages.com/acadiana/cajun-clubs.html

starrs

Also via google, po-boy restaurant options -
http://neworleanswebsites.com/cat/fd/res/mu/mu.html

rolncathy

Starrs.
I am getting hungry just reading the menus. I can't possibly eat as many meals as I would like, but we'll give it a good try. I love to try local food when we travel. Your web sites were great. thanks for sharing!