Part 4

Tuesday, the 14th: Today I was taking the afternoon tour to the plantations, so again couldn%26#39;t do much in the am. Figured perfect time to go do some laundry as I%26#39;d already gone through about 1/2 my clothes, and I still had a week to go. :) Went to the Wishing Well accross from Clover Grill. I thought it was a regular laundry mat, but they do you%26#39;re laundry for you. They charge by the weight, you put in your stuff in the washer, they take care of putting it in the dryer and taking it out if you%26#39;re not back b4 it%26#39;s done. Well!! I was more than happy to pay my 7.50$ and off I went to do some more exploring and picture taking. Just walked around the quarter some more.

Picked up my clothes when they were done, dropped them off at the hotel and off to Johnny Poyboy%26#39;s for lunch. I got there around 11:15 and the place was packed!!! No tables, long line to order, I knew there was no way I%26#39;d have time to eat and make it back to the hotel for 12:30, so I circled back to the hotel via Decatur looking for a quick spot to eat lunch. Ended up at the sportsbar restaurant at the corner of Jackson Square. Bluck, overpriced and semi bad service. And they automatically add the tip on the bill. I didn%26#39;t like that at all, especially since it was higher than I would have tipped, but didn%26#39;t have time to argue with whomever, so just paid my bill and left. The most regrettable meal of the whole trip, that%26#39;s for sure.

My plantation tour was to Laura and Oak Alley. We stopped at Laura 1st. It was soooo beautifull %26amp; nice, very informative. I took a lot of pixs. And the size of those slave quarters, and 2 families had to share?!?!?? Good Lord! Talk about sleeping on top of each other. The people who had to sleep on the porch probably had the better deal. :) We stayed about 1h %26amp; 1/2 I%26#39;d say, maybe a tad longer. I bought the book that they made out of Laura%26#39;s diary which was found in archives in St Louis a few years back. The author was there, he gives tours at Laura, so he signed the book for anybody who bought one. It%26#39;ll make interesting reading this summer on vacation at the beach I%26#39;m sure.

We then went to Oak Alley. The house and the grounds are exactly what you%26#39;d picture when u say the word plantation: big, beautifull, sitting on the veranda having a mint julip,etc. But the tour is only 30 mins long %26amp; you can%26#39;t take pictures inside the house (I%26#39;ll admit, I snuck a couple). I have to say, I enjoyed much more Laura plantation. But I%26#39;m glad I saw Oak Alley, don%26#39;t get me wrong. If a person is in that area, they have to stop to see the oak alley. Makes for gorgeous pictures!

We got back to NO around 6pm. Went to Chartres House Cafe for supper. Had a cup of gumbo, yumm, and the duck quesidillas. I was expecting a regular quesidilla, but it was 3 triangles made out of something like phyllo pastry, very flaky, stuffed with the duck mixture. Had some salsa and sour cream on the side. Talk about good, I was quite surprised and impressed. Very yummy, I%26#39;d have to say one of my favorite meals. I had planned on going back but alas, ran out of time.... They also make a mean marguarita which comes in a souvenir glass, plastic. I had no room in the suitcase, so I had to leave it behind.

Then off to Bourbon St again. I started with Cajun/Zydeco music, then some regular rock %26#39;n roll (Elvis, Alanah Myles) and I ended my evening at Fritzels. Was lucky enough to get a seat right up front, so had a great view of the band. Traditional jazz band with a banjo. Very entertaining, a great time. Another place I planned on going back but......

Notice a theme????? Another faaaaaaabulous day!!!

Part 4

This should say part 5. Think it%26#39;s time to quick for today. :-)

Part 4

I%26#39;m loving your reports porelly...and the book you bought at Laura is excellent, I have read it. You will definitely enjoy it.

WTG porelly! You are writing a great TR. It%26#39;s like a good novel, and I am only halfway through it! Keep it up.

judging by the fabulous time you were having, I%26#39;m assuming it was ok as a solo traveller??? I%26#39;ve really considered visiting solo, and am unsure about it, but it sounds like you made it work!!! Good for you...wish I had the courage to do it :)

and PLEASE keep %26#39;em coming!!! I%26#39;m really enoying reading all about your first experience in New Orleans :)

lotion cream

Part 3

Sunday the 12th: It%26#39;s Easter Sunday, and being the good guilt-ridden catholic that I am, I went to 9am mass at the cathedral. What a beautiful church. I had gone in earlier in the week-end to take pixs. I must admit, I was dissapointed. Nothing spectacular, just you%26#39;re regular run of the mill church service. I was expecting more for some reason, especially with it being Easter.

After mass it was off to the Court of 2 Sisters for brunch. Now, I know a lot of you out there don%26#39;t care for it and yes, the food was fine but nothing spectacular (but rarely are buffet%26#39;s amazing), but you just can%26#39;t beat the ambiance. I had requested a table out in the courtyard when I made my reservation, and I was seated at a table next to the wishing well. It was a cloudy but warm enough morning with the birds singing, almost everybody dressed in their Sunday best, a few ladies even had grand hats on. The jazz band playing in the corner, not too loudly so as to not interfere with conversation, was just perfect. I took my time eating, and stayed a little over an hour. Had great service from a very nice young lady named Tess (her I remember her name).

Afterwardsd, walked down Royal for a bit to digest my meal, then made my way back to the hotel to change in something comfy and get ready for the 1st of 2 Easter parades that I was planning on seeing. The 1st was the Chris Owens one. Was great fun, though the parades were a bit smaller than I expected, but still gives you an idea what Mardi Gras must be like. And I learnt that you%26#39;ve really gotta watch out for those beads. They whip those things at you like they were baseballs!! :)

Later on in the afternoon was the Guay pride Easter parade. Now that one was really fun!Very flamboyant, very generous with their beads (I got most of my beads from that parade). I actually caught it twice. I was up on Bourbon to watch it, then realized it was coming down Royal so I stayed to see it again. I%26#39;m glad I did cause I was able to get better pictures the 2nd time around.

For supper, I went to Cafe Pontalba in Jackson Square. Was in the mood for something ';regular'; so had the chicken with garlic mashed potatoes. Was a good enough meal, pretty tasty if that%26#39;s what you%26#39;re in the mood for. I had gotten a coupon from the internet for a free desert, so choose the white chocolate bread pudding. It was served warm with whip on top. Mmmmm. I wasn%26#39;t able to finish it all (though I tried very hard) as I was just too stuffed.

Preservation Hall was on the agenda for that night. I got there around 7:40, already a long line-up, well pass Pat O%26#39;s. So needless to say, I didn%26#39;t get a place to sit. I was stuffed in the back, in the heat and humidity (was pretty humid by Sunday night)with still aching feet. I lasted 2 songs, then I went to sit in the entry way and listened to the music from there. Not the same. So I decided to stay for the 2nd set (someone had mentionned in an earlier post about having to leave after a set, but they didn%26#39;t say anthing like that this time. Might depend on how many people are waiting). I still only manage to get a seat on cushions on the floor in front of the band, but beats standing.

The St Peters All Star band was playing. Was a great evening with great old time jazz. And was kinda sharp being right up close and personnal too. They said at the beggining that you can%26#39;t take pixs with a flash. Do you think I could figure out how to turn off my flash on my new digital camera??? Noooooo. So I wasn%26#39;t able to get a pix of the band. I did get some of the room b4 the show though.

Going home from Preservation Hall, I had some hunger pans so decided to finally go have my 1st taste of beignets. As it was past 10pm, I didn%26#39;t have a coffee. The beignets were good, lots of powdered sugar as everybody says, but the sugar was sticking pretty well to the beignets, might have been the humidity?? But I did manage to get some on my black(of course) shirt.

After that, off to bed. Another great, great day!!!! Aching feet and all.

Part 3

I am really enjoying your reports. Keep %26#39;em coming. How long did the set at Preservation Hall last. I%26#39;m not sure I could stand too long either and walking all day. I%26#39;m sure my feet and legs would protest immensely!

Part 3

The sets last about 45 mins. They take a 15 minute, well deserved break in between each.

Oh! I had the same table at the wishing well last sunday. funny. I was not in New Orleans for Easter this year (spent it in houston) but I have been there before for both Parades. I loved the gay one. I stood next to a real HUNK and had trouble keeping up with all he couldn%26#39;t catch. And the Hats all those guys wore were amazing. I agree they really throw allot of beads.. plus I got allot of plastic eggs filled with all kinds of stuff. WAY FUN! Your trip sounds great. It pays to be organized/informed when you travel.

Yup, you have to get there at least 30 minutes before hand on a regular weekday and then 45 minutes or so ahead of time on the weekends to get a seat. I usually will stand by the first door and watch from there, if I get there late. But, it%26#39;s a pretty small and intimate venue :)

I do like cafe pontalba as they have good bread and just decent food but the real plus is having a couple drinks with the po-boy or such and just people watch. At Preservation Hall I kind of hang way back and lean on the back wall or side wall and never last the full set-getting old I guess.

I can%26#39;t believe I have never been to Preservation Hall..I%26#39;ve always been discouraged from the long line-up. I will be in New Orleans a day longer than the usual (I usually can only go for 3 nights, but this time it%26#39;ll be 4..yayyyyy!!!!) so I will definitely get in this time around. Good thing you chose to go for 12 days, Porelly, there%26#39;s so much to do and see, not to mention being able to just relax and soak it all in...I soooo wish I could go for longer, but having young kids kinda holds me back....but I do so enjoy the time there, even if it is too short :)

i can%26#39;t believe you had your FIRST beignet on DAY THREE! I usually shove a few down (and powder all around) immead. upon arriving!

keep em%26#39; coming Porelly!

Football Tickets

Can anyone tell me when the Saints tickets go on sale for home games?

Football Tickets

Have you contacted the Saints? They would provide the best and most reliable answer!

Football Tickets

The Saints are sold out on a season ticket basis. They don%26#39;t offer ';single game'; tickets because of this.

To get one game, you have to (as mentioned) contact the Saints for ';re-sells'; by ticket holders, use a ticket broker or contact the opposing team as they get a few hundred to sell.

Even though the Saints are technically sold-out for all games, a limited amount of single-game tickets are sometimes still available (mostly tickets that have been returned from the visiting team%26#39;s allotment). These usually go on-sale a week or so before the game and are available through TicketMaster (there is a link at www.NewOrleansSaints.com).

There is also an ';official'; ticket re-sale system on the Saint%26#39;s site that allows season ticket holders to sell their individual game tickets. This is the only way to be sure the ticket you buy will be valid.

Because tickets are bar-coded now, it is very risky buying tickets on the street. The ticket you purchase could be a real ticket and still not be ';valid'; for entry. StubHub and other 3rd-party sellers usually offer some kind of money-back guarantee, but that doesn%26#39;t get you in the game if your ticket is bogus.

Best Chocolate Lovers Dessert

I have seen some chocolate bread puddings mentioned, but not much else. Just wondering where to take my husband for a to die for chocolate dessert for his birthday.

Best Chocolate Lovers Dessert

My favorite chocolate dessert - the double chocolate bread pudding at Red Fish Grill on Bourbon St. It is amazing - like a molten, chocolate bread pudding cake with white and dark chocolate sauce - totally to die for!

Best Chocolate Lovers Dessert

I think it was your post I saw about the bread pudding before....I should have taken your word for it then. I have the Red Fish marked on my map with their operating hours. Thanks for the reply

AND the white chocolate bread pudding at the Palace Cafe on Canal is great, too.

B&B or Hotel?

Hi,

We%26#39;re doing a tour of the south in the summer and are mostly trying to stay in B%26amp;Bs. Do you think this is a good idea in NO (there are some really lovely ones!) or are you better to be in a hotel in the French Quarter. Some of the B%26amp;Bs say there are bus stops right next to them and they are only a few minutes to the centre, but I%26#39;m just wondering is it better to be right there... also from a safety point of view?

Thanks for any thoughts, and if anybody has any strong recommendations I%26#39;d be very grateful.

Cheers,

Steve.

B%26amp;B or Hotel?

There are B%26amp;Bs in the French Quarter (granted, not many) and in the nearby Faubourg Marigny (many!) where walking is possible. Still others in MidCity and the Uptown/Garden District areas are quick cab/streetcar rides away.

I think you gain a unique perspective by staying with B%26amp;B owners. It%26#39;s like having a concierge 24/7 and many of the houses are beautiful. It feels like you%26#39;re ';home'; and this is a huge draw for many people! They aren%26#39;t for everyone, of course, and many folks (like me) prefer hotels with room service, etc.

So, it%26#39;s your call! If you decide on a B%26amp;B, New Orleans does have a great variety of properties from what I%26#39;ve been able to tell and the incredible reviews on this site and others seem to suggest that guests love them, too.

B%26amp;B or Hotel?

We prefer B%26amp;Bs for all the reasons stated by CajunWave. If you%26#39;ll read the TripAdvisor reviews of the top B%26amp;Bs in the city, you%26#39;ll be able to gain a sense of each hosts%26#39;s degree of involvement in your trip while you%26#39;re staying at their property. Our preference is for a host who is as involved as you want them to be, and most of the hosts at the top properties fit this mold.

Our sitting around the breakfast table in the morning, visiting with hosts who have become our friends over the years, while meeting other guests and getting their perspectives on New Orleans have produced many fond memories for us.

Of course, hotels in the French Quarter have their advantages also. Your being able to walk out the door of your hotel and be in the midst of the ';action'; is a great convenience.

Either choice is a good one. We lean towards the B%26amp;Bs.

We stayed at Ashton%26#39;s bed and breakfast about a year and a half ago, and it was absolutely wonderful. We were there during an off-peak time and had the whole house to ourselves. The breakfast that Patrick served was probably the best meal of our trip - oh those bananas foster!! I prefer staying in a b%26amp;b over a hotel. However, staying right in the French Quarter certainly has advantages, and most of the b%26amp;b%26#39;s aren%26#39;t in the Quarter.

We loved staying at 1896 O%26#39;Malley House, because the owner is awesome. A Canal streetcar stop is less than a block away, so you can get to the FQ pretty quickly, and riding the streetcars (especially the St Charles) is a must. We stayed once at a place right off of St. Charles, and that was okay, but I liked staying at La Maison Marigny (on the far end of Bourbon), and at 1896 O%26#39;Malley and Block Keller (both in Mid-City) a lot more. But if it%26#39;s a first trip, and especially if time is limited, I would definitely recommend staying at a hotel right in the heart of the FQ.

Hi Steve,

We stayed at Holiday Inn at French Quarter. Although the street didn%26#39;t feel that safe in the evening, the hotel itself was good, safe and very well priced.

Have a good trip!

Helena

We stayed at the Inn on Bayou Rd. which was a fabulous B and B. Frank, the innkeeper was very attentive, the rooms (we had a little cottage) were beautifully decorated, the pool was lovely, the grounds delightful - cute baby chicks and cats co-mingled without acrimony. Breakfast was first rate and other guests were there to visit with. Location is a bit removed from the quarter which made it peaceful and it was a safe and pleasant walk through a lovely neighbourhood (Esplanade Rd) to the Quarter. Quick cab ride too and a bus.

I would actually recommend that you NOT walk from Bayou Road to the French Quarter. Parts of the area are very dangerous. A cab is cheap and convenient for these trips!

The Holiday Inn in the Quarter is on Royal...one of the safest streets. I believe there is another HI on Dauphine, another safe street. In fact, the Quarter is the safest area of NOLA...just don%26#39;t wander into an isolated area late at night and remember you are in a city, take precautions as you would in any city in the world.

B%26amp;B%26#39;s in the Quarter: Continental Breakfast

Villa Convento

St. Peter House

Royal Barracks

Ursuline Guest House

Full breakfast:

Melrose Mansion (on the Marigny edge of the Quarter)

Also several of the Boutique Hotels in the Quarter offer a free continental breakfast, and are just as lovely as the B%26amp;B%26#39;s. If you have never been to NOLA, and want to see a lot and get the feel of the culture quickly, stay in the Quarter this first time. The small hotels and B%26amp;B%26#39;s will be less expensive at the time you are talking about. Public transportation, i.e. streetcars and buses can get you most everywhere you will want to go. They are inexpensive and easily accessible from most any place in the Quarter which is only @ 12 blocks square.

Austin to New Orleans leg of road trip- where to stop?

Hi,

I posted this in the Texas forum but thought that I should post in the Louisiana forum as well. Hope that is ok!

Hi!

Any ideas of where to stop for a night when traveling from Austin to New Orleans?

Thank you!

Austin to New Orleans leg of road trip- where to stop?

What day(s) of the week will you be traveling?

Austin to New Orleans leg of road trip- where to stop?

It looks like we will be leaving Austin on a Monday and we would like to spend a night on the way to New Orelans. I have been reading about the Lafayette area and it sounds very interesting. We will have time to toodle around the next day. I would like to see some of the more interesting towns.

Any recommendations of places to stay? Or little towns that I should research?

Could you suggest some twons and places that would be fun to see?

We will be traveling the first week of August or the end of July. I am assuming that it will be Hot. Will we need to worry about mosquitos?

Thank you so much in advance!

transportation between Gulfport and New Orleans

Dear Advisors,

Please recommend a one-way transportation from Gulfport to New Orleans.

I%26#39;ll be visiting USM in mid-May and would like to stay over the weekend in New Orleans. I don%26#39;t have a car, and I can%26#39;t convince my group (with a car) to check out the Big Easy. Your input would enable me a respite from the casino scenes.

Thank you.

transportation between Gulfport and New Orleans

There used to be a bus that went from the casinos to NOLA and back. You might try the casino sites to see if it is still available.

transportation between Gulfport and New Orleans

I believe Greyhound offers service between New Orleans and Biloxi. I%26#39;m not sure how up to date this site is, but here%26#39;s some more info: www.biloxi.ms.us/PDF/GMAaccessibility.pdf

lotion cream

NOLA in early December

Just returned from my first trip to NOLA earlier this month and want to go back right now. Would love to spend my 50th Bday there in early Dec. What%26#39;s the weather like and are there any festivals or activities taking place. Is Dec. a good month to visit?

NOLA in early December

December is a wonderful time of year to visit! The weather can be unpredictable, it might be very pleasant or very cool, so be prepared for either.

What makes it such a good time to visit is that Creole Christmas is celebrated during December, with special hotel rates and many different free and/or inexpensive events going on during the month. The French Quarter Festival organization sponsors the activities. Their website is:

fqfi.org

just click on Christmas New Orleans Style 2009 on the right hand side of the screen. I doubt if they have a lot of info this early but you can look and see.

December is a great time to visit!

NOLA in early December

I also enjoyed New Orleans in Dec, but wow, I really wasn%26#39;t prepared for the extreme change in weather. The day we arrived it was really cold (I%26#39;m from Canada, so I know cold :) ) it even snowed!!! My husband really wasn%26#39;t prepared for it, we wore our winter coats (coming from our cold Canadian winter) gloves, and he even had a hat on...it kinda felt like we were home, which wasn%26#39;t a good thing, cause we wanted to get away from the cold! Fortunately, the rest of our trip was beautiful, we wore jeans with t-shirts and a sweater in the evening-which was great.

One thing we really enjoyed doing while we were there in Dec was the Holiday Home Tour...we were very fortunate to be down while the event was going on. It was great, you get to tour inside 7 beautiful Garden District homes decorated for the holidays-we really enjoyed it, and are planning another Dec visit around it...which will be held the weekend of Dec 12/13...if you%26#39;re interested :)

I%26#39;ve been to Florida in Feb (not sure what part you live around, but we were in the Orlando area) and we experienced some unpredictable weather ourselves, much like NOLA, so maybe it won%26#39;t be too unpredictable for you :)

December is great, and many restaurants will have special Reveillon menus to celebrate the season! Weather is generally pleasant, though New Orleans is notoriously unpredictable when it comes to weather. The snow this year was a fluke, but with global warming, who knows? It could happen again!

Keep checking that french quarter site you were given or even keep checking at www.louisianatravel.com and order the christmas book that details whats going on. Its a great time in the city and the restaurants have their price fixed reveillion meals going. But being at the Gulf we are prone to extremes in weather.

There is also a French Quarter Tour of Homes, and free concerts in the Cathedral, as well as cooking demos from the great NOLA chefs...they show you what, how, etc. and then you get to sample. Cna%26#39;t beat NOLA at Christmas time.

We%26#39;ve been in New Orleans in Dec for the last 2 years and had great weather both trips. We were wearing short and cropped pants during both trips. This past year%26#39;s snow was a freakish cold snap so odds are Dec of 2009 shouldn%26#39;t have another freakish cold snap.

The FQ has many homes and businesses decorated. The Celebration of the Oaks, home tours, concerts and more are all great and free to affordable options.

$2 fuel surcharge for cabs expiring!

Saw in today%26#39;s paper that the $2 fuel surcharge has been revoked by the City Council now that gas is back to a reasonable cost. Once the mayor signs in (and he will, according to the Times Picayune) it%26#39;ll take effect in a few days.

So the airport will be back to a $28 fare.

$2 fuel surcharge for cabs expiring!

Great news! Thanks for the update!

$2 fuel surcharge for cabs expiring!

Interesting. I was going to take the shuttle in July and still might but at least now this brings the cabs $4 closer for a roundtrip cost.

Cabs will be cheaper for two people...$56 vs. $60! It%26#39;s amazing that people take the shuttle when they have 2+ in their party.

For one, the shuttle%26#39;s still a better price.

or rent a car for $30- for two people? what a deal!

Vin, parking at hotels can be 20-30 dollars a night. That would make me take a cab.

If you do have a rent-a-car, you could still park at Harrah%26#39;s casino garage for free for at least 30 minutes of play inside the casino. A good deal if you%26#39;re planning on hitting up the casino anyway.

FYI, the free parking at Harrah%26#39;s will soon have a time limit on it. I think it%26#39;s 8 or 12 hours but I%26#39;ll double check.

Cheapostay

Can anyone write in and let me know if they%26#39;ve used this site and what their experience was like? I am finding some really good rates on there but have never used them before as they are new. Thanks.

Cheapostay

I%26#39;ve haven%26#39;t but if you backout to the TA U.S. in general forum or search area you can lookup if anyone has posted any where in the TA website about it.

Cheapostay

I tried. Evidently you%26#39;re the first.

While you are waiting try bookit.com or kayak.com. Also hotwire does good sometines and priceline.

Apparently, Cheapostay%26#39;s site does not like my computer. Don%26#39;t know of anyone else who%26#39;s used it though!

I have not used cheapostay either, but was seriously considering it due to the great rates I was finding. After a little more research, I think I will definitely NOT book with them. They are run by cheapoair - check the air travel forum on this site and search cheapoair. Though I have not found anything negative (or positive) about cheapostay (yet), there are lots of horror stories about cheapoair - enough to scare me off of using cheapostay. Hope this helps.

I compared cheapostay%26#39;s rates against hotel.com%26#39;s rates for the same hotels on he same dates. In most instances, the rates were the same. In a small number of instances, cheapostay%26#39;s rates were just a few dollars per night (less than $5) lower than hotel.com%26#39;s rates. In my opinion, the risk isn%26#39;t worth your saving a few dollars.

Actually the cheapostay rate was $20/night less than hotels so I called the hotel direct and they honored the cheapostay rate.

NOLA lunch

Hello! I will be in NOLA French Quarter mid-May for a conference. Any recommendations on lunch places? I%26#39;d love to try the pricey, ritzy places for lunch, hoping not to break the bank.

What do people think of the Harrah%26#39;s Buffets?

Thank you for sharing! NYC Hula Girl

NOLA lunch

Harrah%26#39;s buffet is pretty mediocre and nothing like the Vegas buffets.

For a great (and little bit fancy lunch), I%26#39;d recommend Mr. B%26#39;s Bistro or Bayona (both in the French Quarter). Fabulous food!

NOLA lunch

For lunch, I would recommend Commander%26#39;s Palace in the Garden District. It%26#39;s a couple blocks off of the St Charles streetcar.

A 3 course meal - soup, entree, dessert (the bread pudding souffle is outstanding!) can be had on the daily lunch special for $20 or less. And did I mention the 25 cent martinis (4 varieties)?

And the service is sensational.

I%26#39;d have to repeat Commander%26#39;s Palace and Mr. B%26#39;s

to echo worldtraveler, the Harrahs buffets are overpriced and not very impressive.

i had a cheap lunch at Baccos once with 25 cent martinis, but I agree that Commanders Palace is TRUE New Orleans fare.

-kelly

If you%26#39;re going to be here during a weekend, then I%26#39;d splurge and do the jazz brunch at Commander%26#39;s Palace. It truly can%26#39;t be missed!

I love Cafe Adelaides in the Loew%26#39;s hotel - it%26#39;s the sister restaurant to Commander%26#39;s Palace - and they also have 25 cent martinis.

You didn%26#39;t say how long you would be in the Quarter. For a real treat at lunch and IF you like martinis, I would do Bacco%26#39;s one day...10 cent martinis and very good lunch specials (@$12), then do Adelaide%26#39;s the next day (just out of the Quarter, near Harrah%26#39;s) also with lunch specials (@$15)and $25 cent martinis, then take the streetcar up St. Charles to Washington and go to Commander%26#39;s for their lunch special (@$18) with 25 cent martinis and finally go to Mr. B%26#39;s for a lunch special (@$15) and $l.50 martinis or bloody mary%26#39;s.

Unless you are a BIG eater, any of those specials are plenty for lunch and may even carry you into the evening, and each restaurant is happy to prepare a to go box for any left overs. ALSO***VERY IMPORTANT*** if you are a ';lady alone,'; you will receive a free dessert at Baccos....very good and very nice. You might have to remind the waiter, but it is worth the effort. It is an old tradition there, but some of the waiters are ';newish.';

Thank you so much! Yes, I am ';a lady alone'; attending a work conference, so I%26#39;ll sure indulge at Bacco%26#39;s.

Traveling June 20-25

Know it%26#39;s going to be HOT and really muggy. Will it be bearable? Going with friend and new Tulane student. Will have my teen girls (16 and 19) with me and a lot of free time to explore. Any suggestions? Staying at edge of French Quarter at JW Marriott. What%26#39;s a must do/see with our limited time? Suggestions for GREAT local food? I%26#39;m a foodie, but not necessarily a ';fancy foodie,'; since I%26#39;ll be with the kiddos. THANKS!! :)

Traveling June 20-25

Not sure how we will know what%26#39;s bearable for any other person but I can safely say that no one spontaneously combusts in late June. :-)

Seriously, it is hot and muggy. No way around it. Since you%26#39;re from Idaho it may feel doubly so. (My friends from Houston maintain New Orleans is actually COOLER in the summer).

You%26#39;ll be doing lots of indoor things (aquarium, museums, shops, etc.) during the day and even more indoor things (restaurants) at night.

Review previous posts for hundreds (thousands) more ideas on places to see and great restaurants.

Traveling June 20-25

We are from Ohio and I gotta say I%26#39;ve never felt heat like I have when visiting New Orleans in the summer. Like others will say there are lots of places with AC so when you%26#39;re walking around be sure to take little breaks. If you go on a walking tour like we did in late May drinks lots of water. To us though the heat just adds to the NOLA experience. We love it.

It%26#39;s bearable as long as you keep well hydrated and seek air-conditioning when you can! New Orleans summers can get pretty humid, but it%26#39;s not as bad as late July/August, so I guess that%26#39;s an upside :)

We try to go in and out of the most air conditioned places to get refreshed when walking around...sometimes its nap or pool time for the afternoon to beat the heat. Use the search feature here on trip advisor with your key words and you will find a wealth of current information to help you.

If you%26#39;ll be wearing sun dresses in restaurants, bring something to cover your shoulders. The air-conditioning in some of those places in the summer is cold enough to freeze ice.

Been 3 times with my teens daughters(15 and 18) and guy friends.They loved trolley to the french market to look around and buy cheap stuff. did the aquarium which they all loved and got lots of good pics.For food I aimed it at what my teens chose and we ate at Bubba gumps twice, hard rock, NOLA by Emeril(this was my daughters gift to boyfriend for graduation),also cafe du monde(just to say we went and got coffee and beignets).We all really just liked walking down Decatur street. Oh also went down Bourbon and took pics under the sign.It was a weekday. Would not have done it on a weekend.Anyway, its a great place and we are going again this summer. We stay at Country inn and Suites and they are 66 a night when we are going.Also take trolley away from FQ, through Garden district, and you will go past Tulane and beautiful houses. I think it takes you to zoo, but did not when we were there because they had not gotten all the tracks running yet, but do now.Oh and Rock and Bowl was also fun for old fashioned bowling with cajun music in background.

One thing I would reccomend is taking 2 outfits for each day.We went in June and it was hot and sweaty walking around during day, so we would go back to hotel, shower,rest, and change, then go out for evening fun.

One other thing I have learned about since coming to this forumn is Preservation Hall for music. Have not done but it sounds like we will do it this summer. Did not know about it when we went.

Have fun! Its a wonderful city.

Oh , I forgot Jackson Square and the beautiful church. Also we did a haunted history tour. They loved that,too.

Just one correction - the St. Charles Ave streetcar won%26#39;t take you directly to the Zoo, but it will take you to Audubon Park, which is right across the street from Tulane University. If you get down at Audubon Park, there is a free shuttle there that will take you to the Zoo. Alternatively, you could walk through the park to the Zoo, which is alongside the river.

Thank you, worldtraveler. It was the park not the zoo. Thanks for clearing that up. Did the ferry go from the park to the zoo??? There was something going to the zoo that was not back to normal when we were there. Thanks for the update, because I truly love your city and my daughters do as well. We will be back this summer and can not wait.

No problem! Actually, there was a ferry that ran from the Aquarium to the Zoo, which is still not operational. It closed after the storm, and there are plans to bring it back this year through the Steamboat Natchez company, but I%26#39;m not sure about the status of the project.

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Hotel confusion

My husband and I will be traveling to New Orleans in August, and after spending many, many hours reading trip advisor (yes, I am obsessing), I had narrowed my hotel choices down to either the Omni Royal or the Monteleone. I was leaning towards the Omni because it seems a wee bit more central. Now I have found this website called cheapostays.com - they advertise the Iberville Suites at $82.00 per night and the Ritz for $91.00 per night! While sill a good deal, both the Omni and Monteleone would be over $110-120 per night. I like the idea of having a wetbar and refrigerator for leftovers at Iberville, as well as the larger rooms, but can live without these things too. I also like the idea of the luxury of staying at a Ritz (something I could not normally afford). So, now I am just totally confused! What would you do?

Also wanted to thank all you regular posters out there. As I mentioned earlier, I have been reading the forms obsessively and gotten so much helpful information. Thanks!

Hotel confusion

I would totally stay at the Ritz. Keep in mind that the French Quarter is not very big, and these hotels are only about a few blocks from one another. The Ritz is about two blocks or so from Bourbon St, and it%26#39;s considered to be one of, if not the, top hotel in the city. Enjoy!

Hotel confusion

I%26#39;m pretty surprised to see the Ritz Carlton advertised at $91. If that%26#39;s a real price by a reputable company (never heard of cheapostays.com--do some research!), JUMP ON IT!

Personally I would stay at the Monteleone as it is a one of a kind type of place and I love the look of the old hotel with individual styling both inside and out. But it is not often one can get such a great deal at a Ritz either. Tough choice.

Just make sure to find out about all the unspoken add ons when booking a hotel, as they can add up to a chunk of change. Call and ask what the FINAL total per night would be for the room including tax, license and dealer prep (LOL) but you now get my drift! Also ask the nightly rate for parking (if you will have a car that is.) Knowing all this may make up your mind for you!

As the previous poster stated, I would not base your decision on the location as the FQ is not large at all, so a few blocks different should not matter that much.

Thanks to everyone for your input! Cajunwave - I was a little skeptical too - I had not ever heard of cheapostays.com either. I found it as a link through travelzoo.com. I googled it to see if words like ';scam'; and ';ripoff'; came up, but nothing like that came up and I did find a reference to it on Frommer%26#39;s, so I am hoping it is legit. I also found a promo code (HOTEL15) that you can use for an extra $15 off. If I go through the whole process with taxes, fees, etc. tacked on, the Ritz comes to $107.35 a night and the Iberville comes to $89.72 a night. I still haven%26#39;t decided though. I know that the FQ is relatively small, but I guess that the only reason I was even worrying about it is that we will be there in August. We are from Fairbanks, AK and are not used to that kind of heat %26amp; humidity and I was thinking that a few blocks might make a difference in the heat of the day. (If you see two pasty white people drenched in sweat %26amp; gasping for air walking down the street, it may be us :) However, it seems it is only a short walk to the street car if we don%26#39;t want to walk or we could take a cab, but I digress. I will let you know if I end up using cheapostays.com. If it%26#39;s legit, then you can get some killer deals there. Thanks again!

The Ritz and the Iberville Suites are nice and well located. The Omni and the Monteleone are more ';NOLA culture.'; Depending on what you like, all of the four are great hotels.

My husband and I stayed at Iberville Suites in December and were very happy with the room and service. However, since you are coming in August, you will definitely want to be able to use a swimming pool, and the Iberville does not have it%26#39;s own pool. They have the use of the pool at the Ritz, but you have to pay a separate fee to use the pool...so, you would probably be just as well off price-wise to go ahead and book the Ritz.

I haven%26#39;t stayed at the Monteleone but have been in the lobby and the Carousel bar and it looks very nice.

Just wanted to post an update on my research on cheapostay. They are owned by cheapoair and I have just finished reading all sorts of horror stories about cheapoair on the air travel forum on TA. http://tinyurl.com/28xp8q So glad I found this - I feel like I just dodged a bullet. Anyway I just wanted to pass this along in case I got anyone else excited about staying at the Ritz (I know I was)! Now I guess I%26#39;m back to deciding between the Monteleone and the Omni.

Yep, I had a terrible experience last summer with cheapoair when my 18 year old daughter traveled to Europe with a small group. Glad to hear that you did thorough research.

I would recommend the Omni. The Omni Royal Orleans is a New Orleans classic; I%26#39;ve stayed there since I was a little girl when my parents would take me to New Orleans for the weekend! It is centrally located and a lovely well maintained property. In August you will enjoy their beautiful pool/cabana with a magnificent view of the city.

Don%26#39;t know exactly when you%26#39;re coming in August but as you know, August is very hot/humid and hurricanes strike many times toward the end of the month into September. I would suggest making reservations directly with the hotel so you can easily cancel if things are stirring up in the Gulf. Let%26#39;s all pray that we are skipped this year but it never hurts to be prepared.

Hi,

My husband and I stayed at the Ritz recently. It was our first time in NO. We opted for the Club Room deal (or something like that) which gave us access to the Club Room, a truly divine lounge/library area with free meals and drinks throughout the day. I would say that it was one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in. The service, food and rooms were gorgeous. I would definitely stay there again. The only negative that I would say is that it is at the far corner of the French Quarter. Although, the walk down to the main area is not far at all, you need to be careful that you walk down the main tourist area roads to get there. Despite everyone%26#39;s insistence that NO is safe, we felt that venturing out of the French Quarter at some times of the day (or night) was not particularly safe.

Trip Report Day 3/FQF

Second day of the fest, 3rd day for our being in New Orleans.

Everyone wanted to sleep in, except me - so I went to find a good latte. Ended up at PJ%26#39;s on Camp %26amp; Girod. Grabbed some chocolate muffins for the kids - got there just before the crowd - had to use the back exit to get out-this seems to be a local favorite.

Didn%26#39;t want to go back to the hotel yet - so walked around the warehouse district. I noticed some plants on the sidewalks that I hadn%26#39;t noticed before, and people with dogs! You have to understand, in Napa, you%26#39;d be hard pressed not to see dogs being walked. This was the first time I noticed canines in NO - anyway, I digress, the building with the plants turned out to be a local Farmers Market. Boy, I wish I had a kitchen to use! I could%26#39;ve had my own seafood boil! The only thing I could really buy was honey - my dad has bees, so I thought it would be a fun gift. There was an old couple selling their honey= 16 hives in Algiers. Their honey is a lot darker than ours, am curious to try it, but my dad still hasn%26#39;t opened it :)

I went back to the Renaissance Arts and woke everyone up. My friend was picking us up for lunch. We went to Lil %26#39;Dizzy%26#39;s on Poydras. It%26#39;s the 2nd location, inside the bank. Very cool location. Beautiful building. The service, well, it was just plain bad - and it literally cracked us up, we had a hard time not laughing. The waiter was ';tired'; and wanted to go home. Not sure what time they start serving, but it was only noon. We were being seated at separate tables (there were 8 of us) so we asked them to move tables together, we kind of wanted to eat together. After a hard stare and rolled eyes, we were finally seated. There were two other tables in the place that were full. We noticed our host/server was also the omelette cook. We felt bad ordering one. We could see why he was so tired, not sure why he had chest pains, we all tried to help him determine if he was having a heart attack, turns out he was just tired. Maybe a few people called in sick that morning? When they finally took our order- he asked what kind of dressing for the salad - ';you want ranch!'; We%26#39;ve never been told before what kind of dressing we wanted! MBH asked what other dressing there were, the other choice was Italian. He had Italian, I was afraid the guy would have that attack, so I ordered ranch. My main dish was Shrimp Grillades - it was delicious! S#1 had the french toast (which he said was very good)- and a side of sausage- which they forgot. We mentioned it to several bus boys and our server, and they finally brought him one piece of sausage on a huge plate. Said the rest would be out later. And it was, about 10 minutes they were able to cook the other two pieces. They forgot the toast for an omelette, and not sure what else! We ordered the bread pudding for dessert. You have two choices of bread pudding, two of us ordered Kevin%26#39;s Bread Pudding- it had some sort of a cake inside it? Like a Hostess pie, but I can%26#39;t remember the name as we don%26#39;t have them in California. We were jokingly wondering if they ever go across the street for Hostess if they run out of the other pies. When they served the pudding, I asked to make sure I got Kevin%26#39;s ';no, y%26#39;all have the regular, we%26#39;re out of Kevin%26#39;s.'; I didn%26#39;t want the ';regular'; as it is made with fruit cocktail. However, it was really good :) A memorable meal, to be sure. The fried chicken was good, too. I%26#39;d go again, for the food. Three stars.

After lunch we said our good-bye%26#39;s to our friends and walked the FQF. I loved the kids band that was playing on the stage by the Aquarium. Proud parents all around, people dancing in the middle - what is it with the umbrellas and dancing? That seemed to be a theme throughout. One little kid couldn%26#39;t have been more then 7 - he%26#39;d puff his cheeks out and blow that trumpet like there was no tomorrow! So cute! Just two round half balls on a tiny face.

Listened to some more bands and waited for our Katrina Movie to start at IMAX. I%26#39;ve seen what hurricanes can do, so I opted not to do a 9th ward tour and to watch in on screen instead. Good documentary. I enjoyed seeing the marshes and canals again, it reminded us of our airboat tour yesterday. Seeing the boats plunked on the highway touched the young sons.

After the movie we took the ferry to Algiers - what a cute little neighborhood! My oldest was already there, met us at Dry Dock for drinks. Then we set out for a tour of the beautiful houses, church, park, etc. We decided to stop for a quick bite at Gulf Pizza. I didn%26#39;t want pizza, but S#3 is so picky, I wanted him to eat before our dinner. It was a tiny old gas station turned into a pizza shack. The pizza was ok, thin crust. We walked around some more and caught the ferry back.

Back to the hotel via the riverwalk mall. Ah- this is where the kids discovered the other Cafe du Monde. Their beignets were a little better, according to S#2. I think it%26#39;s because they sift the powdered sugar- so it%26#39;s very fine and there aren%26#39;t huge chunks falling off the beignets.

Went back to the hotel for some rest. By this time it was about 8 pm. MBH wanted to go to Mulates for dinner - he insisted he%26#39;d never been. I tried, to no avail, to remind him of the place, yes, we%26#39;ve been, it%26#39;s not that great! But he was adamant, So we went there. Most expensive meal of the trip. Crazy to pay that much for diner food!. I can%26#39;t even remember what I ordered for the main course, just that it wasn%26#39;t good. And you know what they say! A bad meal in New Orleans means you missed a good one! The service was spotty. We ordered the alligator appetizer - blackened - that was actually very good - so I can%26#39;t say it was all bad, just mostly. We also had the fried crawfish and BBQ%26#39;d Shrimp apps. Come to think of it, the apps were ok, it was the main dishes that were bad. Oh, now I remember- I had the fish, it was not fresh, and the jambalaya they served with it was cold. The baked potato was cold. I think this is mass production food here. The band playing was pretty good. As we%26#39;re walking back to our hotel, I threw some darts at MBH - oh yeah, now he remembers the place!! One star- for the alligator %26amp; band. Will NOT go back again, not matter how bad someones memory is!

All in all, a pretty good day. Had a glass of wine at the hotel to make a good ending :)

Trip Report Day 3/FQF

You haven%26#39;t seen canines in NOLA before? Surely ye jest? NOLA folks love their animals and those of us who have lived here know to clean up after them. Some of the new residents don%26#39;t.

At any rate, one can see canines walking their humans almost any time of day or night in the Quarter. It is even considered appropriate to accompany humans to bars and sit in the doorway to watch tourists, or wait patiently on the sidewalk at Rouse%26#39;s or Croissant D%26#39;Or for ones%26#39; human to come out.

Trip Report Day 3/FQF

After Saturday morning I saw dogs everywhere!- big ones in convertibles, old ones with street people, little ones in the palms of hands. I thought maybe I didn%26#39;t see them before because I was there on weekdays and folks were working? I was happy to see so many out walking their people at the FQF too :)

And don%26#39;t forget about the Blue Dog - a sure testament of the importance of canines in N.O.

Thanks for your report! PJs is a local favorite coffeehouse, and there are branches all over the city, but personally I prefer Rue de la Course and CC%26#39;s - gotta love that coffee with chicory!

Whenever I see a line at the French Market Cafe du Monde, I always head to the Riverwalk branch - usually never crowded and great views of the river.

I haven%26#39;t tried the Lil Dizzy%26#39;s in the downtown area, but I%26#39;ll be wary!

I too was surprised on how many dogs I saw during my trip! All the tourist seem to bring their pooches, and they are all being pushed around in strollers!! After seeing like the 4th or 5th one, I had to take a pix. Toooo cute!!

And locals all seem to have at least 2 dogs. The next time I%26#39;m going to NO, I%26#39;m bringing my sister%26#39;s shih tsu, he%26#39;ll have a blast!!! :)

Thursday night at Vaughan's

Coming down next month and would love to see Kermit. What time does he usually go on?

Thursday night at Vaughan's

They try to get started earlier now around 9:30pm/10pm or so, and if you get there early, you get to have some good food!

Trip Report: Part 6

Wednesday the 15th: Up and ready early as I had an 8am pick up for my swamp tour with Cajun Encounters. They use a little bus, which is much more comfy than a passenger van I must admit, but you wouldn%26#39;t see as well if you%26#39;re doing a city/Katrina tour with it for example. So, passenger vans if you want to see up close and personnal, mini buses if you%26#39;re just going front point A to point B.

We got there for the 9:30am tour. I think this was my most favorite thing, it was soooooooooo relaxing. You have the choice of a covered or uncovered boat, you must choose an uncovered boat!!! You have such a great view of everything. The roof on the covered ones would just get in the way as those trees are so big and tall. And I had the best seat of the house. There are a couple of seats next to the guide, and I got to sit right up front with him, perfect view of either side of the boat. We had a great guide, very knowledgeable and entertaining.

Got back to town around 12:30pmish. I was debating where to go for lunch when I overheard some people talking about mufellettas and I%26#39;m like hey, I haven%26#39;t had one yet so I got off at Central Grocer for a 1/2 one. The place was packed, line up to get those muffs, but since they are prepared ahead of time, line moves quickly. I brought it back to the hotel and ate it there. Was alright, but wasn%26#39;t excited about it, a bit greasy. I%26#39;d like to try it warm, I think I would prefer it that way.

Then I walked to Canal to take the St Charles streetcar to the Garden District. It%26#39;s so weird when u get to Canal coming out of the FQ. It almost feels like you%26#39;re stepping into a totally different world: busy, modern, loud, lots of traffic. Much prefer the quarter. :)

The streetcar is a nice way to sightsee, especially when u%26#39;re able to get a seat next to the window. I didn%26#39;t get off to walk around though, was feeling kinda tired, so I just rode it to the end of the line and then back. Was still able to get some good pixs from inside the car. The fact that the windows go way up makes a big difference. The walkabout will have to wait til the next trip.

Coming back from Canal, I stopped at Acme. Boy is that place loud! I don%26#39;t know how the bartenders and servers hear what a customer says. I sat at the oyster bar, ordered crawfish. Mmmmmm, taste just like lobster, except a bit spicier. I didn%26#39;t suck the heads like you locals do. I could tell that%26#39;s where all the spices were (the tails were spicy enough).

That evening, went back to Pat O%26#39;s piano bar. A couple of different ladies singing this time. Was still fun, but not as fun as the previous Saturday had been. But there were less people too, so that makes a difference I%26#39;m sure. After Pat%26#39;s, walked around Bourbon, stopped when I heard something interesting and then off to the hotel.

Another fantastic day!!

Trip Report: Part 6

sounds like a great day, can%26#39;t wait to read the rest!!

Trip Report: Part 6

Thanks for your report! I%26#39;m glad you enjoyed Cajun Encounters!

where do nola residents go to the beach?

I%26#39;m going to New Orleans to spend some time with my son who is a student there. We%26#39;d like to get away to a beach nearby. Where do residents of New Orleans go? We%26#39;ve been to Biloxi, but that%26#39;s not really a beach vacation.

where do nola residents go to the beach?

I think most people head to Pensacola or Destin (it%26#39;s a bit of a drive but that%26#39;s what we did when we lived there).

where do nola residents go to the beach?

Yup, we definitely drive out to Florida. For a day trip, the Biloxi/Gulfport area beaches aren%26#39;t bad, and the Orange Beach, Alabama beaches are even better. But, Florida is the best bet!

how far a drive to FLA?

To the areas mentioned - approx. 200 miles? Pretty easy drive actually.

It%26#39;s taken me about 3.5-4 hours to drive from New Orleans to Pensacola, so it%26#39;s pretty doable.

Having just returned from Orange Beach, Alabama beaches where many New Orleanians were vacationing over Easter break, I would definitely recommend this area. It is much closer and very nice. Though it has plenty of condos, etc., it is not as developed as Destin which now is so crowded. Destin%26#39;s beach/water is a little prettier but you still get the white sugary sand in Alabama (nothing like Biloxi!). We stayed at Seachase condos right on the beach if you%26#39;re interested. They have a lovely large heated inside pool with jacuzzi for bad weather days. Condos are well maintained and very convenient to stores and restaurants. We prefer Orange Beach/Perdido Key area to Gulf Shores, Ala.

It depends upon when you go but phone ahead to the area and check on the jellyfish situation as that that mean sitting on a towel in the sun and not swimming.

We often make a trip to Orange Beach Alabama then to New Orleans or vice versa. I think its about three hours, and it is a very easy drive. Orange Beach and Gulf Shores are not developed much at all, I believe someone told me after one of the major hurricanes in the 60%26#39;s they rezoned, so you don%26#39;t see %*%%%26amp; bars and tattoo parlors on the beach. Just white sand and blue water.

If you go to Orange beach, make sure you do Captain Ricks dolphin tour (they are LITERALLY swimming a foot from the boat) the Blue Angels in Pensecola and have a meal at Original Oyster.

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help-swine flu

hi,we are flying into atlanta on thursday then driving to n.oeleans on friday,we are getting loads of reports that we should not travel to usa due to swine flu! is there any reported cases in your area and what guide lines are being given to yourselfs? we have checked on airline site [no details given]so i will call to find out what is happening,is there any other uk folk travelling out that know anything? thanks peter

help-swine flu

You should not worry about traveling to the US. If you are traveling to Mexico then I would worry. I live in ohio and we have a population of 11 million people. Of that entire population 1 case has been announced. I would not let it affect your travel plans.

help-swine flu

Since there have now been reported cases of swine flu in Europe, I wouldn%26#39;t worry too much about travel to the U.S. The cases have been isolated, and it hasn%26#39;t turned into a major epidemic affecting all urban areas.

No cases in New Orleans so far!

Just remember to wash your hands as often as possible! You should be just fine!

Absolutely no reason to be unduly concerned. Because of airplanes, there%26#39;s about as much chance a UK tourist visiting Mexico could bring it back to London!

The cases in the US have been mostly in New York, with a few in Kansas and Ohio, and have been mild. Come on over and enjoy your vacation!!

The case up here in Ohio is about 10 miles from me. It%26#39;s an 11 year old boy who was on vacation with his family in Mexico. Hopefully it will be contained.

I flew to Boston last night and sat next to a doctor. He told me ';not to kiss any pigs'; but otherwise he wasn%26#39;t overly concerned at this point.

I%26#39;m at Tulane%26#39;s School of Public Health, and we just had a ';briefing.'; And by briefing, they told us to wash our hands...

Nothing major to report.

We%26#39;ve been traveling to other countries for many years, and we always take small bottles of anti-bacterial hand cleanser. We use the stuff frequently, and we always use it just before meals and after using the restroom.

The outbreaks in Mexico have been confined to the areas in and around Mexico City and the northern border with the USA.

We%26#39;ll be heading to Playa del Carmen in early June with our anti-bacterial cleanser in hand. If you%26#39;re concerned about the Swine Flu, I suggest that you purchase a bottle or two and use it frequently.

Bayou or coast?

I%26#39;ll only have a couple days to spend in New Orleans and I want to see either the bayou or the Gulf coast east of the city towards Biloxi (I don%26#39;t think I%26#39;ll have time for both). Which is more interesting? I%26#39;m interested in historical and natural sites...as well as good food!

I know the National Park Service has parks in both areas, though I don%26#39;t know what shape they%26#39;re in these days.

Bayou or coast?

Is ';neither'; an acceptable answer? If you only have a couple of days here, by all means spend it IN New Orleans.

If you must leave the city, I%26#39;d suggest the Honey Island swamp near Slidell. Past that, the Mississippi gulf coast is man-made beaches and casinos.

Bayou or coast?

the ship island ferry sevice is running to the gulf island national seashore. the ferry ride is 1 hour to ship island. the beau rivage is a nice casino option.

A swamp tour in the bayou most definitely-sorry but the Gulf Coast is pretty dull-shallow and casino%26#39;s.

I%26#39;d also recommend a swamp tour in the Honey Island swamp area - Honey Island Swamp tours or Cajun Encounters!

St Paul: If you only have a couple of days to spend in NO, and you would be interested in its historical value, you would not have enough time to view all we have to offer.

If you wish to drive to Biloxi, it is about two hours each way via the interstate. The beaches along there are not the best and since you have not specified a particular time for your visit, we cannot comment on the weather you might expect to find.

Presently we are having a weather change and the rain is here for a couple of days, and we expect a slightly warming trend afterwards.

Also, we have a lot of bayou here, in short the bayou is from east to west of this state and anywhere south of Lake Pontchartrain, with some exceptions.

If you want a sampling, you could log onto www.houmatourism.com and view this site for a sampling of what is in the area.

Good luck on your planning.

How was your trip. My husband and I are going May12-19, 3 days in New Orleans and 5 in Biloxi. We were there 1 month before Katrina and expect things are different. we are somewhat familar with new orleans but could use some suggestions for Biloxi...Thanks

OhiotravelerOhio:

Five (I repeat 5) days is Biloxi??? Only if you have people to visit or are a compulsive gambler will you need 5 days there. Yes there is a beach but if you were there before Katrina, you very well know that the beach is just that a nice sandy beach, not the greatest swimming beach.

Meanwhile there is so much more you can see and do in and around New Orleans to fill all 8 days of your trip, let alone 3. If you are interested in nature and National Parks, there are 2 just north of the Lake which are lovely places to walk on the trails or take a canoe trip.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service%26#39;s Education and Outreach Office are conducting several canoe trips down some northshore bayous - contact them at 866-554-6319 or Park Ranger Jody DeMeyere at 985-882-2024 to see if they will be operating one during your trip. These are FREE by the way!

Need help ASAP with Jazzfest Tix Question

Greetings!

I know you can buy tickets through ticketmaster for $40 per day (plus an $8 conv. charge per ticket making them actually $48 each)...but.....

it says that you can buy them for $50 at the gate.

My question is....does ';the gate'; mean ONSITE at the event, and is it $50 with NO extra fees (or do they also charge extra fees at the gate on site)????

Thanks for your help!

Need help ASAP with Jazzfest Tix Question

Last year it was an even $50 at the gate. This year I bought mine in the lobby of the Astor Crowne Plaza for $50. The conceirge table has tix as well as transportation tix

Need help ASAP with Jazzfest Tix Question

Awesome. That is very helpful. I hate givng ticketmaster a bunch of extra $$ for crappy service, so I would prefer to pay the direct $50. I just wanted to make sure that you could pay on site. Perhaps my hotel will also have a desk where we could purchase tickets as well.

Thanks again!

Looking forward to coming back to NOLA on Wed.!

I buy my tix in advance without the fees. Otherwise, I%26#39;d just pay the $50 at the gate as the lines aren%26#39;t bad. I also hate Ticketmaster!

(I also hate Ticketmaster!)

I wish the Jazzfest organizers would use another broker, or just sell them through their own site (like the band No Doubt) b/c it%26#39;s really not saving anyone any money going through Ticketmaster.

Totally agree! I really wish more bands would follow No Doubts lead.

I had heard that many of the venues for performers had exclusive contracts with ticket';master'; and that%26#39;s why they were ';stuck'; with them. (At least that is what Bruce Springsteen said when ticketmaster royally screwed his fans--and now NY state is suing TM over the whole thing). Who knows...

Either way, jazzfest- here we come! :)

Thanks tripadvisor folks! I%26#39;m staying at the Crowne Plaza this weekend and was wondering the same thing. I%26#39;m really glad to learn I can get tickets in the convenience of my own lobby!

PLEASE help with hotel selection for Mardi Gras 2010

We are trying to get reservations asap for a trip to Mardi Gras 2010.

PLEASE provide advise on the best overall location to parade route and French Quarter, from the following list...Place D%26#39;Armes, Prince Conti, Le Richelieu, Bourbon Orleans, Iberville Suites, Quarter House on Chartres St., and Hampton Inn on Carondelet.

The Marriots are already sold out, so we need to get some reservations quickly. Even though I%26#39;ve been to New Orleans before, I don%26#39;t know which hotel to select for the Mardi Gras. Please reply asap. I appreciate it! Thanks!

PLEASE help with hotel selection for Mardi Gras 2010

I doubt the Marriotts or any other hotel are actually sold out. My guess is that rooms aren%26#39;t yet for sale or they%26#39;re tentatively blocked for a group. If you like Marriott, call the property directly.

PLEASE help with hotel selection for Mardi Gras 2010

Thanks for your response. I have called several times and have been told that there%26#39;s no availability for either hotel in the French Quarter area.

I personally like to stay in the Garden District (more family friendly). If you want to be near Bourbon Street, I would look into Iberville Suites. It gets good reviews and is connected to the Ritz Carlton. We did stay two years ago at Marriott Renaissance Arts Hotel in the Warehouse District near the Quarter and really enjoyed it. We had our children with us so we were not walking to Bourbon Street but some spectacular night parades passed right out in front of the hotel. That location is still fun and would give you a break from the craziness on Bourbon Street. Just my two cents worth!

We have stayed at both the Price Conti %26amp; Iberville Suites. The service at both can%26#39;t be beat %26amp; both locations were easy to navigate. I found the Iberville to be a bit more comfortable but the Prince COnti has more of a local flare. You can%26#39;t go wrong with either!

Out of that list, I%26#39;d probably go with the Iberville Suites, since it%26#39;s close to the action on Canal St. If you have Hilton Honors points, then try the Hampton Inn or the Hilton on St. Charles, which is right on the parade route!

Thank you for your advise!! Unfortunately, I just found out that the Iberville Suites are full for Mardi Gras 2010 as well. Frustrating! Now I%26#39;m looking at the Prince Conti or Hampton Inn. Hampton Inn does have queen instead of double beds, and also has a free breakfast. Any comments on one of these hotels over the other? Thanks again!!

Thank you! The Hilton that you mentioned is all booked up as well. I%26#39;m down to Prince Conti, Hampton Inn, or Place d%26#39;Armes. Help??

I would go with the Hampton Inn on Carondelet. We had a great time there for Mardi Gras 2007. Decent price, nice breakfast, and close to the parade route.

I got curious since I%26#39;m really amazed that so many properties are full at this point. I searched kayak.com and found lots of availability from various sources but not Iberville Suites. Did you call them directly? Good luck. I know how frustrating this can be!

Thank you for your suggestion (Hampton Inn). I have heard good things from others about this hotel. So...I booked it. :)

Thanks to all others that have written in to help. I appreciate it.

Cab from airport

Hi All,

I%26#39;ve been reading some posts on cab fare, and I%26#39;m a little confused...anyway, I%26#39;ve never taken a cab and will be there in a couple of weeks. I am staying in the FQ. How much will it cost for 2 persons to take a cab to the FQ from the airport, and how much should you tip?

Thanks

Cab from airport

It%26#39;s $28 for 1-2 people ($2 extra for fuelcharge but I believe that no longer applies). For 3 or more people, it%26#39;s $12 each.

Cab from airport

You are right...its 28 dollars for 2 passengers and 12 dollars/pp after that

Sunday the 19th, last day

Woke up feeling not 100%, but a lot better than I had the past 2 days. Walked around Royal and Bourbon a last time (sniff) and to buy last minute souvenirs. Then headed over to Jackson Square. I really wanted to try those crawfish and goat cheese crepes from Muriel%26#39;s, so bought one. Delicious!!!!!! I took a copy of the recipe, mmmmmmmm, it%26#39;ll be yummy with lobster. After eating that, I was feeling much better so I then had a crawfish pie from another booth. That one was a lot better than the crawfish pie I had at Remoulade%26#39;s, more moist inside. Since that went down well, I tried the Cajun meat pie, quite tasty as well.

Afer eating all that, I figured I%26#39;d better not push my luck, so went to the Cajun stage to see Dwayne Dopsie and his Zydeco band. Oh my God, what a good time!!!! I didn%26#39;t know a person could do those things with an accordian. What a great show! I bought one of their CD%26#39;s right on the spot.

Amanda Shaw was playing after Dwayne Dopsie, so stayed to listen to her a bit. She%26#39;s too cute. She reminds me of my niece around the age of 14, 15. Well, by this time I%26#39;m really feeling quite up to par, so I dared have one last hurricane. I took my time drinking it, and it went down very nicely.

Supper was at Gumbo Shop, had chicken and garlic mashed potatoes. I was dissapointed, chicken was overcooked, potatoes kinda yucky actually. I was expecting more/better.

After supper, just walked around Jackson Square and up to the look out spot accross the street to have my last look at the river. By this time, it%26#39;s around 7pm and I%26#39;m walking around trying not to cry cause I%26#39;m going home the next morning. I was so sad.

One funny thing happened though while I was at that look out spot. I had just thought to myself hey, no one approached me at all with the I know where you got those shoes bit, or wanting to give me a ticket cause I wasn%26#39;t smiling or whatever. Now, I swear to you all, I had just finished this thought when a guy was coming up the stairs, looked up at me and said ';I bet I know where you got them shoes';. I burst out laughing and tell him I got them right here baby. He smile cause he knew I knew the scam, so he just walked away. A couple of minutes later, I see this same guy shining some older gentleman%26#39;s sneakers. After I%26#39;d passed the man, cause I didn%26#39;t wan to make him feel bad, I burst out laughing again. If only I could do that with lottery numbers!! :-)

Since I%26#39;d only had beignets once during my trip (I know, a sin) I decided to get some to go. Well, the line-up was huge, and it didn%26#39;t seem like it was moving. After awhile, I decided to forget it and get some b4 I leave in the morning for a snack on the plane. Do you think I remembered to do that? No!! I thought of it 1/2 way to Detroit.

I then had no choice but to go back to my hotel cause I had to pack, and figure out how to get home my Pat O%26#39;s glass without breaking it, make room for all the stuff I bought including the 8 bags of hurricane mix... yes 8. Actually 7 hurricane mixes and 1 cyclone. I never had a chance to try the cyclone in NO, so thought I%26#39;d try it at home. They are not all for me though, some are presents.... :-)

Sunday the 19th, last day

porelly, I%26#39;m so sorry to hear about your illness, it definitely sounds like food poisoning to me (I had it once and it is miserable).

You said that you saw Amanda Shaw - I%26#39;m sure she is the young woman featured in Hurricane on the Bayou - were you aware that it was the same person?

I sniffled thru Hurricane on the Bayou too and one of the songs on the cd soundtrack still makes me tear up!!

Sunday the 19th, last day

Great trip report, Porelly!! I%26#39;m so glad you had a great time, aside from the food poisoning :( just one question...are you planning your next trip yet??? LOL

Aaaah dolmatt, if you knew how jealous I am you%26#39;re able to go so often.

Since I was cheated out of 2 days of the FQF, and that is the main reason why I went the dates I went.... might just have to try to schedule a make-up trip for next year!

Oh and jlr, yes I did remember Ms. Shaw was in the documentary, that%26#39;s why I specifically stayed to hear her play a bit.

Sorry to hear you were ill. Please plan for next year%26#39;s FQF - make it a tradition!!

yes, Porelly, I go often, but I%26#39;m so jealous that you can go for a longer stay..I can only go for a couple days, so I just get a taste of it all, and then I have to leave :( I would LOVE to stay longer and relax more. My 3 night stays are always very rushed...amazing, but rushed. Ahh, one day, when the kiddies are a little older :)

Great report. I loved listening to Amanda play her fiddle - or is it a violin?

Well so there it is; I have read all of your reports and overall, in spite of the illness, it seems like you loved it. I worried about not hearing from you all that time, but no worries anymore:=) So are you already planning a return trip? Can I suggest Halloween?? We will try to organize another Meet %26#39;n%26#39; Greet, so you can come.

Hey porelly and dormatt, I feel your pain! We decided to buy a timeshare at the Quarter House last summer. It was VERY reaonable ($3500 for a 2-bedroom unit from a resale company), and we get to enjoy the city for a full week each year!!

We also sneak away for at least one more visit a year, but only for 3 or 4 days. Got to have that New Orleans fix, or why bother working hard the rest of the year? After all, you can%26#39;t take it with you, in the end, all you have are your happy memories!

Amanda Shaw is so talented and becoming very rich. We tried to book her for an event and it would have been $10,000. Good for her. That crawfish pie/cajun meat pie booth righ next to the Muriel%26#39;s booth always does well..those mrs. wheat%26#39;s pies are great.

Anytime in Cafe DuMonde and the outside area is overflowing ...there is an inside area, not the same ambiance, but many don%26#39;t know about it and it sure beats waiting 20 minutes for a table.

lotion cream

Part 7

Thursday the 16th: Had a late regular, greasy breakfast at Déjà Vu. Nice place, would have liked to have the chance to go eat there for another meal but.... again, not enough time.

Today was Audubon day. I had planned on doing the zoo, aquarium and Imax Theatre, but when I saw from my trip to the Garden District the day b4 how far out the zoo was, and I didn%26#39;t feel like having a rushed day (was feeling kinda tired), decided to skip the zoo (on the agenda for next time). So bought the combo ticket for the aquarium and Hurricane on the Bayou. I got there at 11am, and the movie was at 1pm. Thought perfect, gives me 2hrs to see the aquarium. It was very nice, but small. I was done in an hour. The white alligator was sharp to see though. I had to ask the people around me if he was real as he didn%26#39;t move at all!!

So since I had an hour to kill b4 the movie, I bought a ticket to see the 3D movie about ocean life. Was ok. Hurricane on the bayou on the other hand was very very good. I cried through 1/2 of it. Fortunately, I wasn%26#39;t the only one sniffling in the theatre. :) How ironic they started working on that project 3 months b4 Katrina. Kinda creepy if you ask me. Somebody somewhere%26#39;s was making a point.

My stomach was feeling a bit queasy when I got out of the theatre. Thought that 2 movies in a row on that big screen was maybe too much, especially with one of them being a 3D movie. Decided I needed some grub, so off to Coops again I went for more chicken (Coops is the only place I ate twice). I was browsing, taking my time walking back towards my hotel from Coops when I started to feel really queasy. Picked up the pace to get to my hotel, just made it in time b4 I got sick (I can%26#39;t see it being the food at Coops, wouldn%26#39;t have hit me that fast).

I wont%26#39; go into the gory details, but by 7pm, I was shivering in bed freezing, but I was boiling hot to the touch. Then I started having to go to the bathroom quite often (if you get my drift). I barely slept that night from the shivering, which turned into sweating to death in the middle of the night, and the trips to the facilities.

Friday, the 17th: 1st thing in the morning, I made my way to Rouse%26#39;s for something for my stomach and pick up more water as I was out. I can%26#39;t remember the last time I felt that bad. Thankfully the FQF parade went down St Ann, just under my balcony so I was able to at least see that. I didn%26#39;t leave my room again until suppetime. By then, the Pepto Bismol had started to work a bit, and I really didn%26#39;t want to miss Bruce Daigrepont who was playing at the Cajun stage, so I went for a little while. Didn%26#39;t enjoy myself though of course. Was a long walk back to the hotel. Picked up a plain ham sandwich on the way back as I was starved. Spent the rest of the evening in bed again. Thank God for remotes!!! :)

Saturday, the 16th. By then the frequency of the trips to the facilites had gone down quite a bit, but I still felt awful, quite the stomach pains actually. Tried to go out for a bit in the morning, made one turn around Jackson Square, went back to bed. Around 2pmish, I went to Clover Grill. Thought eggs and toast might help as I was reaaally hungry, was only able to eat 1/2, back to bed. I sooooooooooo wanted to go to the meet %26amp; greet, you really have no idea. I felt so bad and guilty about missing it, I still do. I really wanted to meet everybody! I%26#39;m trying not to think about it too much cause it just makes me so mad. What a time to pick up a bug or whatever it was. It couldn%26#39;t wait until I got home??

The rest of the day was again spent in bed.

Part 7

I%26#39;ve had what I thought was food poisoning from Deja Vu so I really hated reading this part of your trip report. So sorry that happened. Miserable feeling, I know!

Part 7

I%26#39;m so sorry to hear about your food poisoning. Actually, I had a friend in town that same week, and she got a bad case of food poisoning the last day of the trip. At least you were able to enjoy the city for a little while, before you got sick.

Just gives you an excuse to come back! ;)

Do you all think that%26#39;s what it was, some sort of food poisining?? I guess it must be, a regular flu bug or whatever wouldn%26#39;t be that fast, that extreme. Just my luck!!!

Based on your symptoms, I would guess food poisoning. Symptoms can start hours up to a full day after ingestion, varying based on the contaminant (who knows what it was?!). They can also include chills, fever, abdominal/stomach cramps, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea and diarrhea. Usually clears up in a few days.

It%26#39;s impossible to diagnose from afar but it sure sounds like food poisoning. Quick, painful, lots of trips to the bathroom and that awful flushing/hot skin. Blech!

There are a very small number of places I will no longer eat in the Quarter due to my perceived issues with kitchen cleanliness, including Angeli, Fiorella%26#39;s and Deja Vu. Not to say they aren%26#39;t clean, mind you, but I can only go with what I perceive after previous visits! (In fact, all 3 had pretty grungy employees in addition to questionable kitchens/food prep areas.) I shoult note that these places must pass the state/city food safety inspections each year and I assume they have done so.

ah cajunwave,you%26#39;re so politically correct. :)

OMG - I totally forgot about the TA meet and greet at Lafittes - darn! I really intended to go but got sidetracked too! Thankfully for different reasons! BTW - I never did see a TA hat or pin, or anything else - what did they send?

What ';sounds'; like food poisoning is sometimes just a body that is not used to several days of drinking and eating unusual food to your stomach. Not to mention dancing to great music in the hot sun. I travel often and start taking Axid,Zantac, etc. before I go on a trip, 2 a day during the trip and for a couple of days when I return. A greasy breakfast could have been enough to set it off, and trying to eat anything during this time,i.e. ham sandwich and eggs does not help! New Orleans food is spicy, greasy at times, can be hot, unusual, etc, and a hurricane can help the problem along! Glad you had a great time otherwise and hope that you will return soon with some stomach meds just to be safe.

I eat at DejaVu often.

I will tell you that I took a high school group to IMAX in Boston and we had to send a couple of kids out who were getting super nauseous. The sounds and the sights are so incredibly large scale that it can be very disturbing. (Plus, we were watching a video that was a fly-over - I forget what but I think Leonard Nimoy narrated it - and it added to the whole stomach-turning experience).

There has been a flu virus going around also. Its too bad you missed the meet and greet..it was the only one we%26#39;ve been able to make.

original church - experience in NO

Hi

We are staying in french quarter and we would like to visit on sunday morning an original ';gospel';-style church, where there are black ladies singin in front etc... lot of hand clapping etc...all the things we have only seen on movies. Is this even realistic and can it be found in NO ? where? what time?

original church - experience in NO

I think that this can be found in any city in the US with an African American population. I am not familiar with the churches in New Orleans, except for St. Louis Cathedral. Hopefully someone will be able to help you out on this.

original church - experience in NO

There is Bethlehem Lutheran Church at 1823 Washington Street and they have a wonderful choir and a fine pastor in Pastor Keen. Most of the %26#39;spirit filled%26#39; gospel might be found in non demominational or baptist churches but I know the choir is really good at Bethlehem and lively.

Many of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) churches have services such as you describe. Here%26#39;s information on the Full Gospel Church of God in Christ. If their services don%26#39;t meet your needs, I%26#39;m sure they%26#39;ll be able to refer you to a suitable church.

Full Gospel Church Of God In Christ

1031 N Claiborne Ave

New Orleans, LA 70116-2202

United States

Phone: (504) 821-6289

While you%26#39;re in the process of locating your desired church, I thought you might enjoy these youtube clips. If they don%26#39;t set your toes to tapping, you need to head for the emergency room.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkQWPMCxaB8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abkn2HPwEXg

thanks for your replies. What time the mass begins on sundays?

Sunday masses at St. Louis Cathedral are at 9:00 A.M. and 11:00 A.M., but you won%26#39;t find any singing black ladies or hand clapping at those services.

St. Louis Cathedral is majestic. I only go to church when I%26#39;m in New Orleans and I attend mass at the Cathedral. It is the best religious experience I can hope to attain anywhere. I carry it with me till I can get back for my next visit.

well where can i find those singing back ladies and hand clapping gospel-stuff?

Read all the posts in this thread. I gave you a reference to a church (Full Gospel Church of God in Christ) where you%26#39;re likely to find them.

I can%26#39;t help but question whether this question is for real, or at least if it isn%26#39;t just a little bit offensive? Just a reminder to be respectful of people%26#39;s cultural and religious practices, which includes being sensitive in the language we use. I%26#39;m not sure these religious services ought to be sought out solely as spectacles and tourist attractions, but I%26#39;m speaking as an outsider.

Good Jazz Nice Place?

We%26#39;ll be in New Orleans in a coupls of weeks, we arrive the last day of the Jazz festival. We%26#39;ll be staying at the Marriott on Canal Street. I am looking for suggestions for a nice classy place to go in the evening, to sit have a few drinks and hear some of the Jazz NO is famous for. We are not into loud crowded places with smoke in the air (not sure if the NO bars allow smoking or not).

Love to hear some ideas from those in the know.

Thanks

Good Jazz Nice Place?

Hi folks! In addition to m%26#39;lady%26#39;s question above, any suggestions for some really good New Orleans cuisine that doesn%26#39;t involve seafood or sausage? I want to expose the wife to real NOLA food, but she doesn%26#39;t eat ';anything from water'; or sausage. So...?

Thanks all!

Down Home Dragon

Good Jazz Nice Place?

Dragon:

I just had a really good meal at Tommy%26#39;s on Toupichatalous (spelling...i can%26#39;t say it either). Really top class. Plenty of chicken, etc. entrees. The duck was to die for. Hope that helps

I love Snug Harbor on Frenchmen St in the Marigny, walkable from the French Quarter. My favorite jazz place in the city! http://www.snugjazz.com/site/

I just got back from my 1st trip to NO, and if you want to hear really good old jazz music, go to Maison Bourbon on Bourbon st. It%26#39;s not a high class place, but it%26#39;s a great atmosphere and the band is excellent. I returned a couple of times to listen to them and even bought their CD.

As for the bars being smoky, it was no problem at all. I too was worried but because it%26#39;s so warm, they keep the doors to the bars and clubs open (and a lot of place have more than 1 door), plus most place have ceiling fans to circulate the air, so no problem whatsoever.

Have a great time!!

I%26#39;d also say Maison Bourbon and also Fritzels on Bourbon Stree. You are also close to the Ritz where Jeremy Davenport plays several nights a week in their lounge.

Harrah's hotel and casino

Does this hotel have a swimming pool? None of the pictures show one?

Harrah's hotel and casino

No Harrah%26#39;s New Orleans does NOT have a swimming pool, but the Riverside Hilton, just across the street, as well as the ';W'; New Orleans does.

Harrah's hotel and casino

No swimming pool, but you can get SOAKED in the casino. Sorry, I couldn%26#39;t resist!

Bill

Soaked, choked, and stroked. When I left my name was Jerry. Just Jerry. Even lost my last name there too...

There is a river nearby. You may want to ask the locals where it is safe to go for a swim.

Unless you want this trip to New Orleans to be your last ;), I%26#39;d skip the river, and go with the Monteleone%26#39;s rooftop pool or the Hilton Riverside%26#39;s pools.

Harrahs%26#39; doesn%26#39;t want you lolling by the pool...they want you in their casino losing your loot...NO POOL...but they have agreement with other hotels to use their pools I believe.

Donations to Katrina funds from the UK

Hi guys, wondered if you could help. My husband and I are English but LOVE New Orleans and can%26#39;t wait to get back out there. Anyway, we have a charity account that we both pay in to and really want to use some of the money to go towards our beloved city. The only problem is that as it is run by CAF it technically has to be British Stirling and to a charity registered in the UK. Does anybody know of any British charities that somehow feed into NOLA/Hurrican Katrina funds?

Any ideas greatly appreciated.

Donations to Katrina funds from the UK

I would contact Greater New Orleans Foundation. They do outstanding work similar to Baton Rouge Area Foundation that we have here. http://www.gnof.org/

Thank you for your thoughts and support of a great American city.

Donations to Katrina funds from the UK

I would contact some of the bigger charities like United Way and International Red Cross because I%26#39;m sure there is some crossover. http://www.unitedwaynola.org/

http://www.redcross.org/

Good thought, Worldtraveler. I just would want those funds to get to the grass roots efforts and not administrative expenses like we%26#39;ve seen at times in the past.

I would absolutely contact one of the ';development staff'; at Greater New Orleans Foundation. Here%26#39;s a link for contact info:

gnof.org/index.php/…meet_our_staff

Having been on the development side of local non-profits, GNOF, at least IMHO, would be your best resource to at least answer your questions about British charities that could send funding to our area. They have been involved in managing multiple designated recovery funds, and might be able to make some suggestions about possible UK-registered charities sending funds our way (if such funds exist). Good luck!

makeup class

Habitat for humanity - still need help?

I was thinking of going to new orleans for a week, and volunteerign with habitat for humanity to help rebuild some houses. I did a search on tripadvisor, but all related posts were from 2006. Is there still quite a need for volunteers, or am I three years too late?

The HFH site states that camp hope is closing end of May- I was thinking of going early May. So...should I stay in camp home, or get other accomodations? I did see 1930 canal st guesthouse, which is $150 a week- but might not be the best location to volunteer. Especially since I%26#39;ll mostly only have nights to visit the city. Should I expect to get a car, or would it be ok to rent a bike and ride around New Orleans? I could bike up to an hour each way :) I%26#39;m training for a bike ride from Vancovuer to seattle, so it would be great practice (but I don%26#39;t want it to get stolen!!)

Any other tips for a solo female? Will If I go sat-sun, volunteer 5 days, will I have enough tiem to experience NO for the 2 free days and evenings? Probably not !

Habitat for humanity - still need help?

There%26#39;s definitely still a need. I would recommend contacting Habitat to see exactly what skill sets are in demand these days.

Habitat for humanity - still need help?

After some research, it looks like the st bernard project might be a better choice, as they allow input from home owners. They also have volunteer housing at a minimum cost.

I will look into this one. Any more input would be appreciated.

Both are great organizations. Also, I know a lot of colleges work with the St. Bernard Project for alternative spring break trips, so you can%26#39;t really go wrong.

Habitat is also still strong in the Slidell and Mandeville areas. No matter which one you choose, you are very close to N.O. to be able to visit the city and have fun.

Let me say THANK YOU on behalf of the people in this area for choosing to volunteer your time to aid others.

Regarding biking. No I would not bike from St. Bernard to the FQ as you would travel through some rough areas.

There is a need and will be for years to come. Churches in Slidell and Mandeville are still official sites for Disaster Relief for Habitat for the gulf coast region and if you hook up with a group you get assigned areas and transportation there and back to your lodging.

Just returned from Jazz Fest but we volunteered with Habitat on 4/24 and were sent to New Orleans East. There is still a need %26amp; will be for a long time. I would not bike there. Can%26#39;t help with accomodations, we had a hotel room in the quarter. We took a cab there %26amp; hitched a ride back on a bus that was chartered by a large group that was working at the same site. I would recommend anyone who loves New Orleans try %26amp; spend at least 1 day of your vacation helping out. It was a great experience %26amp; we will be doing it again next time we are in town.