Trip Report: Part 2

I forgot to mention, I also stopped at the Funky Pirate Friday night to listen to Al Carson. The place was packed and you can tell he%26#39;s quite popular. I stayed for only about 3 songs which were very nice. I planned on going back, but never ended up doing it. Ran out of time (common feeling throughout my trip, not enough time!!)

Saturday, the 11th: I was up and ready early cause I had a reservation for the City/Katrina tour with Celebration Tours, pick up between 10 and 10:10am. I had reserved it, and was confirmed about 3 weeks earlier. So I%26#39;m in front of the hotel a few minutes b4 10 waiting for my van..... by almost 10:25, still no pick-up. I knew there was the marathon that morning and they might be a few minutes late, but my gut was telling me something is wrong. So I called from the front desk and the guy%26#39;s like I don%26#39;t have your name on the list. I told him about the email confirmation and whatnot. He was quite apologetic and offered to pick me up and give me a 1 on 1 tour. I was so surprised that I said sure, but then called back a couple of minutes later and declined. I wasn%26#39;t too comfortable being alone with a stranger for 2 hrs all over the city.

By the time all this was done, it was almost 11am and most of my morning is gone and wasted. I was not impressed needless to say. So not wanting this to happen again, I called Tours by Isabelle to confirm my plantation tour (and now make a reservation for her city/Katrina tour) as I still hadn%26#39;t heard anything. She%26#39;s like I%26#39;ve been calling your cell trying to reach you. I told her since I don%26#39;t have a cell, yes you%26#39;d have a hard time. She had my home phone# down as my cell. She says she left messages but there was nothing on my machine when I got back. Anyway, she%26#39;s like I can%26#39;t do the plantation tour on Monday (which was my preference) but can do Tuesday afternoon (I wanted morning). Figured I%26#39;d better take it, and she was able to do the city/Katrina tour for Monday afternoon, so booked that.

Now that was all out of the way, made a new game plan for the rest of the day. Since it was close to lunch time, I thought I%26#39;d go to Coops. And of course I ordered the fried chicken and jumbalaya. It was as great as you all said. And what a great place!! I loved the hole in the wall, neighborhood type feel. I got there around 11:30, and it was already packed (they open at 11). And the cat that lives there is too cute. I have to admit the washroom facilities leave a lot to be desired, but when u gotta go... :-)

After lunch, went to the French Market for souvenir shopping. I love those types of places, so I had a blast looking at everything. You need to go there with time though, you can%26#39;t rush. While I was there, a brassband came by out of the blue, and played some songs for tips. I love NO!!! :)

I bought t.shirts, shot glasses (I collect), stuff for family. I also bought coasters. They are tile/porcelain with different pixs of NO on them. What a great way to remember a trip when u%26#39;re back home. I got one with the Bourbon St sign, Cafe du Monde, the Preservation Hall sign, and ... for the life of me I can%26#39;t remember the 4th right now. I think it%26#39;s a streetcar though.

After shopping, thought it was high time for a drink!! So headed over to Pat O%26#39;s, after dropping all my stuff at the hotel, for my 1st Hurricane. I got one at the ';to go'; bar. Now, I have to admit, the 1st couple of sips weren%26#39;t that great, very sweet. But give the chance for the ice to really mix in with the beverage %26amp; properly chill it, and they become quite tasty. ;-)

I wanted to sit in the courtyard, but there was no room so I wandered into the dueling piano room. Oh my God!!! What a fun afternoon. I ended up staying for like 1h %26amp; 1/2. There were 3 ladies who rotated on the 2 pianos, great singers and every entertaining. Boy did I bust a gut when I heard their version of Kenny Roger%26#39;s ';Lucille'; (those of you who have heard it know what I mean).

After a very entertaining afternoon, I left Pat O%26#39;s with a hurricane glass in hand (I%26#39;ll figure how to get it home later)and a light buzz going. I stopped by Maison Bourbon again when I saw that same band from the night b4 were playing. I stayed for awhile, royally enjoying the music, even bought one of their CD%26#39;s. Then it was off to the hotel to rest up and freshen up.

I decided to go to the Cajun Cabin for a late supper as I wanted to hear some Cajun/Zydeco music. I get there no band, but thought maybe they hadn%26#39;t started yet. I get seated at a table, ordered and asked what time does the band start. They don%26#39;t have music anymore! They stopped about 2 months earlier (their website still says they have live entertainement). Again, not too impressed. So I ate my meal and left. I just ordered a burger and fries. Burger was really good. If you%26#39;re looking for a burger and you%26#39;re in the area, worth stopping.

The rest of the evening, I walked around Bourbon just people watching, listening to music at different doorways. The long day of walking and drinking was getting to me, so headed off to bed.

Minus the mix-up with the tour in the am, a great day!!!!

Trip Report: Part 2

I just got back as well, haven%26#39;t had chance to do up a trip report. I am really enjoying reading them though. I hope you post part 3 soon. I would have killed to have gotten the chance for a private tour of the Katrina areas. I went on a tour with grayline. It was great, and very informative.. but on a private tour I bet you would get so much more detail/closer look. I respect your sense of safety, but I am jealous of what you passed up on. Regarless, seems like you did plenty of great stuff. Please post part 3

Trip Report: Part 2

Oh, we LOVED thost tile%26#39;s with the NOLA pictures! They inspired us to do a cool project in our kitchen. I am fortunate that I work at a photography company that has the equipment to make those. I gathered a collection of our own photo%26#39;s from our travels. I had our company transfer them to the tiles and we glued them to our walls above our soffits in our kitchen. It turned out really cool, and of course there are several pic%26#39;s from our recent trip to NOLA. My company liked them so much, that they are now thinking of adding them to our product line.

When we go to Pat O%26#39;Briens its always only to the piano bar and it seems to be always alive. I do not rec. the Cajun Cabin and if you want a burger in that area just go down St. Peters to Yo Mama%26#39;s rather than the Cajun Cabin. With the difficulty in having fully trained personnel in tourism and restaurants post Katrina it seems slip ups do occur on all levels.

I did go to Yo-Mamma%26#39;s as well, but wasn%26#39;t in the mood for a hamburger, so had a bbq chicken (real chicken) burger instead with a side salad. Was surpringly good.

I%26#39;m vicariously enjoying your reports. I also got four of those tiles from that guy in the French Market, (one of Preservation Hall sign, too). He was really friendly and we talked of his Katrina woes. I have them on my coffee table and really enjoy them. I%26#39;m sure you will, too.

Glad you liked Coop%26#39;s. Hard not to like, actually.

I see you posted part 3, on my way there, now.

Thanks for your report! That%26#39;s too bad about the mix-up with Celebration Tours, but I guess it%26#39;s a lesson for future visitors to always confirm day before/morning of.

I love the dueling pianos too :)

route from new orleans to blue ridge

hi could anyone tell me the quickest way to get from new orleans to blue ridge georgia? all the map sites tell me i should go through atlanta, however, it seems to me the traffic will be bad. we%26#39;ll be driving in on saturday. i looked at going through birmingham then to chattanooga then blue ridge and about 30 minutes longer but wouldnt i avoid traffic. any suggestions would greatly help!

route from new orleans to blue ridge

New Orleans to B%26#39;ham and then onto Chattanooga is relative traffic free. Exceptions, Meridian, MS, B%26#39;ham, AL and Chattanooga, TN. Once you leave Birmingham, headed north on 59 up until you reach Chattanooga, there will hardly be any traffic.

From Meridian, MS to Birmingham you%26#39;ll share the interestate with a lot of 18 wheelers. But from New Orleans to Meridian and then B%26#39;ham to Chattanooga they thin out drastically.

None of the above mentioned areas compare in traffic to Atlanta. So, I%26#39;d recommend the Chattanooga route versus the Atlanta one.

handling exceptions

New Orleans for my daughters 21st birthday

We live in Tampa, FL. My daughter will be 21 in May. She is in College and works hard in her studies and her boyfriend works hard at two jobs. My husband and I want to do something special for them.

We were thinking about New Orleans.

We have a lot of Marriott points, How is the JW Marriott on Canal Street, or should we splurge and pick another hotel.

My daughter loves Anne Rice. Are there any Anne Rice tours. We are open on the dates.

What are the best quaint restraunts. My daughter and boyfriend like all kinds of foods. They love lots of atmosphere. what would you reccomend?

New Orleans for my daughters 21st birthday

The Marriott is nice but it sounds like your daighter loves atmosphere. To really get the New orleans experience you%26#39;ll want to stay at an older hotel in the quarter. Trust me on this. Many have nice balcony rooms where they can wake up and have their breakfast on the balcony. The unique, old hotels are one of the things we love most about NOLA.

New Orleans for my daughters 21st birthday

Annie wants to use Marriott points to pay for her stay. This being the case, the JW Marriott is a great choice. Ditto the Renaissance Arts but it%26#39;s a bit farther from the Quarter.

I would suggest using your marriot points, and eating at the Acme Oyster house. She%26#39;ll have a blast just hanging out around bourbon street. I was there for my 22nd birthday and had a great time. Now that I am older and wiser (aka 24) I still frequent bourbon, but spend a little less time boozin it up.

I believe there are vampire tours they can take as well. Also in many guide books they point out where anne rice%26#39;s house is. They might also like to take a tour of Oak Alley Plantation since they filmed quite a few scenes from Interview with the Vampire there. I believe it was Louis%26#39; plantation in the movie.

You may want to eat at the Desiree Oyster Bar. We really like the place, plus you have the Anne Rice (Queen of the Damned scene) tie in. :)

Whoops, actually it was Tale of the Body Thief. But connection remains. ;)

Wow. What great information. The idea of a more quaint hotel is great, but I think I will use my marriott points so I can spend more money on tours, great restaurants etc.

Thanks for the Info.

The JW is a great hotel, in a great location- it is walking distance to everything, and a very close and well lit walk back from Bourbon st. after a late night. The beds are really comfortable, and you can also request a mini fridge-which is a nice little extra. If you have the points, you might as well use them, and save your money for all the great food, drinks and tours:)

I agree with the JW. A very nice hotel, very close to the Quarter. Use your points, and invest in food and drink.

i%26#39;m a big marriott points fan as well, and would choose the renaissance arts over the JW anyday. the rooms were overall bigger at the ren arts, and the staff is amazing. i%26#39;ve stayed there four times in the last two years (returning for my fifth stay in two months). Whenever i call ahead to let the staff know it%26#39;s a special occasion (it%26#39;s always a special occasion...::smirk:::) we%26#39;ve been upgraded to a larger room. i also like the rooftop pool (literally open 24 hours..i%26#39;ve hot tubbed at 4 AM) and the fun location in the warehouse district (great restaurants, fun local bars, walking dist to the french quarter). check it out...it MAY even require less points and i believe it gets better reviews anyhow!

-kelly

oh and you can%26#39;t go wrong with booking your daughter and the rest of y%26#39;all on a Bloody Mary tour. Her private rates are pretty reasonable and she%26#39;ll tell you background on history as well as fun facts about local characters (Anne Rice included).

my trips aren%26#39;t complete without a visit with her.

Quaint restaurants? I love Muriels for it%26#39;s haunted history and excellent food (lots of interesting dishes as well). Coops for a laid back local vibe, and I can%26#39;t wait to try EAT next time i%26#39;m there. it seems small and intimate-and really service oriented www.eatnola.com

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.

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.

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.

lotion cream

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!!! :)

pets