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Great time in New Orleans !!! - Review


BeadBabe

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GREAT visit! Stayed right on Bourbon, and yep, it's noisy, it's raucous, it's New Orleans! Bourbon is what it is, but that isn't all that New Orleans is. Just one block over on Royal are some of the most interesting antique stores and art galleries. Be sure to stop into the ancient coin shop. And eats? Don't get me started! Great restaurants all over the city.

 

The official National WWII Museum is a "must see". We spent 5 hours there one day, and didn't even see everything. It's incredible. Heck, there is even a Voo Doo Museum, the Jazz Museum, you can learn how to play a washboard, suck a crawdaddy, and meet people from all over the world.

 

New Years Eve was extremely well organized. Danced in Jackson Square to GREAT music, Trombone Shorty was awesome...and counted down at midnight til the giant gumbo pot dropped. There were police and authorities everywhere. I felt very safe.

 

The 9th Ward is heart breaking, but seeing the spray painted messages of "we will rebuild" and "don't tear my home down cuz I'm coming back", gives heed to the diligence of these people. The Garden District, although not flooded was seriously wind and rain damaged, is rebuilding. Hotels and businesses are rebuilding. There were city, state and federal work teams everywhere everyday repairing power lines, streets and street car systems. The best thing we can do for these people is spend our money there. I promise you spending money there will get cash into their hands faster than any government handout.

 

There was much I still wish I had had the time to do. There is the historic walking tour of the Quarter, the cemetaries, the ghosts!!! I will be back! :D

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I'm booked for 6 nights in NOLA pre-cruise. Taking the Fantasy out of NOLA in October. We plan on trying out all the good eats and doing a number of tours. I'm on a budget, but I will hopefully be contributing to her tourism re-build so to speak. I am very much looking forward to seeing her as I missed the opportunity when Katrina hit. I was booked to stay there 4 nights pre and 2 nights post-cruise in October of 2005 and was booked on the NCL Sun. Hopefully mother nature will cooperate this time as the fall is the only time I can get away.

 

I don't expect her to be up and running pre-Katrina, but I am anxious to see New Orleans. I am so glad you had a great time.

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BeadB Thanks for the NOLA review. Hubby is a coin collector and we will go to the coin shop and the museum. Any ideas and suggestions about where and what to eat? What about breakfast? We appreciate all ideas and suggestions. Thanks. We'll be there March 1 for several days precruise and one day/night post. We will do our best to help the economy! (LOL)

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I'm booked for 6 nights in NOLA pre-cruise. Taking the Fantasy out of NOLA in October. We plan on trying out all the good eats and doing a number of tours. I'm on a budget, but I will hopefully be contributing to her tourism re-build so to speak. I am very much looking forward to seeing her as I missed the opportunity when Katrina hit. I was booked to stay there 4 nights pre and 2 nights post-cruise in October of 2005 and was booked on the NCL Sun. Hopefully mother nature will cooperate this time as the fall is the only time I can get away.

 

I don't expect her to be up and running pre-Katrina, but I am anxious to see New Orleans. I am so glad you had a great time.

 

Arby...well bless you because their economy needs it. You will have a great time. By the time you get there, perhaps the street cars will be functioning in more of the areas. Sounds like you are going to be there for a nice number of days to really be able to see some things. I can suggest a few really economic ways to see a lot of stuff.

 

1 - Click here and print this off. It's one of the best self guided walking tours of the French Quarter I've seen. Best of all, it's FREE! If you walk the tour more or less non-stop it's about 3+ hours, but if you take your time and use the oppurtunity to stop at some of the great shops in these areas along the way, you can spend half the day. http://www.neworleanscvb.com/docs/walktour.pdf

Well worth a good half day or more.

 

2 - Also, at the very end of this tour, add a stop to the Voo Doo Musuem. It's right there at stop 38 of the walking tour. Entry fee is $7, but usually Marie Leveau has channeled in to the curator and offers a $2 discount. {wink} GREAT museum, small but a wonderful collection and they let you take pictures. http://www.voodoomuseum.com/

 

3 - D Day Museum http://www.ddaymuseum.org/ it's $14 per person, but really try to fit this into your budget. It's a lifetime experience. This is another half day event.

 

4 - Depending on what all you want to see, and how many people you have in your group...considering hiring a taxi to take you around. We found a great cabbie, very nice comfortable minivan, that for $30 an hour will take you around anywhere you want to see. We took two hours and toured the 9th Ward area (hardest Katrina hit), the Garden District, Loyola Univeristy area and Tulane University area. Was lots less expensive then purchasing tours seperately, and it was just us.

 

5 - Take your time going to Royal street and make yourself pop into some of the antique stores. Those store keepers are the REAL historians of New Orleans and will have some of the best stories to tell!

 

6 - If the street cars are running, then catch the one that runs the Garden District. Board the streetcar directly across Canal Street from Bourbon Street in the French Quarter at Canal and Carondelet streets. If you purchase a day visitour pass, you can get off and on all day. ($1.25 for one ride or $5 all day)

 

7 - Food: Wow, where to begin. Desire on Bourbon has a great oysters and boiled shrimp plate at a reasonable price. Beignets at Cafe Du Monde. Eat a PoBoy somewhere. You can pay BIG bucks to eat in New Orleans and you can also find inexpensive eats, so explore. There are three Emeril's, Antoines, Brennens...the usual big name/big tab places.

 

8 - Drinks: Whatever you drink, pick a color and stick with it. There are a bazillion different kinds of drinks. The key to having fun and not feeling ill the next day, DONT MIX YOUR COLORS! LOLOL

 

Have a great time!

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BeadB Thanks for the NOLA review. Hubby is a coin collector and we will go to the coin shop and the museum. Any ideas and suggestions about where and what to eat? What about breakfast? We appreciate all ideas and suggestions. Thanks. We'll be there March 1 for several days precruise and one day/night post. We will do our best to help the economy! (LOL)

 

Maxsboubie (LOL great name!)...there might be shortages of some things in NOLA, but eats isn't one of them. Great food everywhere. There are the biggies of course, Brennens, Emerils, Antoines, K-Pauls, Commanders Palace (where Emeril got his start), and and and...but don't overlook the hole in the wall places. A good place to check out menus is http://www.neworleansrestaurants.com/

 

Breakfast for me often was coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde! LOL But Brennens was also good for breaky. I also liked Petunia's on St Louis Street. The Bourbon Orleans in the the French Quarter also has a nice breakfast buffet with an omelette bar that has everything you can imagine to put in an omelette.

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BeadBabe, thanks for the great info. The websites are very helpful. Should I print out the brochure for the walking tour or can I pick one up when I get to NOLA? If I can get one, where? Glad you like my name (Max is 4yrs old). What is the Voodoo Museum like? I couldn't tell from their website. Will definitely try some of your suggestions, thanks.

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BeadBabe, thanks for the great info. The websites are very helpful. Should I print out the brochure for the walking tour or can I pick one up when I get to NOLA? If I can get one, where? Glad you like my name (Max is 4yrs old). What is the Voodoo Museum like? I couldn't tell from their website. Will definitely try some of your suggestions, thanks.

 

Boubie...

 

Walking Tour: I'd print it out. I never could find one in brochure form in town that was as good. I ended up going to the business center of my hotel and printing it off. There are a few tourist info places around, but their self-guided tours weren't as good. But then, they were trying to sell their pay-for guided tours. So just print it out. When you do print it, the map isn't very clear, but don't worry. Your hotel will have a Quarter map, or there is a great one in the "Whats Hot in NOLA" mag that they put in every hotel room.

 

VooDoo Museum is small but packed with history. Don't miss it. Take the time to read some of the plaques. There is a hallway with "family" portaits of the movers and shakers (literally!) in voo doo. Then there is a "gris-gris" room, with all kinds of actual and authentic gris-gris...as well as the implementary tools of the trade. Then there is an "altar" room with several altars. This are ACTUAL altars, not just recreations. Don't forget to bring some offerings. ;) Something personal, a key to a house or car you use to own, an earring...if you don't remember, don't worry...you'll get ideas of what you might have on your person that will work. The museum is literally at the end of the walking tour...even though it's not on the list, so it's an easy add on to your walking tour day. Give yourself about 30-45mins there.

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I will print out the map. I guess we will now consider doing the VooDoo museum. I really appreciate all your info. BTW, hubby and I just came back from your state. We did wine country, Solvang and then on to LA to visit family. Now back in Ma, we are having warmer weather than sis in Ca! Go figure................ If you have any more ideas for us,let me know. Thanks----

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