Trip to New Orleans - Advice needed

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There was a long line out the door when we went to check it out, so chose another less crowded cafe on a street in the French Quarter to taste the wares ... definitely try one, Lu. They are delicious :hungry:

When we first moved to Nola, we live in Algiers Point, just across the river from the French Quarter. On Sunday mornings, we would take the free ferry (is it still free?) from Algiers over to the quarter and have breakfast at Cafe du Monde. I often took my dog with us and we'd sit outside, read the paper, drink coffee, have breakfast, people watch, while my dog would eat beignets. She loved the beignets! We'd have to pay for our food but the servers would give our dog free food. It got to the point that every time we'd get off the ferry in the quarter, she'd head for the cafe. After we had eaten, we'd walk around the quarter. It was such a nice way to spend a Sunday morning. I'd definitely recommend a walking tour of the quarter.

--a little trivia--
The Mississippi river, where it makes that sharp bend between the quarter and Algiers Point is the deepest part of the river. Water flows downstream on the quarter's side (east bank of the river), but the water flows upstream on the Algier's side, (west bank). It's kind of has a large whirlpool effect. And due to all the ocean-going ships that load cargo in the New Orleans-Baton Rouge area, they have to maintain a 46 foot draft down the river at the "Head of Passes" (where the river empties into the gulf). This mean that the vessels can load enough cargo so there is 46 feet from the bottom of their hull to their water line. In this lower part of the river, the Head of Passes is the lowest part. And the river doesn't have a solid bottom, it's kind of mud-like that gets thicker the deeper it goes. Sometimes this mud breaks off from the bottom and rolls down river along the bottom.
end of trivia---

About once a month, a group of us would make reservations at various restaurants for a Saturday night and restaurants-hop. We'd go to one for appetizers, another for the main course, and a third for dessert. It was sort of a common thing that a lot of local folks did. We'd go to all the restaurants already mentioned, but I remember going to "The Court of Two Sisters" in the quarter for drinks, either before of after dinner, and I really enjoyed their brunches. This was during my Bon Vivant period of life. About the only restaurant we didn't go to was Paul Prudhomme's place in the quarter. He was just getting famous for his blackened redfish, and the locals considered his place tourist food. If you wanted good redfish, go up to his sister's restaurant in Oppalousus (up in Cajun country). Now, dat's some kind a good eatin, cher! I was up there one time and was sitting at a table next to these two old boys talking to each other, and was trying to figure out what language the were speaking. It kind of sounded like a combination of French and Spanish with a little English thrown in. Then I realized they were speaking Cajun French. I was listening to 18th century French!

We lived in NOLA for about year then moved to Mandeville, on the north shore of lake Pontchartrain. We drove over the bridge from Metarie to Madeville every day, and for a while it was the world's longest bridge. It was a really nice place to live, far enough from the city so you didn't share their problems, but close enough to do a daily commuter. It's grown quite a bit now from when we lived there. The north shore, and the towns of Mandeville, Covington and Madisonville were settled by the wealthier families (pre-Civil War), from NOLA who would live there in the summer to avoid the Yellow Fever outbreaks that occurred in NOLA. There are many beautiful older homes in the older parts of those towns and along the lake. We lived in an Arcadian-style home, kind of a simple, cabin-like home with huge windows and an over-sized roof. They look small from the outside but their pretty big on the inside. The house was across a road from an outlet to a bayou, and in the spring you would lie in bed at night and hear the alligator's grunt out their mating calls.

Ok, I've got stuff to do, but this thread has brought up some good, 35 year old memories. My thanks to everyone.
 
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Ok, I've got stuff to do, but this thread has brought up some good, 35 year old memories. My thanks to everyone.
:smile: Those sound like some great memories.

I remember going to "The Court of Two Sisters" in the quarter for drinks, either before of after dinner, and I really enjoyed their brunches
We also had a lovely brunch at this place with a little light jazz music playing in the background. I think that's what it is supposed to be renowned for, too. Then there's Pat O's in the French Quarter as well. There we discovered 'dueling pianos', something I'd never seen before, which is a bit like dueling banjo's but with pianos :laugh: Well, they didn't 'duel' so much as take requests (with a tip) for songs and play what the audience requested. Another wonderful experience which included a 'Hurricane', and that's a whole other story!
 
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Many thanks for all your advice, ladies and gents! I'm afraid I'm more interested in sightseeing than sitting down in a restaurant to eat. I'm the tourist type of grab and go! :laugh: Maybe I'll slow down in the evenings to sit somewhere to enjoy the atmosphere, after the sightseeing places all closed. And I'm not a seafood fan either. I eat fish, but shrimps and (raw) oysters unfortunately make me :sick:. I'll have to look at food options beforehand to not get surprised. All those exotic names make me wonder what's hiding in them.
Oh, Lu, if you go to New Orleans, the food pretty much has to be part of the sightseeing. It's such an integral part of the city's culture and history and identity -- you'd be missing out if you didn't partake. There's really nothing else like it in the United States.

My last trip to New Orleans was several years ago, and I went with people who wanted to eat takeout pizza. :eek::confused::frown: I, um, pitched such a colossal fit they backed off that suggestion and ate the local cuisine with me. :D

I second everyone who recommended the WWII Museum.

Surprised nobody has mentioned walking down Bourbon Street. :smoke: (Or maybe they did and I just missed it.)

Will say, though, I was personally very disappointed with the Cafe Du Monde the last time I was there. But maybe it is better now. The service was terrible, and I thought the beignets were disappointing. :frown:
 
Before going to Vicksburg for the CWT gathering in October, I'll be in New Orleans for a few days. I've already made a longer list of what to see than I will have time. :cautious: On that list is - of course - the Confederate Memorial Hall Museum.

My question: How much time minimum should I allot for the visit at the museum? I know, I could probably spend an entire day and not have seen everything. But I don't know how large the museum is so I have no idea whether I should be there as soon as it opens or if it's enough to enter an hour or two before they close.

Also, I've found two tours that I'd love to do but I guess both won't be possible time-wise. Both tours have great reviews on tripadvisor. What would you suggest for a first time visitor to New Orleans and Louisiana: A trip on a paddle wheeler on the Mississippi to the battlefield of the Battle of New Orleans, or a swamp tour with an air boat through the Jean Lafitte National Park?

Other items on my New Orleans agenda are: sightseeing tour with the Hop on-hop off-bus, walking tour through the French Quarter and (possibly) the Garden District, St. Louis cemetery walking tour, Mardi Gras World, Metairie Cemetery and, when heading north to Vicksburg, Oak Alley Plantation.

Oh, regarding Metairie: I've read it's a huge cemetery and one could easily spend a week in there discovering new things. If I only wanted to see the tombs of Civil War participants, how much time should I allot?

Many thanks in advance! :thumbsup:

A good idea is to find a hotel that is centrally located around Canal, or Poydras streets near river. That way if you want to hop in car to go any where you can easily get out, also it's easy access to the street cars that run along the river (French Quarter, Mardi Gras World), up and down canal (from River to start of Canal where Metaire Cemetary is), and connections to the St Charles St cars that will lead you uptown to Garden District.

Street Car info

French Quarter night tours I've heard are awesome for French Quarter and St Louis Cemetary. Not sure what to tell you timewise for Metairie Cemetary, maybe just stake out locations of tombs you want to see prior to your visit.
Swamp tours, and battlefield are both a parish over. So be aware of that time-wise. Entertainment wise, go to Offbeat.com they have good information about eats, and shows if your into that.

Just enjoy yourself, and if some one bets you they know where you got those shoes.......DEY ON YO' FEET!
:thumbsup:
 
Before going to Vicksburg for the CWT gathering in October, I'll be in New Orleans for a few days. I've already made a longer list of what to see than I will have time. :cautious: On that list is - of course - the Confederate Memorial Hall Museum.

My question: How much time minimum should I allot for the visit at the museum? I know, I could probably spend an entire day and not have seen everything. But I don't know how large the museum is so I have no idea whether I should be there as soon as it opens or if it's enough to enter an hour or two before they close.

Also, I've found two tours that I'd love to do but I guess both won't be possible time-wise. Both tours have great reviews on tripadvisor. What would you suggest for a first time visitor to New Orleans and Louisiana: A trip on a paddle wheeler on the Mississippi to the battlefield of the Battle of New Orleans, or a swamp tour with an air boat through the Jean Lafitte National Park?

Other items on my New Orleans agenda are: sightseeing tour with the Hop on-hop off-bus, walking tour through the French Quarter and (possibly) the Garden District, St. Louis cemetery walking tour, Mardi Gras World, Metairie Cemetery and, when heading north to Vicksburg, Oak Alley Plantation.

Oh, regarding Metairie: I've read it's a huge cemetery and one could easily spend a week in there discovering new things. If I only wanted to see the tombs of Civil War participants, how much time should I allot?

Many thanks in advance! :thumbsup:
Camp Moore Museum and Confederate Cemetery is 1.5 hours north of New Orleans.

http://www.campmoorela.com/
 
A little tardy to the party, but I'll add my two cents. I honestly wouldn't bother with the Chalmette battlefield as there is very, very little there. I think about two hours is a good time frame for the confederate museum given it's size. You might want to also look at the Cabildo and the Historic New Orleans collection. Both are good museums and both generally have revolving exhibits. As a local, one thing I might suggest is getting out of the quarter when you can. Try brunch at the lake front airport at messina's. It's a 20s vintage fully restored art deco airport where you can have an amazing brunch while watching small planes come and go.
 
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Check out the Natchez Trace. It's been years since I've been on it but I believe you will find it very interesting. You mentioned possibly Tupelo. I think the Trace comes very near Tupelo.And there are some Civil War sites on or near the trace. Do yourself a favor and include at least a part of it on your trip.
 
Check out the Natchez Trace. It's been years since I've been on it but I believe you will find it very interesting. You mentioned possibly Tupelo. I think the Trace comes very near Tupelo.And there are some Civil War sites on or near the trace. Do yourself a favor and include at least a part of it on your trip.
Thanks, but I think you're mistaking me for someone else. Tupelo never figured in my travel plans for October.

I might do the part of the Natchez Trace between Natchez and Jackson. Thanks!
 
Check out the Natchez Trace. It's been years since I've been on it but I believe you will find it very interesting. You mentioned possibly Tupelo. I think the Trace comes very near Tupelo.And there are some Civil War sites on or near the trace. Do yourself a favor and include at least a part of it on your trip.
Absolutely !

Once you leave New Orleans and start traveling toward Vicksburg, I would recommend taking Interstate 10 to Baton Rouge and then U.S. Highway 61 to Natchez, Mississippi. If you have time, spend at least one day in both towns. Actually Baton Rouge is a small city.

Anyway, once you leave Natchez. I would suggest getting off of Highway 61 a few kilometers north of Natchez and getting on the Natchez Trace.

It's not an autobahn . . . far from it ! :smile:

But the Natchez trace is a National Parkway ( a National Park in itself).
And traveling the Trace will take you almost to Vicksksburg !

natr-ExperiencingtheTrace1_640x360.mp4
 
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Just gonna add--because my daughter FINALLY got to go a few weeks ago before the tropical storm--Longwood is worth a visit because it's such a good example of folks literally walking off the job to go into the army. You probably won't have time, but just in case you're back (one visit to Natchez isn't enough!).

 
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