New Orleans Vacation Tips

My wife and are taking our first vacation since I started up my new company in September. I have been super busy and working day and night since day one, so this is much needed.

We have a babysitter keeping the kids for four days and are headed to New Orleans on a Thursday.

Does anyone any good suggestions for restaurants or activities? We will be looking for some kind of physical/outdoor activity that we don't have in our small town in Florida. No need for the swamp tours, we live in one. Has anyone done rock climbing at New Orleans Boulder Lounge?

Thanks in advance!

Only been once for 2 or 3 days and the couple key spots I remember were:

Mardi Gras World to tour a big warehouse where giant parade floats are both stored and created,

Cafe Du Monde where you stand in a long line for beignets,

Pat O’Briens for hurricanes and pretty good food,

obviously walking around Bourbon St (which is quite dirty so don’t wear your favorite shoes),

and I believe we also went to the WWII museum. 

Sorry that walking around is the only physical aspect of these suggestion, but still should be a decent time if you check any of them out. 

I've only ever gotten wasted out of my mind and done questionable things in nawlins, but wandering bourbon street for sure. Maybe there's a kayak option somewhere? Or one of those bike while you drink bar tour things?

Throw lots of beads. 

mudpuppy said:

Throw lots of beads. 

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And not at the wife!

All I remember is Fat Tuesdays and then everything else is a blur...

In no particular order, some restaurants we enjoy are

• French Quarter Area
  
  Maspero's
  
• Deanie's
  
• Cafe du Monde (sit, relax, and listen to the band playing)
  
• Central Grocery (the BEST Muffuletta)
  
• Gumbo Shop
  
• Desire (at the Royal Sonesta hotel) (sit near the windows to see the colorful people walking by and get oysters... lots of oysters)
  

[*]Elsewhere (visit the Uptown Area)

• 
  Ninja Sushi (don't be fooled if the ground floor is empty, it's upstairs)
  
• Another Broken Egg (great for a heavy breakfast)
  
• The Rum House
  

I'd recommend you venture out of the French Quarter after a short while.  There is so much more to New Orleans than beads and boobs.  But before you go, make sure you get a few Hand Grenades from Tropical Isle at the far end of Bourbon St., sit on the balcony, and watch foolishness below.  If it's your 21st birthday, were given a toxic number of Hand Grenades in a short time frame, and it's Mardi Gras, don't be talked into going into Oz across the street.  Dorothy isn't Dorothy.

I can't help much with the physical activity thing, but when we stay, we never drive anywhere.  We just walk... everywhere... or take the street cars.

The WWII museum kicks ass.  Before they expanded in 2010, we spent all day in there.  My rather pregnant wife didn't like it very much because of her back and walking and something like that.  Whatever.  We went again late last year and the D-Day section was closed for renovation.  Bummer, but should be open now.

If you're looking for a place to stay, really any hotel would be alright.  I prefer non-FQ places.  We usually stay at Prytania Oaks (not Prytania Park).  It's smallish, but the room is a well done time capsule.  We don't spend any day time in the room though, so YMMV.

^ Echo above about the hand grenade from Tropical Isle and the WWII museum. But as noted, allot a good amount of time for the museum. We were only there like for 2 hours and there was still so much to see. Don't think we ever had any bad dining experiences there. Walking around downtown near the Super Dome is pretty fun too. You're likely to see remnants of when both Super Bowls were hosted in N.O. We decided to stay in a bed & breakfast in the French Quarter. And like MS said, it was within walking distance to just about everywhere. Took public transpo every where else near the downtown area. I think you can buy a day pass for the street cars which is pretty reasonable.

knight1fox3 said:

Walking around downtown near the Super Dome ...

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Say what?  :blink:

Master slacker said:

Say what?  :blink:

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Is Super Dome not the correct moniker for that stadium? :thumbs:

knight1fox3 said:

Is Super Dome not the correct moniker for that stadium? :thumbs:

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I see what you did there.