New Orleans

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New Orleans and the French Quarter

A May 2004 trip to New Orleans by Jerryaub

My favoriteMore Photos

While staying a week at my exchanged timeshare, in the French Quarter, I was able to take in a lot of New Orleans.

  • 14 reviews
  • 1 story/tip
  • 35 photos

New Orleans and the French QuarterBest of IgoUgo

Overview

The food was great! We took a lot of tours of plantations, a steam paddle boat, swamps, and cities. They were all worth the money. We also took a carriage ride around the French Quarter and that was a lot of fun.

Quick Tips:

I bought an Entertainment book online for . It saved me over on Grey Line Tours and restaurants.

Don't rent a car if you're staying in the French Quarter because you can get around better on streetcars. Plus there's no parking and if you do find parking, you have to pay.

Best Way To Get Around:

Driving is not a good idea in the French Quarter. The streets are narrow and parking spots are rare and you have to pay. We used streetcars, which cost .25 a ride or for all day. The streetcars were fun -- we took a day and traveled all the streetcar routes.

Johnny's PO - BoysBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Johnny's Po Boy"

My favorite
This place serves great food. It was set up like a deli, with hot food and tables. The prices were very good. We got breakfast muffins with egg and ham, my favorite. The deli meat looked good too.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Jerryaub on May 31, 2004

Johnny's PO - Boys
511 Saint Louis St. (French Quarter) New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
(504) 524-8129

The Alpine RestaurantBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

BBQ Shrimp
I got the BBQ shrimp and Linda got pecan fish. The BBQ shrimp was messy (you had to peel the shrimp yourself), but well worth it. Everything on the plate was excellent.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Jerryaub on May 31, 2004

The Alpine Restaurant
620 Chartres Stret New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
504-523-3005

Ocean AireBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Oceana"

Inside
We ate twice here. I got the blackened catfish and Linda got crawfish pasta. Both are great dishes. This is also a sister restaurant to The Alpine.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Jerryaub on May 31, 2004

Ocean Aire
739 Conti Street New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
(504) 525-9794

Corner Oyster Bar and GrillBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

This place is right on the corner by Jackson Square. The food was good and the prices weren't bad. We liked the food and the service was good.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Jerryaub on May 31, 2004

Corner Oyster Bar and Grill
500 Saint Peter Street New Orleans, Louisiana 70116

Cafe GumbolayaBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Cafe Gumbo Laya"

Catfish
We ate twice here. The blackened catfish dinner was great! This place is by the French Market. They have daily specials, which are marked down from menu prices.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Jerryaub on May 31, 2004

Cafe Gumbolaya
1000 North Peters St New Orleans, Louisiana 70116
(504) 523-7418

House of BluesBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Going to a "House A Blues" is always fun and they have great food. This one was no different. We weren't real hungry, so we ordered appetizers. We got catfish nuggets and shrimp. Both were great.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Jerryaub on May 31, 2004

House of Blues
225 Decatur St New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
+1 504 529 2624

Evergreen Plantation ToursBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Plantation Tour"

Oak Alley
We got such good information from our tour guides that it was almost like stepping back in time. We learned how people live there now and in the past. We didn't have to worry about driving. The bus driver gave us info on the way out. You get to tour two plantations, Oak Alley and Laura, and drive by four others.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Jerryaub on May 31, 2004

Evergreen Plantation Tours
233 N. Peters New Orleans, Louisiana

Paddle & Wheel TourBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Paddle & Wheel Tour"

Paddle Boat
You get two tours: a bus tour and a paddle boat tour. You don't have to do them on the same day, but we did. Linda and enjoyed the paddle boat ride down the Mississippi -- very relaxing. You walk around the boat, engine room, and dining area. They do serve food, but we didn't eat there. The bus ride had good information and it helped us learn our way around.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Jerryaub on May 31, 2004

Paddle & Wheel Tour
Lighthouse New Orleans, Louisiana

Swamp and Bayou TourBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

Swamp Tour
Learn about the swamp, the history, what goes on there, and what has changed. You take a bus ride to the swamp and then get on a boat. The tour guide gives good information and you get to feel what it's like to be in the swamp, even see animals.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Jerryaub on May 31, 2004

Swamp and Bayou Tour
Lighthouse New Orleans, Louisiana

Carriage RideBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

Carriage Ride
For $10 each, we got a ride around the French Quarter in a horse-drawn buggy. We did it at about 6:30pm; the weather had cooled off and it was really relaxing. We got to see a lot of sights. Linda and I enjoyed this very much.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Jerryaub on May 31, 2004

Carriage Ride
Jackson Square New Orleans, Louisiana

St. Charles StreetcarBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Streetcars"

St Charles Street Car
I really like the streetcars; they were the best way of getting around for $1.25 per ride or $5 for all day. Make sure you have the right change. We used the riverwalk streetcar a lot since it was by our timeshare. We took a day and bought two $5 all-day passes and rode all the streetcars to the end of the line and then took them back. The St Charles is the oldest and longest working streetcar in the world. The streetcar runs down the middle of the road under the trees. It’s another good way to get around in New Orleans.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Jerryaub on May 31, 2004

St. Charles Streetcar
Regional Transit Authority New Orleans, Louisiana
(504) 248-3900

The Garden DistrictBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Garden District Self -Walking Tour"

Garden Dist
When we rode the St Charles Streetcar, it took us through the Garden District. The map I had showed a self-walking tour of some of these old mansions, so we got off and took the self tour. It was fun and it brought us back around to the streetcar stop.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Jerryaub on May 31, 2004

The Garden District
St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, Louisiana

Mardi Gras WorldBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

Gator
Just across the Mississippi, take a free ferry (walking, not car) across to Algiers. Mardi World has a free shuttle to pick you up, but we walked -- it was a nice walk about 800 yards.

We had a guided tour -- it was fun see all the floats they had and to see how they're made. There was a cooking show offered too. We did it and it included lunch. I finally learned how to make a roux for my gumbo.

  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Jerryaub on May 31, 2004

Mardi Gras World
233 Newton St New Orleans, Louisiana 70114
504-361-7821

New Orleans French QuarterBest of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Cafe Du Monde
The French Quarter has a rustic atmosphere. Each restaurant, gift shop, and tour has its own unique charm. History is around every corner where it is easy to step back in time, where eating is rich in culture and every meal is a feast, where an automobile is cumbersome, but soon forgotten after experiencing a commute by street car.

About the Writer

Jerryaub
Jerryaub
Escondido, California

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