Quick trip to New Orleans

New Orleans has the potential to be a different city every time you visit it-- it just depends on which facet of this jewel you wish to explore. There is literally something for everyone, regardless of your interests-- history, shopping, nature, food, or just being part of a really big party. While we've done the party scene in the past, this time, my sweetie and I decided to stay off of Bourbon Street and relax with some good food and a more laid-back schedule.

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

Driving in New Orleans is not for the faint of heart in many cases. Particularly if you aren't accustomed to or don't like "big city driving", it is best to park your car and take advantage of the streetcars and your own two feet. The streetcars are a great bargain at .25 per ride. Riding the St. Charles streetcar is a great way to view some of the beautiful mansions in the Garden District and now that the Canal Street cars are in service, you can quickly get up to the City Park (and museum) and some good Midtown restaurants. Walking is the only way to get around the French Quarter-- parking is either difficult to find or very expensive.

This Marriott has one outstanding feature-- location!! It is literally steps from the French Quarter, Riverwalk, Aquarium, and the streetcar lines. Once inside, however, it has that big-hotel lack of personality that makes you wonder if you are in New Orleans or Des Moines.

The common areas are nice and our room was clean and functional-- nothing special. There is no hot tub, but there is a pool in between the two towers of the hotel. It gets very little sun, and is, thus, rather chilly.

The concierge was less than helpful when it came to a lunch suggestion-- couldn't tell us anyplace with outside seating in the Quarter, so we found several places on our own.

Overall, the rates seem a bit high; but, if you do as we did and book on Priceline ($50), then the price (given the location) is pretty reasonable. Keep in mind, also, that parking is pretty steep as they make you use their valet service ($24.50/day). If you can find more reasonable (yet safe) parking elsewhere, it might be worth it to skip the hotel parking.

Going to Jacques-Imo's is a prerequisite for our New Orleans trips! Take the St. Charles streetcar up to Oak Street, then wander down a few blocks until you see the funky truck parked on the street. We love this place!! Apparently lots of other people do too because we usually end up waiting an hour or two to be seated (reservations only for parties of five or more). It’s not a big deal, however, because the Maple Leaf Bar is right next door and the hostesses from Jacques-Imo's come over to let you know when your table is ready.

The restaurant's atmosphere is funky, starting you off with a trip through the kitchen on the way to your table. It's a small place with lots of activity. The service is pretty decent, but the food is fabulous!

I tried the soft-shell crab for an appetizer-- nice and crispy and big enough for two to share. The spinach salad with fried oyster that accompanies dinner is good, but nothing spectacular. We ordered from the seasonal menu-- I had blackened redfish and my sweetie had Cajun bouillabaisse -- both were wonderful. The only problem was that the portions were so large that we didn't have room for dessert!

We're looking forward to our next trip back to New Orleans so we can enjoy more Jacques-Imo's!!!

Almost everyone ends up at Cafe du Monde at some point during their trip to New Orleans. It is nearly impossible to resist those yummy beignets and hot coffee!! In addition, the tables are close enough together that you can make friends with all sort of folks if you hang out long enough! However, this is not the be-all-end-all place for breakfast-- it is much better for a light(!) dessert or for a late night nosh.

This is a lovely breakfast experience in the French Quarter!! Croissant d'Or is a bit off the beaten path, but in recent years, it has been "found" by many in-the-know travelers and guidebooks, so it is more crowded that when we first started coming here.

They serve wonderful pastries and quiche with good, strong coffee to get your morning going. The almond croissant is particularly tasty and it's hard to go wrong by ordering quiche, no matter what kind it is.

There is a small courtyard outside with a fountain, a perfect place for enjoying breakfast and planning the day's events or reading the paper.

We stumbled across this place when we wanted something close to the hotel. Being in the French Quarter, it catered to tourists-- high prices and iffy service. I had crawfish etoufee and my sweetie had a roast beef poor boy. The crawfish was pretty decent-- much better than I had been expecting-- with lots of crawfish and good heat. My sweetie's poor boy wasn't anything special-- you can get a much better one at Parasol's or Mother's. However, he did have one of the best bloody marys I have ever tasted-- lots of good spice!!

Felix's has been around for a long time and is across the street from Acme. We tried it out because, while the line at Felix was very long, the line at Acme was longer.

If we had been willing to stand at the bar and order only oysters, we wouldn't have had to wait, but we opted for a table with full service. Unfortunately, the service wasn't worth waiting for – we never got the water we asked for and once the server delivered our food, she didn't return to our table until she was ready to give us the bill.

The oysters were great and you make your own sauce so it can be as spicy or mild as you want. We could have put away several dozen if we had not ordered other dishes as well. We had crawfish etoufee and a soft shell crab poor boy, both of which were unremarkable. But the oysters were worth every minute of the wait. Next time, we'll avoid the line, sidle up to the bar, order a couple beers, and tell them to keep the oysters coming!

If you can't handle crowds of people, this isn't the place for you. However, if you enjoy digging (and then haggling) for that perfect bargain, you might be in the right place.

The French Market is divided into a covered market section and a community flea market. The community flea market often has some interesting local vendors, while the covered market seems a little more commercial in some parts. Many vendors sell the hot sauces and hurricane mix you can find all over the city, but some are selling local plants and vegetables or unusual jewelery. The snow cones and lemonade often for sale here are both tasty ways to beat the heat.

Overall, this place really is a treasure hunt, so if you aren't prepared to spend some time wading through the junk for a real bargain or two, you may want to skip this attraction.

Not only is the aquarium is a great indoor attraction when you need to get out of the heat or away from the hustle of downtown New Orleans, it is a destination in and of itself. Inside is quiet and soothing with a number of ecosystems represented. From the Amazon to the Louisiana River Delta, there are amazing creatures to be discovered at every turn. We have been here before with our children who are enthralled by each and every display, but we came alone this time. I can easily say that we enjoyed it every bit as much on our own. Having been to many aquariums in the US, I can say without hesitation that this is one of the best and should not be missed.