New Orleans in November

New Orleans is not just another American city, but somewhere unique where you can feel history on every street. Self-guided walks took us from the shabby, but atmospheric French Quarter to the antebellum houses on the quiet, tree-lined streets of the Garden District. I'm glad we took a ride on the Natchez streamboat, even if it was terribly touristy, and the lunchtime jazz band was great. A free ferry trip across the mighty Mississippi to Algiers Point, where a bus was waiting to take us to Mardi Gras World, where we were able to capture some of the brash and colourful flavour of Mardi Gras in November.

Quick Tips:

Don't go anywhere before you first visit the nearest welcome centre, where the wonderfully helpful staff will provide free maps and all the help you need, including good deals on hotel accommodations.

November was a good time of year climate-wise, because the temperature was pleasant even when it rained.

Best Way To Get Around:

Explore on foot with the help of the excellent public transport system. You can ride all day on the buses and fun streetcars for per ticket. Taxis from the airport are almost as cheap as taking the shuttle bus and lot quicker.

This is a charming hotel with built-in character. The rooms were furnished in the antebellum period. If you are there out of season, you can get a very good deal through the Welcome Centre.

This is a popular restaurant, not only because they serve good, reasonably priced food (the crawfish is hard to beat) but also because you can sit at your table for as long as you like being entertained by an excellent six-piece traditional jazz band--not as easy to find in New Orleans as you would expect.

A very popular restaurant famous for its Creole cuisine. Once you're seated, the service is excellent and the food worth waiting for. Telephone reservations are not accepted, so when you check in, you may have to wait up to an hour for a table, but at least you can leave your name and either sit at the bar or even visit the local shops that stay open very late.

The Sculpture Garden is spread across nearly five acres and was designed to display a permanent collection of sculptures by a collection of international modern artists. There are footpaths through lawns and groves of specimen trees and pedestrian bridges that cross reflecting lakes. Even if you are not into modern art, there are plenty of seats where you can sit and enjoy the tranquil scene.

Cypress Swamp
Water tupelo and bald cypress trees live in deep water for long periods. After taking root in summer, when the swamp is nearly dry, the seedlings can stay alive in water deep enough to kill other plants. This trail leads to an abandoned river channel. As the channel fills with silt and vegetation, black willows, sycamores, and other trees will gradually replace the bald cypresses and tupeloes.