My first sight of New Orleans was from the window of my Amtrak window. the station was right next to the Superdome.
Since the day was not too hot and we were light on luggage, we decided to walk to our hotel. That was okay, till about the last couple blocks, then i wished we had hailed a cab!
The hotel, Hotel St Marie, was awesome! It's decorated in a French style, and we had a room with a balcony. we took advantage of it and enjoyed the sights and sounds of Bourbon Street one block away. We booked rooms during the week, and the prices were drastically cheaper than on the weekends!
Our first night there, we took a stroll through the French Quarter and were amazed at the architectural designs! I think I found my dream style of architecture! All over, there were cast-iron railings with beautiful flowers overflowing from them. Beautifully colored buildings were all over the place. The pastels were beautiful.
We took a ride in a horse drawn carriage and learned a LOT of info about the city. One of the stops was the famous cemetery that's now the resting place of Marie Laveaux!
The next day, we took tours of surrounding buildings. The Louisiana State Museum was wonderful!! The inside of the building itself was a sight to take your breath away with its graceful, wide, sweeping staircases. The cathedral was beautiful, but not as exciting.
Later, we took a river cruise on the Natchez steam powered paddle boat. THAT was a lot of fun. They even supplied a buffet.
For a little shopping therapy, we enjoyed the Riverwalk Mall. That really rejuvenated me. Got to get a little shopping in and enjoyed their huge food court!
I can't leave out NOL's IMAX or their famous Audubon Aquarium. Harrahs is right in walking distance of the river, as are the other 2 attractions I listed.
We had such a pleasant time that we felt like we connected with the place. Since then, we have made a special place for NOL in our hearts and look forward to the day we can get back to it!