Last year Nashville, this year New Orleans!

[COOKIEINCOV]

Along with all the other great suggestions the Aquarium is aweseome.

Crawfish are in season, so far they have been excellent..you should try it

[NiceTom]

My tip-start looking for a room. We are going to be there in a few weeks, and really had to do some searching to find 2 rooms. I'd read about these cheap rooms, but I sure couldn't find them. Not much problem finding rooms $200+ a night, but that was more than we wanted to spend. Finally found a BB-haunted to boot-that fit our needs for $104.

[Mercy]

Originally Posted by NiceTom

My tip-start looking for a room. We are going to be there in a few weeks, and really had to do some searching to find 2 rooms. I'd read about these cheap rooms, but I sure couldn't find them. Not much problem finding rooms $200+ a night, but that was more than we wanted to spend. Finally found a BB-haunted to boot-that fit our needs for $104.

When are you going? I think the Jazz Festival is the end of April, which could be the reason you having a hard time. We are going May 11-15.... and I'm going to try Priceline for my room. Have you tried them... bidding for a room?

I'm waiting to hear from my girlfriend and her husband if they want to go with us or not.... and then I'm bidding!!!

tbay13...Thanks for the tips!! (a paragraph break would have helped with the reading though )

[NiceTom]

We didn't try the name your own rate at Priceline-I'm not familiar with how it works-don't you bid, and don't know where your staying until after your bid is confirmed? I just don't like that, but I'm sure it would work out fine.

I'm sure I didn't do the smartest searching-I mostly just bounced all over, checking individual hotels websites. Many, many of them. Eventually, I went to the white pages, and starting at a, began searching. If they didn't have a website, I skipped them.

I think it would have been easier if I had been to NO before, and knew which way was up.

We'll be there 4/19-4/21

[Mercy]

Originally Posted by NiceTom

We didn't try the name your own rate at Priceline-I'm not familiar with how it works-don't you bid, and don't know where your staying until after your bid is confirmed? I just don't like that, but I'm sure it would work out fine.

I'm sure I didn't do the smartest searching-I mostly just bounced all over, checking individual hotels websites. Many, many of them. Eventually, I went to the white pages, and starting at a, began searching. If they didn't have a website, I skipped them.

I think it would have been easier if I had been to NO before, and knew which way was up.

We'll be there 4/19-4/21

Yeah, that is how Priceline works. You need to be somewhat familiar with it though. I've bid for a lot of rooms using Priceline and always have good results. You are not going during Jazz Fest.... However, I just did a quick check on the Marriott New Orleans and the Sheraton New Orleans, two hotels that are frequently won through Priceline bids (and very large hotels to-boot) and they are showing no vacancy for your dates Maybe there is some large convention during that time. Maybe you should reconsider your dates... if you can't change your dates, I wish you good luck finding a hotel.

[tbay13]

Originally Posted by Mercy

When are you going? I think the Jazz Festival is the end of April, which could be the reason you having a hard time. We are going May 11-15.... and I'm going to try Priceline for my room. Have you tried them... bidding for a room?

I'm waiting to hear from my girlfriend and her husband if they want to go with us or not.... and then I'm bidding!!!

tbay13...Thanks for the tips!! (a paragraph break would have helped with the reading though )

I'm just a history teacher.....what's a "paragraph?"

[NiceTom]

Originally Posted by Mercy

Yeah, that is how Priceline works. You need to be somewhat familiar with it though. I've bid for a lot of rooms using Priceline and always have good results. You are not going during Jazz Fest.... However, I just did a quick check on the Marriott New Orleans and the Sheraton New Orleans, two hotels that are frequently won through Priceline bids (and very large hotels to-boot) and they are showing no vacancy for your dates Maybe there is some large convention during that time. Maybe you should reconsider your dates... if you can't change your dates, I wish you good luck finding a hotel.

We've got rooms, it just took up all my mad search skills.

[Mercy]

Originally Posted by NiceTom

We've got rooms, it just took up all my mad search skills.

So dish... what did you get?? Inquiring minds want to know!!

[NiceTom]

Dauphine House

[Mercy]

Originally Posted by NiceTom

Dauphine House

Looks nice Tom! Enjoy yourself in NOLA!! The more I read about the place, the more excited I get about going. Hopefully I will hear from my girlfriend tonight as to whether she and her husband will be going with us or not.... then I can book my trip!!

[Seakony]

we just got back from New Orleans sunday night. We flew and rented a car. Due to the final 4..we chose to stay in Kenner across from the Treasure Chest Casino on Lake Ponchitrain. I have lots of family in NOLA and the surrounding area and have been going to NOLA all my life. The Quarters are great for a couple or 3 nights if you plan on just staying in the Quarters downtown area. THere are also some very nice B&B's and hotels on St Charles in the Garden district. All you have to do is hop a streetcar to downtown.

We did do a couple of touristy stuff. Slim hasn't been there very much. We took the Creole Queen riverboat to Chalmette where the battlefields are. It was ok..not much on the river but warehouses and some ships..and I did that trip 20 something years ago.
They were having free concerts at Riverwalk..Kiss played Friday night and Jimmy Buffet played Sunday.
We also stopped in at Pat Obriens which is always a fun place where you can get the original hurricaine drink..don't order a 2nd one until you stand up and can walk after the first one. It was a little sad to see somebody else playing the money tray in the piano room. It made me grieve all over again for Eddie who was killed during Katrina.

Speaking of Katrina.. We spent a couple of hours in the lower 9th ward and I have to say I was very happy to see all the new construction. It's coming back as a different kind of neighborhood..which is good. I was down there a year after Katrina and it was still pretty bad.
We also spent alot of time in the Lakeview area that was also hard hit and it really looks wonderful. Alot of the city was flooded, you just didn't hear about it on the news. 3 of my cousins lost their homes in 3 different parts of town. I heard the last FEMA trailer left town last week.

I also dragged Slim thru a couple of Cemetaries for my research. I love them..Slim..not so much. They also got flooded during Katrina and alot of the trees are no longer there.

We ate mostly where the locals go..which isn't in the quarters..but there are some good seafood restuarants there..try Deanies, Central Grocery on Decatur for a muffaletta, Cafe Du Monde for beniets, and stroll around the markets. Get a snowball to chill off with..but not at the one in a little cart/trailer in the market..they sucked..the best is near the Riverwalk Mall. If you have a car..go straight out Canal to the lake..great place for a cool breeze and walking around. We love hanging around the Lake area.

We had a great time all in all.. the best way to tell is when you get home and get on the scale..if you gained 5 lbs or more..you ate very well. I gained 7.

BTW..it's always a good idea to check the NOLA website to see what's happening in town before you book..It's a big convention city and there are always some kind of festival going on. I had a problem finding a room and a flight to coincide at the same time. I also wasn't lucky enough to get a 69.00 flight..damn final 4 .
OH.. and check out the Camilla Grill on St Charles if you take a streeetcar ride....and Frenchman St. just a block past Decateur and Esplanade..alot of new bars and restuarants there. If you pass by the Famous Door on bourbon...look for my name..lol

[Mercy]

Hey thanks Rita for all the info!! I'm starting to get overwhelmed with info though.... and what happens then, is I'll get to NOLA and not know where to go/what to do...information overload That happened the first time we went to Playa.

But that's okay... keep it coming!!

[Seakony]

Dont sweat it.. you will sweat enough when you get there..if you think Playa is hot...welcome to New Orleans. I could easily live there but for the humidity in that city.

If you are not going to have a car..then stick to walking around the French Quarters and riding the streetcar down St. Charles. You catch it on Canal and it will go all the way down St Charels then it turns and goes down Carrolton where it will end. Then just catch it back. Get a day pass and get off and on as much as you like..or grab an air-conditioned bus. There is also a cable car that runs along the river. It starts just east of the market and goes past the Riverwalk Mall. It can save you some time and give you a chance to save alot of steps.

You will find plenty of places to eat, drink, and listen to music in the Quarters and downtown.

If you rent a car..make sure you find out what your hotel charges for parking..it's usually 20-35 a day..which I think is a huge rip-off. The city is easy to get around..just remember the street changes names when you cross Canal into the French Quarters..ex: Royal becomes St Charles. Really, you don't need a car at all unless you want to go out to the lake or other parts in town.

If you decide to do a plantation tour..keep in mind that they are pretty far from the city..about 40-60 minutes away..so plan on the tour being a long one...but I love going to the plantations. Houmas House is where they made the movie "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte" and the "Skeleton Key" was shot at Laura Plantation. Most of the plantations are near each other.
In the past..people would leave the city and head up river in the summer to avoid the heat and the Yellow Jack. Not a problem these days.

Oh..and be sure to stand on the levy across from Jackson Square..take a look at the level of the river and then the level of the square..you will notice that the river is higher. It's that way at the lake too.

[Mercy]

Thanks again Rita! I don't think we are going to rent a car, just use public transportation like you have mentioned. From what I understand a car really won't be necessary. We are only there from a Friday till Tuesday in May, so I think we will probably stay around the FQ area and explore there. If we love it like most people say we will, I'm sure we will be back!

[Mercy]

Well, our trip is all booked. We had to move our trip to June 1-5 due to the airfare going sky-high (no pun intended). I tried for a hotel on Priceline, but had no luck, and I wanted to get everything squared away... so I booked a room at the Royal Sonesta, which is right on Bourbon St. Spent more than I would like for a room, but what the heck, it's vacation!!!

We are super excited to go!!