Calling all New Orleans area people!

[kerin]

Hi! I won a trip to New Orleans through Sony and I leave on Saturday November 9th ( 8 days away !!!!! :) :) ). We are there for Sat, Sun, and Mon and return home on Tues.

Anyway, what I was wondering is if there are any places that we just HAVE to visit when we go to New Orleans - attractions, restaurants, or anywhere :) :) We are especially interested in "haunted" places.

We are staying at the Fairmont on Baronne Street near the French Quarter and we do not have a rental car so we would like to find a lot of stuff to do that would be close by or that wouldn't cost us an arm and a leg in cab fare to get to.


Any suggestions would be appeciated :)

Either post here or e-mail me at kerin0874@yahoo.com

Thanks!!!!!!!

[miccit]

Congratulations on your trip!! I don't live there, but have visited many times. It is a beautiful city with a lot of interesting things to see.

[shell76]

CONGRATS on your trip! Did you win it in one of the contests on the internet?

As for places to visit, you should definitely visit Bourbon st. and the French Quarter. Boubon St. is not even a mile from your hotel...from your hotel travel down Baronne St. towards Common St., turn left on Gravier St. (which is the first street past Common St.), then turn left onto Carondelet St., and go straight to go onto Bourbon Street. And you are about a mile and a half from the French Quarter....head out the same way as going to Bourbon Street, but turn right onto Common St., then right onto S Rampart St., then right onto ST Philip St., then left onto Chartres St. and there you are....there are a few museums within the 6 X 13 block area of the French Quarter....just wander around, you'll find something cool.

Here is some info on the French Quarter:

http://www.frenchquarter.com/index.html

Your hotel is only about a half mile from the St. Louis 1 cemetery in New Orleans. This is where Marie Laveau is buried and it is a very popular "voodoo" place to visit. People draw X's on her tomb and leave offerings for her. It is a cool place to visit. Here is a little extra info:
http://www.yatcom.com/neworl/naborhud/treme/stlouisone/marielaveau.html
From your hotel on Baronne St., take a right onto Common St., a right on S Rampart St., a left on Bienville Ave., and a right onto Basin St. The cemetery is at 400 Basin St.

You are also just down the road from the Aquarium of the Americas. I don't know if you are interested in that, but it is really cool!

And you could take a walk through the Garden District and check out all the historic homes.

You don't have to use cabs to get around all the time, if you get tired of walking....you can ride a streetcar or a bus. VisiTour Passes entitle the bearer to unlimited ridership on all streetcar and bus lines, and are available at many downtown hotels, banks and shopping areas. You can also call the RTA RideLine at 248-3900 for the distributor nearest you. Cost: $5.00 for a one-day pass, $12.00 for a three-day pass.

Links for more info:
http://www.neworleansonline.com/guide/transportation/garta.html
http://www.neworleansonline.com/guide/transportation/gastreetcar.html

A link to city maps:
http://www.neworleansonline.com/guide/citymaps/


Here is a lnk for coupons for local restaurants and attractions:
http://www.experienceneworleans.com/neworleanscoupons/index.html

Here are more coupons:
http://www.neworleansonline.com/specials/in/iscoupons.html

Here is a guide to the local bars:
http://www.neworleansbarguide.com/Bars1.htm

New Orleans is full of cool places to visit, and sometimes you find the best places when you are just wandering around. So, have fun and let us know how your trip goes! Hope this info helps you out a bit.

[bonniejeanne]

Don't forget to get some beignets while you're there. There's also a lot of antique stores and such around the French Quarter that are interesting to walk around in. I believe there is also a wax museum around somewhere.

[kerin]

Thanks everyone!

Shell76- Yes it was a contest that I entered on the Internet through Sony Playstation - Thank you so much for all of the wonderful information, links and coupons! Especially the info about the streetcar bus pass, that would be SO much cheaper than a cab! WE do plan on doing A LOT of walking around though if the weather cooperates :) I really appreciate it the time you took to get me all of that information!

bonniejeanne- Thanks for the info! I admit I did have to do a search on "beignet" to figure out what it was and found a lot of info at http://www.crescentcitybeignets.com/beignet.html :) Definitely will try them!

[Jolie Rouge]

Cafe' Du Monde at Jackson Square for beignet & Cafe Au Lait

Central Grocery on Dectaur Street for Muffalottas

You must go to the Farmer's Market on the weekend - get your souveners there (among other things....) --- past Cafe Du Monde' on the Riverside

[kerin]

Thanks Jolie Rouge! We will definitely check those places out! :)