Just returned from 5 day stay in NO and surrounding area

My wife and I just returned from 5 day first time visit to NO and surrounding area. Stayed at the Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast really nice, clean, quiet place with great couple running it. Highly recommend. Had great meals at Gumbo Shop (great gumbo, shrimp creole and praline sundae), Coops Place (great rabbit and sausage jumbalaya and the seafood gumbo), Bayona (fantastic specials - one lamb the other beef), Pat O%26#39;briens (enjoyed the aligator bites and especially the bread pudding - out of this world) , Cafe du Monde (first time had beignets and yes, we were totally covered with powdered sugar on that windy day), Central Grocery (first time had muffuletta bread - really special with the olive dressing they use). Really enjoyed Aunt Sallys soft pralines on Decatur and the banana foster ice cream at Creole Creamery on Prytania. The show at Snug Harbor was fantastic the night we went -good solid 1 1/2 hr jazz act well worth the cover. Nice stroll around Audobon Park and lucked out to visit when all the egrets came in to nest for the night. Rented a car and drove to Laura plantation - best and most interesting tour and stopped by Oak Alley Plantation too but not as good a tour but beautiful place and grounds. Also took one day to drive to Mobile, Al along the coast roads - really humbling to see the destruction still in evidence from Katrina along the whole route. Stopped by for tour of Beauvoir, Jefferson Davis home - highly recommend. Made it as far as Daughin Island, Alabama and Fort Gaines - this too interesting place. Tons of other things could write about but suffice it to say we had a great visit to this part of the country.

Just returned from 5 day stay in NO and surrounding area

We were in NOLA during the same time period. We also loved the tour of Laura. We just did a drive by photo opp at Oak Alley. We loved the weather last week. Cool and windy with great blue skies. Thanks for a great report.

Just returned from 5 day stay in NO and surrounding area

Your right about the weather - no rain, no humidity and beautiful blue skies but a little on the cool side and windy. We picked a perfect week to go! We also were lucky enough to have the owner of Laura Plantation give our tour. You could tell how proud he was of the restoration project they have accomplished so far. And how he relished relating the colorful history of the families who owned the place. We liked the story so much we bought his book and had him autograph it for us. For those of you who have not taken this tour, would highly recommend. You will not be disappointed.

I agree. Our tour guide was not the owner, but she (Kay) too seemed very invested in the ongoing project. We were so enchanted, we bought the video as well as the book.