Trip Report 02/06-11/06 (sorry, it's epic!)

Hi

Well, me and the significant other are back in the real work after our trip and are super depressed. This isn%26#39;t just any old post-holiday blues when you realise that it%26#39;s just 6 months till Christmas and forever until your next holiday. Nope, this is post New Orleans blues and I tell you, I%26#39;ve never felt anything like it. I just want to quit my job, pack my bags and jump on the next plane to NO. What a city!!!

So here it is-the unedited, ridiculously detailed and unashamadly gushing trip report. To give you a bit of background: I%26#39;m 24, my boyfriend is 21 and we came to New Orleans not just to drink until we couldn%26#39;t feel feelings anymore. We wanted to experience the culture, the atmosphere and the food!!

Arrival-After arriving at the airport after 25 hours on the go with American airlines (suggested slogan: not quite the worst) we arrive in the Big Easy. There was a MASSIVE queue for cabs so we jumped in waiting shuttle which took us directly to our trip base: the Country Inn and Suites on Magazine. This ran to $30 for the two of us plus tip. Into hotel, shower and bed!

Day 1-All about finding our directional feet!

The hotel was located smack bang at the start of Magazine Street so we decided to take a left and saunter down Decatur. (We%26#39;d gotten up super early and hastily discovered that New Orleans-with the exceptions of the coffee shops-is a fairly sleepy place until 10am. So have a lie in; you%26#39;re on holiday!) Spent the morning walking and started to feel the hunger about 3pm. Ended up at Bubba Gump%26#39;s shrimp house on Decatur (please don%26#39;t judge me-I was starving!) where I had some ok shrimp and the boy had a burger. It was fine, nothing special but the place was clean and the service was quick (ran to about $35 inc tip) By then, the heat was pretty intense (you have to understand, where we%26#39;re from if the temperature breaks 70 it%26#39;s a heat wave!) so we retreated back to the hotel for a disco nap. Awoke about 8pm and not in the slightest bit hungry so we wandered along Bourbon Street to witness the debauchery and stopped in to the Funky Pirate to see Big Al Carson sing some blues. A comparitively expensive place to drink but good for a treat.

Day 2:Zoo day

Late-ish start. Breakfast at the hotel (which was incl in the room rate-waffles/cornflakes/muffins etc) then outside to face the heat. Walked to St. Charles Avenue and hopped on the streetcar ($1.25 each for a single ticket) This takes you the length of St. Charles Avenue, past all the spectacularly beautiful houses (seeing how the other half live!) and then out to Auboden park where we got out and, it being a stunning day, rather than waiting for the complementary shuttle bus the zoo offers, decided to walk through the park to the gates which is about a mile. The park is amazing-so beautifully tended and, even on a weekday, it was pretty busy. The Zoo is around $19 dollars per adult but we bought a saver ticket which was $27 each but included entry to the Aquarium (something we figured we may do later on in the week) Spent the next 3 hours wandering about, drinking GALLONS of water (so very, very hot) and generally becoming sweaty messes. The Zoo is a nice place, good layout and lovely surroundings so I%26#39;d really recommend a day here.

So, in the sweltering heat what did we do? Walked the 6 1/2 miles (count em) back to the hotel along Magazine Street (the zoo is at 6500, we were at 315). We walk everywhere in Glasgow but the heat makes everything so much more difficult. However, Magazine is the home to some really lovely little shops and cafe%26#39;s (in particular Buffalo exchange) which we would have been sad to have missed but next time we%26#39;ll get the bus (number 11) or the streetcar and cut down(hindsight is a wonderful thing!). This, as you can imagine, took hours and, towards the 1000 block of Magazine became quite difficult as there was an interstate junction that wasn%26#39;t exactly made with pedestrians in mind. We arrived back at the hotel, dripping in sweat, lucky to be alive and starving. Ate dinner at a restaurant on the tourist drag-can%26#39;t remember the name but it was awful. Stay away from ANYTHING that looks too touristy-hunger is no excuse!

Day 3-Swamp Tour day

Our hotel had an array of flyers in the lobby advertising excursions but this one caught our eye. Ran by Honey Island Swamp Tours, the tour consisted of a 2 hrs (ish) jaunt around the swamps outside Slidel (?) ($43 each inc transport but if you make your own way to the offices it%26#39;s cheaper) The bus picked us up at the hotel in the morning at 8:30-8:45 and the drive out took approx 40 mins. This itself was a total eye opener as the rich/poor divide became more apparent the further out the city centre we got. A really worthwhile tour (saw alligators/birds etc) but I%26#39;d imagine it%26#39;s on the pricey side if you%26#39;ve got kids.

The bus dropped us back off by Decatur so we toddled along to Johnny%26#39;s po-boys to get some lunch. In our hungry state we figured we could manage a sandwich each. Stupidly naive. I swear our sandwiches were the length of your arm (wrist to elbow) and twice as thick. Didn%26#39;t even manage half. 2 (Massive) po-boys and drinks came to $13. We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the galleries on Royal Street (check out Gallery Rinaud).

Evening-what we%26#39;d been waiting for-Zydeco night at Rock n Bowl!! We%26#39;d promised ourselves one big night out and this was certainly it. Got a cab from the hotel to Rock and Bowl around 7.30 (ran to $15 Inc tip) figuring we%26#39;d get a few frames in before the music kicked off. Big mistake! We were so early we%26#39;d arrived in the middle of a private function. So we skulked off to the side of the stage with our $1.75 beers, ordered some chicken wings and fries from the kitchen and longingly gazed at the lanes. Got to bowl at 9.30 ish (lanes $18 per hour plus $1 for shoe hire) and had a blast! Great music (my boy even danced-an anomaly in itself), cheap beer and a fantastic atmosphere. I can%26#39;t recommend this place enough (the girl on the bar even offered to call us a cab to take us back to the hotel because we didn%26#39;t have a mobile phone!)

Day 4-Mardi Gras (baby)

Blame Rock and Bowl for making us sleep late! Missed breakfast so wandered down to Cafe du Monde on Decatur for some sugar to feed the hangover. Beignets and juice for two ran to $10 (inc tip) and is a must for any trip to NO. Fuelled by our sugar rush we decided to take the free ferry over to Mardi Gras world and I鈥檓 super glad we did. Entrance was $10 (ish) and the owners allowed you to try on some costumes (particularly amusing) and then the tour of the factory itself was great. You don%26#39;t really get a sense of scale from the pictures of past-Mardi Gras so seeing the floats in the flesh gives you a real feel for just how much effort goes into producing them. We decided to walk back to the ferry terminus (had gotten the free shuttle bus from the ferry) through the Algiers neighbourhood which was very pleasant. As the ferry docked on the Riverfront, we decided to wander through the Riverview mall. It%26#39;s exceptionally touristy and pretty expensive so we got some ice cream and headed back to the hotel via Canal Street for a nap. Wandered the length of Decatur to Frenchman St and ended up at Snug Harbour for some truly delicious dinner (wine, 2 mains and desert ran to $75 inc tip) Bar D.B.A (couple of doors down) is a great bar for speciality beer, good music and atmosphere. Drinks are on the expensive side of cheap but I really can%26#39;t recommend this place enough.

Day 5-Shopping

Spent early morning at the French Market to buy gifts for the folk back home and then late morning/early pm wandering in and out of the cool wee clothes shops on Decatur (in case you haven%26#39;t noticed, Decatur and Frenchman were somewhat favoured by us!) Decided to call in to a bar for a drink and came across Checkpoint Charlie%26#39;s a.k.a your friendly neighbourhood crack den. I suppose it was kinda our fault as warning bells should have started ringing once we%26#39;d read the sign outside (';Checkpoint Charlie%26#39;s-bar/diner/gaming/Laundromat';-I kid you not) In fairness, the crackheads that greeted us were friendly, if a tad intimidating, so I guess we shouldn%26#39;t complain!

Had an AWESOME dinner at Coop%26#39;s on Decatur. It doesn%26#39;t look like much from outside but the food is amazing and the portions huge! Dinner for two and 6 bottles beers came to $50 inc tip. Decided to keep the buzz going by sauntering in the NO night time heat to the Market Cafe to have a cocktail and listen to the blues trio playing. We decided that we couldn%26#39;t come all this way and not see Bourbon in all its Saturday night glory so we walked through the crowds of vomiting college students and stopped off for a drink in a bar in a side street. A truly perfect evening

Day 6-Aquariam

Given that we had bought a combi ticket for the zoo/aquarium we figured we%26#39;d better use it! The aquarium is at best ok (liked the penguins) but is a lot smaller than the outside would have you believe. Plus, let%26#39;s face it, once you%26#39;ve seen one fish you%26#39;ve kinda seen them all! We spent the afternoon walking in areas we probably shouldn%26#39;t have (right to the end of the warehouse district and on past the factories-this was a stupid idea-please please do not do this)

We decided to head back to Frenchman to Mona%26#39;s for dinner which was lovely except that I had a tooth emergency (one of my veneers came off in a particularly tough bit of cauliflower-amusing had it been anyone else but to me, not so much) so we paid up and headed back to the hotel to try and locate a dentist. Needless to say, dentists in America are expensive (thank god for the NHS) and my travel insurance wouldn%26#39;t stump up so I sent the boy to the shop for some medicinal beer while I resigned myself to looking like a pirate for the rest of the trip

Day 7-Day 1 as Pirate-(y%26#39;arggghhh)

Up late and wandered to the French Market for a gander Ate lunch at the Gazebo cafe while a jazz band were playing. Was soooo nice to just sit and chill. Decided to brave Canal Street for some tooth retail therapy and ate dinner a snug harbour again (we%26#39;re pretty loyal people!) Got the same waiter which was a little embarrassing!

Decided to go on a nightime Vampire tour ($20 each) so we met the group outside the St Louis Cathedral. This was really interesting and, whilst the guide didn%26#39;t take us anywhere we hadn%26#39;t already walked past, it was really entertaining to learn a bit about the history of the city from a guide who obviously loves his job! Enthusiasm goes a long way on these tours and he had it in buckets!

Day 8 Last day (sigh)

Got lunch at Johnny%26#39;s (you can%26#39;t tamper with perfection) and went on a Cemetery tour. Truthfully, not that great. The guide was, for want of another word, pants. I know that everyone has their own opinions towards alcohol but she actually told people (not us I

may add-we were on water) who had full drinks that not only could they not drink them on the tour, she doesn%26#39;t allow anyone that has been drinking on the tour. In New Orleans?? Her voice was annoying, her attitude stank and she wasn%26#39;t even all that informative. Grumble. Dinner at Coop%26#39;s. Last stroll along Decatur and then back to the hotel for some rest before 21 hours of travelling.

That%26#39;s it folks. I know we missed so much out and I really wished we%26#39;d made the time to go to a couple of restaurants suggested by the lovely girls at Gallery Rinaud, but hey, why tamper with a good thing?

The thing that struck both me and the boy was just how grateful locals were that we%26#39;d made the trip and how surprised they were that Katrina hadn%26#39;t dampened our expectations. Our tour guide was pretty candid about the glacial recovery of the tourist trade. Pre Katrina he was entertaining groups of 50+, now he%26#39;s content if he breaks 20. It really breaks your heart to think what people have lost and the misconceptions surrounding the city. I promise you New Orleans isn%26#39;t underwater!! It%26#39;s a fantastic, insane, friendly, magical place, suitable and welcoming to all.

Y%26#39;all have a good time now.

Trip Report 02/06-11/06 (sorry, it's epic!)

Wow, thanks for one of the more entertaining reviews I%26#39;ve come across on this site! Sounds like you both had a fantastic time (despite the pirate impression). We were there the year before Katrina and have been holding off going back because we were afraid it would never be the same but in reading your ';epic';, it makes us homesick for beignets, po-boys and the wonderful people of NO. Think I%26#39;ll start my planning today.

Trip Report 02/06-11/06 (sorry, it's epic!)

Great trip report. Glad you had a good time overall. It seems to be the common thread among visitors and nothing makes us happier. :-)

Ahoy, matey! Sounds like you should have made your cemetery tourguide walk the plank. :)

Great report, but there is so much left to do for your next trip!

Glad you%26#39;re home safely and smiling normally.

Very entertaining report. I think I know, but what exactly is a ';disco nap';??? Kinda like what we call a power nap I imagine...

Wow! This is a fantastic trip report, and it looks like you hit most of the highlights. I am SO impressed that you walked all the way from Audubon Zoo to your hotel on Magazine. Having an air-conditioned car really spoils me, but I know that was no easy feat!

Absolutely fantastic trip report.thankyou

Great report. Have your feet recovered yet? You sure put on alot of mileage in our hot muggy weather! It%26#39;s nice when our visitors ';get it';. I think you both got it! Please come visit again.

I%26#39;m floored that you walked the length of Magazine Street in the heat! I%26#39;m not sure if you deserve a medal or a psychiatric examination.

:)

Isn%26#39;t Rock %26#39;n%26#39; Bowl the greatest??? I -- an old fossil of 56 -- had a blast there last year. First time I%26#39;d ever bowled in my life, and the musicians were dynamite.

December is my favorite month to visit NOLA, but you%26#39;ll find the weather very pleasant anytime between mid-November and the first week or two in April. I heartily recommend coming back in cool weather. What a difference -- especially for intrepid walkers such as you obviously are!

Speaking of walking, this book, while out of print, is still easy to get hold of:

http://tinyurl.com/4myahm (Amazon UK)

http://tinyurl.com/4x825p (Amazon USA)

I can%26#39;t think of another guide book whose walking tours cover the city more extensively. The text is extremely detailed, but the routes alone are worth the price of admission. Highly recommended.

Love that you spent time on Frenchmen Street. Too many visitors never escape the Bourbon Street vortex.

Before your next trip, get additional food tips by visiting Chowhound:

http://www.chowhound.com/boards/9

Thank you so much for a visiting.....and for a great trip report!

Thanks chaps-glad you enjoyed the trip report!

A disco nap is a pre-party power nap. We took many and overdosed on the car-crash tv that is ';E'; Entertainment television!

The walk along Magazine was a struggle but by the time we%26#39;d got to the 4000 block we just figured that we%26#39;d come this far we may as well just keep on walking (very Forrest Gump of us...) Believe me, it%26#39;s not something we%26#39;d do again but it was certainly an experience!

Rock n Bowl was a highlight of the trip. In fact, the boyfriend has taken to wearing his ';Rock and Bowl will Never Die'; shirt pretty much every day in a bid to recreate the ';magic';!

We%26#39;ll DEFINATELY be returning to New Orleans in the near(ish) future, both to return to the places that we loved and to see the places that we missed.

Thanks

Kate

Kate,

What was the name of the tour company that you did the cemetary tour with? Was it the ';free'; company that requests a $6 donation? I think it%26#39;s called Save Our Cemetaries. We were thinking of taking that tour, but still not worth the $6 if it%26#39;s as bad as you say.