First time visitor

We will be visiting New Orleans for the first time this July. We are really looking forward to it. I would really appreciate any ideas on hotels or B and B%26#39;s in a good location for sight seeing. We enjoy learning about the culture of a place that we visit. I love quaint areas. We would also love to know about what things you recommend that we see and do while visiting. We will probably be there for 4 days.Thank-you so much in advance.

First time visitor

Dear Mickey,

New Orleans is a great place to visit at any time, especially if you like ';quaint';. It will be very hot and humid in July, so prepare accordingly.

I would advise staying in the French Quarter, as you can walk most places. Driving is a pain unless you need to go some where unaccessible by walking or streetcars. If you are driving, Le Richeliu Hotel is well located and has free parking. It is an older hotel, as most French Quarter hotels are, but what you lose in modern convenience is made up in charm.

Jackson Square is a great place to people watch, and the Cabildo and the Presbytre are located there. If you like museums, they`re worth a look. A river cruise is also nice the first time. We`ve done the Natchez and liked it. One thing we usually do is take the St. Charles streetcar. It`s a nice ride out through the Garden District. You get to see lots of lovely homes and give your ';dogs'; a rest. FYI- Wear comfortable shoes to walk in.

I`ll get back to you on restaurants later. I`m short on time this morning.

First time visitor

The local B%26amp;B association has a website, www.bbnola.com. It may help you find the perfect B%26amp;B for your visit. There are many great neighborhoods throughout the city and I hope you%26#39;ll take time to visit several of them!

Nawlinslover,

Thank-you so much for all of the good info. I really appreciate you taking the time to write me.

You are not going to believe this... Right before I went back on the TA forum, I was just doing research on hotels, and I found Le Richelieu and it looked so nice to me, so I wanted to ask everyone%26#39;s opinion of it, and your response was already there talking about Le Richelieu. I definitely want to stay in the French Quarter. I apologize for not being more specific before.

Thank-you again, and I am looking forward to any other info you have.

Here is a quick list of the Top Ten New Orleans attractions and things to do. This should give you some good ideas to get started.

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Hubby and I visited New Orleans for the first time in October 2008. I absolutely fell in love with the city. Definitely stay in the French Quarter. We stayed at the Hotel St. Marie - one block off Bourbon Street with a balcony overlooking the street parallel to Bourbon Street. Loved having a balcony! We enjoyed the foods one should have when in New Orleans - raw oysters, muffalettas (Central Grocery Store), beignets (Cafe Du Mond), fried catfish, po-boys, gumbo, BBQ shrimp, etc. That was half the fun. Just walking,walking, walking - wear comfortable shoes! We rode the trolly car to the Garden district, took the ferry to Algiers Island, the French Market. Cannot say enough about New Orleans! Enjoy!!

Dear Mickey,

Back to the restaurant scene.You might try the following:

Muriels Jackson Square/Nice jazz brunch on Sundays $20-25

Coops for a local dive /Great Cajun fried chicken

served with jambalaya.

Elizabeths in Bywater Great local food (Take a cab)

Brigstens Uptown Classic New Orleans Cuisine in a lovely setting $20-25

I hope this gives you a few ideas. We`ve been visiting New Orleans for 17 years(30+trips) and have been pleased with some of these choices.

A few words about safety. If it looks or sounds wrong, it is! Stick to heavily traveled well-lit streets in the Quarter, and you`ll be OK unless it`s really late or you`ve had too much to drink. Check with your hotel on safe routes to travel on foot and by car. The majority of locals are really nice people who will help you, but be selective of who you approach.

There`s an abundance of panhandlers etc. afoot. A firm NO THANK YOU usually works. If that doesn`t do the trick a stern GO AWAY! does. Don`t even let them start with you, as some of them are very persistent and hard to get rid of. A common scam is,'; I know where you got your shoes.'; Don`t play the game.

As a rule, I never carry a purse. I carry a thin wallet in my front pocket, with not a lot of cash, and my credit cards separately. If you use good street smarts you will do fine. If you are ever in doubt about walking an area, take a cab.

Have a great time. We`ll be there in June ahead of you.

Enjoy!