NewOrleansTips

Where'yat? Tips for Visitin' N'Awlins

See Chuck's New Orleans Page for a general overview and a *ton* of info. Be sure to scroll down

See also RecreationNewOrleans for recreational get together proposals.

Arriving early? See this list of NOLA area events for Halloween.

Getting there

• Make sure you ask for a ride to the Sheraton Hotel in 500 Canal Street (there is another Sheraton in New Orleans).

• You can either take one of the airport shuttles, or the Sheraton Hotel shuttle. The cost is $15 and it will take about 1h to get to the hotel.

• If you take a taxi the ride will cost about $30 and it will take about 30 minutes to get to the hotel.

• Other than a scenic streetcar ride, public transportation in New Orleans sucks.

Where Ya'll Should Eat

In or near the French Quarter

• Acme Oyster House: The best Po-Boys, boiled crawfish and more. Get here early as they fill up quickly

• Cafe Du Monde: Get the beignets and a cafe au lait. You might not want to wear black clothes. Open 24/7

• Central Grocery: Get the best muffaletta in town here. 1 "muff" can serve 2-4 people easily--they're big

• Maspero's: Po-boys. Mmmm mmm good

If you're feeling more adventurous

• Liuzza's: Amazing fried chicken, big icy goblets of cheap cold beer

• Willie Mae's Scotch House: More amazing fried chicken

• Commander's Palace: Fancier place--no jeans, usually requires a jacket, but really great food. A real landmark

• Camellia Grill: Breakfast, and lots of it. The best hangover cure, and you can take the streetcar to get there!

• Franky & Johnnie's: Total neighborhood joint, tons of seafood, great red-beans

• Rocky and Carlos: Across the street from an oil refinery, this *is* New Orleans

And more

• See Chuck's N'Awlins Restaurant Page for many more restaurants, plus info on many of the above

• See New Orleans Online to check out who's playing in which clubs during the time we'll be there.

• The Sally List of things to do in New Orleans ... the "Eat.Drink" section

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roullez: Bars & Music

(Let the Good Times Roll)

• Pat O'Brien's: You haven't lived until you've been thrown out of Pat O's at dawn. Get a hurricane, follow with a cyclone, repeat. Pray for death the next day. I wonder who is going to order the "Magnum Hurricane"

• Tropical Isle: It's a dump, but you haven't visited New Orleans until you've had a Hand Grenade

• Tipitina's: You ain't heard music 'til you've been to Tipitina's

• See Chuck's club page for more music venues

• See Chuck's bar page for more bars

Stuff to See

• The French Quarter: Walk around it, but don't venture past Rampart or Esplanade or you're taking your life into your own hands

• The French Market: Part old market, part tourist trap, worth a walk to the end and back

• The "Moonwalk": The wooden steps on the River between Cafe Du Monde and the old Jax Brewery, this is a great place to see the river

• Take a streetcar ride through the Garden District: Hop on the St. Charles streetcar and take a scenic tour down St. Charles Ave--beautiful homes, Tulane and Loyola University, and Audubon Park. Get off when it turns down Carrollton, grab a bite at the Camellia Grill, and head back to downtown. Cheap and awesome tour

• Aquarium: It's a nice aquarium, with an IMAX

• Audubon Zoo: One of the greatest zoos in the world. If you've got an extra day and like animals, you'll dig the zoo. Also, Audubon park is a nice park to stroll around in

• Natchez: Take a ride on the Mississippi on a real paddlewheeler and hear the calliope (a steam organ--you'll probably hear it in the quarter anyway)

• Plantation homes/Oak Alley: If you've got an extra day, drive (or take a tour) to the plantation homes up the river. It's pretty much like nothing you've ever seen

• (in addition to the beautiful Oak Alley (where may films have been made, including Anne Rice's Interview With The Vampire), a must-see is the newly-opened Laura Plantation, just 1/4 mile down the road from Oak Alley ... guided tours of this 200-year old, women-run Creole sugar plantation includes the original Big House, slave cabins, barns, and cottages. Amazing history!)

• note that ApacheCon starts just after Halloween: if you'll be in town on 31 October and are interested in a walking tour of "haunted/eerie/mysterious" structures in the French Quarter, email Sally (lived there during grad school {architecture}) for details

Stuff not to see

• Casinos: If you're looking for Vegas, this ain't it. Harrah's is a dump, and the other casinos aren't far off

• Riverwalk: Riverfront indoor shopping mall. Nice for an air-conditioned walk, but it's just a tourist trap

Oh, and if anyone asks, your shoes are on your *feet* If you're still confused, check out How ta tawk rite ;^) Dere ya go!