New Orleans Road Trip Help

So we're planning on taking a road trip in October to New Orleans.
Stop 1 will be Phoenix, AZ
Stop 2 will be Fort Stockton, TX
Stop 3 will be New Orleans, LA.

Now here's the crux...is there possibly a better place between Phoenix and New Orleans, to stop for the night?
Also, what are some good things to see in/around New Orleans?
Thanks!

 

There is a Harrahs right in downtown NO. Bourbon st is fun, keep in mind it smells like death but it's something everyone needs to see once. More than anything you need to eat at as many different places as you can, the food there is amazing. A few of my favorites are Luke, Mother's, Mulates, Antoine's. If you find yourself in the quarter, the revolving bar at The Hotel Monteleone is pretty cool. My best experiences in New Orleans have come from wandering but be aware of your surroundings.

 

We're planning on staying at Harrahs NoLa.
Wife wants to go on a ghost tour of some sort.
I want to drive into Florida; at least to Pensacola.

 

As for some of the things to do and see around....there is a riverboat cruise that takes you on about a 2 hour ride down the Mississippi, we did it on Easter morning....the ride was ok, we enjoyed the Sunday brunch that they served...it was called the Steamboat Nachez....google it for schedule, etc. If you are into military history, the National WWII museum is certainly worth a look....we stayed at the previously mentioned Harrah's (which we very much enjoyed) and walked to the museum. There are a lot of walking and other tour offerings, the walking cemetery tours are supposedly interesting (we did not do), the walking Voodoo tour was very interesting (we did this one - check Travelzoo for deals!). We did a 2 stop plantation tour which we enjoyed very much, although I forget the agency that we booked through (PM me if you want and I'll find out the name). We've had friends who did the swamp tours and enjoyed them very much as well. Hanging around the French Quarter is a lot of fun, if you are lucky, you'll see a wedding or funeral procession (they are very similar!)...and maybe even a parade or two...Lastly, I think it's sort of tradition that you have a beignet while there, the Café Du Monde is famous for these, and the lines can also be famously long.... Enjoy your trip, it's a BLAST!!!! (as you can see from my avatar!)

 

thanks Dr P!
What voodoo tour did you do?

 

I agree with all DrP said. Also, there is a tour of the grounds of the Battle of New Orleans. A cooking school lesson on making New Orleans cuisine. The city is SOOO great for tourism you'll find you need to go back quite a few times to do everything! And most of all, as DrP said, EAT EAT EAT. Try the Acme Oyster House and/or The Court of 2 Sisters. Sooo much good food.
Texas? I'd only stop in that state to sleep in a Motel 8 and then get right back on the highway again to get through to the other end. Well, maybe I'd stop for some BBQ.

 

How many days have you allocated for this trip?

On the way to Pensacola you will pass near Biloxi and Mobile. Biloxi is about an hour and a half east of NO and Mobile about an hour further east, but that puts you on Pensacola's doorstep. There are Boyd (IP), MGM (Beau Rivage), and CET (Harrah's) properties (among others) in Biloxi. IP and Beau Rivage are very nice We have stayed at both. I don't recall stopping at the Harrah's.

There is a fun casino built on the shore of the Gulf in Bay St. Louis, MS. It is all by itself and literally on the beach. The weather in October should still be very nice.

 

. We go to Pensacola beach with the kids every June and usually make a couple day trip to New Orleans and Biloxi MS in the middle of the trip (we stay in Pensacola for a couple weeks camping in the rv). Love the white sand beaches in Pensacola.... Check out Fort Pickens there gorgeous beaches not too crowded.

Biloxi, Ms is between Pensacola and New Orleans so it's always fun to stop. This summer was the first time we stayed a couple nights at harrahs Biloxi and played in that casino! Beau rivage is much nicer!

Stayed in the Harrahs New Orleans many time! Love it! Though we found the slots very unlucky. Still fun and walking distance to all the fun stuff around New Orleans. Though this time of year is way to hot and smelly lol

 

We're leaving Modesto on Saturday October 8th, and don't plan to be back in Modesto until the following Sunday..so 7/8 days.
and Yes, we plan to hit Biloxi, and Mobile Bay

 

IMO, Ft. Stockton to New Orleans is too much for one day at 855 miles although with two drivers and starting out real early, it is doable. You will be very tired however when you get to Nola.

I drove to New Orleans from South TX and I will never to it again. It is way too far for a one day trip (700 miles and 14 hours). Then again it was not all interstate which made it seem even longer.

From the looks of it you are going to spend 6 days at minimum on the road and if you're entire trip is 7/8 days What is left, 2 days? Doesn't seem wise to me unless I misunderstood.

 

We did Modesto -> Tunica & back in the same time span two years ago...we like driving and road trips...and 700 miles is 10 hours

 

Well come on down to Pensacola, water's nice. It's a little warm and the beaches are beautiful. Good food here as well.

 

Hi Tim,
I have to make a slight correction.. I went to look it up and the walking tour that we took was not the 'Voodoo' tour, it was actually called the "Saints and Sinners Tour"...We did book it through TravelZoo and they were doing a two-for-something special....maybe $20, I forget... anyway, we had a guide who walked us around the French Quarter telling us a lot about voodoo and saints and sinners and prostitution and lots of the French Quarter history. Our guide was great and It was very informative - we enjoyed it. Here is the website for the actual tour: https://www.frenchquarterphantoms.com/ Smerrain mentioned the Court of Two Sisters above, we had brunch there as well, it was excellent, in our opinion.
Hope you enjoy!

dp

 

I guess you missed the part about a good part of the trip NOT being on Interstate. I also did not mention that we lost 2 hours for a major accident outside of Baton Rouge. 700 miles divided by 10 hours is 70 MPH AVG (On the Interstate). It is real hard to average 70 MPH when you have to slow down and stop in every one horse town along the way. On top of that I also have a weak bladder and have to make numerous bathroom breaks and stop for lunch. Also to the OP, are you going to spend 6 out of 8 days driving? Great if you really like driving, but for me it's also about the destination.

 

There not many choices to stop between Fort Stockton and San Antonio for the night. It's still going to be a 12 hour drive from Fort Stockton to New Orleans and that's if you hit San Antonio and Houston at the right times. You will be surprised how big Texas is but have a great trip.

Mark

 

Hi Tim
As others have said, Texas especially I-10 from end to end, a long trip.
San Antonio is a Decent city to stop overnight, wake up & head the rest of the way to N.O.L.A.
enjoy!

Also in many parts of Texas the speed limit is 70-75, (as posted)

 

Except for the border checks along I-10. True you are not going into Mexico but there are stops you may need to account for.

 

I saw miles and miles of Texas by Asleep at the Wheel. You will feel like you have driven days just to get to the next state. Yes I'm from Texas. It's a big big state.

 

please give us a full trip report when u return. Drive safe.

 

When I moved from Ft. Lauderdale to Napa, CA, (in 1991) I recall staying in Beaumont, TX, and then driving to Ft. Stockton, TX.

I was driving a 21 ft. full moving truck and towing a car, so it was 55-60mph for me. 13 hours driving, 11 hours sleeping. Made it in 5 days

Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Panama City Beach, FL
Beaumont, TX
Ft. Stockton, TX
Phoenix, AZ
Napa, CA