Harrah's New Orleans

I recently won a trip and I think I will choose to visit Harrah's New Orleans, which must be redeemed between now and the end of the year.
So I'm hoping you can all help me decide when to go and all the tips I need to know for a great trip!
It's 2 comp nights but might see if we can extend to 3 nights since that's a long way to go from California just for a quickie weekend trip.
I look forward to hearing all your advice on the must do & see of NOLA.

 

We stayed there for 4 nights last month.

As customer service goes, it is one of CETs finest hotels. The security at the hotel and casino is very good and the employees are great to deal with.

For location, I say it can't be beat if your wanting to see some different areas in downtown. Your a short walk from the WW2 museum, which I say is a must see. Make sure if you go, you do the museum and the movie.

The aquarium and the Miss river walk mall and boardwalk are just across the street from the casino.

The French quarter starts about 1 block away and bourbon street is not a bad walk either.

The casino is fairly large and there are several good eating places. But I would definitely try some local food and not stay confined to Harrahs.

A 20 minute drive south of town is the Jean Lafitte nature preserve. It has a nice raised boardwalk that goes out into the swamp. Lots of birds, turtles, snakes, occasional alligator, nature viewing, etc. a very good way to spend 3-5 hours on a short hike.

 

joaks covered it all... I will say its about 2-3 blocks from Burbon St...

If I were you avoid any SAINTS home games... its crazy chaos down there unless you are into it....

Me personally I dont mind it as I like crazy funny people they fit in well with me

other than that NOLA is a blast and plenty to do and drive around to see

 

For me, Halloween is a great time to be there.

 

The Voodoo Music Festival is a lot of fun. It's like a mini-jazzfest with better weather and rock and local music. Its usually around Halloween. There's a joke that everyone leaves New Orleans in the summer and comes back at Halloween because they weather is just cooling off temperature and humidity wise. I second the WW2 museum, and the awesome restaurants. My favorite fancy restaurant is a few blocks from Harrahs, Restaurant August. Lots of great casual food in the quarter, too. I'm a former New Orleanian and Harrahs New Orleans was my home casino for several years.

 

50c oysters during Happy Hour at Luke (one of Besh's restaurant, a little bistro in a hotel - so freaking delicious! And drink specials during happy hour too)

We ate at quite a few dives when we were in NO last (Feb 2012) and had some really good food, cheap. Stopped into Harrahs because it was on our walk back to the hotel, but didn't spend much time there. Did try out ordering a drink via machine

(we were there for a convention, stayed in a hotel in the Warehouse district, walked everywhere)

 

I just came back Monday night on a 4 night CET freebee (airfair/limo/room).
Great food - went to GW Finn, Muriel's, Commander's Palace and Besh Steak.
Probably will go back. Plus free music all over. Grande Isle has a great Shrimp Po Boy. GW Finn has the oyster appetizer - really over the top. Writing about makes me want to go back even though the weather was crappy.
Only thing bad I can say, but might be true anywhere, some guy was trying to scam me on Decatur Street. A cop saw him and was running up to us and I took off. Being a NY guy, I got on to him right away. Anyway, sh.. happens.

 

Oghuman....I bet you know where you got them shoes! That one? Or the guy who wanted to write you a ticket for not smiling/having fun?

 

Ohhh I'm jealous. Harrahs NOLA is one of the prettiest casinos I have seen. Doooo go to thier lunch buffet. Very southern and fancy. Ya , spend a day or two in the french quarter but then I would rent a car and drive along the gulf coast. Beautiful beaches and some casinos in Biloxi. Its been a few years since I was there but you see what a hurricane can do on this drive.

 

You got it. - He says nice shoes. I look down, he puts his hand on my shoulder.
I tell him, "Get your hands off me". The next thing I see is a chubby older cop running at us. I just start walking away, never looked back to see what the cop did. But I did look at my shoes - cause I was wearing sneakers but at that point wasn't sure which pair I was wearing. It all happened so fast. Sneakers were old so I knew right away it was going to be a scam, plus putting hands on you is the other signal. I thought my GF was going to get robbed because that's what usually happens. Someone distracts one person and the other person watching their friend and a second later your purse or wallet is gone.

 

You guys all have my wheels turning that's for sure! I love planning trips and this just turned into an amazing vacation if it can all come together.

Chess, you reminded me about the saints games and now I think we have our whole trip planned out because of it.

We are huge 49er fans & I know we usually play the Saints so I looked up the schedule and we are playing them in NO the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Perfect. A long weekend in NOLA right after Thanksgiving and a 49er vs. Saints game in the Superdome....Heaven! We are so pumped and now on the hunt for awesome seats so we can show off our Niner gear up front!!

I definitely will be checking out Bourbon St. & the French Quarter.
Food is going to be a huge part too since who doesn't love food! I will start creating a list of all the restaurants you have all mentioned and see which ones we can hit up in our short time.

joaks, The nature preserve sounds beautiful and we want to try and go visit the swamp and ride an air boat and see alligators. It's so opposite of where we live it's very intriguing.

One more must do is find a real deal voodoo shop/psychic. I think this would be fun to checkout even though I'm sure it's cheesy to some people.

I get super excited about my vegas trips and still have a couple before NOLA but I'm really looking forward to finally seeing the city I know I will fall in love with and experiencing the Southern Spirit.
Now, I'm Just praying there are no blackout dates for my trip!

 

My wife and I went to New Orleans several years ago. We stayed at one of the hotels across from the casino. We had been to New Orleans several times with no problems, not this time. One day we decide to walk to the French Quarter ( a few blocks away). We pass several panhandlers doing their where you got your shoes pitch. We just keep walking - no problem. On the way back we were approached by several of them with the shoe pitch but this time as we keep walking they begin to curse at us and follow us. We just kept walking and they finally stopped. When we got back to the hotel I called the NO Tourist Center and told them what happened . They just blew it off, almost like this was part of the "charm" of New Orleans. We have never been back and will never go back. I live in Texas so it's not much further to drive to Biloxi and that's what we do.

 

Oghuman...he'd wanted to bet with you. He would've said "I bet I know where you got them shoes" and then say "10 bucks says I'm right" and if you say "ok" he'd say "Decatur Street in New Orleans Louisiana...gimme my money!" And if you didn't pay up he'd start to chase you. It's an old scam they have done for ages. And if you don't pay them, they can get angry. Be careful, OP! (my line was always "Oh hush I live here baby, back off now" but you have to have the drawl to pull it off)

 

Thanks for the heads up on these guys. I'm a pretty seasoned traveler and feel comfortable in most situations but on this trip I will have a very large black man as my personal bodyguard, aka my fiancee. He scares more people off then people scare him believe me. Just think Ray Lewis or Patrick Willis and that sums him up. (Non-Football fans will be like huh? who?) LOL
But thanks again, I appreciate any tips to keep us safe and to look out for in a foreign place.

 

Its a great city, and you will have lots of fun. Much like Vegas, most people are intoxicated while walking around, and a few bad people take advantage of that. Glad to hear you'll have a bodyguard, but you'd be fine anyway. I lived there as a single woman in my mid-20s, and lived to tell about it

 

Hit up Cafe Adelaides across the street. Great food and 25 cent martinis at lunch!

 

Yes, I know about the bet. I heard it somewhere else too. No drawl here, except if you consider an New Yawk accent a drawl.

 

Yes, on Cafe Adelaide was there on my first day.

 

I was just at Harrah's New Orleans last weekend. Hopefully you will get the Harrah's Hotel when you book. It is a very nice hotel with refrigerators and coffee pots in the room. The casino is large but I never win anything there. I still have fun losing though, LOL. I agree with the person who suggested the WW II Museum. You could spend several hours there because it is so fascinating. If you like to shop, the Canal Shoppes and Riverwalk Mall are across the street from the casino. Cafe du Monde is nearby for beignets and coffee. I also like Aunt Sally's Praline shop where you can get free samples. I've seen lots of weirdos around Jackson Square and the Riverwalk and I just ignore them. I know you will have a fun trip!

 

My TR from my trip to Mardi Gras this past February.