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New Orleans Suggestions

Discussion in 'Non-Vegas Casino Hotels' started by atcmurph, Mar 15, 2016.

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  1. atcmurph

    atcmurph Watcher Of The Skies

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    I booked my Diamond aspirations trip to Harrah's New Orleans (solo) for the end of March. I'll be celebrating my retirement. :beer: I've only been once, for a short weekend, and didn't really get any sightseeing type things in. This time I will be there 4 nights, I would love to hear any suggestions of things you like to do there, Tours, food, drinks, etc. :peace:
     
  2. MikeOPensacola

    MikeOPensacola El Jefe

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    If you like WWII history they have the D-Day museum on the actual site where the Higgins boats were made. Well worth the time if that kind of thing appeals to you.

    Have a great time in 'The Big Easy' but watch your valuables at all times. Fremont Street is the minor leagues compared to NO. Just take normal precautions - wallet in front pocket, purse closed and secure, valuables left in hotel safe etc. and enjoy yourself. There's an abundance of world class food, music and great sightseeing. Have fun and let us know how it goes. :peace::beer:
     
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  3. NickPapageorgio

    NickPapageorgio OG of the Sal Sagev Hotel

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    ACME Oyster House is amazing. Mothers has top notch Jambalaya and po-boys. Patty O'Briens Hurricane is an obvious must. The novelty "hand grenade" drink isn't that great. Ditto for the Jester, the 3rd novelty drink on Bourbon Street..... Stick with the Hurricane!

    Nick:beer:
     
  4. Turtleman

    Turtleman VIP Whale

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    Beignets at Cafe Du Monde is a necessity. I enjoyed the jazz at Preservation Hall, and was surprised how tiny the place is. Maybe because one of my favorite movies ("Cat People" with Nastassja Kinski) was filmed at the zoo, I rode the trolley there and passed by many historic homes along the way. Of course, just walking around the French Quarter is like being in a zoo, especially during Halloween. (I'm not "brave" enough to visit during Mardi Gras.) Have a great trip!
     
  5. Funkhouser

    Funkhouser In Charge of the Big Door

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    NOLA is like a second home for the wife and I. First of all the food is great, but plan on spending money. NOLA adds tourist taxes in the French Quarter and around. Lets start with great places to eat and drink.
    Check out the french market in the afternoon and stop in at French Market Cafe, its open air dining on the patio with life music. I recommend a crawfish po-boy and one of their great cocktails while taking in the atmosphere.

    http://marketcafenola.com/

    For breakfast you can't go wrong with either The Ruby Slipper on Canal or head over to Chartres Street to Fleur Di Lis Cafe http://www.cafefleurdelis.com/. If you want something a little more upscale then check out Stanley across from Jackson Square. http://www.stanleyrestaurant.com/

    There are so many great seafood restaurants in NOLA. You should definitely get Oysters while in NOLA. Personally I think Acme Oyster is over rated. I like Bourbon House (upscale dining) or Pier 424 for something more casual. http://www.pier424seafoodmarket.com/menu

    Thinks to do. Well of course there is Bourbon street (watch your wallet) which I think is over rated. Its cool to see once, but I am not a fan of the drunken crowds anymore now I am in my 40's. However during the evening you can catch some great Jazz music at Musical Legends Park. Its an open air courtyard with small tables. Drink service and free Jazz music. Its mostly and older crowd and pretty well behaved. A must stop for wife and I each trip. Plenty of opportunity to make new friends.

    If you are into browsing and shopping. Then Royal street on Saturday mornings / afternoon is great. Tons of small shops, art galleries, and live street performers. On the weekends Jackson Square is full of artists selling everything from paintings, clay roof tiles from Katrinia painted, and odd art. Worth just browsing and talking to people.

    Must do's. Ride the Paddleboat up to Chalmette Battlefield for afternoon if you are into history. Go to the Cabildo (Lousiana State Museum) next door to St. Louis Cathedral. This historical artifacts on Louisiana Purchase were interesting to me. LouisianaStateMuseum.org
    Go visit the Old Mint on the west side of the French Quarter. Check out Jean Lafitte visitor center in French Quarter (Its free and great place to get out the heat while walking around French Quarter)

    Pretty cool things. Ride one of the Street Cars from French Quarter over to Garden District and check out the old historic homes or just enjoy from the seat of your Street Car. Some people like walking around Armstrong Park or St. Louis #1 however I would strongly advise doing this with a group tour due to crime in NOLA.

    You are going at a great time, April being probably the best weather month IMHO. If you have not figured out yet, you will do LOTS of walking in NOLA. Pace yourself and bring comfortable shoes, if you are not much of a walker then take advantage of the rickshaw bikes and Trolley lines to shorten your walks. Get out of the Casino and explore the city, its probably one of the most interesting places in the US to visit.
     
  6. meliphilus

    meliphilus Low-Roller

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    Desire Oyster Bar (300 Bourbon Street) has tables with a view of pedestrian traffic on Bourbon Street if people watching interests you. I recommend eggs Benedict and grits for breakfast or a ribeye for lunch or dinner. They also have a large selection of seafood dishes. I don't know if breakfast is available very early in the morning ( like 4am ) at Harrah's, it wasn't at Hilton Riverside, but Daisy Dukes nearby (121 Chartres) is open 24/7 for a good breakfast.
     
  7. HoyaHeel

    HoyaHeel Grammar Police & Admin

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    I think we do New Orleans like Funkhouser does! We go every couple years for my husband's trade show (so, 3 times in the past 7-8 years?) Once we caught a Mardi Gras parade - one of the last remaining that is allowed to go through the French Quarter (as it's on foot) but otherwise we don't venture too much into the Quarter - not Bourbon street at least. Favorite meal last trip - Cochon (also Cochon Butcher for more casual) We're bar-sitters anyway, so our experience is going to be more casual anyway. Ernst Cafe is one of my favorite places for casual (for super super casual but amazing Po Boys, The Corporation is usually where we go after we do our set up for the trade show - it's just a block away from the Convention Center so lots of guys who work there head over. It's a dive bar - but they serve cold Abitas and, as I mentioned, REALLY GOOD po boys!)

    In the French Quarter, we had dinner at Green Goddess and at Sylvain and adored both. Really unique experiences!! A couple times back, we had happy hour oysters at Luke - they're half priced. They were 75c each then - I think the price has gone up. But that's a cute bistro (owned by John Besh, inside the Hilton on St. Charles)

    If you take the street car through the Garden District (or walk for some or all of it - like to Audobon park) it's a great way to spend a nice afternoon. I know there are some great dives up by Tulane but didn't explore in detail in the recent past so I don't have any recommendations.
     
  8. wanker751

    wanker751 Dutch Rudder Enthusiast

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    Man... I love NOLA, the food is so good everywhere.

    I second the WWII museum. I'd skip the Aquarium, though we have a great one here.

    We ate the Jazz Brunch at the Court of Two Sisters in the French Quarter. It is 7 days a week, very good and a sampling of everything.

    http://www.courtoftwosisters.com/jazz-brunch.html
     
  9. martinr

    martinr Rock Chalk Jayhawk

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    There are a lot of restaurants there where you can use your TR credits for meals. I believe you have to have go through the TR desk at the casino to get a voucher before you can take advantage of this perk. We did this for a birthday meal at Commanders Palace a few years ago.
     
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  10. leo21

    leo21 VIP Whale

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    I've been to the Ruby Slipper and it was wonderful. Commanders' Palace has a sister restaurant, Café Adelaide, that is in a hotel right next to Harrah's. It's fabulous and they have the 25 cent martini lunch, too. I can't remember any remarkable dining experiences in the hotel itself, though. We did do a tour - can't remember which - but they promote three different ones in the lobby. We liked ours because it went to the Ninth Ward, through Bourbon Street, one of the cemeteries and managed to get to most neighborhoods in the city. Our best day was just walking up the river towards the French Market or to Café Du Monde, stopping at the shops on the way. My advice is to do it like Vegas - start walking around and seeing what's there.
     
  11. NewOrleansSlimm

    NewOrleansSlimm VIP Whale

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    what days end of march, ill be in vegas 24-28th but could show you around a bit if your in town before or after those dates
     
  12. HoyaHeel

    HoyaHeel Grammar Police & Admin

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    If you like antique stores (and some funky & fun boutiques) wander along Magazine St!
     
  13. abraxis

    abraxis Low-Roller

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    The WWII museum is probably the best museum, of any kind, that I've ever been to. I recommend it. Also, if you go, do see the Tom hanks film that they show. ..it's very high quality.
     
  14. bdautch

    bdautch VIP Whale

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    NOLA is my favorite city to travel to. If you'd be into a plantation tour, you should go see Laura Plantation. My tour was given by the actual owner of the home, who bought it when it fell into deep disrepair after a flood. Out of all the things that were ruined, one remained dry: the diary of a governess of the property in the 1850's. She wrote incredibly detailed text and diagrams about precisely how things worked, so he recreated it exactly, down to which flowers were in which parts of the yard. He knew the history far, far better than any Museum Studies undergraduate who memorized a script possibly could. It takes a few hours, but genuinely worth it. Really amazing, insightful, and comprehensive.
     
  15. HoyaHeel

    HoyaHeel Grammar Police & Admin

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    That sounds amazing- I adore house tours & history (my retirement dream is to be a docent at an historic home, actually ;-) Husband's trade show is back in New Orleans in 2018 -I definitely need to remember this tip!!
     
  16. Gaggles

    Gaggles VIP Whale

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    If you don't stop for a giant plate of char broiled Oysters at Drago's in the Hilton you are doing yourself an enormous disservice!!! I cannot recommend enough. Bourbon Street is a hustle so just be aware. I also took the trolley to the zoo many years ago and it was a good time. Tons of cool houses to see. I have taken a swamp boat tour and that was pretty fun. I got to pet an alligator. Yes it was a very small alligator.....

    Going back in April for four nights with some friends and then taking advantage of my Harrah's Crusie after that so I am going to have a nice little 11 day vacation. Enjoy.
     
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  17. Bgoll279

    Bgoll279 Low-Roller

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    It's great to see so many VMB'ers frequent my home town and enjoy it. I will also strongly suggest you be aware of your surroundings. It is a shame we have to say it but it is true. There are some great suggestions above. I will add a restaurant that is not as often mentioned, but very good. It is called Muriel's and is just off to the right of the St. Louis cathedral and they have a great Sunday Jazz brunch.

    My 2 cents is that Acme is good for raw oysters but not the other things. Mother's is overrated and very long line, when other places in the area offer the same things.

    Also, we are having the best crawfish season in years right now! Your timing will be perfect. Eat a bunch of them if you like them.

    Most of all enjoy yourselves and relax. (But be aware of what is going on around you)
     
  18. leo21

    leo21 VIP Whale

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    Okay, I'm not the only one underwhelmed by Mother's. Good to know. It was an interesting place with lots of history but the food was meh.
     
  19. NewOrleansSlimm

    NewOrleansSlimm VIP Whale

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    im almost 32, only been there one time when I was about 9 or 10 years old, wasnt special then...only went b/c my late friends mom and boyfriend used to work there...kinda creepy when they let us go up to the 3rd floor, where they keep the meat hanging

    i drive by all the time and the line is always down the street, i guess you have to try it once and decide but I always want to tell them there is so many better places without the wait
     
  20. atcmurph

    atcmurph Watcher Of The Skies

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    I appreciate the offer! I'll be there 3/28-4/1. I would love a local's perspective. Would you PM me and let me know a good time for you?

    (This is for NewOrleansSlimm). I thought I was replying to the post.
     
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