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OT: Just booked a flight to New Orleans


Edkoppel

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so in a moment of randomness my girlfriend and I decided to take a trip to New Orleans at the end of March.

We decided to fly there for a few days, rent a car and drive east towards Florida and then fly home after a few more days.

 

So my question is, what are some good things to do in;

A: New Orleans?

B: Gulf Coast, Biloxi, Mobile areas?

 

any cool places to eat?

 

thanks dudes.

---:thu:

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I liked Biloxi more than NO. That being said, the last time I was there was before Katrina, so I have no idea what has changed.

 

The D-Day Museum in NO was awesome though. I think French Quarter Festival is in late March too, so get ready to see a lot of weirdos.

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If you are going to hang out in the quarter go down to Frenchman instead of Bourbon some of the time. So you will be done there for Mardi Gras? I'll be down there then too! There will be some weird parades and stuff going on in general, lots of cultures mixed, Zulu to French to English. Go by Skullyz Records, they have tons of great stuff. It is just a hole in the wall, extremely small but have some great guys who work in there, a fantastic stock and several special edition items. Get some Absynthe at the Absynth House, again it is just a little hole in the wall and a tourist trap but the Absynthe is cool and tons of famous people have drank there like Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, Robert E. Lee, etc. (it is a couple hundred years old). There is a tiny book store where Faulkner wrote A Soldiers Pay and lived on Pirate's Alley. There isn't much there but if you are a Faulkner fan like me it's cool. Jackson Square is neat on the weekends when it is filled with artists/street performers and the cathedral is beautiful as well. Royal Street in the quarter has some wonderful art galleries, then there are also street performers there and one street down on Decatur, everything from tap dancers to ventriloquists to musicians. A lot of times there is a great violinist there who can play any style he may not know the song but he can nail the genre/artist and he is a great improviser from Paganini to Bebop. There is also a duo on Jackson Square a lot of times with a female violinist and a male accordian player that are really cool. If you are going to go Cafe Dumonde like a lot of people do, do not wait in the line! Walk right past everyone (it'll be a block long) go into the entrance under the canopy right off the main street and into the indoors part. There are a few tables in there and are always at least one available and you won't have to wait an eternity for a couple of beignets with coffee. There are plenty of tours to go on from the swamps to plantations to cemetaries and history everywhere you look. You can ride a streetcar down St. Charles in the Garden District and see a lot of cool homes. There are a few guitar shops but to be honest I haven't ever spent much time there.

What hotel will you be staying at? I usually stay at the Royal Sonesta on Bourbon but there are tons of decent places. As far as food goes again there are virtually limitless great places. Petunia's was my favorite breakfast spot but they closed a year or 2 ago. Brunch at a Court of Two Sisters is cool and good for a late start on Sunday. I like a lot of the older restaurants in the Quarter but tons of people knock on them now (like Galatoire's), I've ate there since I was a kid going to the French Market though so they bring back memories. Coop's is a great place and the blackened redfish is amazing! The French Market nowadays is just a junk flea market but back when I was younger there were a lot of cool produce places with some great food around.

Driving along the gulf coast might be a little uneventful... When you are heading out of New Orleans though there are some neat bridges and scenery. I don't really ever do anything down there except sell produce and visit friends. Bayou La Batre is cool though and quite a great place for pictures, in Forrest Gump that is where Bubba is from. There are some Civil War Era forts in Alabam on Dauphin Island and the Mobile area. James (Bass_Econo) is from there so he might can help you out more with that area.

I love going down to New Orleans, I have went a couple times a year for years now and have lots of friends. The food, people and scenery are quite unique and I really love the city, although it isn't like it was before Katrina. If you haven't ever been there I imagine it will seem really eccentric to begin with. Like I said earlier there is so much history, it is all around you and virtually everything in the Quarter has a story to tell. Research the area where you will be staying and read up on stuff before you go, the people I have took always have a better appreciation for the city when they do. Don't be expecting a lot of "jazz" or the like on Bourbon, even if it says jazz it will more than likely be covers from the last 40 years of classic/soft rock, blooz ala Clapton and/or top 40 dj'd stuff. There is some good music around but it isn't as easy to find as you would think. Check One Eye'd Jacks, they have some good stuff in there occasionally. Then if all else fails go to Harrahs and gamble/drink.

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If you are going to hang out in the quarter go down to Frenchman instead of Bourbon some of the time. So you will be done there for Mardi Gras? I'll be down there then too! There will be some weird parades and stuff going on in general, lots of cultures mixed, Zulu to French to English. Go by Skullyz Records, they have tons of great stuff. It is just a hole in the wall, extremely small but have some great guys who work in there, a fantastic stock and several special edition items. Get some Absynthe at the Absynth House, again it is just a little hole in the wall and a tourist trap but the Absynthe is cool and tons of famous people have drank there like Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, Robert E. Lee, etc. (it is a couple hundred years old). There is a tiny book store where Faulkner wrote A Soldiers Pay and lived on Pirate's Alley. There isn't much there but if you are a Faulkner fan like me it's cool. Jackson Square is neat on the weekends when it is filled with artists/street performers and the cathedral is beautiful as well. Royal Street in the quarter has some wonderful art galleries, then there are also street performers there and one street down on Decatur, everything from tap dancers to ventriloquists to musicians. A lot of times there is a great violinist there who can play any style he may not know the song but he can nail the genre/artist and he is a great improviser from Paganini to Bebop. There is also a duo on Jackson Square a lot of times with a female violinist and a male accordian player that are really cool. If you are going to go Cafe Dumonde like a lot of people do, do not wait in the line! Walk right past everyone (it'll be a block long) go into the entrance under the canopy right off the main street and into the indoors part. There are a few tables in there and are always at least one available and you won't have to wait an eternity for a couple of beignets with coffee. There are plenty of tours to go on from the swamps to plantations to cemetaries and history everywhere you look. You can ride a streetcar down St. Charles in the Garden District and see a lot of cool homes. There are a few guitar shops but to be honest I haven't ever spent much time there.


What hotel will you be staying at? I usually stay at the Royal Sonesta on Bourbon but there are tons of decent places. As far as food goes again there are virtually limitless great places. Petunia's was my favorite breakfast spot but they closed a year or 2 ago. Brunch at a Court of Two Sisters is cool and good for a late start on Sunday. I like a lot of the older restaurants in the Quarter but tons of people knock on them now (like Galatoire's), I've ate there since I was a kid going to the French Market though so they bring back memories. Coop's is a great place and the blackened redfish is amazing! The French Market nowadays is just a junk flea market but back when I was younger there were a lot of cool produce places with some great food around.


Driving along the gulf coast might be a little uneventful... When you are heading out of New Orleans though there are some neat bridges and scenery. I don't really ever do anything down there except sell produce and visit friends. Bayou La Batre is cool though and quite a great place for pictures, in Forrest Gump that is where Bubba is from. There are some Civil War Era forts in Alabam on Dauphin Island and the Mobile area. James (Bass_Econo) is from there so he might can help you out more with that area.


I love going down to New Orleans, I have went a couple times a year for years now and have lots of friends. The food, people and scenery are quite unique and I really love the city, although it isn't like it was before Katrina. If you haven't ever been there I imagine it will seem really eccentric to begin with. Like I said earlier there is so much history, it is all around you and virtually everything in the Quarter has a story to tell. Research the area where you will be staying and read up on stuff before you go, the people I have took always have a better appreciation for the city when they do. Don't be expecting a lot of "jazz" or the like on Bourbon, even if it says jazz it will more than likely be covers from the last 40 years of classic/soft rock, blooz ala Clapton and/or top 40 dj'd stuff. There is some good music around but it isn't as easy to find as you would think. Check One Eye'd Jacks, they have some good stuff in there occasionally. Then if all else fails go to Harrahs and gamble/drink.

 

 

 

Went to NOLA last year. My fiance' is from there.

I took my guitar with me & got to play on Bourbon St.

Played with "Guitar Slim Jr." & the "Fats Domino" Rythm section.

That is the "highlite" of my musical tenure.....all 30 years of it ...

Check out "Frenchman", check out "The Quaters".

Check out "Donna's", "Funky Butt", "Howlin Wolf".......GREAT CLUBS !

The food, the music, the people.....NOLA CHANGED MY LIFE !!

 

(trying to transfer on my federal job to the NOLA office)

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Commander's Palace is a great place to eat! now it is 'dining', some guys, esp younger guys or guys on a budget might not be into it

 

Coffee and beignets at Cafe Du Monde (the powered sugar is everywhere...I mean everywhere) is sort of required and will get you through a hangover you will likely have.

 

you really do want to check out the d-day museum

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i like new orleans a lot most of the time. i went there last year and got dumped (sort of) and spent three or four days getting blind drunk from morning till night while my (ex) lady friend {censored}ed some other dude in the house i was staying in. it's a great place for stuff like that.

 

on other visits though, the {censored}ing food has changed my life. so good. make sure to get out of the french quarter. find some restaurants or bars in other parts of town to go to. it's really cool and there are a lot of really cool people. there's an amazing record store there called domino sound. like, really amazing. if you're into vinyl. really worth checking out almost no matter what kind of music you like.

 

also, be careful walking around. make sure you know where you're going and how to get there and that it's safe. neighborhoods can change really fast there and get really really sketchy before you even notice. i've always felt safe when i'm there and with people who live there and know where to go and where not to go. but really bad {censored} can go down if you end up in the wrong place. a friend of many of my friends was shot in the head for no real reason last year just because she rode her bike through the wrong neighborhood. she was from out of town and just made a mistake.

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a friend of many of my friends was shot in the head for no real reason last year just because she rode her bike through the wrong neighborhood. she was from out of town and just made a mistake.

 

 

Really? I'm surprised to hear that. I'm not saying that did not happen, just surprised, and sorry. I bike everywhere and my studio/rehearsal space is in pretty bad area of town and I'm sometimes swerving a bit on the ride back (haha!) through these neighborhoods and nothing of note has ever happened.

 

But he is correct. Don't wander aimlessly. There are definitely areas of town to not be walking through at night aka the rumor has always been the police don't even go there. Grain of salt/take

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Really? I'm surprised to hear that. I'm not saying that did not happen, just surprised, and sorry. I bike everywhere and my studio/rehearsal space is in pretty bad area of town and I'm sometimes swerving a bit on the ride back (haha!) through these neighborhoods and nothing of note has ever happened.


But he is correct. Don't wander aimlessly. There are definitely areas of town to not be walking through at night aka the rumor has always been the police don't even go there. Grain of salt/take

 

 

Yeah I haven't ever had issues but be mindful, don't just get loaded and start walking off without thinking. The quarter can kind of get you turned around if you aren't familiar with the place, it took me awhile to be as familiar with everything as I am but I have went for years now. If you do find yourself somewhere and aren't sure how to get back just look for the buildings in downtown and walk towards them. They are visible everywhere in and/or around the quarter, you will eventually figure out where you are. It is amazing how so much diversity can be in such a small area.

 

As others have said too the food is out of this world, there is none better, it just doesn't exist. It is literally a low level sin.

 

Also, just to be clear my earlier post was centered around someones first trip and did include a lot of tourist type things but really they are quite interesing and you will have a great time! Bon temp roulle!

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yeah I want to do the touristy stuff actually.

I will be going with my girlfriend and our daughter so its not the "lets go to New Orleans and get retarded!!!" type of trip.

but I will definitely seek out some awesome restaurants.

 

thanks again everyone!

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Also, just to be clear my earlier post was centered around someones first trip and did include a lot of tourist type things but really they are quite interesing and you will have a great time! Bon temp roulle!

 

 

I thought your list was pretty good! I've thought everyone's lists were pretty good! Some places on these lists I'm going to try out for the first time and I've lived there for years!

 

It's one of those kind of places.

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The Gulf Coast is an abyss, avoid at all costs.

But if you have to...

In Mobile there is Fort Conde. Check out the music on Dauphin Street at Alabama Music Box. Also check out Hopjacks for pizza and beer. Tell the guy who looks like Captain Jack named Eric that James Mizell said to treat you right and you will be.

Fort Gaines is on Dauphin Island and there used to be a ferry to Gulf Shores to see Fort Morgan.

Honestly that's about it... go down Government BLVD and check out the old oak trees and if you look at some of the drainage ditches around there there i

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eat at Coop's Place... rabbit and sausage jambolaya is absolutely tits

late night dive bar of choice: the saint its in the garden district and its almost always got something cool going down

tons of good live music no matter what you're into.

 

its touristy but take a ghost tour, you might get lucky and catch a real cool one.

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yeah I want to do the touristy stuff actually.

I will be going with my girlfriend and our daughter so its not the "lets go to New Orleans and get retarded!!!" type of trip.

but I will definitely seek out some awesome restaurants.


thanks again everyone!

 

 

I wish I could give more specifics but NO is kinda memory over map type navigation for me:

 

 

tourtisty fun? go on a shrimp boat bayou boat tour. you hotel should have a close pickup spot for a free transport

 

staying in the quarter? cafe begnitte [sic] on royal next to the police station is the best IMHO. gumbo shop has decent food and is central. napoleon house is fun to eat at too.

 

just west of the quarter there is a sandwish/po boy shop [mothers?] that is good. pretty close.

 

near the market there is a russian bar ... actually across from the margarita ville... i liked that place...

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eat at Coop's Place... rabbit and sausage jambolaya is absolutely tits

late night dive bar of choice: the saint its in the garden district and its almost always got something cool going down

tons of good live music no matter what you're into.


its touristy but take a ghost tour, you might get lucky and catch a real cool one.

 

 

Yeah I covered Coops in my list, great blackened redfish!!!

 

Manymany, thanks! How do you feel about the Louisiana Pizza Kitchen? It is on the corner by the mint at the end of Esplanade by the warf (corner of the French Mkt). I love cajun food but if I have been there for several days and I want something not quite so different I go there to get a great pizza. They were voted best pizza in New Orleans like 7 years in a row or something, they use a brickoven and have a nice atmosphere, small but quaint. If you eat any tomatoes while you are in New Orleans there is a huge chance they came from me, I sell everyone down there. Louisiana is my main customer base and especially in and around New Orleans.

 

James, thanks for the heads up on the abyss that is the gulf coast.

 

If you like pork stuff Cochon is one of the best period. Their food is simply amazing and they do boudin right like you get out in Lafayette. Make sure to check out Skullyz too it'll give you something great to bring back home and you'll always have a good record to associate the trip with. I always try to make it a point to buy an album on any good trip I take, one that I feel applies to my visit in some way, then aside from enjoying the album I have all these great vivd memories that come back everytime I hear it. Skully believe it or not is on Bourbon and is great but it is aways down (like going away from downtown) out of the insanity that is Bourbon but not such a far walk it that it takes more than 5-10 minutes. It is VERY small you will miss it if you aren't careful, the size of a closet but I promise you will be amazed at how much great music they fit in there. They can give recomendations on local artists too that you might like.

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Yeah, Louisiana Pizza Kitchen, Coop's, Mother's, Cochon, several of the places on the upper part of Decatur (French Quarter), are all good. Someone alluded to Pravda, russian bar in that area, that's a good place for a drink.

 

If you make your way to the other side of St. Charles (and the streetcar along St. Charles is a "touristy" but cool thing to do), there are a bunch of great places to eat on Carrollton. My girlfriend swears by Jackimo's over there, next to the Maple Bar.

 

I've done a swamp boat thing with a friend who came through and that was actually quite interesting. You can ask your hotel about it when you get there and they will be able to point you in the right direction.

 

If you come at the same time as French Quarter Festival, you will probably not make it out of the Quarter that weekend.

 

Enjoy your trip!

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