Kid friendly trip to New Orleans suggestions

[DaddyBuiltRacing]

The wife and I are heading to New Orleans next month along with our 4 year old. We will be staying there a couple days before heading over to Florida to finish off the trip. I have been looking at things to do in New Orleans and most as expected are aimed towards the adult crowd. Food is an important part of most vacations, so I need to know some good places to eat. I really want to try Alligator and eat some good Po Boys.

 

Also, we will be driving from New Orleans to Florida, so if you know of anything worth checking out along the way through Mississippi or Bama, feel free to share. I know we will be driving along the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, outside of that I have nothing right now.

[Geeto67]

Lived there for 5 years and was just there 3 weeks ago.

 

Food:

 

The best Po-Boys are Domilise's in the garden district. You'll need to drive because it borders a sketch neighborhood (New Orleans is one big sketch neighborhood where you are playing the good block bad block game a lot). It's dive hole in the wall, but it's fun dive.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domilise%27s_Restaurant

 

My buddy Myles always maintained Guys Po-boys on Magazine street is his favorite and it is in a less sketch neighborhood. Still not really street car accessible unless you like walking.

 

You need a Muffaletta from central grocery in the french quarter (decatur st if I remember correctly): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Grocery

 

and obviously beignets from Cafe Du Monde in the french quarter (get there early as it is a 2 hour wait).

 

I am partial to breakfast at a place called surry's. It's not really "authentic" new orleans but it's just straight good food and their Migas is awesome. There is now an uptown location by Tulane.

 

Also on magazine street in the garden district is a nice bakery called La Boularange if you need a quick carb snack. If you like olives get the olive fougasse loaf as it was my fav when I lived there (and still is and exists no where else in the world).

 

There are the usual nice restaurants in the quarter like Brennan's, and the Besh places but that is "fine dining" and black tie and not kid friendly. I can recommend a sitter if you want.

 

if you like oysters, Acme Oyster house is the go to in the Quarter, but if the wife is going to take the kids while you stuff yourself with raw oysters ride the streetcar to cooter brown's at the intersection of carrollton and st. Charles.

 

I can't help you with gator - that's tourist food. You want crawfish and you can get that anywhere. I think Pat O'Briens sells gator and is worth it just for the courtyard.

 

If you want some real good jambayla or Gumbo go to mothers. It's another dive over by the casino but it's real good. Wife is friends with the Amato family that owns it:

http://www.mothersrestaurant.net/mothers_menu.html

 

Want BBQ? VooDoo BBQ on St. Charles is great. It was one block from my old apartment when I lived there and ate there all the time. Went back with my daughter (3) and she loved it. It's slightly better than City BBQ that we have here though.

 

Here is a tip about new Orleans. Don't be afraid of how a place looks. The nastiest dives usually have the best food.

 

Other activities:

 

Ride the street car. It's cash only and exact change but worth it to ride the st charles line end to end. Lots of fun and if you buy a day pass you can get off and on. If you are driving be very mindful of the median on St. Charles - street car accidents are frequent.

 

Audubon Park. It's just a nice park with a playground your kid will have fun and it is across the street from Loyola. Street car runs right there. IT's pretty to just take a lap through.

 

Audubon Zoo. We are spoiled in CBus with a fantastic Zoo so this one is small and exotic by comparison. Notable for being the birthplace of the Audubon Society. You'll get to see live gators without having to deal with Cajin's/Creoles :

http://www.auduboninstitute.org/zoo

 

Take a Ghost Tour. Yes it is cheesy but it is a nice walk through pirates alley and some of the more interesting parts of the French Quarter. Don't forget to tip your guide.

 

Walk the quarter during daytime. Lots of street buskers and tourist trap antique shops, esp down by the levee. It's fun and the tourist traps are neat. Refrain from buying the cheesy t-shirts like "Female Body Inspector" and "if you can read this put me back on my barstool". Don't buy any of the novelty hot sauce either as it's all the same overpriced crap with amusing labels. Real New Orleanians use only Crystal. Go to Marie Laveauxs if you need some HooDoo

 

Take an Airboat tour of the swamp. Expensive and also requires some driving but really its a lot of fun. Took my folks on one in 2003 and they are still talking about it.

 

here is a weird one: The pharmacy museum. Not really 4 year old friendly as some of the stuff may give him nightmares but fun none the less: http://www.pharmacymuseum.org/

 

Walk magazine street in the garden district. It's nice. there are shops but they tend to cluster. Around Louisiana street is pretty happening and near napoleon is pretty good too.

[Geeto67]

oh I forgot. Pickpockets are rampant. Wallet front pocket always when in the french Quarter and the wife's purse always zipped closed. becareful with show people/buskers getting touchy feely with you.

 

Also head on a swivel at all times. It's really easy to accidentally walk into a real bad neighborhood. NO is a violent city stick to the heavy traffic areas.

 

If you are there on a day the french market is open then go. It's right behind cafe du monde.

[DaddyBuiltRacing]

Thanks, we have been told to avoid the cemeteries and to keep wallets in our front pocket. I want to ride the street cars, I feel like this is a destination the wife and I will be going back to at some point with out the little one.

[coltboostin]

Bring oxygen. The place smells like one giant toilet most days,

[Geeto67]

I don't know that I would actually avoid the cemeteries themselves, but I certainly wouldn't get on a bus marked cemeteries as that takes you to bad neighborhoods.