I recently stayed in New Orleans for a travel conference and wanted to report back for those considering a trip there. I stayed at the Hilton Riverside where the convention was being held. The Hilton is very close to the cruise ship terminal and within walking distance to Bourbon Street and historic French Quarter. I’m here to say that Bourbon St and the French Quarter are back in action. The local businesses we spoke with stated that they are not as busy as they would like to be, but it appeared to be picking up. Since I spent most of my 4 days there in classes and seminars, I was only able to venture out at night. There was usually a pack of travel agents wherever we wandered, so I felt safe. However, the reports of increased crime is nothing to overlook. One night, we had a gathering at a well-known hot spot on Bourbon St. and one of the agents in our group had her purse stolen from her chair…that she was sitting on. This brings up a good point, whenever and wherever you are traveling, you really need to be aware of your surroundings and keep your personal items close to your body. Consider that you may have your proof of citizenship in your purse/wallet and it’s stolen…and you need to get on a plane to get home. Not a good situation to be in. Back to NOLA though… I’m not trying to scare you away. In fact, I truly enjoyed my stay there and would highly recommend going for a visit or even a couple days prior to a cruise. Yes, there is some crime and it is kind of dirty. But, if you like to have a great meal (from too many restaurants to choose from), if you like strolling down a street and listening to music streaming out of bars, if you like to people watch (and believe me, there are some interesting characters to view!) than NOLA is for you!
Just a few of the spots I stopped at…
Being a foodie (and Food Network junkie), I had to go to one of Emeril’s restaurants while in town. We chose NOLA and really enjoyed our meal there. There was one little glitch with a steak being overcooked for one person in our party, but other than that, the food was excellent…and a new steak was cooked to replace the other.
Pat O’Briens - Home of the Hurricane! A must if you’re visiting NOLA and heading to Bourbon St. Fun place to have a cocktail and some in our group said that dinner was very good there too.
Cafe du Monde! If you’ve never had a Beignet (french doughnut), you must…at Cafe du Monde! Head down Decatur St. and you’ll find it. Even at 10 p.m. it was crowded! You must add a cafe au lait while enjoying the powder sugar laden treat!
Hint: Don’t wear black as there’s tons of powder sugar and it’s impossible not to get it on your clothes.
Acme Oyster House - If you’re a fan of raw oysters, this is the place to go! They also serve something called charred oysters (just broiled on top, but still a little raw.) I’m a fan of fresh raw oysters, so I stuck with the tried and true.
Bourbon St. and Decatur St. - Truly, just strolling up and down these streets was part of the fun!
I regret that I didn’t have enough time to try other restaurants and sight-see, but I know that I’ll be back to visit again.
