New Orleans...any 'must do's'?

[AdeTuono]

Off to US next week, a few days in NYC, then down to New Orleans for four days before Las Vegas to round it off. NYC & LV are covered WRT activities, but New Orleans not so much. Obviously there will be late nights of music and drinking along Bourbon Street, but what else? Any tips?

[Matt Harper]

Keep your hand on your wallet, try to avoid physical assault. Be careful.

[AdeTuono]

[surfymark]

Haven't been since before Katrina so this advice may be out of date.

Stay in the French Quarter at all times. Do not be tempted to venture out at all. Hopefully your hotel is in this quarter.

Within the French Quarter it is no more dangerous than London. It was a great place and I really enjoyed the time I had there.

I did a cemetery tour which was really good including a Voodoo church etc. A general tour of the city will be good too with the history of the jazz etc.

Generally though the evenings in the French Quarter were amazing. You used to be able to buy your drinks in plastic cups so you could take them from bar to bar and out on the street. Lots of drinking dancing and listening and watching the street acts!

HTH
Mark

[NathanJones]

Try the Bombay Club in the french quarter

[Matt Harper]

I travel a lot with work and New Orleans is one of only 3 US cities where I check luggage, rather than carry-on, so that I can take a concealed carry with me. Bourbon St/French Quarter is more risky for theft of belongings than more serious crimes against the person - but the whole place seems to attract morons who can't hold their liquor and get obnoxious, as a result. It's a party town, but not the kind of party I enjoy, personally. Straying from the obviously well trodden tourist/business area of the city is downright dangerous.

[Maxf]

Matt Harper said:

I travel a lot with work and New Orleans is one of only 3 US cities where I check luggage, rather than carry-on, so that I can take a concealed carry with me.

Well thats pretty damning! Which are the others out of interest? Detroit?

[IhateChristmas]

So the only reasonably safe place is the bit with drunks prancing about in the street. Think I'll give it a miss, thanks.

[Matt Harper]

Maxf said:

Well thats pretty damning! Which are the others out of interest? Detroit?

- and Houston TX

[AdeTuono]

Glad it's only 4 days, by the sound of it! We're staying in The French Quarter, thankfully.

We'll try not to get killed to death.

[downthepub]

AdeTuono said:

Glad it's only 4 days, by the sound of it! We're staying in The French Quarter, thankfully.

We'll try not to get killed to death.

I had a fantastic time there a few years ago - drove over for a weekend's entertainment from Houston. Pity my colleague heard the "French Quarter" bit and booked near the French Quarter. So it was pretty hick. But we took care not to walk the streets and just cabbed it to/from town. I liked New Orleans and would like to go back at some point - the Mississippi is fecking wide there, it's worth a walk down Canal Street to the river! Taking the old street cars around some of the more historic areas is worth it too.

[downthepub]

AdeTuono said:

Off to US next week

Arse.

[AdeTuono]

Well, we didn't get killed, and had a cracking time. Would definitely go again, but would steer clear of Bourbon Street, which was like a living hell. The areas where the locals hang had a much more laid back feel, less junk & lowlife and, more importantly, better music. Food was universally excellent. Now in Las Vegas, which I will never return too. It's all the worst aspects of humanity rolled into one place (IMO)

BTW Swerni, got your supercharger, but wouldn't you know it, it's too large for my luggage, so have donated it to a tramp outside the hotel. He promised to look after it until I can arrange shipping. Sorry....

[ChrisBMW]

Surprised you found LV to be so bad, I was there last December with my wife and we thought it was a great place. Neither of us are gamblers so we weren't there for that, done the helicopter trip to the grand canyon and went to several shows which were great. I would defintely go back again.

[AdeTuono]

ChrisBMW said:

Surprised you found LV to be so bad, I was there last December with my wife and we thought it was a great place. Neither of us are gamblers so we weren't there for that, done the helicopter trip to the grand canyon and went to several shows which were great. I would defintely go back again.

It's not that I found it bad, just totally soulless. It's an unbelievable place; the scale is incredible Caesars Palace is fking immense. We stayed at The Wynne Encore, and it's no exaggeration to say that the footprint of the hotel is larger than some complete towns. What's been achieved at The Venetian is truly staggering. We went to the Blue Man show, ate at several hotels, did a lot of the standard things (not Grand Canyon) but coming directly after New Orleans and NYC (for the 7th time) it left me cold.

I'm really glad I went, but the place just didn't do it for me.

[ChrisBMW]

AdeTuono said:

It's not that I found it bad, just totally soulless. It's an unbelievable place; the scale is incredible Caesars Palace is fking immense. We stayed at The Wynne Encore, and it's no exaggeration to say that the footprint of the hotel is larger than some complete towns. What's been achieved at The Venetian is truly staggering. We went to the Blue Man show, ate at several hotels, did a lot of the standard things (not Grand Canyon) but coming directly after New Orleans and NYC (for the 7th time) it left me cold.

I'm really glad I went, but the place just didn't do it for me.

Fair enough commments, agree about Caesars Palace. We got lost in it and had to ask for directions to get out, lol.

You really missed out not visiting the Grand Canyon, not many things leave me speechless but OMG.

[BigBen]

AdeTuono said:

We stayed at The Wynne Encore, and it's no exaggeration to say that the footprint of the hotel is larger than some complete towns.

Actually that is a complete exaggeration

[AdeTuono]

BigBen said:

AdeTuono said:

We stayed at The Wynne Encore, and it's no exaggeration to say that the footprint of the hotel is larger than some complete towns.

Actually that is a complete exaggeration

FFS, there's always someone who has to take a contrary position, isn't there? Less than 30 seconds on Google gives a size of 87 ha for the Wynn Hotel. Manningtree in Essex covers 20 ha. I'm sure there are several towns between 20-86 ha in the UK, but I can't be arsed to find a list. Get back under your rock.

[BigBen]

AdeTuono said:

BigBen said:

AdeTuono said:

We stayed at The Wynne Encore, and it's no exaggeration to say that the footprint of the hotel is larger than some complete towns.

Actually that is a complete exaggeration

FFS, there's always someone who has to take a contrary position, isn't there? Less than 30 seconds on Google gives a size of 87 ha for the Wynn Hotel. Manningtree in Essex covers 20 ha. I'm sure there are several towns between 20-86 ha in the UK, but I can't be arsed to find a list. Get back under your rock.

FFS, there's always someone who does not enjoy light hearted comments. Possibly it is larger than some completely tiny towns that would be a village by any reasonable definition as long as you include the massive golf course that takes up more than half of the Wynn site.