Anyone here from New Orleans...could use some budget activities for kids

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

Hi all! My dd10 just qualified for the Junior Olympics , which will be held in New Orleans this summer. We are very excited for her.

We've known this was a strong possibility, and all along we've been planning to take the whole family on this trip. We have some touristy activities we would like to do (we have recommendations on a specific swamp tour, a space center place, and the older one will enjoy a ghost tour).

But, to throw a glitch in the plans (a good glitch), my dd qualified in all 12 events, which means her days will be spent at the convention center, with very little family time to explore. I didn't expect this to happen, and thought we'd have some gaps in our competition days. As long as we have time to do the swamp tour for her, she'll be happy.

But the problem lies now with what to do with one parent and the three boys during the days. Yes, our hotel (or house if we rent one) will have a pool, but that will get old for 5 days. For those of you who live here, can you recommend anything local and not-too-expensive for kids. I'm not necessarily looking for touristy things for them, but maybe a nice park or other activity places..even places like a Chuck E Cheese. We just need to know if there are things one parent can do with the kids while the other of us is at the competition with dd. There is no way the boys will sit through 5 days of competition, 9-7!! We need to quickly make a decision as to whether this will be a family trip or a mother/daughter trip. The trip is over ds5's birthday, though, and I don't like the idea of not being with him on his special day

And on another note...we're staying somewhere close to the convention center. We'll have a car if we all go. Is there a grocery store within a short drive? We saw little convenience stores when we visited briefly last year, but those don't have the selection or prices we look for! I'd like to be able to pick up breakfast and lunch items to save on the cost a bit. Maybe even a Walmart type place???

Thanks for any advice which will help us with this decision!

 

[prncess674]

What area of town will you be staying? Will you have a car?

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

What area of town will you be staying? Will you have a car?

We'll be by the convention center..somewhere. The team had originally blocked out rooms at the Hampton Inn on Convention Center Blvd., but they are running into issues since they didn't give the team any 2 bed rooms. Regardless, it should be within walking distance to the convention center.

And yes..we will have our car.

Thanks for thinking for us

 

[DisneyGirl201017]

I live in southern Louisiana and one of my favorite things o do is go walk the french quarter. It's always something different when you go. The zoo, and aquarium are really nice. As well as the new Insectarium is really fun!
This website also shows a list of more things to do, http://www.neworleansonline.com/

Have a great time in our city and good luck to your dd!

 

[prncess674]

Well you asked about grocery stores, but there really aren't any in walking distance to the convention center. You will mostly find convenience stores. Since you will be driving, I suggest stopping in Slidell which is about 45 minutes outside of NOLA for snacks and drinks for the room. Slidell has all the stores you are familiar with:Target, Wal-Mart, major grocery stores.

If you are staying at a hotel, you won't have anything to cook on, you will be lucky if you have an empty mini fridge to keep drinks cold.

Since you will have a car, you have a lot of options outside of the typical touristy items. One fun activity is to take the street car down St. Charles and hop off at Audobon Park (google it) where the kids can burn off some energy.

Remember New Orleans is sweltering in the summer, you need hats, sunglasses, sunscreen and plenty of water.

Other cool things for kids:
Insectarium
Take the ferry (free for passengers and great views!)
http://www.neworleansonline.com/tools/transportation/gettingaround/ferry.html
Since you will have a car, heading to City Park is also a nice treat with storyland, the train and carousel.
http://neworleanscitypark.com/carousel_gardens.html
My fave place for ice cream is The Creole Creamery
http://www.creolecreamery.com/

If you are into theatre, check the shows and dates here, none of these are expensive:

http://summerlyric.tulane.edu/calendar.cfm
http://www.crescentcitylights.org/shows.php
http://www.lepetittheatre.com/

Edited to Add: You are a brave soul to drive that long. As a former NOLA native who now resides in the DC area, you couldn't pay me to do that.

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

Thank you both so much! These are great ideas! I knew I could count on my DIS friends!

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

Edited to Add: You are a brave soul to drive that long. As a former NOLA native who now resides in the DC area, you couldn't pay me to do that. [/QUOTE]


Yes...we are crazy!! We drove to Texas last summer (stopped in New Orleans on the way home), so this should be a piece of cake...right???? It's half the price of flying for our family of 6. Plus, having the car is important, especially now that we have to keep the boys entertained all day, every day!

 

[HLAuburn]

The convention center is pretty much in the middle of downtown, so there's not a whole lot of "convenience" shopping - Walgreen's on the corners and some very small food markets, but that's about it. If you had to find a Walmart, the closest (safest!) would probably be in Metairie - maybe a 15 min drive. There's also shopping, restaurants, a mall etc there.

Like a PP mentioned, it will be HOT in the Summer, so unless you and the kids are used to being in the heat and humidity, you might want to plan a lot of your daytime activities around water or inside. The Audubon Insectarium is really fun (and close to the conv center) as is the Aquarium.

You could also check out Mardi Gras World and City Park is worth checking out, too.

Have fun! And congrats to your daughter!

 

[Orleanslady]

Hi all! My dd10 just qualified for the Junior Olympics , which will be held in New Orleans this summer. We are very excited for her.

We've known this was a strong possibility, and all along we've been planning to take the whole family on this trip. We have some touristy activities we would like to do (we have recommendations on a specific swamp tour, a space center place, and the older one will enjoy a ghost tour).

But, to throw a glitch in the plans (a good glitch), my dd qualified in all 12 events, which means her days will be spent at the convention center, with very little family time to explore. I didn't expect this to happen, and thought we'd have some gaps in our competition days. As long as we have time to do the swamp tour for her, she'll be happy.

But the problem lies now with what to do with one parent and the three boys during the days. Yes, our hotel (or house if we rent one) will have a pool, but that will get old for 5 days. For those of you who live here, can you recommend anything local and not-too-expensive for kids. I'm not necessarily looking for touristy things for them, but maybe a nice park or other activity places..even places like a Chuck E Cheese. We just need to know if there are things one parent can do with the kids while the other of us is at the competition with dd. There is no way the boys will sit through 5 days of competition, 9-7!! We need to quickly make a decision as to whether this will be a family trip or a mother/daughter trip. The trip is over ds5's birthday, though, and I don't like the idea of not being with him on his special day

And on another note...we're staying somewhere close to the convention center. We'll have a car if we all go. Is there a grocery store within a short drive? We saw little convenience stores when we visited briefly last year, but those don't have the selection or prices we look for! I'd like to be able to pick up breakfast and lunch items to save on the cost a bit. Maybe even a Walmart type place???

Thanks for any advice which will help us with this decision!

Yep, I'm a Native of New Orleans.

Here is the information for the nearest Walmart. It is in New Orleans and
15-20 minutes away from The Convention center.

Walmart Super Center
1901 Tchoupitoulas St
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone: (504) 522-4142

You can map it along with other suggestions and compare its location to your hotel's. Also, Wholefoods Market and many other smaller stores are on Magazine Street, a historic street with lots of unique shops. Audubon zoo & Park are also on Magazine street.

The Riverwalk, Canal Place Shopping Center, Audubon Aquarium and Audubon Insectarium are all in walking distance of The Convention Center, though. Actually, the Convention Center is connected to The Riverwalk.

The famos Decatur Street is also very close and in walking distance. You will find The Jax Building, Jackson Square, The St. Louis Cathedral, Cafe Du Monde and The French Market on this street. You will also find many other things that are what we New Orleanians like to call "Naturally New Orleans" (that is shops and dining experiences).

You really don't have to leave New Orleans to find a nearby store, unless you just want to. I would even give the hotel a call and ask them what they recommend in regards to a store. Honestly, if you google Walmart or Wholefoods, you can get an idea of whether or not one of these stores will work. You might want to google grocery stores on Magazine Street in New Orleans. The web makes life so much easier Have a great trip. Feel free to ask me if you need more specific info.

 

[Sarahlovy]

Be sure to get snowballs while you are in NOLA! I love Pandora's on Carrollton (it is on the way to City Park, where lots of time can probably be spent). If you go to City Park, there is a Rouse's (large grocery store) on the way as well.

 

[Debbie7452]

OK, people are going to think I'm a really bad Mom...We have taken the kids to New Orleans several times and my DS's favorite thing is to go into Pat O'Briens in the French Quarter and order an alcohol free version of one of their famous hurricanes. I think it's called the "Eye of the Hurricane" Kids are allowed in the bar area of the place, but not the patio area(seems a little backwards, huh?) Get them free plastic Pat O'Briens hats, too. The French Quarter and Bourbon street are much more kid friendly before dark!

My kids always want to eat at Margaritaville and we have to visit Cafe Du Monde. Next year I want to take the ferry over to Mardi Gras World. I also want to ride on the street cars...haven't done that yet!

 

[luvtheduck]

Hi, I am a lurker on the board but thought I would throw in my two cents. I do live in New Orleans, actually a suburb, Metairie.

I agree with some of the other posts. The Hampton Inn is across from the Convention Center so you will be able to walk across the street. There is a Walmart on Tchoupitoulas which is very close, you can't walk but it is not a far drive.

You can walk to the Riverwalk which is next to the Convention Center and then catch a streetcar down to the Quarter, which your boys will probably enjoy. There are a lot of actiivites for children and family in New Orleans but they all will not be free. Also at the end of the Convention Center is an IMAX theatre which can be pricey but well worth it, it is next to the Aquarium. If you go to the zoo I would try to go first thing in the morning or as late as possible because a lot of animals tend to sleep during the hottest part of the day.

I think the kids will love to get snoballs and beignets. There is a bowling alley on Carrollton, Rock and Bowl that the kids will probably like. I honestly don't know their hours. There are a lot of "sight seeing" that is free but honestly it will probably be lost on kids your age. You can catch the streetcar down St Charles which will give you the opportunity to see the beautiful homes and at the end of St Charles you can get off and eat at Camilla Grill, really neat place that you eat at a counter, waffles, burgers, etc.

Just remember that it is beyond hot in the summer and if you are not used to the humidity it will wipe you out. Try to avoid outdoor activities during the middle of the day.

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

Thank you all SO MUCH!!!! I think we're going to take the whole family. Thanks for the warnings about the heat. It will be nice to have some shorter things to do during the day with the boys, just to break up the day a bit. These are great ideas. My ds7 is so excited about the insect place!!

 

[An_Island_Girl]

Next year I want to take the ferry over to Mardi Gras World. I also want to ride on the street cars...haven't done that yet!

The Mardi Gras World has moved, and is now on the far side of the Convention Center (Same side of the river as the French Quarter). They run a free shuttle from Harrah's, or it's about a 15 minute walk past the convention center... we did this in November, and had a great time!