New Orleans in late March?

[Soupermom]

I am trying to plan a family trip for next Spring Break. Our break will be the last week of March, and I think Easter is in April next year. This would be a road trip for our family of four and I was thinking we should try New Orleans. Is there much for a family to do there during this time? Any place interesting to stop and visit between Illinois and New Orleans? (Minus St. Louis...we go there a lot). Where is the closest, nice beach on the Gulf?

Any suggestions or comments are welcome. I'm just not sure what there is to do in this area...

Thanks!

P.S. We like activities more than lounging, but a day or two at a beach is fine.

 

[portocall]

I guess the closest beach to New Orleans that is in Louisiana would be Grand Isle. There are beaches in Mississippi, but if I was going to do a beach vacation, I think I would head to Orange Beach, Alabama or Panhandle of FL.

New Orleans has a lot of festivals around the end of March including the French Quarter festival. Mardi Gras is in March next year but at the beginning.. I believe the 8th.

 

[webprinter]

I agree with Orange Beach or the FL Panhandle being the closest nice beach. It seems as if there is always a lot going on in New Orleans. There are also a lot of tours you can do around the area. They have a lot of shopping too. It takes almost a day just to see the French Quarter.
If you are going to go through Memphis, that is a fun place to see.

 

[ENSOCK]

There is alot to do and see. It depends on what you like. The French Quarter has lots to see as well as there are alot of places to go to. The cemetaries at night or the swamp tours during the day. March is not really hot so you should have fun.

 

[Soupermom]

I think we will spend a night or two in Memphis, coming or going. DH is a big Elvis fan and has always wanted to take us to Graceland...lucky me! We don't need a beach, I just thought since we were near the coast it would be something to do one day. Is there anything in Jackson MS? I think we go thru there, too...

 

[khertz]

I am a New Orleans girl, and never get tired of the Audubon Zoo and the Aquarium of the Americas!

Definitely get some beignets from Cafe du Monde! Also the French Market & Magazine St are great spots for shopping. You could take a carriage ride around the city, or try one of the MANY French Quarter tours available. You can take a ride on the Steamboat Natchez.

Another thing I LOVE about living in south Louisiana is plantation tours. Those you would have to drive out of the city for, but if anyone in your family enjoys history or the Old South, these tours are fantastic. My favorites are Oak Alley, Nottoway, and San Francisco plantations. There are a bunch of museums of course, but my two personal favorites are the WWII museum and the Wax Museum.

In late March, you will unfortunately miss Mardi Gras & Jazz Fest. But you can visit Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World if you are interested in Mardi Gras at all.

neworleansonline.com has a ton of information for your trip!

 

[Soupermom]

khertz...thanks for your suggestions! I was actually at Mardi Gras 20 years ago when I was in college and the one place I remembered that we need to visit is Cafe du Monde! I"m thinking a swamp tour would be fun too. Any other suggestions??? Many more outdoorsy/adventure type activities? We can do the shops/French Quarter for a day, but we like activities/adventures more than shopping.

Thanks!

 

[TeaForTulips]

New Orleans is a GREAT place for a family vacation! March is also nice because while it will be crowded due to Spring Breaks it will not be the HEAT of summer. Went for July 4th last year and was ready to die.

The zoo and the aquarium are for sure must dos! They are both really great. Even if you aren't a shopping family I do still recommend the French Quarter. It can be quite fun and it is always lively with entertainment. Also the River Walk can be the same. You may want to check into River Cruises. That may be something fun for you also. There is usually something going on in NO all the time. Festivals, music, etc. Do a little research and I'm sure you will have a full schedule.

The food is AMAZING! Depending upon your family there are also lots of different tours available. Riverboat, plantation, swamp, ghost, etc. Depending how far you want to go, you could also do Avery Island where Tabasco is made.

For a road trip I am not sure of any suggestions. The only one that comes to mind is Memphis, TN for Graceland? I'm not sure how far out of the way that would be. If you do a little google-ing though I'm sure you can find a lot of nice little stops along the way.

For beaches I also recommend AL or FL. Louisiana is not where I would waste a beach trip since AL and FL are so close. Gulf Shores is more family friendly most say, but I personally Pensacola Beach. Make sure to keep up with the oil spill though with the beach trip.

I hope you enjoy your trip!

EDIT* Just noticed your previous Elvis post sorry!

 

[TeaForTulips]

I think we will spend a night or two in Memphis, coming or going. DH is a big Elvis fan and has always wanted to take us to Graceland...lucky me! We don't need a beach, I just thought since we were near the coast it would be something to do one day. Is there anything in Jackson MS? I think we go thru there, too...

I know Jackson has a zoo and some museums. There is a sports hall of fame. I know someone who stops there for antique shops sometimes. I also know they have a huge garden that is supposed to be nice, but that is all I can think of.

I live 3 hours from Jackson and have never been myself. I personally would spend more time in New Orleans or other coastal towns. I think you would find more fun there.

 

[luvtheduck]

Hi, I live in New Orleans and want to also suggest the World War II museum, it is really great and a must see. There really is not a nice beach that you could go to from the city, the closet "nice" one would be around Gulf Shores or the Panhandle of Florida. I do want to make the suggestion to not go to the cemetaries at night. Also walking around the Quarter is a great way to see the city and take the streetcar down St Charles to see Uptown.

 

[Soupermom]

bumping for more activity suggestions...

Does anyone have a suggestion on where (which area) to stay in a hotel?

 

[luvtheduck]

It would really depend on what you want to do and the convenience level you are looking for. If you plan on staying in the Quarter there are plenty of hotels, but the parking can be quite high, like most major cities. But if you stay in the Quarter you are able to walk to a lot of places. If you stay in the Uptown area or the suburbs you will have more driving but in the suburbs you will have free parking and the drive is not far. If you stay away from the Quarter and plan on driving there for the day the parking lots will run a lot, but don't plan on being able to park on the street. It's not impossible but it can be very difficult to find street parking and it isn't allowed in some areas and there will be parking meters.

 

[Lear]

There is a national parks office in the French Quarter and at one time they were offering free tours not sure if they still offer them. But here is the address and number 419 Decatur Street, New Orleans
504-589-2636 ext. 1. We have been on the tour a number of times in the past and we plus our visiting company loved it.

 

[TALB]

We drove to Gulf Shores last Spring Break from Peoria Illinois. We drove straight through. It wasn't a bad drive at all. The kids watched lots of movies. We loved Gulf Shores. We spent several days at the beach relaxing. One at the awesome outlet mall and took a side trip to Mobile to tour the USS Alabama. We then drove to New Orleans and spent two days there. We toured the WWII Museum which I highly recommend. The show is amazing. We went to Cafe DuMonde twice, toured the French Quarter, and visited a cemetary. We ate Muffalata's at Central Grocerey. We had the most amazing meals while we were there. We had been there the year before Katrina and I really wanted to go back. Driving in and seeing all the marked houses still sitting there was devastating. It also provided a good teaching experience for our kids. The kids loved the city and want to go back next Spring Break. I would recommend touring Mardi Gras World which we had planned to do but didn't get there in time. It closes at 5pm. If you have any questions feel free to pm me.

 

[cindycastle30]

This will be our third time staying in New Orleans at the Embassy Suites on Julia St. It is within walking distance of the french quarter either by way of the riverfront or going down to Canal St. We love it there, they have a very nice breakfast in the morning with eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage, cooked to order omellettes and much much more. This really saves us money since everyone can load up at breakfast and with 4 kids 14, 13, 12 and 8 they really eat a ton. At night they have a two hour managers reception with free mixed drinks, beer, wine etc. They also put out snacks in the evening. The room runs right around $100 a night, look on hotels.com sometimes they have discounts.

The rooms are also all suites so you have 2 rooms to spread out in.

 

[Deb & Bill]

This will be our third time staying in New Orleans at the Embassy Suites on Julia St. It is within walking distance of the french quarter either by way of the riverfront or going down to Canal St. We love it there, they have a very nice breakfast in the morning with eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage, cooked to order omellettes and much much more. This really saves us money since everyone can load up at breakfast and with 4 kids 14, 13, 12 and 8 they really eat a ton. At night they have a two hour managers reception with free mixed drinks, beer, wine etc. They also put out snacks in the evening. The room runs right around $100 a night, look on hotels.com sometimes they have discounts.

The rooms are also all suites so you have 2 rooms to spread out in.

I've also stayed at this hotel and it is just a short distance from the trolley car line to the French Quarter. It's in the Arts District, so there are small art galleries in the vicinity. Rooms are very small, though. And parking in NOLA is horrid - where you pay for parking it is very high, especially the closer you get to the French Quarter.

If you are into historical places, the Vicksburg battlefield is not that far from Jackson, MS. Also the Natchez Trace isn't too far so you can visit the antebellum homes there.

Depending on the cleanup from the spill, the beaches closest to NOLA may not be a good choice. Orange Beach, AL was pretty nice pre-spill. Post-spill, not sure.

 

[HunnyPots]

By far, my favorite New Orleans hotel is the Place d'Armes. You cannot beat the locatiion - right next to Jackson Square in the heart of the french quarter. It is an old building (actually three old buildings, I believe) with lots of old world New Orleans character. Depending on the time of year, the rooms can be a steal; we went in June and paid $70 a night. March of course will be higher but so will all hotels in the city, due to spring break and other events.

I've also stayed at the Monteleone on Royal street. A bit more upscale and the location is also very good for walking around the quarter.

I'd recommend you check out the New Orleans boards on tripadvisor.

New Orleans is my very favorite city - I think you'll love it!

 

[Deb & Bill]

...I've also stayed at the Monteleone on Royal street. A bit more upscale and the location is also very good for walking around the quarter.

I'd recommend you check out the New Orleans boards on tripadvisor.

New Orleans is my very favorite city - I think you'll love it!

I stayed in the Monteleone this past spring and our room was tiny. It had a king sized bed and I barely had room for the Aerobed for our son. They would have given us a rollaway, but I don't know how it would have fit. There is no self parking and valet parking was about $30 a night.

 

[Soupermom]

Thanks for the information everyone! Keep it coming... I'll be sure to check it all out.

 

[The Running Ann]

I have a few suggestions as well. For hotel stays, I suggest the Central Business District (CBD) hotels since they lack some of the drawbacks of the French Quarter (small rooms and festive atmosphere on the streets). It is also within quick walking distance of both the Quarter and the Warehouse / Museum District.

I like the Hilton Riverside for several reasons: rooms are spacious; are often reasonably priced; and it has self parking. This last tip, I think is important in New Orleans since you can come and go as you please without waiting on valet, even if the parking garage is still expensive. While the Hilton (either downtown location), the Marriott, the Sheraton, or the Intercontinental are large convention hotels and do not have the charm that many landmark hotels do, I usually stay at these places due to consistency and ease of parking.

You have received great advice about touring possibilities. The World War 2 Museum is outstanding as its restaurant, The American Sector. It is a John Besh restaurant featuring classic American fare with a new twist. Also, the Audubon Zoo really is fun on a lovely day as is the adjacent Audubon Park. I think it is a nice place to take a picnic and stroll around the 1 ¾ mile bike / walking path around the park. My husband and I always find a way to get in our daily run here. I have also been hearing wonderful things about the Audobon Insectarium downtown on Canal. I haven’t been yet but have heard glowing reports.

The Zoo and Park are Uptown, which you should not miss. You can drive or take the streetcar from downtown and simply get off at the Audubon Park/Tulane stop and walk through the park for a mile or so until you get back to the zoo. Even if you don’t go to the zoo, the ride along St. Charles on the streetcar is a true New Orleans highlight. You can get off at the Carrollton intersection and have a delicious breakfast or burger at Camellia Grill. You may have to wait, but it is a lot of fun. If you drive, you can continue all the way up Carrollton to Midtown to Angelo Brocatto’s an old school Italian ice cream and dessert place. It is a little over a hundred years old and in institution. We always stop for a gelato and pastry.

I hope you have a wonderful trip. Also, don’t miss Rendezvous for BBQ in Memphis.