First time in New Orleans...What Should I See?

[Mrs. Fury]

Personally I'd stay away from central city, the east and the ninth ward, even though I have friends that live in those areas. The swamp tours IMO are not worth the money, but if you don't have friends in the area to show you what you want to see I guess you have no choice. There's a lot of history to be found just walking around reading historical markers on buildings. The quarter and warehouse district are your safest bets. Bellhops and bartenders can give good info. They are a lot less stuffy than the people at the front desk of hotels. Many museums, bars and restaurants to stumble upon without any research. For a cheap river trip take the ferry from NO to the westbank at Canal Street. Don't wander too far if you don't know where you are going. If you want to see a gator & some wildlife drive west on Airline into LaPlace. The spillway has a nice park area where people fish and crab. Actually they have two nice areas, one on the west and one on the east side of the spillway. Nice boardwalks that go over the swamp area where you should see some wildlife. The lakefront in NO is nice too, but I've never seen a gator out there.

[BradfromNO]

Ahhh, the Lakefront. I agree it is a nice place to spend a few hours, much more in the old days than today. A ride across the river on the ferry at the foot of Canal St. for photos is nice, a tour of the Cabildo and the Old US Mint museum are good bets. The mint houses the Mardi Gras 'museum'. As a history buff, go to the Wax Museum (Musee Conti) on Conti St. in the backside of the quarter. It is a real history lesson. I would take a streetcar from Canal to City Park. There you can see a few gators, wonderful old oaks, the Museum of Art and more. You can see the 2nd oldest racetrack in the US, The Fairgrounds. Another streetcar route that is a must see is the St. Charles Line streetcar route. You will never forget that. You can spend a day riding the Great River Road and viewing the old plantation homes in St. Charles, St. John and St. James Parish. Spend a morning at the French Market on Decatur in the Quarter, eat beignets at Cafe' du Monde'. And as Pat O'Brien's says, HAVE FUN!