New Orleans: Side trips

It will likely still be very hot and humid for that trip, so beware planning bike rides and hikes in the region.

As for side trips from NOLA, I have no actual experience, but I recommend looking for outfitters who would pick you up from your hotel, avoid the rental car issues altogether.

I had a lot of difficulty finding a bayou tour that doesn't feed marshmallows to the alligators, to the point where I could only find one hours away and scrapped the whole idea. If that's important to you, you can check tripadvisor reviews and search for the word marshmallows. For Pearl River Eco Tours in particular, I was also considering them until running into a scathing write-up here: http://www.deviatingthenorm.com/blogarchive/2018/3/13/ill-never-do-it-again-bayou-tour-in-louisiana. I realize it's just one person's opinion but I think it's important to be informed if you are interested in being a conscious traveler in this way!

I have been to NOLA a couple of times and it is a double edged sword. It was fun and interesting, but the city is dirty and crime is a problem for all tourists to be concerned about. Be extra careful where you go in the city, especially at night.

I don't recommend renting a car. The insteresting historical places are Natchez, Miss. and perhaps a tour swamp. You can get good Cajun food in NOLA. Lafayette is great for Cajun food.

It was fun and interesting, but the city is dirty and crime is a problem for all tourists to be concerned about. Be extra careful where you go in the city, especially at night.

Sadly I agree with this, especially being out at night. FWIW, my brother has a vacation condo in NOLA he bought for frequent leisure visits, but they do not venture out at night. His wife is a NOLA native, very savvy, and she says the city has gotten much worse on the crime front in the last decade or so. They still enjoy the city very much, but they eat lunch at favorite joints, not dinner, and they spend more of their time where they have the condo in the Garden District rather than in the French Quarter itself. NOLA is so much more than the French Quarter, but that is where the tourists go, and thus where the crime is pretty bad, too. I have not been in the French Quarter at night in decades, and frankly it never was a very safe place, and that is surely the situation today.

I now live in Louisiana after living away for decades, and I have lost interest in visiting NOLA for the above stated reasons. On the other hand, south Louisiana outside of NOLA is great, especially Lafayette and environs as another poster suggested.

Sad to see they are still feeding the alligators marshmallows. Saw that happen 30 years ago and had hope that this practice had been discontinued.

I haven't been to Louisiana since a three-year residence in New Orleans in the mid 1980s, but at least at that time it was easy to do trips into into the "Cajun" parishes (i.e., counties) on one's own. I did so myself -- Lafayette was a good base, and from there, with the aid of a guide-book, I could easily drive around to various sites and attractions. It actually made for quite a pleasant trip. But I don't know how much the area might have changed in the past 36 years.

We were in New Orleans in November 2018. Our son was working there for 6 months, so had a car. He drove us to Whitney Plantation, then we picnicked for lunch and took a bayou boat tour with Cajun Pride Swamp Tours. Both were great. Whitney Plantation is the type of plantation that focuses on history and the slave experience, unlike others that stress the fancy plantation owners' houses. I don't recall any marshmallow feedings on our swamp tour, just beautiful bayous. And it was a small boat, not an air boat, which, as you say, is disruptive to the environment.
That was our only car trip. I am guessing you could arrange a day trip/tour for these activities. The other days we were there we took a paddle wheel boat ride down the river to where the Battle of 1814 took place (a half day's outing). Tickets for these boats are available at the dock. There were a few companies operating. The WW II Museum is outstanding and can take most of a day. Be sure and ride the streetcar for a short ramble. Lafayette Square has the cathedral to visit and lots of street entertainers to enjoy. We stayed away from Bourbon Street, the "drunkest" street to my mind, but you could wander many of the streets in the French Quarter for the atmosphere and to find a decent restaurant for shrimp etouffee, gumbo, jambalaya, etc. We didn't have time to visit any of the cemeteries, but lots of tours are out there. Frenchmen Street is better than Bourbon Street for music/clubs, etc. and a very short walk from Bourbon Street area. Lots of other small museums exist, but I won't go into that. We only had three and a half days, but the sights are walkable. We skipped some areas at night. We stayed at Staybridge Suites (good breakfast, reasonable prices) in the central business district. It was a short walk to the river (trolley there, riverboats there) and walkable to/from the French Quarter. (we were 74 and 75 at that time, so it really is walkable, even for old folks). I wish we had had another 2 days there, but saw and did a lot without feeling rushed. We often stopped for a coffee and baignet, or a cocktail, and people watched, or just sat on a low wall listening to jazz street musicians. If you have the time, I would try to get a tour to the Cajun towns for a meal and some music. We couldn't fit that in, alas!
Your activities may be hampered by weather. It was lovely in November, but I am so glad we went! Have fun!

Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply. I will have to do some reading about Lafayette now.

In terms of safety, we live in Toronto and I don’t know if it’s fair to compare the two cities but I am counting on the street smarts that we use here being sufficient to ward off most problems. That said, we don’t know the neighbourhoods there and don’t often wander around Toronto at night after a few cocktails so thank you for the words of warning.

JoJo Rabbit: Thanks for the tip about the heat. From what I am reading, end of Sept is looking like low 30’s/80’s. I would prefer to cycle in mid 20’s, but where we live we often bike in the heat and humidity in the summer. Just hoping we don’t have to contend with any hurricanes there!

Andrea: thank you very much for that information. It is very important to us that our travels aren’t contributing to the exploitation of animals or the environment. I will keep searching for a tour company that is more in line with our ethics.

Judy, thank you so much for the detailed response. Sounds like you had a wonderful trip.

I’ve been to NOLA a couple times and have done 2 different swamp tours. The first one as you said, bigger boat, fed marshmellows to animals. The second one we kayaked through the swamp. While I enjoyed both ( love the swamp), I think the kayaking one is more in line with what you want. I can’t remember the name of the company though. It had the word wild in it🙃

Thanks Tammy. I am an avid kayaker and would love to tour the swamp that way, but (and it’s probably because I am Canadian), the idea of kayaking with alligators is a major deterrent!

Bxrlover, the kayaking swamp tour was in December. No alligators to be found. Guide said it was too cold for them.

Hi, bxrlover,
I lived on the North Shore (Abita Springs and Covington) for 20 years; been in NOLA for 16 years now, so here's my input: The Tammany Trace is a popular (though not crowded) bike and walking trail. (Note: Tammany "Trace" not Trail, if you are googling info about it.) Roundtrip between Slidell and Abita Springs would be a very long day. When you say "starting in Lambton" - I have no idea where that is. Do you mean Lacombe? Lacombe to Abita and back would make a lovely day. I suggest timing it so that you can have lunch at the Abita Brew Pub. Good food, and large covered outdoor eating area, as well as indoor area. The Abita Mystery House is a hoot! John Preble, the creator/owner has put together a "museum" unlike any other. There is a website that will give you more info. There is also a nice small town museum in the town park next to the Brew Pub. If you are in Abita on a Sunday, there is a lovely town market, with food, music, and crafty things in the park.
Re. plantations: Take a look at Laura Plantation. It was a Creole (rather than English speaking) plantation, with a different culture for both the white people and the enslaved people. I suggest combining a Whitney/Laura trip. Be prepared for some deep truth-telling at the Whitney Plantation. There is no sugar coating of what life was like for most of the people who lived and worked there.
Finally: re. leaving your car in a lot near the French Quarter: I'd choose a well lit lot, on a busy street, and generally not arrive late at night when parking your car there. And when you get in your car, immediately lock your doors, start your car, and don't dally. Carjackings have sadly become way too common in NOLA right now, including - maybe especially - in residential neighborhoods.
One more thing: Thank you for considering a small boat swamp tour! The air boats are tearing up the swamp, destroying wetlands, river banks, and wildlife. The smaller boats can also maneuver into smaller bayous, quieter backwater areas, and don't scare off the wildlife. It's a much more peaceful experience. It's been a few years since I've taken a swamp tour, but was twice quite impressed with Dr. Wagner's Honey Island Swamp Tours. The Honey Island swamp area (near Slidell) is a national wildlife management area, and is a lovely area. There are some bald eagle pairs that nest there... Whether you use Dr. Wagner's or another company, I suggest using a company that takes you into the Honey Island Swamp.

As Judy mentioned, the WWII museum is outstanding and could easily take a full day. Well worth a trip to New Orleans just to see this.

September will still be hot and humid with lots of mosquitoes! I would ask your hotel about off site parking as they should have the intel on 'safer lots' and proximity to the hotel. And if there is not a lot close by.... pay the parking fee for the hotel. You're just renting a car for one or two days right? As long as you stay on the busy streets in the Quarter, you should be fine during the day. At night it is crazy town! Lots of drunks, homeless, smells like urine. Watch your step! Slidell is about a 45 min drive from the Quarter. I can't comment on the trail and it has been ages since I visited the plantations. If you need some restaurant recommendations, let me know. Years ago when my sons were young, we did a tour with Pearl River. I remember it being hot and lots of snakes in the trees. Cool for young ones....not so much for me. Bring bug spray and sunscreen.

I recently travelled to NOLA with my family and we basically did side trips for 3 days. Long story short, my personal favorite was when we ticked off different soul food restautants (we got the idea from a blog we saw previously). They have so many famous grub spots including the best fried chicken in the country.

I went to NOLA the summer before Katrina. I got in late, stayed near the airport. In the morning I stopped at Oak Alley Plantation which included touring the slave quarters. After that I visited the state capitol (highest in the country). Somewhere in the Atchafalaya Basin I stopped and drove in to the bayou - not literally into it :-). I watch the egrets nestling in the trees (safe from alligators) and saw a few gators in the water as well. One of the locals told me lots of stories about the bayou and the gators. After watching sunset set, I drove to Lafayette. Somewhere along the way I stopped at a cafe that had a Cajun band and found something to eat (it's not easy being vegetarian in Louisiana). It was Friday and the hotel told me about a Zydeco band that night. It was great, good band, good original songs, crowded with locals and amazing dancing. Sadly it was over at 11 (zoning rules). The next day I went to Avery Island (for Tabasco everything) and even had some jalapeno ice cream, which was surprisingly good - though not enough for seconds. Back in Lafayette, I went to an open-air museum of village and there were craftswomen that I remember. One older woman was caning chairs. In another building another was making clothespin dolls. She told me the older woman was her mother. I remember visiting the church and the school house. I wish I could remember the name. The next day I drove to NOLA for a Scrabble tournament! My two days in the bayou and Lafayette were the best of that trip and much more memorable than many trips since, as you can tell from the details I remember from 17 years ago.