New Orleans Travel Forum

We will be flying into MSY mid April and want to see a bit of the area (driving to Pensacola and return).
Any suggestions for swamp tours - or something else 'different'??
Thanks for any advice.

We were in New Orleans in January and found the weather not cooperative for a swamp tour. But we did do the following ones:

New Orleans, Lousiana: A visit to the “Big Easy” offers one a variety of tours: walking, driving, by horse-drawn carriage, on streetcars, ferry boats, tour bus and private car. We spent four days here and took advantage of several tours, although there are many left for our next trip.

“Katrina: Before and After”: Since this was our first visit to New Orleans since the devastation of Katrina, we felt this tour would be helpful in acclimating us to the loss and rebuilding being done. The tour included the levee breaks, the areas where homes were leveled, Habitat for Humanity new homes, stark reminders of the damage still being worked on by homeowners who lack funds or are still waiting for assistance. There was a message of hope sounded by the tour director who had lived through Katrina and was involved in rebuilding himself. We can only trust that this is so.

Garden District Walking Tour: We rode the “green line” streetcar to the center of the Garden District and then, following a guidebook map, walked for several blocks admiring the beautiful homes, the cemetery with its above-ground graves, and the Commander’s Palace restaurant where we dined. This area was largely unaffected by Katrina so the homes and gardens still well-preserved.

1850’s House: One of the original apartment houses in the French Quarter, this home now is owned by the Louisiana State Museum and open for tours. Downstairs is a gift shop (once a storefront), the kitchen and courtyard where much of the work was done; second floor contains parlor, dining room, and bedrooms; third floor has servant’s quarters and storage. The house and its history bring the past to life.

French Quarter Walking Tour: Beginning at the 1850’s house, a walking tour led by the Friends of Cabilido took us through the French Quarter with its many historic structures. From the levee on the Mississippi to the St. Louis Cathedral in the heart of the quarter, past churches, balconied homes, ancient wine shops, an apothecary, and voodoo hangouts, we proceeded down streets and alleys learning the history of this area.

Preservation Hall: Who could miss the thrill of hearing jazz played within these hallowed walls? Each evening a local group entertains in the same way their ancestors did. The old hall itself is dim, with wooden benches; patrons stand in the rear or sit on the floor when the benches are full. The musical interplay of the instruments transports the listeners.

Mardi Gras World: A short free ferry ride across the Mississippi, and a free shuttle bus to the workshop of Blaine Kern, takes the tourist to the place where many of the Mardi Gras floats, costumes and props are made. A docent led tour goes behind the scenes for a look at the design, planning, structuring, and final touches on the floats. There is opportunity to try on costumes, learn of Mardi Gras traditions, and watch artists at work.

Thanks. We did all of the ones except Katrina when we were there before (during Mardi Gras... really neat at the MG World!).
Perhaps someone will have thoughts. Did find some on AAA...

"Different" is pretty broad. Once you get away from the tourist spectrum, New Orleans is like most any other city, so I'm not sure what you're looking for. Do you want to experience the "real" New Orleans? Or do you just want something interesting to see or do?
There are some fun and unique things that occur at weddings, funerals and other events, but you couldn't, of course, just walk into one of those. There are a lot of foods that are unique to the New Orleans area, and its cuisine is where, I think, New Orleans really stands out. For instance, there are the crawfish boils that occur throughout the state. They're fun and you get a mix of tourists and locals at most of them.
The boat up the river from the Aquarium to Audubon Park was fun and interesting, but I'm not sure if they've got it running yet. You could always just take a river cruise though.
Maybe you could drive up the River Road a bit to check out some of the plantations. La Place (west of the city on the river) is famous for its andouille sausage (like I said, Louisiana's big on food). You could take an airboat tour of the swamp. I've never been on any near New Orleans, so can't recommend any.