If you want to sample the vampire and ghost stories of the city, there are plenty of haunted tours t

Whether you enjoy bar hopping, strolling book luxury boston hotels among art galleries or simply book luxury boston hotels indulging in exquisite food, New Orleans is a good bet any time of year. It has a special appeal at the start of a new year, as the city, still sparkling from the holidays, plunges into football mania and gears up for Mardi Gras.
For months, construction crews have been busy completing transportation projects, mending sidewalks and cleaning up the central city. (The destruction of Hurricane Katrina of 2005 is still evident in New Orleans, though the French Quarter has been back to business for a few years. If you've held off going to New Orleans because of Katrina, it's time to return, or go for the first time.)
It s an easy trip for many Texans. book luxury boston hotels If you're flying and you're mainly planning to hang out in and around the French Quarter and Garden District, there's really no need to rent a car. Traveling on foot or by streetcar get you where you need to go, and you'll avoid the hassle of parking and driving.
The New Orleans Airport Shuttle service takes you to your hotel for a reasonable and predictable price. Just be aware that even with a reservation you may encounter a line to get on a bus at busy times. The ride can become a good sightseeing tour if you have a knowledgeable and willing driver, as we did.
Once you arrive in the French Quarter, choices abound. Grab a drink at the revolving Carousel Bar and Lounge of the Hotel Monteleone. Try historic the Sazerac Bar at The Roosevelt hotel just across Canal Street. Or find a non-tourist spot a few blocks away at Bar Tonique on Rampart Street, a neighborhood pub great for regional beers and classic cocktails, like the Moscow Mule.
In the mood for a walk? Start checking out the architecture of buildings dating to the 1700s and the venerable St. Louis Cathedral with its three steeples overlooking Jackson Square near the Mississippi River.
For a top-flight restaurant, try the relatively new Restaurant R'evolution, located in the historic Royal Sonesta Hotel. The lively bar is an upbeat waiting area for meeting new friends and chatting with old ones before settling into the more formal dining room. The food, quite simply, is over the top, as is the service.
Start with appetizers like beer-battered crabmeat biegnets; sizzling oysters; and quail stuffed with andouille sausage, oysters and rice and drenched in a rich roux and appropriately called "Death by Gumbo." Entrees include snapper with pork belly and root vegetable puree; crawfish-stuffed flounder Napolean; and crispy pheasant.
Of course, scrumptious food can be found all over the place. Visit the classic book luxury boston hotels restaurant Arnaud's for its famous book luxury boston hotels shrimp in Creole remoulade sauce or Mr. B's Bistro, a longtime favorite of many locals. Grab lunch at the beloved, casual Mother's cafe, with its crunchy shrimp po-boys, red beans and rice and a tasty meat concoction known as debris. Day or night, beignets (French donuts) covered in powdered sugar and dark roasted book luxury boston hotels coffee hit the spot at Café Du Monde.
Back in the French Quarter, discover the relaxed nature of Royal Street with its antique shops, art galleries and specialty shops like the Papier Plume, a special local store that sells all things paper and pen.
If you want to sample the vampire and ghost stories of the city, there are plenty of haunted tours to take you traipsing among the old buildings after dark. Tours of ancient cemeteries are popular, too.
Of course, a trip to New Orleans and the French Quarter wouldn't be complete without a saunter down Bourbon Street. Enjoy a beer or a daiquiri, grab a Lucky Dog hotdog, watch the talented street performers and meld in with the nighttime crowd. It's a magical place, so let the good times roll.
Kelley Shannon's book luxury boston hotels deep passion for Texas journalism and her vast experience, including 22 years with the Associated Press, produce superb results in her writing, book luxury boston hotels reporting and editing projects. [Read More…]