New Orleans Travel: Cool Side Trips
More to see and do!
Just outside New Orleans is Longue Vue House and Gardens (7 Bamboo Road New Orleans, LA 70124, 504- 488-5488) about a 5 minute drive from downtown. According to their information “This Classical Revival style house consists of three stories and a basement, an unusual feature of New Orleans where most of the city is below sea level. Visitors tour the main living spaces of the house, numbering 20 rooms. The house contains its original furnishings of English and American antiques.”
If you are looking for a small lakeside town, with a large marina and good food, consider Madisonville, across Lake Ponchartrain from New Orleans. Morton’s Seafood (702 Water Street, Madisonville, LA 70447, 985-845-4970) and Friend’s Coastal Restaurant (407 Saint Tammany Street, Madisonville, LA 70447, 985-845-7303) are great places to eat and watch the boat traffic.
See New Orleans Travel Tips' The North Shore.
New Orleans Travel Tip: You may want to rent a car to cross the lake. Also, you may enjoy visiting Ponchartrain Vineyards (81250 Louisiana 1082 Bush, LA 70431, 985-892-9742) which is about 20 minutes North of Madisonville.
Middendorf’s Seafood (30160 Highway 51 Akers, LA 70421, 985-386-6666) is a waterfront catfish and seafood tradition.
If plantations are your desired destination, there are several in the vicinity. One close plantation is Destrehan Plantation (13034 River Road Destrehan, LA 70047, 985-764-9315). Destrehan Plantation is an antebellum Greek Revival house located about 15 minutes from downtown New Orleans. It was the center of sugar producing slave plantation.
Further out, is San Francisco Plantation (2646 Hwy 44, Garyville, LA 70051, 985-535-2341) billed as the the most opulent plantation house in North America, is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River about 30 minutes from New Orleans.
Cajun Encounters Swamp Tours (901 Decatur Street, New Orleans, 504-834-1770) offers excursions whereby they will handle the travel to and from the swamp. The Steamboat Natchez (2 Canal Street, New Orleans, 504-586-8777) offers a short Mississippi River sightseeing tour. Celebration Tours (1229 St Thomas St., New Orleans, 888-587-7115) offers several tours both in-city and outside.
New Orleans Travel Tip: Most Plantation tours will take at least half a day, sometimes, all day, including travel.
If you like cruising, check out New Orleans Travel Tips' Cruising Section.
If airboats are your thing, consider Airboat Adventures, LLC 5145 Fleming Park Rd., Lafitte, LA ,70067 , 504-885-7325) or even Southern Seaplane (1 Coquille Dr., Belle Chasse, LA 70116, 504-394-5633) for an airborne adventure.
Close to the French Quarter and Downtown is Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World (1380 Port of New Orleans Place, New Orleans, LA ,70130, 504-361-7821) which offers the Mardi Gras experience all year long.
See also our Mardi Gras Section.