Jean Lafitte Swamp Tours

Swamp tours leave frequently from the heart of the city. Some, like Tours by Isabelle, will collect you at your New Orleans Bed and Breakfast and return you there after the tour.

Keep on the lookout for swamp shacks.

Most swamp tours bring folks outside the city by van or bus. Tours of the bayous take place in high-speed airboats or slower (and quieter) flat-bottomed boats. You’ll learn about the history of the Cajun people, Cajun culture, and swamp plants and animals. You may even get to hold a baby alligator; be sure to hold its mouth closed!

Tall swamp cypress dripping with Spanish moss grow out of the water and provide cooling shade. Ferns and tall grasses give the illusion that there is land between the trees. Alligators sun themselves on logs or slowly swim past, ever on the hunt for a meal. It’s lush here. Even the sunlight that filters through the trees seems green.

It’s hard to believe how different the swamps and bayous are from New Orleans, and how close they are geographically. Take the time to get out of the city and into the heart of the bayou.

A few helpful links:

Tours by Isabelle 

Boat Tours of Bayou Lafourche

Gray Line New Orleans Swamp Tours 

Jean Lafitte Swamp Tours

Laura: A Creole Plantation

Laura: A Creole Plantation is located on the banks of the Mississippi River, about an hour outside of New Orleans. It’s one of a handful of remaining Creole-built houses. Lonely Planet Travel names Laura: A Creole Plantation the “Best History Tour in the United States”.

“Laura” is Laura Locoul, the fourth mistress of the plantation. Her memoir, Memories of the Old Plantation Home, forms the backbone of the impressive, 70-minute long tour given at the plantation. Additional information was culled from 5,000 pages of documents from the French National Archives regarding the free and enslaved families who lived at the plantation.

During the tour, visitors learn much about the Creole way of life, and how Anglo-American culture gradually encroached upon it. The lives of four generations are described. It is a rare, in-depth look into one Creole family’s life.

Laura: A Creole Plantation is also famous for the Louisiana Folktales that were collected here in the 1870s by a neighbor of Laura’s, Alcée Fortier. Stories about Compair Lapin and Compair Boukin were brought to this country from Senegal by slaves. Fortier listened to these stories as a youth, and later, when a professor a Tulane University, he published them in Louisiana Folktales. Br’er Rabbit then became known and loved by generations of Americans from all backgrounds.

Plantation Country is not far from the heart of New Orleans and New Orleans Bed and Breakfasts. It is, however, a world apart from the bustling, vibrant French Quarter or Uptown. You’re likely to learn more about Creole culture at Laura that at any other single place in New Orleans.

Additional information is available at Laura: A Creole Plantation.

Alain Toussaint performs at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival takes place April 27 through May 6, 2012. Don’t miss it; it’s a cultural and musical feast.

2012 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Headliners include: 

• Bruce Springsteen and the E STreet Band
• Bonnie Raitt
• Herbie Hancock
• Bon Iver
• Ani DiFranco
• The Eagles
• Ziggy Marley
• Big Sam’s Funky Nation
• Steve Earle
• Allen Toussaint
• The Neville Brothers,
• Al Green
• Irma Thomas
• Tom Petty and the Hearbreakers

Feist will perform at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage FestivalFeistIrma ThomasTom Petty and the Heartbreakers

and many, many more.

The festival celebrates Louisiana heritage, with a focus on food, crafts and music from New Orleans in specific and the region in general. Since so many cultures have influenced New Orleans, the festival encompasses music and food and art from around the world.

This is an amazing event. Don’t miss it. Find rooms in New Orleans Bed and Breakfasts as soon as you can.

Tickets and additional information available at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

The San Francisco Plantation.

If you’re a mother, you know that what most mothers want for Mother’s Day is simple: to spend time with her children.

That said, sometimes it’s nice to give a little more than time. It’s nice to give, perhaps, a trip to New Orleans.

Treat Mom to a New Orleans Bed and Breakfast getaway. Wine her and dine her in fabulous restaurants such as Bayona or the Pelican Club in the French Quarter or Croquette in the Garden District. Take her to brunch at Commander’s Palace in the Garden District, Ralph’s on the Park, or Arnaud’s in the French Quarter.

Take her on a tour of historic homes in the French Quarter and the Garden District, or leave the city and discover amazing properties such as the San Francisco and Oak Alley Plantations.

Spend a few hours at the Audubon Zoo, where Irma Thomas headlines the annual Mother’s Day Concert.

Linger over breakfast at your New Orleans Bed and Breakfast, and stay up late talking together. It will be a Mother’s Day both you and your mother remember for the rest of your lives.

Don't miss The Big Gateaux Show, an international cake competition and tasting.

As of this writing, more than 34 wineries and 61 restaurants / caterers are scheduled to participate. The chefs come from New Orleans. The wine comes from around the globe. Together, they make magical combinations.

There will be Vintner Dinners, two days of Grand Tastings with wine paired with food, and two days of seminars given by leaders in the wine industry. The Royal Street Stroll, said to be the most unique wine tasting experience in the world, takes place Thursday the 24th.

Since this is the festival’s 20th anniversary, there will also be a special event: The Big Gateau Show. Don’t miss the opportunity to see a selection of highly talented pastry chefs create their own verso of a burlesque-themed anniversary cake.

The 2012 New Orleans Wine and Food Experience takes place May 22-26. Don’t miss it. Find a New Orleans Bed and Breakfast that suits your tastes soon.

Additional information is available at NOWFE.

Trombone Shorty.

2012 is the 29th Annual French Quarter Festival in New Orleans. It’s beginnings may have been modest, but it is now one of the largest festivals in the city. It’s also free. Make your plans to attend now; find a room at a Bed and Breakfast New Orleans.

More than 800 musicians will take to 20 stages between April 12 and April 15. That means non-stop music. Jazz, Cajun, Funk, Gospel, Blues, Zydeco… if you like to listen to it, you’ll probably find it at the French Quarter Festival.

More than 70 restaurants will set up food booths throughout the French Quarter: along Bourbon Street, in Jackson Square, and along the Mississippi River in Woldenberg Park. Grab easy eats like alligator sausage, po-boys, and handfuls of beignets.

Deacon John

All of the musicians are home-grown. They come from New Orleans and Louisiana, that’s it. What a wonderful thing.

Highlights of this year’s French Quarter Festival:

• Cyril Neville
• Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys
• Deacon John
• Soul Rebels
• New Orleans Classic Jazz Orchestra
• Papa Grows Funk
• Tony Green and Gypsy Jazz

Many of our New Orleans Bed and Breakfasts are located in and around the French Quarter. Make life easier for yourself, and stay within walking distance of the fun.

For a complete festival schedule, please see French Quarter Festival.

A fun way to see New Orleans.

Confederacy of Cruisers offers relaxing, slow-paced bike tours of the city. Tours last 3 hours and cover six miles — you may not even break a sweat. Cycle through the scenic Creole neighborhoods of Faubourg Marigny and Treme, and discover the colorful community of Bywater.

Tour guides will talk of the history of New Orleans, her architecture, and her culture. You’ll see places you probably wouldn’t find on your own, and visit spots other tours overlook. The beauty of the bike is that you go where no bus would fit.

Consider taking a bike tour of the city the next time you’re staying at a New Orleans Bed and Breakfast. The cruisers are comfy, the fresh air feels good, and the stories you’ll hear are interesting.

Big Sam's Funky Nation plays Lafayette Square Wednesday, March 28. Photo: Andy Goetz.

Each Wednesday evening from now through May 30, 2012, Lafayette Square will be filled with music, food, and a lot of happy people. Each week, a band will take the stage and play for the crowd. It’s a chance to be outside and hear great music and maybe see some old friends. It’s a chance to enjoy the spring weather and maybe dance a bit. Locals will be there. Tourists will be there. We’ll all be happy.

The Wednesday at the Square line-up includes:

• Big Sam’s Funky Nation
• The Wise Guys
• Tab Benoit’s Swampland Jam
• Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys
• Trombone Shorty
• Hot 8 Brass Band

For a complete line-up, please visit Wendesday at the Square.

The music starts at 5 p.m. and concludes at 8 p.m., rain or shine. Stop by before heading out to dinner, or stay all evening and dine from the food booths.

Many New Orleans Bed and Breakfasts are located close to Lafayette Square.

Bring your laptop and get down to work at your New Orleans B&B.

So many people travel to New Orleans for fun that it’s easy to forget people travel here for work, too. New Orleans business travelers are a lucky lot; during their off hours, they can explore one of the most exciting cities in the country.

Many of our member New Orleans Bed and Breakfasts are located in the heart of the city, near the Central Business District. This allows for short commutes to business meetings by day, and convenient access to restaurants and entertainment by night. In addition, innkeepers are a great source of information; they can help you come up with a short list of sites and activities you shouldn’t miss during your business trip.

The best way to start of day of work is with a gourmet breakfast in a New Orleans Inn. A great way to wrap up a hard day of work is with a drink in your inn, something many B&Bs offer. Business travel can be lonely, and the relaxed and homey atmosphere of many New Orleans Bed and Breakfasts is a welcome respite from larger, less personal hotels.

Please visit New Orleans Business Travel for a list of Inns that cater to business travelers. May your next work trip be a success.

Oysters at the 2010 New Orleans Roadfood Festival.

Tucked away in the far-flung corners of this country are innumerable road food finds. Just ask Jane and Michael Stern about it. They’ve been eating their way around the country for year, and they can tell you the best places to find a slice of pie, a reuben sandwich, and just about any other food you might fancy. Jane and Michael Stern will be at the Roadfood Festival. If you’re familiar with their work, you know they wouldn’t miss it.

The New Orleans Roadfood Festival brings plate after plate of fine food to the French Quarter. More than 30 restaurants will serve the dishes that brought them fame. What fun to eat New Jersey savory panzarotti and Tucson tamales in New Orleans.

Additional festivities include a Saturday night crawfish boil and Cajun fais-do-do, where you can dance to live music and feast on crawfish and whole hog barbecue. Also not to be missed is the Beignet Eating Contest on Sunday, March 25.

The Roadfood Festival is not about fancy, high-priced restaurants. It’s not about gourmet. It’s about everyday food, simple and tasty. It’s about roadside diners and small, independent restaurants from anywhere, U.S.A. What better place to get a taste of that than New Orleans?

Stay in a New Orleans Bed and Breakfast while in town for the Roadfood Festival. Don’t forget to bring your appetite.

Please see Roadfood.com for more information about Roadfood.