Louisiana Vacation Advice (Plantations, NO, etc)

[BrittanyM]

We have the opportunity to go on a road trip the last two weeks of December from California to Tyler, TX. Because we'll be out there and there isn't much DH and I want to see between here and Tyler (we've been that route enough times already, although I want to take him to San Antonio, since I loved it and he has never been) we are considering going to Louisiana and/or possibly Natchez, MS. I have never been to either location and have always wanted to see some plantations and the bayou. Our kids are small (the older two would have their birthdays during the trip and would be turning 7 & 5, the younger would be 1), so we wouldn't be able to tour more than a couple plantations and any fun ideas for younger children would be welcome too! So what are the best plantations and what is a must-do in Louisiana/New Orleans?

[Momling]

I am no expert, but I had a great vacation in New Orleans a few years ago. I'd definitely recommend visiting the Laura Plantation and definitely recommend staying away from Houmas House Plantation. Jean Lafitte national park was fun and we got to see some cool wildlife.

[Alessandra]

I am no expert, but I had a great vacation in New Orleans a few years ago. I'd definitely recommend visiting the Laura Plantation and definitely recommend staying away from Houmas House Plantation. Jean Lafitte national park was fun and we got to see some cool wildlife.

Another vote for the Laura Plantation. First it is NOT one of the standard places with white columns and so on. Second, it is very French, distinctive and different in layout and way of life from rest of southern plantations. And third, the guides are excellent, well informed about LA history as well as plantation.

 

We also visited Oak Alley nearby. Impressive, but tour was regimented and dull.

 

What is wrong with Houmas House?

 

OP, is there any way you can get into New Orleans? Thinking of a horse (actually mule) drawn carriage ride. It's easy and fun and gives you a good idea of a special city. The carriages are around Jackson Square, and there are often jazz bands playing around the square - sit on a bench and listen. And kids usually like the New Orleans food -- pastries, giant sandwiches (muffulettas), pralines, etc.

[*Lulu*]

The aquarium in NO is very good. There is also an insectatorium that is supposed to be fabulous.

[zoobie]

Aquarium

Insectarium

Mardi Gras World

Cafe du Monde

[insert 5000 restaurants here]

Walk around French Quarter (we collected pralines to do a taste test later to keep kids interested, ha)

Take the streetcar to the zoo then to the end to Camellia Grill

Garden District houses are gorgeous

Swamp tour

[kahlanne]

The zoo, aquarium, and insectarium are all great. Outside of NO is the San Fransisco plantation which I loved the guided tour of. It is definitely different than the others. I have only been on the grounds of Nottoway and Houmas House plantations but would love to go back for guided tours. In Baton Rouge there is the Rural Life Museum. If you are looking for regular fun activities with no educational merit, Baton Rouge has Area 51 which is an indoor trampoline facility that is much more than a regular trampoline. They have a website. My kids love it and are always wiped after an hour there.

[Pink and Green Mom]

Following along.  :bigear:

[craftyerin]

We just moved back to Texas after my husband's job had us in New Orleans for several years. It's a fantastic city to visit with little kids, and just wonderful in the winter! 

 

Laura is a beautiful plantation, and my kids handled the tour very well (we took their grandparents when they came to visit). It's a creole plantation, which means it was run by a French family, and has a different style, history, culture, etc than the image you may have in your mind of southern antebellum plantations. I loved it. If you want the more white columned English speaking plantation, there are certainly plenty of those. 

 

If you're in the city during the last two weeks of December, you absolutely need to go to Celebration in the Oaks, the lighted holiday festival in City Park. It's just fantastic. Beautiful holiday display, lots of fun to walk around. I recommend going as soon as it gets dark (check times for when it opens) and not on a weekend. It can be very, very crowded, but is absolutely worth it. 

 

Of course, wander around the quarter. If you stay near the river (Jackson Square, French Market) it is 100% family friendly. There is plenty to see and do down there. 

 

The aquarium is nice, but the weather is so lovely in the winter, I'd recommend the zoo if you want animals. NOLA has a LOVELY zoo.  You can, as someone said, take a street car from the Quarter through the Garden District and Uptown, past Loyola and Tulane University to the zoo. That's a fantastic experience on its own. 

 

Swamp tours are fun, but pretty far out of town, and if you're already doing a day out of town for a plantation, that might overly crowd your schedule. Plus, you're less likely to see gators in December. 

 

Baton Rouge doesn't have much that NOLA doesn't. I wouldn't try to do both. NOLA has a new trampoline park, too (opened less than 6mos ago).  The Rural Life museum is good, but it's just one thing, and the vibrant history and culture in NOLA is more worthwhile, IMO.  

 

Have fun! I miss it. I need to get back to visit soon... 

[FriedClams]

I blogged about a recent trip to The New Orleans School of Cooking here: https://friedclamsandsweettea.wordpress.com/2015/04/20/travel-with-kids-new-orleans-school-of-cooking/

 

I highly recommend it, and Tom our teacher. He was the best of the three I've had. :-) We LOVE NOLA.

[Doodlebug]

Natchez is a romantic little get-away, but not a place I'd take little ones.  You can tour a few homes, see the bluffs, eat a nice meal, and that's Natchez.  

 

But in New Orleans, there's a lot more to see and do for everyone.  Aquarium, insectarium, Audubon zoo, Cabildo (LA State Museum -- Napolean's Death mask)... I'm just getting started.  Definitely, New Orleans.  

 

 

[katilac]

NOLA for sure, but I may be biased. 

 

Zoo, aquarium, and insectarium are all top notch and great for little kids. I would strongly consider them if you don't have similar great ones at home. If you're going to do more than one, it might be worth the while to get a membership; just google audubon institute to compare pricing. 

 

At Mardi Gras World you can see floats, fabulous costumes, learn all about the history and so forth. 

 

There's also a ton to do that costs little or no money. 

 

Riding the street car down St. Charles Avenue is cheap and fun; there are numerous historical mansions and it's easy to find information on them. 

 

Just walking around the city can easily occupy more than a day - Spanish Plaza, walking along the river, intriguing shops, street performers, and of course Cafe du Monde for beignets. 

 

Obviously a bazillion great restaurants. 

 

Magazine Street is also great for wandering, lots of specialty boutiques, thrift stores, galleries, restaurants. 

 

The sculpture garden outside of the New Orleans Museum of Art is free and fun for kids, and an excellent place to take pictures. 

 

It's connected to City Park, our beautiful urban park with plenty of majestic oak trees, picnic areas, lagoons and ducks, playgrounds, it's really lovely. In December, I'd probably recommend it over Jean Lafitte National Park if time is limited.

 

Celebration in the Oaks is gorgeous. You might compare ticket prices to a City Park membership, which gets you free tickets to Celebration in the Oaks, free admission to Storyland, and discounts on the various activities. 

 

You can spend an entire day there without spending money easily, but there are also bikes and boats to rent, a botanical garden, putt putt, Storyland (a playground with lots of storybook characters and theming), and Carousel Gardens, an amusement park. Carousel Gardens is about $21 for a ride bracelet, and it's not huge, but kids tend to love it. It has a very kid-friendly roller coaster and an antique wooden carousel, over 100 years old. You will hear some locals call it "the flying horses" instead of a carousel. 

 

If you do City Park, you can stay parked there and take the carousel to Brocato's, a famous Italian dessert parlor that's been around for more than a century (and is still operated by family members). And I'm pretty sure you can get to the St. Charles line from Brocato's, but I'd have to double-check. 

 

So, yeah, tons to do for families in NOLA! I know nothing about the plantations, but feel free to ask other specific questions. 

 

 

[zoobie]

Brocato's has the best cannoli and espresso I've ever had. Yum.

[BrittanyM]

Thanks everyone, you've all given me so much to think about and resarch! I'm looking forward to exploring New Orleans!

Another vote for the Laura Plantation. First it is NOT one of the standard places with white columns and so on. Second, it is very French, distinctive and different in layout and way of life from rest of southern plantations. And third, the guides are excellent, well informed about LA history as well as plantation.

I would love to see the Laura plantation, I love a good tour and the French culture in New Orleans is fascinating!

 

The zoo, aquarium, and insectarium are all great. Outside of NO is the San Fransisco plantation which I loved the guided tour of. It is definitely different than others.

Thank you for the tips! The San Francisco plantation looks lovely and I'll put it on our list!

 

If you're in the city during the last two weeks of December, you absolutely need to go to Celebration in the Oaks, the lighted holiday festival in City Park. It's just fantastic. Beautiful holiday display, lots of fun to walk around. I recommend going as soon as it gets dark (check times for when it opens) and not on a weekend. It can be very, very crowded, but is absolutely worth it. 

Thank you so much for all your tips, but especially the information about the light festival, that sounds really neat and we'll definitely make an effort to see that!

 

I blogged about a recent trip to The New Orleans School of Cooking here: https://friedclamsandsweettea.wordpress.com/2015/04/20/travel-with-kids-new-orleans-school-of-cooking/

I highly recommend it, and Tom our teacher. He was the best of the three I've had. :-) We LOVE NOLA.

Thank you for sharing the blog post! The class looks really neat!

 

Natchez is a romantic little get-away, but not a place I'd take little ones.  You can tour a few homes, see the bluffs, eat a nice meal, and that's Natchez.  

Thank you for that input we will forget about Natchez for now then and focus on New Orleans!

[BrittanyM]

NOLA for sure, but I may be biased. 

 

Zoo, aquarium, and insectarium are all top notch and great for little kids. I would strongly consider them if you don't have similar great ones at home. If you're going to do more than one, it might be worth the while to get a membership; just google audubon institute to compare pricing. 

 

At Mardi Gras World you can see floats, fabulous costumes, learn all about the history and so forth. 

 

There's also a ton to do that costs little or no money. 

 

Riding the street car down St. Charles Avenue is cheap and fun; there are numerous historical mansions and it's easy to find information on them. 

 

Just walking around the city can easily occupy more than a day - Spanish Plaza, walking along the river, intriguing shops, street performers, and of course Cafe du Monde for beignets. 

 

Obviously a bazillion great restaurants. 

 

Magazine Street is also great for wandering, lots of specialty boutiques, thrift stores, galleries, restaurants. 

 

The sculpture garden outside of the New Orleans Museum of Art is free and fun for kids, and an excellent place to take pictures. 

 

It's connected to City Park, our beautiful urban park with plenty of majestic oak trees, picnic areas, lagoons and ducks, playgrounds, it's really lovely. In December, I'd probably recommend it over Jean Lafitte National Park if time is limited.

 

Celebration in the Oaks is gorgeous. You might compare ticket prices to a City Park membership, which gets you free tickets to Celebration in the Oaks, free admission to Storyland, and discounts on the various activities. 

 

You can spend an entire day there without spending money easily, but there are also bikes and boats to rent, a botanical garden, putt putt, Storyland (a playground with lots of storybook characters and theming), and Carousel Gardens, an amusement park. Carousel Gardens is about $21 for a ride bracelet, and it's not huge, but kids tend to love it. It has a very kid-friendly roller coaster and an antique wooden carousel, over 100 years old. You will hear some locals call it "the flying horses" instead of a carousel. 

 

If you do City Park, you can stay parked there and take the carousel to Brocato's, a famous Italian dessert parlor that's been around for more than a century (and is still operated by family members). And I'm pretty sure you can get to the St. Charles line from Brocato's, but I'd have to double-check. 

 

So, yeah, tons to do for families in NOLA! I know nothing about the plantations, but feel free to ask other specific questions. 

I will for sure compare ticket prices to the membership and I've always wanted to try some beignets. Thank you for the tips!

[*lifeoftheparty*]

Ditto everything said here.... Especially about Natchez... We went last year- I do not consider that place a vacation destination... and was not impressed.

 

In New Orleans- you HAVE to go to the "new" World War 2 museum- oh my word it was awesome!!!

 

WW2 vets volunteer there, and we met a guy who parachuted into Normandy on D-Day, and so many other veterans- oh my word- it was the highlight of our visit home. So much stuff to see- and the restaurant there was fantastic!!

 

We have to visit the Audubon Zoo and City Park every time we go- and the French Quarter, of course. Those are the 3 that I *cannot* miss.

 

My dad's wife kinda works for that LA School of Cooking, the classes are awesome- get some "Joes Stuff", it's yummy.

 

It's expensive, but, we took my Nanny out on her birthday to Sunday Brunch at Commaders Palace, and it's still one of the best meals I've ever eaten.

[Cinder]

Listening in because it's been decades since dh and I went to New Orleans and y'all are making me want to go again.

[craftyerin]

In New Orleans- you HAVE to go to the "new" World War 2 museum- oh my word it was awesome!!!

 

 

I would actually caution you about taking little kids to the WWII museum. It is a beautiful museum, really an amazing experience, but it's very graphic and very somber. The docents recommended that we skip the entire 2nd floor with children, the Pacific front of the war. He said that the photographs from Japan and the Pacific islands were just more than he could recommend me walking through with kids. I believe my kids were ~5 and 6 at the time. I always meant to go back alone, but didn't manage to before we moved.

[Momling]

Another vote for the Laura Plantation. First it is NOT one of the standard places with white columns and so on. Second, it is very French, distinctive and different in layout and way of life from rest of southern plantations. And third, the guides are excellent, well informed about LA history as well as plantation.

 

We also visited Oak Alley nearby. Impressive, but tour was regimented and dull.

 

What is wrong with Houmas House?

 

It would probably be okay if you are visiting the plantation to see a fancy house and landscaping, but it's terrible as a historical site. The wealthy guy who bought it covered it in campy tchotchkes, paintings and sculptures of slaves (think: offensive caricature) and bizarrely, framed photos of his dog's wedding ceremony in Dior gowns. It was a terrible waste of money. They did not address the history or lives of the people who lived there... The tour was a weird sycophantic homage to the current owner.