What are some good vacation spots???

Question

What are some good vacation spots???

Answer 1

Consider visiting New Orleans!

Stay in the French Quarter (Vieux Carre) if you can. There is a very wide range of selections available, from moderate guest houses to very exclusive boutique hotels. Search Yahoo Travel and Travelocity for ideas and also check the hotel websites. Go to www.frenchquarterhotels.com for some non-chain hotels. A great hotel that’s downtown but outside the FQ is the Le Pavillion: www.lepavillon.com



A very inexpensive option for students and international visitors is the India House hostel:  www.indiahousehostel.com

You don't need a car to get around in the French Quarter, Central Business District, or Warehouse District. Also, the parking regulations are Byzantine and there are lots of Parking Control Agents. If you drive or rent a car, leave it in a lot or garage unless you are traveling away from downtown.

The regional transit authority (www.norta.com) sells 1 and 3 day passes that offer unlimited use of buses and streetcars for the day(s) you select. There are also lots of taxicabs.

Things to do in New Orleans:

Mardi Gras and the Jazz Festival are world famous events, but New Orleans hosts many festivals and celebrations throughout the year:  www.nola.com/festivals

There are many sightseeing opportunities in the greater New Orleans area, including carriage rides/tours, plantation tours, swamp tours, ghost tours, and even Katrina disaster tours. The steamboat Natchez also does a harbor tour. There are numerous tour companies and your hotel can help with the arrangements. Try to avoid scheduling an outdoor tour until you know the weather forecast for the day in question.

The Saint Charles Streetcar is the oldest continuously operating street railway in the world and is a "tourist attraction" in its own right.  It is part of the public transit system, as are the Canal Street and Riverfront streetcar lines:  www.norta.com

There is always music, but the bands change: Go to www.bestofneworleans.com and click on Music then Listings or to www.offbeat.com and click on Listings, then Music.

Note that music clubs often advertise "No Cover", meaning there is no charge for entering. However, clubs with "No Cover" often require that customers buy a beverage each for every "set " of music (which can be every 20 minutes) so KNOW THE PRICE before you sit down. Clubs do that because some people will sit in the club all evening drinking nothing (clubs only make money from the drinks they sell - not from the music). It is also a good idea to pay for each round of drinks (in clubs on Bourbon Street) as it is delivered so there can't be any confusion at the end of the evening.

An incomplete guide to bars & clubs:   http://blog.nola.com/brettanderson/2008/...

About certain alcoholic beverages:  Realize that some famous drinks are VERY potent compared with regular cocktails that have only 1 to 1 ½ ounces of alcohol. For example, a Hurricane is basically 3 or 4 ounces of rum in something like red Kool-Aid, and a Hand Grenade has at least 4 ½ ounces of Everclear + rum + vodka mixed with melon liquor.  They don’t necessarily taste like an alcoholic beverage and it is easy to over-indulge.

Wander around the French Quarter, enjoy the architecture, watch the street entertainers (do tip), and visit some of the historic buildings that have been turned into museums (go to www.frenchquarter.com and click on Historic Attractions).

Assuming the weather is good, you can collect a sandwich lunch and eat in the riverfront park (watch the shipping) or in Jackson Square (a very nice park).

The Riverwalk shopping center has an air-conditioned food court with dining overlooking the river (www.riverwalkmarketplace.com).  The Canal Place shopping center is in the French Quarter and has a cinema and higher-end shopping (Saks 5th Avenue, Brooks Brothers, etc.)

The lobby for the Westin Canal Place Hotel is on the 11th floor and overlooks the French Quarter. It is a great place for an afternoon drink/snack:(www.westin.com).

Cafe du Monde is in the French Quarter and you shouldn't miss having cafe au lait & beignets (www.cafedumonde.com). Another great coffee shop is the Croissant d'Or (at 615 Ursulines Street), which is open from 7:00am to 2:00pm and has food in addition to pastry.

The Palm Court restaurant is very nice, has moderate prices, and traditional live jazz starting at 8:00pm: 1204 Decatur Street, tel [phone] (reservations are important and they are not open every day). The Palm Court is closed from about July 25th to about September 25th each year.

Maximo's Italian Grill has great food and atmosphere: 1117 Decatur Street in the French Quarter, [phone].

All of the famous restaurants (Antoine's, Arnaud's, Brennan's, Commander's Palace, etc.) have reopened. The Pelican Club (on Exchange Alley in the FQ) is not as well known but is the same type experience. Reservations are a good idea, and probably essential on weekends.  Tujaques Restaurant (823 Decatur Street) is very traditional and has moderate prices:  http://www.tujaguesrestaurant.com/

Cafe Degas is a very French restaurant near City Park at 3127 Esplanade - which is not within walking distance of downtown (5 to 10 minutes by taxi). They are closed on Mondays & Tuesdays (504-945-5635).

The Napoleon House restaurant is at 500 Chartres Street in the FQ, and has a menu of great local dishes:  http://www.napoleonhouse.com/

Preservation Hall has traditional live Jazz, and doesn’t serve alcohol so all ages are welcome:  www.preservationhall.com/

New Orleans has ballet, opera, a symphony orchestra, and theatre:

www.nobadance.com

www.neworleansopera.org

www.lpomusic.com

www.lepetittheatre.com

There is a free ferry across the Mississippi at the "foot" of Canal Street. It is a short trip but like a harbor cruise w/o a guide: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/canal_stree...

The Aquarium, Audubon Zoo, and the new Insectarium are world-class attractions (www.auduboninstitute.org) and you should see them if you can. The Zoo is several miles from downtown. You can drive to the Zoo (which has free parking) or take public transit from the French Quarter.

The Louisiana State Museum is in the French Quarter:  http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/  New Orleans is also home to a number of other museums, such as the National World War II Museum (www.ddaymuseum.org) and the New Orleans Museum of Art (www.noma.org). Both can be reached by public transit: The WWII museum is in the central business district but a long walk from the French Quarter. NOMA is not within walking distance of downtown but has free parking.  Go to www.neworleansmuseums.com for info on more museums.

Harrah’s Casino is in the Central Business District: www.harrahs.com  (age 21 required for entry)

New Orleans City Park has a variety of attractions, including an amusement park with rides and attractions for children + free parking.  City Park also presents "Celebration in the Oaks" from late November to early January: (www.neworleanscitypark.com).

Check www.frenchquarter.com for ideas about other things to do.

Hope you have a great time, wherever you go!

Answer 2

Oregon Coast:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article...

Answer 3

Florida, hands down. I tried Key West and it was fun. Miami is good

New Zealand is cool too, but I never been there

Answer 4

Atlantic City.

Answer 5

Myrtle Beach is good if you like to party or have kids and want to do lots of activities.  The Outer Banks of North Carolina are more laid back (though getting more and more commercial every year, unfortunately) and have beautiful beaches and scenery.  

Answer 6

With a family?

Myrtle Beach,

St.Augustine.

Places like that.

:)

Answer 7

I love Ft. Myers/Ft. Myer's Beach, FL. Gorgeous beaches. The snorkeling is good too.

Yosemite park in California is great too. I have been going there for 12 years. It's a very beautiful place.

If you are looking to party try Miami Beach, FL. I live there and it is club city. It has South Beach which is very trendy and full of stores, bars, and restaurants.

If you can afford it definitely go to Northern Spain and check out the beautiful mountains and parks and try Barcelona for the beaches and shopping.

Answer 8

Hilton Head Island, SC

My family has gone there every year since I was 7 and  now I'm 18. I love going there.. It's good for a family trip or just for a couple. It's not as high strung as places like Myrtle Beach or somewhere.. it's very relaxing and laid back. I HIGHLY recommend it!!