Tag: cemetery

Hey guys! Sorry for the radio silence the past two weeks. Everyone here at Writing Across the Lines has been crazy busy. I have spent the past few days staying in New Orleans! So I figured I would give you guys some things that would make your trip to NOLA a little bit easier.

1. Get a small purse or fanny pack.
   1. I know that sounds weird, but it will really help. I usually carry around a large purse, but with people bumping into you and the higher crime rate (it is a city, after all), it’s always handy to have a smaller purse that you can keep close and not have to worry about things going missing. Cross-body is even better, that way a thief can’t just grab your bag off of your shoulder.
2. Bring walking shoes.
   1. I cannot emphasize this enough. I know it sounds obvious, but it’s really important. I brought shoes I thought were walking shoes and ended up with blisters. You will be doing a lot of walking to get anywhere of note, so it’s very important to be comfortable.
3. Stake out parking early.
   1. There are quite a few parking lots in the city, and it’s always best to know where you’re going to park. One that I parked at charged around $20-$25 per day, which was the cheapest. You don’t want to end up using up all of your money for parking.
4. Set aside quite a bit of money.
   1. We knew our dinner at K. Paul’s Kitchen would cost a bit, but even buffets and such cost $90 for three people. Breakfast cost almost $50. Anywhere you eat in the French Quarter or in the main part of the city will be expensive. And that’s just for food! Everything is much more pricey there, especially in stores. Which leads me to my next point:
5. When feasible, buy from the French Market.
   1. This is especially true of the masquerade masks. They are often cheaper at the French Market than they are in stores, and you can have the same selection. It’s handy if you’re a mask collector like me. Also, take a first walkthrough before you buy anything. I once bought masks and ran out of money, then later found one I would rather have had. They also have some interesting hand-crafted items there, which is always cool to look at.
6. If you can, bring extra camera batteries.
   1. There is so much to see and take pictures of that you’ll want to bring extra batteries or a power bank. You don’t want to see an awesome mausoleum and find out that your camera or phone is dead.
7. If you plan on visiting a graveyard, plan it ahead of time.
   1. The most popular cemetery, St. Louis Cemetary No. 1, requires all visitors to be led by a tour guide, which costs about $20 or so. All of the other ones, as far as I know, are free and self-guided. We visited St. Louis No. 3, which was a bit of a drive, but it was huge and the graves were beautiful. There was even a mini castle, complete with stained glass! We even managed to find free parking right near the cemetery, which was an added bonus.
8. Have cash on hand.
   1. A lot of places, including the French Market and the trolleys, will require cash. Just be sure to keep it in a safe pocket or a zipped-up purse to avoid a pickpocket.
9. Don’t get a multi-day pass for the trolley.
   1. This was a tip from the conceirge at our hotel. They said that there is no benefit to getting a multi-day pass over a day pass, and it is very hard to find a place that sells them. Just get a day pass (only $3.00) which works for all of the trolleys in the city. Or, if you’re a senior, you’re better off just getting the reduced fare, which was $0.40 each way (as opposed to the regular one-way fare of $1.25).
10. Know the best hours of your destinations.
    1. For example, if you wanted to visit the cathedral, you’ll need to know that mass is at 12 and 5 and they don’t want tourists taking photos or walking around during mass. Or if you plan to visit Cafe Du Monde (which you should! Beignets are amazing!), you don’t want to go during breakfast. It’s insane at breakfast time. Go later in the day, or go to the pop-up shop in the Riverwalk Outlets. Same delicious beignets, less line.

 

I hope that you guys will enjoy your trips to New Orleans and that these tips are helpful. Let us know if there are any other important tips we may have missed!

 

 

(Image courtesy of my mommy!)