Hubby and I grew up in Texas, and Cajun food was a part of our lives. However, our kids had no idea what 'Cajun' was, and neither did some of our friends who had lived in Houston for 17 years! (Horrors!) So, we planned a trip to New Orleans. We did not go for Mardi Gras - but St. Patrick's day fell during Spring Break, so we did see a bit of quintessential New Orleans!
We booked a hotel for a night in The French Quarter so we would be close to the Audubon Aquarium, Cafe Du Monde, and Jackson Square. We chose Maison Dupuy because of its mid-level price, location, family-friendliness, parking and swimming pool. After surviving a road trip with 11 kids and 4 adults, we stashed our luggage at the hotel and walked the square. For dinner we ate at Red Fish Grill - a yummy and highly-recommended Cajun seafood restaurant. We encourage our children to try the local cuisine and were happy to learn they love shrimp! Bourbon Street is not a street I would recommend for families, but it is hard to detour around it. The St. Patrick's day festivities were entertaining!
We booked a hotel for a night in The French Quarter so we would be close to the Audubon Aquarium, Cafe Du Monde, and Jackson Square. We chose Maison Dupuy because of its mid-level price, location, family-friendliness, parking and swimming pool. After surviving a road trip with 11 kids and 4 adults, we stashed our luggage at the hotel and walked the square. For dinner we ate at Red Fish Grill - a yummy and highly-recommended Cajun seafood restaurant. We encourage our children to try the local cuisine and were happy to learn they love shrimp! Bourbon Street is not a street I would recommend for families, but it is hard to detour around it. The St. Patrick's day festivities were entertaining!
The next morning we started off at Cafe Du Monde with traditional beignets and chicory coffee. The wait in line (maybe 20 minutes) was worth it.
However, it started to really pour, and the weather canceled our planned tour of The French Quarter with French Quartour Kids. It was a real bummer because it was to be a historical tour of New Orleans geared towards kids. Instead, we visited a recommended candy factory Southern Candymakers - who could resist?!
Next stop - an indoor Audubon Aquarium. I've been to a lot of aquariums and I was impressed with this one. So were the kids - lots of hands on things in addition to interesting sea creatures.
For lunch, we tried a po boy shop that was recommended by a friend-in-the-know. Every local has their favorite shop and sandwich. This one was down a long road, next to a warehouse - I'm not sure I could find it again! The rest of the day, between raindrops, was spent in the swimming pool.
There are many. many plantation homes to tour in Louisiana. I searched through many websites, looking for tours geared towards families. Somehow we decided on one - and only one because we only had one day. And I wasn't sure how the kids would like it, but they loved it because of the unique facts and the large amount of outdoor activities. We had a private tour of Destrehan Plantation at no extra cost - I booked it ahead as a field trip.
For the next 2 nights I rented a historical home on vrbo called Chateau Gentilly in Metairie - a bit less expensive than near the French Quarter - and we were pleasantly surprised by the size and condition of the home. It was so large that I invited my cousin and her 2 small kids to come spend the night with the 15 of us! We spent the rest of the rainy weekend playing games and pool and eating (and I'm sure a large amount of 'electronic time') inside the home. Sunday was spent driving home in end-of-spring break-traffic. The End!
Please contact me at Familypassportstravels@gmail.com about helping you organize your next adventure!
