[Carmen]

Kathy and all,

Unfortunately this is one of the threads which got lost over night.

The Royal Sonesta sure is a great hotel. I won´t book it anyway as it is located on Bourbon Street and if you don´t have a room to the yard but to the street you might not get enough sleep. There are lots of nice hotels in the French Quarter and prices vary (via neworleans.bookit.com we even found the Monteleone for $99 per night, unfortunately not at the time we are coming).

We´re booked in the Le Richelieu (http://www.lerichelieuhotel.com/) close to the Beauregard Keyes (Patsch) House (http://www.neworleansmuseums.com/arc...gardkeyes.html) which is definitely worth visiting. And opposite the Beauregard Keyes House you´ll find the Old Ursuline Convent (http://www.accesscom.net/ursuline/index.htm). On Ursuline ("north" of Chartres) you´ll also find the café Croissant D´Or which is a great place for breakfast.

More museums can be found here: http://www.neworleansmuseums.com/

Judy mentioned Blaine Kern´s Mardi Gras World (http://www.mardigrasworld.com/). Take the Canal Street Ferry over to Algiers (free ride over the Mississippi River). There´s a free shuttle bus to Mardi Gras World. Even if you´re not in Mardi Gras (like we are) the floats are really impressing and a fantastic sight.

The Audubon Zoo and the Aquarium of the Americas are great places to go. Sure you need to take a harbor cruise on the Natchez (http://www.steamboatnatchez.com/). The Natchez is offering value packages with Grey Line tours (they start right in front of the Natchez). If you like to do a swamp tour do it out of New Orleans (the MQ used to offer a tour out of Oak Alley but it´s been more expensive).

Also check with: http://www.frenchquarter.com/ and the maps there for further attractions within walking distance.

There are numerous restaurants like Gumbo Shop, Mothers (not in the FQ) and of course Café du Monde for the famous beignets. And if you want to learn more about the cuisine of New Orleans then go to one of the cooking classes (like http://www.nosoc.com/ the one originally founded by Joe Kahn which usually is one of the judges on the Great Steamboat Race).

To sum it up: Two days are definitely not enough for this town!

Carmen