Best Nature and Parks (RV, National, Dog, etc) in French Quarter

"In the 1960s a big chunk of the Tremé neighbourhood, across Rampart Street from the French Quarter, was razed to make way for the 32-acre Louis Armstrong Park. Tremé had a crucial role in the development of African American music, and Congo Square, preserved in the park, was its epicentre. Slaves were given the day off on Sundays from 1724, and from 1817 until the 1850s this space was a gathering point where a multitude of African dances and musical styles collided with European genres and instrumentation."

"This park pays tribute to one of the Big Easy’s most esteemed legends, Louis Armstrong. The park is all about art, jazz, and music, featuring different events throughout the year at the historic Congo Square. It’s only a block from the jazz-inspired Hotel St. Pierre; so grab your food and find a peaceful spot among the trees, or spread out a blanket along the banks of the lagoon."

"Just outside of the French Quarter is Louis Armstrong Park, a public space honoring the jazz musician it was named after. Inside, there are iconic sites like Congo Square, a historic meeting place for slaves in the 1800s. There are also sculptures, a duck pond and plenty of green space where you can relax after spending your morning walking around the city."

"Live oaks, Spanish moss and lazy bayous frame this masterpiece of urban planning. Three miles long and 1 mile wide, dotted with gardens, waterways and bridges and home to a captivating art museum, City Park is bigger than Central Park in NYC and it's New Orleans’ prettiest green space."

"Marrero/French QuarterNamed after famed privateer Jean Lafitte (whose pirate treasure is still totally up for grabs, by the way), Lafitte National Park displays the beauty and complexity of the local ecosystem at its best. And by “ecosystem,” we of course mean “swamp.” As part of the National Park Service, it is free to the public. And though it may be only a 30- to 45-minute drive from the city to the park’s Barataria Preserve site -- spanning 23,000 acres -- entering the preserve is like being thrown into Jurassic Park."

"Jean Lafitte National History Park, located about 30 minutes south of New Orleans, was a highlight of the trip for me. There are a couple boardwalks that go through the swamp that provide amazing scenery and a chance to encounter all kinds of wildlife. We saw snakes, lizards, toads, egrets and, of course, an alligator. If you are both lucky and brave (or a bad parent like us), you could even take a picture with a wild alligator."

"Crescent Park is a 20-acre linear park that stretches for 1.4 miles along the riverfront in the Bywater area that boasts beautiful views of the river, the west bank, and the city skyline. Named for its location along the outside curve of the famous crescent on the Mississippi River, Crescent Park connects New Orleans and its communities to the riverfront and features wide paved walkway along the waterfront with benches and swings, a walking and running track, biking trails, grassy shaded picnic areas, beautifully manicured gardens with flowering plants, and spectacular unparalleled views. Crescent Park Trail, New Orleans, LA 70117, Phone: 504-636-6400"

"Until 2014, the banks of the Mississippi River bordering the city's downtown Marigny and Bywater neighborhoods were essentially unwalkable. The city invested in a large renovation program that's transformed unsightly, post-industrial wasteland into a lovely riverside park. Crescent Park is a mile-and-a-half long and feels very much like a local spot; you're unlikely to find Mardi Gras-beaded tourists here."

"In the French Market District, Crescent Park is a linear park, 1.4 miles long beside the Mississippi. You can get there by crossing the levee and railway via the “rusty bridge”. On the water there’s a supreme view west to the French District and Central Business District, accompanied by lots of public art, a series of mixed-use pavilions, native landscaping and paths for cyclists and pedestrians."

"Get your dose of nature at one of New Orleans’ two large parks.City Park is larger than Central Park in New York and is home to the New Orleans Museum of Art, as well as several gardens.Audubon Parkboasts the Audubon Zoo and is easily accessible by street car. Either way, both are excellent options for a relaxing afternoon."

"Previously called Upper City Park, Audubon Park is located across from Tulane University. Audubon dates to the 1800’s. Audubon was originally part of the Bore Family Plantation."

"Formerly the plantation of Etienne de Boré, the father of the granulated-sugar industry in Louisiana, this large, lush patch of greenery…"

"The Mississippi River is a very prominent part of New Orleans, so you have to get a picture along its banks. My favorite spot is just south of Jackson Square where you can get a nice shot of the Crescent City Connection Bridge in the background. This shot below was late in the day we arrived after a long flight."

"Arcing around the east bank of the Mississippi opposite Algiers Point is a riverside park laid out in the 1980s and 90s on the site of former wharves and warehouses. Woldenberg Park fronts the French Quarter and is bordered to the south by the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and the Entergy Giant Screen Theater. During the French Quarter Festival in early April the main stages are put up in Woldenberg Park."

"For example, at the Woldenberg Riverfront Park is a 16-acre park in front of downtown near everything. Woldenberg Riverfront Park is a wonderful place to go jogging or picnic. You’ll find people playing their music in the park."

"New Orleans has many plantations which, while they all have a past fraught with slavery and horror, offer a slice of Louisiana that make them among the best ways to look into New Orleans’ past. Oak Alley Plantation sits along the Mississippi’s western bank. An alley flanked by oak trees, all planted in the 1700s, runs up from the bank to the home."

"Funded by the WPA, the City Park Rose Garden, as it was called when it opened in 1936, has been expanded over the years to fit 12 acres of land featuring more than 2,000 varieties of plants from all over the world. In the early 1980s, the space was renamed the New Orleans Botanical Garden, but what has remained are the 10 sculptures commissioned by Mexican-American relief artist Enrique Alférez."

"Also in City Park, you can find the Botanical Gardens, which are between the sculpture garden and Storyland. The Botanical Gardens feature multiple gardens, art and a butterfly walk. Probably the most popular photo spot in the Botanical Gardens is the fountain and its crazy statue, as you can see in the image below from Olivia Penney."

"Conveniently located in New Orleans Central Business District, the Daily Beet serves a variety of cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and light breakfast bites. Try their house acai bowl topped with goji berries, coconut flakes and a drizzle of honey, or opt for something more savory with their avocado toast made with cherry tomatoes, sea salt and chili flakes."

"1000 Girod St., (504) 605-4413; St. Roch Market, 2381 St. Claude Ave.; www.thedailybeetnola.com. An Acai breakfast bowl includes acai, fruit, almond milk, granola, coconut flakes, goji berries and honey."

"7724 Maple St., (504) 518-6735; www.facebook.com/catalinosllc. Kak’ik is Guatemalan turkey stew made with tomatoes, onions and cinnamon served with corn tortillas and rice."

"A solid spot for Cajun and southern dishes, Eat serves chef Jarred Zeringue’s take on hogs head cheese with andouille chips, crawfish pie, gumbo, blackened catfish, deviled eggs, and barbecue shrimp. Open for lunch and dinner most weekdays, with brunch served on Saturdays and Sundays."

"Smoked chicken salad is made with spring greens, boiled egg, avocado, Wayne Jacob’s Smokehouse bacon, blue cheese and blue cheese dressing. Reservations recommended. Dinner Tue.-Sat., brunch Fri-Sun."

"On a rainy afternoon in New Orleans, there's no better place to be than the balcony of the historic Prytania Theatre, cooking up some honest to goodness Hollywood romance with your real-life love interest. Opened in 1915, this charming theater is the oldest in the city and the only single-screen left in Louisiana. Couples can share gelato or a freshly made cappuccino during daytime favorites like Citizen Kane or Some Like It Hot or cuddle up for midnight screenings of cult classics like Rocky Horror Picture Show."

"At more than 100 years old, the single-screen theater in Uptown is a step back in time, with red velvet ropes, balcony seating and family-friendly screenings of hand-picked classic films."

"The unassuming Uptown building with no seats may be over 100 years old, but Tips, as it’s affectionately known, only became a music venue in the 1970s. It quickly cemented its place as a New Orleans music institution: Local brass bands are a particular thing to see here. There are no seats, but you'll likely want to be up on your feet for whatever local talent is about to take the stage by storm."

"For music clubs and fun, one of the best of the things to see in New Orleans is Tipitina’s, the most famous club for music in the city. It first swung open its doors in 1977 on a venue dating back to 1912, and it has only grown more and more loved since. Tipitina’s is known as the hotspot that every aspiring local musician or performer would love to book a gig in."

"Tipitina’s, otherwise known as Tip’s, is a music venue nestled right at the corner of Napoleon Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street in Uptown New Orleans."

"Named for the beloved New Orleanean gospel singer, the jewel of Armstrong Park was decimated in Katrina and subsequently refurbished into a state-of-the-art facility. The inaugural performance of Giuseppe Verdi's Messa di Requiem established a roster a of stellar lineups, ranging from Broadway shows and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra to the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and the New Orleans Ballet Association. Catch programmes such as Shostakovich, La Bohème and comedian Aziz Ansari this spring."

"The Mahalia Jackson Theater of the Performing Arts is a theater located in Louis Armstrong Park and named after gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, who was born in New Orleans. It originally opened in 1973 as the New Orleans Theater of the Performing Arts and then was renamed after Jackson in 1993. The theater was badly damaged during Hurricane Katrina but reopened in January 2009."

"This family owned market and bakery in Mid City specializes in Central American pastries like flan, churros, empanadas both sweet and savory — but we’re talking cakes and Norma’s Sweets Bakery has the goods. Call ahead to order the bakery’s specialty — one of the best tres leche cakes around. Beyond moist, tres leches (three milks) is an ultra-light sponge cake soaked in a sweet milk bath."

"When Iraq war veteran Kelly Mayhew’s life fell apart, he started baking—these days, he’s not-so-secretly one of the most capable bakers in town, selling basket loads of baguettes (and so much more) from an old snowball stand in the middle of a residential section of Old Metairie on Mondays and Fridays. If there’s anything left by the time you get there, the regulars might just fight you for it."