Next month, I'm going to be in New Orleans for a few days. Will be meeting up with a friend from Austin, who has a car, so no worries on getting around.

I want to hit Port Pontchartrain for sure.

Is there anything left of New Canal? Obviously, nothing too structurally intact...but are the remains that are so famous still there? I can't get a straight idea.

Any others I should try for? The goal is to stay close-ish to the city.

Also, does going to the Pontchartrain shore take us through any bad neighbourhoods? My friend is a bit worried there.

OH...and of course...your recommendations on things to do in New Orleans are much appreciated! Really looking forward to four days of food, music, and photography.

Be careful around Port Pontchartrain - the rent-a-cops from the office buildings on either side get real hyper when someone gets out with a camera. Seems there are offices belonging to the Navy in the building so some dipstick has deemed it a security risk for people to have a camera . . . Not a whole lot of angles to work, and you can get the pics but you need to be aware of the rent-a-cops.

Plenty of areas around NO can be dangerous, including many of the popular areas. No different from any major city.

You might think about making the trip across the bridge to the north shore. Could make a stop at the Tchefuncte River light.

Be careful, Greg. New Orleans may be the home of the "Saints", but not everyone in the area is to be trusted like a "Saint". Heed Dave's advice.

Bob

You folks are going to scare this poor boy off of going! I've been going to New Orleans all my life and have never had any problems. I started going when I was only 16, driving to New Orleans by myself to set up and sell crafts in the French Market one weekend every month. I would be there before sunrise Saturday morning, sleep in my car overnight and head back to Mobile just before dark on Sunday. It was a 275 mile round trip for me, and I loved it!

Since then I've gone to New Orleans at least one day during Mardi Gras every year. Usualy spend severl days camping on the streets in my car, and never had any problems. Yes there is a lot of bad stuff that happens in New Orleans. But if you watch what you are doing you can have a GREAT TIME and be safe. It's not as bad as some think it is!

Just remember if you are in an area that you don't feel safe.... get out of the area, and go somewhere else.

No, Steph, not trying to scare Greg off. NO is a great city, with lots of history and lots to do. Greg is a photographer and will find lots of great images to add to his collection. I spent a lot of time in NO courtesy of the taxpayer, and generally had a great time.

HOWEVER, as with any large city, there are going to be areas to stay away from. Do not even think about crossing a cop for any reason. Don't make a u-turn where it says you can't. One of the downfalls of NO is a rather inept local government that also appears to many to be corrupt. Probably best to not even take a car into the Quarter area if you can help it. When we were there 18 months ago I got a very expensive parking ticket even though the meter was paid and I was in a marked space. The city government tends to be its own worst tourism promoter.

Greg is not yet 21 so he shouldn't be drinking and probably doesn't need to trek down Bourbon St. (Though there are lots of really cool homes and hotels in the Quarter)

Greg is very used to the big city, and NO will be a great visit for him. As always, be aware of your surroundings. Don't overeat - some of the food can be very rich! Don't be scared off by a little restraunt that appears to be a hole in the wall - lots of great foods in some of those places.

I know that when Greg returns he will share his adventures and pictures with us.

How long is the drive across the bridge? And how good is the view of Tchefuncte River? I kind of want to go over the bridge, since it's the longest in the world. And my friend I'm with has his car, so it's a possibility. When we're not going far, plans are to keep it in the garage.


With the rent-a-cops, if I need to "defend myself," I have four lighthouse group membership cards in my wallet...so at least my pharological enthusiasm is provable. Obviously goal is to NOT cross them.

I've been looking into safe/unsafe areas..apparently, the biggest and easiest-to-fumble thing to note is to not go past Rampart when in the Quarter. Of course, awareness at all times is key...but living in New York, and being paranoid on top of that, I should be capable there...

Food is the primary driver behind this trip. I'm taking the train from NYC, then spending four nights in NOLA eating my way through the city with a good friend I met two years ago on the QE2 (and haven't seen since). Then taking the train further to LA, and spending two nights on the Queen Mary before flying home.

I'll be trying my best to blog the trip...though that usually fails after a few days. Of course, many many photos when I'm done!

I went through New Orleans looking at the lights last summer. The rent-a-cops are accurate at Port Ponchartrain. It was ok for me to take pics, but they didn't want me in the grass. I knew this going in, so I immediately began taking pictures - moving through the grass toward the light - and getting as close as possible until the guard approached. He told me it was ok to take pictures, but to just stay off the grass. Either way, even from the parking lot you can get some pictures. With that said, it is not a very photogenic lighthouse. Very few original angles.

As for Tchfuncte, you can see it off in the distance off to the left as you're going across the bridge away from NO. For the best view, however, turn left on Hwy 22 after leaving the causeway, then once in Madisonville, turn left on Main Street (I believe it's also Hwy 1077). You'll then drive a couple of miles and it will turn into a deserted road that appears to lead to nowhere. Go all the way until it ends and you can see the light across the water from about half a mile away. You can get decent shots with a telephoto. I will say that when I was there, there was a homeless man living near the old building at the end of the road, but he was harmless. We exchanged greetings, I set up my tripod and never felt unsafe at all.

Those are the main two lights in NO if memory serves me correct. I didn't even attempt New Canal because I had understood it had been pretty much dismantled before rebuilding started. I could be wrong, though, because I didn't bother checking on it.

If you're willing to go a couple of hours back toward Texas, the Southwest Reef light in Berwick is a unique lighthouse. I happened to catch it on a really good day and was very happy with the pics. A few hours on the other side of NO is the Biloxi Light in Mississippi, but it's also under repair at the moment (I think it still is, at least).

I can't go back and look at your post from this screen I'm typing on, so I don't remember where else you said you were going. But if you decide to head toward Florida, let me know. I also hit the Alabama and many Florida lights last year so I have some recent knowledge.

Hope you have a great time!

You're going to love the Queen Mary, Greg. Make sure you get into the original cabins with the view of the harbor. Explore all the decks on your own. Make sure you go into the ballrooms on the lower decks. Can't wait to hear about the train trip?
Bob

Bill - thanks! Did you approach Tchfuncte from the NOLA side of the bridge? If so, do you happen to remember how long it took to get there? Trying to figure out if it's a reasonable side trip.

Would the other lights be reasonable side trips? Worth it? Or spend the time in the city?

Bob - I'm VERY excited about Queen Mary. As you know, I'm a huge liner geek. I've been onboard her before, back in August 2008 with my fellow ship geek friend Kyle, who had all sorts of vintage deck plans and photos, and we spent four hours comparing the historic and modern. But I didn't spend the night, so I'm doing that now. It's going to be nirvana for me -- I'm calling it my "Cruise to (Really) Nowhere." With this, I'll have slept onboard every Cunard Queen ship except the original Queen Elizabeth (which would be hard since it burned in 1972).

I would take the trip over the bridge. Longggg way, but well worth it. There are some nice sites on the north shore. Great museum in Madisonville on the way to where you can view Tchefuncte River Light. Very nice display about the lights of LA, including lost lights. Lots of good information about the whole area, and a couple good videos as I recall. Probably the better part of a day by the time you also had lunch.

Nothing of the light at the New Canal site unless they have started construction on the replacement. all the parts are in a warehouse.

I enjoy the Southwest Reef light, but it would be a very long half day (at least). Personally, I would stay in the city and take a cruise on the river. Or maybe head down to Chalmette to visit the battlefiels. Or head out into the surrounding area and visit a historic plantation - especially Oak Alley. (I think that was the name - Oak something.....)

Greg,

Yes, I went to Tchfuncte from New Orleans. If memory serves me correct, it's about 45 minutes across the water. Also, Dave is right. There is a very good museum in Madisonville. It's right along Main St. (1077) on the way to the lighthouse. You will pass it on the left. I would make time for the museum if you head that way.

Honestly, I would probably just enjoy NO. Biloxi is the closest light and it's being worked on, and Southwest Reef is a ways in the other direction. Although I really enjoyed that light, it's not one you could climb and it is a long drive just to see it.

oh....I said it was 45 minutes across the water ... then it's probably another 30 minutes to Madisonville.

The following link has some images from our trip around the New Orleans Regional including some of Southwest Reef Light..

Blast from the past..



Museum in Madisonville...



Tchefuncte River Light...

Alright...the trip is less than a week away! Come on, go away midterms, come on Penn Station!

Okay...here's what I just figured out. The museum in Madisonville is closed on Monday -- the day we'd have to go. So the lighthouse would still be visible...but it'd be a long trek for my non-pharological friend for the lighthouse.

Anything else to do on the north shore? Or other places outside the city? We do want to get out of New Orleans that day. Tuesday is planned as our Quarter-exploring day.

Thanks! And yes, photos will abound. As I get things set up, I'll link you all to the blog.

Greg, go visit a plantation - tons of history and great pictures. Oak Alley isn't too far and presents a wonderful opportunity for pictures.

If you explore the quarter, do be careful. You are used to big city, but the Big Easy is a world unto itself. Plenty else to explore in NO. Sounds strange, but visit some of the historic cemeterys. Really very interesting and, again, lots of interesting photo ops.