Dining
The Best Taste of New Orleans
Destination Kitchen Tours
Got company coming? Send or take them on a culinary tour with stops at local food vendors and guides that can fill them up with the history and traditions of our city’s iconic culinary culture. Put your money where your mouth is and get satiated! The walking and eating tour takes three hours and is filling for both soul and stomach. By the way, tipping is appropriate and appreciated. Tell them Phil sent you. – Phil LaMancusa
Best Breakfast for Pyromaniacs
Brennan’s
417 Royal St.
The world-famous Brennan’s is open again, and once again serving eggs Benedict with the best of them. Not only can you feast on a delicious meal, prepared by a James Beard–nominated chef, but you can satisfy your inner arsonist at the same time. If you are into watching things burn, you’ll be fired up about this place. Order their signature Bananas Foster and they’ll flambé the dessert for you tableside. This means a front-row seat to watch them do tricks with a skillet full of flames. There will be fireballs up to the ceiling and blazing bananas all aglow. They also serve Crêpes Fitzgerald—homemade strawberry crépes—which they likewise torch for you right there at your table. It’s your own personal bonfire in a pan. There’s only one thing better than seeing these desserts combust, and that’s tasting them. Delicious. – Kathy Bradshaw
Best Bar for Crawfish Boils
Clesi’s Catering
4413 Banks St.
The back of Banks St. Bar is currently the home of Clesi’s Catering, which serves up large batches of the city’s best-tasting crawfish and more from noon to 10 p.m. (midnight on Fridays and Saturdays). They’ve even opened up a lovely indoor seating area, but many patrons enjoy sitting on the picnic tables along Banks St. Clesi has been boiling for gatherings of all sorts for all of his life and has been making a big buzz on Banks St. Don’t miss out on the well-deserved hype! – Emily Hingle
Best Place to OD on Sugar
Yogurt Land
4903 Prytania St.
Here’s the scenario: you fill a cup with as many frozen yogurt combinations as you can fantasize…Salted Dark Chocolate, Hershey’s Chocolate Milkshake, Caramel Hazelnut Gelato. But you don’t stop there. Next, you are presented with a corner store’s worth of candy to cover it with – I’m talking Reese’s Peanut Butter Minis, M&Ms, mashed-up Kit Kats, you name it. Finally, unlike at other ice cream parlors, you pay by weight, giving you control over your finances and your portion control. What more could you ask for? Well, additional flavors are premiered every few weeks like new Netflix programs, ready for you to binge on. The free fruit-garnished water by the door is a fancy touch, too. – Greg Roques
Best Future Food and Drink Hotspot(s)
The Paramount
611 O Keefe Ave.
The Paramount, a luxury apartment complex in the CBD, will soon open businesses on its mixed-use first floor. Among its residents: Willa Jean, pastry chefs Kelly Fields and Lisa White’s new bakery for the Besh Restaurant Group; Adam Biderman’s Company Burger 2, which will carry over his Uptown menu and add a bar with 24 draft posts; and Ursa Major, a new concept from the team behind Booty’s Street Food, serving up small plates and cocktails inspired by the night sky. – Andrew Marin
Best Place to Enjoy Tacos and Beer
Tacos & Beer
1622 St. Charles Ave.
Centrally located on “The Avenue,” Tacos & Beer has created the ideal formula for combining authentic tacos and Mexican food with craft beers. Their New Orleans location features deck-style outdoor dining, festive indoor dining, a friendly staff and fantastic service. With a variety of tacos and an extensive alcohol menu that includes dynamite margaritas, Tacos & Beer is an asset to the Big Easy. The New Orleans location is the newest of three, with the other two in Slidell and Hammond. – Kimmie Tubre
ENTERTAINMENT
Best Swim Club
Stallings Gentilly Pool
1600 Gentilly Blvd.
Stallings Gentilly Pool is my favorite swim club. It has very strict requirements to belong: you must love to swim, be willing to make new friends and have no problem with a zero membership fee. Yes! Free and open to all—just show up and get wet. There’s plenty of adult serious swim time, kiddie time and everyone together time. Also, swim and aerobic classes are offered (free). This Olympic-sized pool is crystal clear and outdoors so you can catch a few rays and simply enjoy summertime like ya ain’t done since you were a kid. – Debbie Lindsey
Best Place to Take the Tots
The Children’s Museum
420 Julia St.
So, you’re having a good time and your friends are having a good time. The kids need to have a good time, too. The Children’s Museum features three floors of unadulterated kid’s stuff to do, see, touch, run, skip, dress up and play, play, play! They’ll have hours of fun and a gang of young adults to pick up after them. There’s a play restaurant, food store, story time, hideaway spots, art, education and much, much more. – Phil Lamancusa
Best Place to Have a Drink with a Water Buffalo
Black Penny
700 N. Rampart St.
The brand new neighborhood bar Black Penny, on the corner of N. Rampart and St. Peter Streets in the French Quarter, is already bringing in thirsty regulars, despite being open only since February 2015. It’s a hospitable joint. The decor is rustic and the wood beams, exposed brick, cement floors and wood-paneled walls give it the feel of an urban hunting lodge. The drinks are just as unpretentious as the atmosphere: no frou-frou girly drinks or craft cocktails here; this is a beer and whiskey bar. Sip a beer from a selection of over 60 brews under the watchful eye of the guardian water buffalo head mounted on the wall. Bartender Tandie says that she and owner Michael West (a former Erin Rose headman) attended the streetcar planning meetings for years. Once they knew that the Rampart line was a sure thing, they snatched up the bar’s location. They hope that the new streetcar will make their bar easier to get to and more accessible for patrons. However you get there, it’s definitely worth the trip. – Kathy Bradshaw
Best Spin-Off of an Old Classic
BMac’s
819 St. Louis St.
When Ray Newman, owner of beloved dive bar Chart Room, recently passed away, his widow, Brenda Mac, took her bar management skills, a bunch of Chart Room regulars, half the staff there and Ray’s legacy and moved several blocks away to open a new bar in his honor. Sometimes referred to as “Chart Room North,” Brenda now runs BMac’s, which was an instant success. Her goal is to maintain that Chart Room feel in a new location with a friendly locals’ bar complete with living-room ambiance and neighborhood prices. She offers crawfish boils, BBQs and fish fries on weekends, or just a daily “little munchie” at happy hour…all free of charge. “I like to give back to my guests,” says Brenda. If cheap drinks and free food aren’t enough to get you in here (or the free Wi-Fi or all major sports channels on the TV), check out the beautiful courtyard out back. Big enough to put the whole Chart Room in it, it’s got pretty twinkly lights and an already-famous light-up LED tree. Come in and drink one to Ray. – Kathy Bradshaw
Best Place to Take a Late-Night Bathroom Break
Harrah’s
228 Poydras St.
The other night on Royal Street, two girls ran past me, screaming that they had to pee. Beside the courthouse, they dropped trou and took care of business on the sidewalk. Fortunately I couldn’t hear that dreadful sound of liquid splashing on concrete over their giggling. I don’t recommend this location. The streetlight there makes public urination even less private. And besides, it’s within pissing distance of the police station. A better option? Harrah’s Casino. There, you have 24-hour access to nice, clean bathrooms with all the amenities, including full-length mirrors, drinking fountains, even comfy sofas. One of the restrooms has a zillion stalls, so you can liberate your kidneys with 20 of your closest friends. Feel better? Now find a slot machine to stare at to score some free drinks. Drink lots and set the whole fill up–and-eliminate cycle in motion again. You might as well use those lovely public restrooms one more time before you leave. – Kathy Bradshaw
Best Bar to Hold a Conversation
Lost Love Lounge
2529 Dauphine St.
If you’re not in the mood for live music, don’t want to hear people screeching out karaoke songs and you actually want to talk to someone in a meaningful way in public with the inclusion of booze, head over to the Lost Love Lounge. The owner once told me that the bar is so named because relationships of any kind can be begun, forged, broken and reinstated so quickly in these environments. The eclectic musical selections are kept to a low volume to allow for such instances. – Emily Hingle
Best New Place to Sip Sherry
Angeline
1032 Chartres St.
Not many bars or restaurants have a sherry list as long as their sparkling, white, and red lists. Angeline, Chef Alex Harrell’s new restaurant, has over a dozen fortified options. All are between $9 and $14 a glass and pair surprisingly well with his Mediterranean-inspired Southern food. Cocktails with house-made tonic or house-made seasonal sodas are nice options too, as are the craft beers. Add the daily selection of house-made charcuterie and stay for dinner. – Andrew Marin
Best Non-Alcoholic Bar
Euphorbia Kava Bar
8726 Oak St.
Euphorbia is a quaint boutique bar that serves kava in the form of tea and chocolates. A root only found in the Pacific Islands, kava is a sedative with calming effects similar to that of a Xanex or Valium. The owner, Ashley, is a sweet and knowledgeable lady who believes in the medicinal kava. She has installed a peaceful location on Oak Street, with room to lounge and chill once you’ve mellowed from the kava. The walls are decorated with paintings by local artists, and are all for sale. Also for sale is Ashley's growing inventory of bonsai plants. Euphorbia is a little gem in an up-and-coming neighborhood, with nothing but pleasant, laid-back people looking forward to enjoying your company. – Cassandra Damascus
Best Place to Hang Out and Have Fun
Shamrock
4133 S. Carrollton Ave.
Shamrock is a popular New Orleans attraction that features live music, games, alcohol and delicious food. Located in the original Rock ’n’ Bowl building, Shamrock is almost a hidden treasure. But don’t be fooled by its hidden spot, as Shamrock is considered to be the biggest neighborhood bar in New Orleans. With almost two dozen pool tables, bowling lanes and everything else from air hockey to skee ball, Shamrock is one of NOLA’s buried fun-filled charms. – Kimmie Tubre
SHOPPING
Best Little Culinary Shop
Seasoned: Experienced Cookware
1016 N. Broad St. (near Ursulines)
Betsy and Paige have created a lovely niche for, as they say, experienced cookware. Here, veteran whisks, pots and pans wait for that second career in your kitchen—a forever home where kitchen appliances get a second chance to help create great food. The prices are crazy good, the selection is eclectic, varied and fun and inventory continues to grow. If you don’t see that spatula or cast-iron skillet of your dreams, Seasoned just might be able to make it happen for you—just ask them. – Debbie Lindsey
OTHER
Best Leader
Lt. General Russel Honoré
We are dangerously close to the point of no return. Our food, music and festival culture mean nothing if our environment is polluted beyond redemption and our wetlands are destroyed. Lt. General Honoré leads the Green Army, and I urge everyone to read more about this dedicated man and this crucial movement. Our economy needs a clean and viable environment. Hurricane Katrina should have been a wake-up call—one of many! – Debbie Lindsey
The “Other” Best Radio Station
WTIX FM 94.3
“Today’s music ain’t got the same soul; I love that old time Rock n’ Roll!” Mention public radio and listener-supported “Guardian of the Groove” and I’ll say, “I love them both!” However, if you catch me putting screen on the door, cutting back banana trees in the yard or driving across town to pick up my girl, you’re gonna hear a bunch of TIX. (Casey Kasem on Sunday. Word.) – Phil LaMancusa
Best Free Workout for Runners
November Project
Champions Square, Lasalle St.
There aren’t many things I’ll turn up for at six in the morning. Hell, November Project may be the only one. November Project is a free boot camp–style workout held in Champions Square every Wednesday morning. A typical workout involves a half-mile warmup, followed by 15 to 20 minutes of sprinting the stairs to the Superdome and then 30 minutes of calisthenics mixed with running. No two workouts are the same and the crowd energy is infectious, composed of athletes at all fitness levels. If you are a runner, you need to get on this; I broke an 18-minute 5K for the first time in more than 15 years since starting my Wednesdays with stairs. A second workout is now being held Friday mornings at the Lakefront; check the Facebook page for more details. – Greg Roques
Best Cable Wake Park in Louisiana
The Best Taste of New Orleans
Destination Kitchen Tours destination-kitchen.com
Got company coming? Send or take them on a culinary tour with stops at local food vendors and guides that can fill them up with the history and traditions of our city’s iconic culinary culture. Put your money where your mouth is and get satiated! The walking and eating tour takes three hours and is filling for both soul and stomach. By the way, tipping is appropriate and appreciated. Tell them Phil sent you. – Phil LaMancusa
Best Breakfast for Pyromaniacs
Brennan’s 417 Royal St.
The world-famous Brennan’s is open again, and once again serving eggs Benedict with the best of them. Not only can you feast on a delicious meal, prepared by a James Beard–nominated chef, but you can satisfy your inner arsonist at the same time. If you are into watching things burn, you’ll be fired up about this place. Order their signature Bananas Foster and they’ll flambé the dessert for you tableside. This means a front-row seat to watch them do tricks with a skillet full of flames. There will be fireballs up to the ceiling and blazing bananas all aglow. They also serve Crêpes Fitzgerald—homemade strawberry crépes—which they likewise torch for you right there at your table. It’s your own personal bonfire in a pan. There’s only one thing better than seeing these desserts combust, and that’s tasting them. Delicious. – Kathy Bradshaw
Best Bar for Crawfish Boils
Clesi’s Catering 4413 Banks St.
The back of Banks St. Bar is currently the home of Clesi’s Catering, which serves up large batches of the city’s best-tasting crawfish and more from noon to 10 p.m. (midnight on Fridays and Saturdays). They’ve even opened up a lovely indoor seating area, but many patrons enjoy sitting on the picnic tables along Banks St. Clesi has been boiling for gatherings of all sorts for all of his life and has been making a big buzz on Banks St. Don’t miss out on the well-deserved hype! – Emily Hingle
Best Place to OD on Sugar
Yogurt Land 4903 Prytania St.
Here’s the scenario: you fill a cup with as many frozen yogurt combinations as you can fantasize…Salted Dark Chocolate, Hershey’s Chocolate Milkshake, Caramel Hazelnut Gelato. But you don’t stop there. Next, you are presented with a corner store’s worth of candy to cover it with – I’m talking Reese’s Peanut Butter Minis, M&Ms, mashed-up Kit Kats, you name it. Finally, unlike at other ice cream parlors, you pay by weight, giving you control over your finances and your portion control. What more could you ask for? Well, additional flavors are premiered every few weeks like new Netflix programs, ready for you to binge on. The free fruit-garnished water by the door is a fancy touch, too. – Greg Roques
Best Future Food and Drink Hotspot(s)
The Paramount 611 O Keefe Ave.
The Paramount, a luxury apartment complex in the CBD, will soon open businesses on its mixed-use first floor. Among its residents: Willa Jean, pastry chefs Kelly Fields and Lisa White’s new bakery for the Besh Restaurant Group; Adam Biderman’s Company Burger 2, which will carry over his Uptown menu and add a bar with 24 draft posts; and Ursa Major, a new concept from the team behind Booty’s Street Food, serving up small plates and cocktails inspired by the night sky. – Andrew Marin
Best Place to Enjoy Tacos and Beer
Tacos & Beer 1622 St. Charles Ave.
Centrally located on “The Avenue,” Tacos & Beer has created the ideal formula for combining authentic tacos and Mexican food with craft beers. Their New Orleans location features deck-style outdoor dining, festive indoor dining, a friendly staff and fantastic service. With a variety of tacos and an extensive alcohol menu that includes dynamite margaritas, Tacos & Beer is an asset to the Big Easy. The New Orleans location is the newest of three, with the other two in Slidell and Hammond. – Kimmie Tubre
ENTERTAINMENT
Best Swim Club
Stallings Gentilly Pool 1600 Gentilly Blvd.
Stallings Gentilly Pool is my favorite swim club. It has very strict requirements to belong: you must love to swim, be willing to make new friends and have no problem with a zero membership fee. Yes! Free and open to all—just show up and get wet. There’s plenty of adult serious swim time, kiddie time and everyone together time. Also, swim and aerobic classes are offered (free). This Olympic-sized pool is crystal clear and outdoors so you can catch a few rays and simply enjoy summertime like ya ain’t done since you were a kid. – Debbie Lindsey
Best Place to Take the Tots
The Children’s Museum 420 Julia St.
So, you’re having a good time and your friends are having a good time. The kids need to have a good time, too. The Children’s Museum features three floors of unadulterated kid’s stuff to do, see, touch, run, skip, dress up and play, play, play! They’ll have hours of fun and a gang of young adults to pick up after them. There’s a play restaurant, food store, story time, hideaway spots, art, education and much, much more. – Phil Lamancusa
Best Place to Have a Drink with a Water Buffalo
Black Penny 700 N. Rampart St.
The brand new neighborhood bar Black Penny, on the corner of N. Rampart and St. Peter Streets in the French Quarter, is already bringing in thirsty regulars, despite being open only since February 2015. It’s a hospitable joint. The decor is rustic and the wood beams, exposed brick, cement floors and wood-paneled walls give it the feel of an urban hunting lodge. The drinks are just as unpretentious as the atmosphere: no frou-frou girly drinks or craft cocktails here; this is a beer and whiskey bar. Sip a beer from a selection of over 60 brews under the watchful eye of the guardian water buffalo head mounted on the wall. Bartender Tandie says that she and owner Michael West (a former Erin Rose headman) attended the streetcar planning meetings for years. Once they knew that the Rampart line was a sure thing, they snatched up the bar’s location. They hope that the new streetcar will make their bar easier to get to and more accessible for patrons. However you get there, it’s definitely worth the trip. – Kathy Bradshaw
Best Spin-Off of an Old Classic
BMac’s 819 St. Louis St.
When Ray Newman, owner of beloved dive bar Chart Room, recently passed away, his widow, Brenda Mac, took her bar management skills, a bunch of Chart Room regulars, half the staff there and Ray’s legacy and moved several blocks away to open a new bar in his honor. Sometimes referred to as “Chart Room North,” Brenda now runs BMac’s, which was an instant success. Her goal is to maintain that Chart Room feel in a new location with a friendly locals’ bar complete with living-room ambiance and neighborhood prices. She offers crawfish boils, BBQs and fish fries on weekends, or just a daily “little munchie” at happy hour…all free of charge. “I like to give back to my guests,” says Brenda. If cheap drinks and free food aren’t enough to get you in here (or the free Wi-Fi or all major sports channels on the TV), check out the beautiful courtyard out back. Big enough to put the whole Chart Room in it, it’s got pretty twinkly lights and an already-famous light-up LED tree. Come in and drink one to Ray. – Kathy Bradshaw
Best Place to Take a Late-Night Bathroom Break
Harrah’s 228 Poydras St.
The other night on Royal Street, two girls ran past me, screaming that they had to pee. Beside the courthouse, they dropped trou and took care of business on the sidewalk. Fortunately I couldn’t hear that dreadful sound of liquid splashing on concrete over their giggling. I don’t recommend this location. The streetlight there makes public urination even less private. And besides, it’s within pissing distance of the police station. A better option? Harrah’s Casino. There, you have 24-hour access to nice, clean bathrooms with all the amenities, including full-length mirrors, drinking fountains, even comfy sofas. One of the restrooms has a zillion stalls, so you can liberate your kidneys with 20 of your closest friends. Feel better? Now find a slot machine to stare at to score some free drinks. Drink lots and set the whole fill up–and-eliminate cycle in motion again. You might as well use those lovely public restrooms one more time before you leave. – Kathy Bradshaw
Best Bar to Hold a Conversation
Lost Love Lounge 2529 Dauphine St.
If you’re not in the mood for live music, don’t want to hear people screeching out karaoke songs and you actually want to talk to someone in a meaningful way in public with the inclusion of booze, head over to the Lost Love Lounge. The owner once told me that the bar is so named because relationships of any kind can be begun, forged, broken and reinstated so quickly in these environments. The eclectic musical selections are kept to a low volume to allow for such instances. – Emily Hingle
Best New Place to Sip Sherry
Angeline 1032 Chartres St.
Not many bars or restaurants have a sherry list as long as their sparkling, white, and red lists. Angeline, Chef Alex Harrell’s new restaurant, has over a dozen fortified options. All are between $9 and $14 a glass and pair surprisingly well with his Mediterranean-inspired Southern food. Cocktails with house-made tonic or house-made seasonal sodas are nice options too, as are the craft beers. Add the daily selection of house-made charcuterie and stay for dinner. – Andrew Marin
Best Non-Alcoholic Bar
Euphorbia Kava Bar 8726 Oak St.
Euphorbia is a quaint boutique bar that serves kava in the form of tea and chocolates. A root only found in the Pacific Islands, kava is a sedative with calming effects similar to that of a Xanex or Valium. The owner, Ashley, is a sweet and knowledgeable lady who believes in the medicinal kava. She has installed a peaceful location on Oak Street, with room to lounge and chill once you’ve mellowed from the kava. The walls are decorated with paintings by local artists, and are all for sale. Also for sale is Ashley's growing inventory of bonsai plants. Euphorbia is a little gem in an up-and-coming neighborhood, with nothing but pleasant, laid-back people looking forward to enjoying your company. – Cassandra Damascus
Best Place to Hang Out and Have Fun
Shamrock 4133 S. Carrollton Ave.
Shamrock is a popular New Orleans attraction that features live music, games, alcohol and delicious food. Located in the original Rock ’n’ Bowl building, Shamrock is almost a hidden treasure. But don’t be fooled by its hidden spot, as Shamrock is considered to be the biggest neighborhood bar in New Orleans. With almost two dozen pool tables, bowling lanes and everything else from air hockey to skee ball, Shamrock is one of NOLA’s buried fun-filled charms. – Kimmie Tubre
SHOPPING
Best Little Culinary Shop
Seasoned: Experienced Cookware 1016 N. Broad St. (near Ursulines)
Betsy and Paige have created a lovely niche for, as they say, experienced cookware. Here, veteran whisks, pots and pans wait for that second career in your kitchen—a forever home where kitchen appliances get a second chance to help create great food. The prices are crazy good, the selection is eclectic, varied and fun and inventory continues to grow. If you don’t see that spatula or cast-iron skillet of your dreams, Seasoned just might be able to make it happen for you—just ask them. – Debbie Lindsey
OTHER
Best Leader
Lt. General Russel Honoré
We are dangerously close to the point of no return. Our food, music and festival culture mean nothing if our environment is polluted beyond redemption and our wetlands are destroyed. Lt. General Honoré leads the Green Army, and I urge everyone to read more about this dedicated man and this crucial movement. Our economy needs a clean and viable environment. Hurricane Katrina should have been a wake-up call—one of many! – Debbie Lindsey
The “Other” Best Radio Station
WTIX FM 94.3
“Today’s music ain’t got the same soul; I love that old time Rock n’ Roll!” Mention public radio and listener-supported “Guardian of the Groove” and I’ll say, “I love them both!” However, if you catch me putting screen on the door, cutting back banana trees in the yard or driving across town to pick up my girl, you’re gonna hear a bunch of TIX. (Casey Kasem on Sunday. Word.) – Phil LaMancusa
Best Free Workout for Runners
November Project Champions Square, Lasalle St.
There aren’t many things I’ll turn up for at six in the morning. Hell, November Project may be the only one. November Project is a free boot camp–style workout held in Champions Square every Wednesday morning. A typical workout involves a half-mile warmup, followed by 15 to 20 minutes of sprinting the stairs to the Superdome and then 30 minutes of calisthenics mixed with running. No two workouts are the same and the crowd energy is infectious, composed of athletes at all fitness levels. If you are a runner, you need to get on this; I broke an 18-minute 5K for the first time in more than 15 years since starting my Wednesdays with stairs. A second workout is now being held Friday mornings at the Lakefront; check the Facebook page for more details. – Greg Roques
Best Cable Wake Park in Louisiana
Cajun X Cables 2211 Mills St., Lafayette
Cajun X is technically not in New Orleans, but it is the closest wake park to the Big Easy and it’s in Louisiana, so I figure it’s worth a mention. Besides, who would ever think there is a place to wakeboard in Lafayette? The full-sized facility welcomes riders of all abilities, even accommodating professional performers by hosting one of the region’s Monster Triple Crown points challenges. All of the necessary equipment is available for rent, and the website recommends nearby hotels for those looking to make a weekend of it. My summers wouldn’t be the same without a few trips to Cajun X—check it out. – Greg Roques
Best Place to Escape It All
Crescent Park N. Peters St.
Located along the Mississippi River in the Historic New Orleans Bywater District, Crescent Park is a true gem with its incomparable views of the New Orleans skyline, Algiers and the river. Crescent Park combines nostalgic views of worn train tracks, perfectly planted flowers and scenery that can create nothing less than a great escape. It is the perfect place for peace and meditation. With its smooth walking paths, it is also a great place for exercise and recreation. – Kimmie Tubre
" target="_blank">Cajun X Cables
2211 Mills St., Lafayette
Cajun X is technically not in New Orleans, but it is the closest wake park to the Big Easy and it’s in Louisiana, so I figure it’s worth a mention. Besides, who would ever think there is a place to wakeboard in Lafayette? The full-sized facility welcomes riders of all abilities, even accommodating professional performers by hosting one of the region’s Monster Triple Crown points challenges. All of the necessary equipment is available for rent, and the website recommends nearby hotels for those looking to make a weekend of it. My summers wouldn’t be the same without a few trips to Cajun X—check it out. – Greg Roques
Best Place to Escape It All
Crescent Park
N. Peters St.
Located along the Mississippi River in the Historic New Orleans Bywater District, Crescent Park is a true gem with its incomparable views of the New Orleans skyline, Algiers and the river. Crescent Park combines nostalgic views of worn train tracks, perfectly planted flowers and scenery that can create nothing less than a great escape. It is the perfect place for peace and meditation. With its smooth walking paths, it is also a great place for exercise and recreation. – Kimmie Tubre
