I want to surprise my wife with a romantic getaway weekend and I'm thinking New Orleans. If I go that route, gimme some suggestions on where to stay, eat, etc. Or, if you have any other suggestions for a nice romantic place we could go. This would be in January. TIA.
RM95, check out this B&B about 4 miles outside of Fredericksburg. The best cabin is the Wild Wing. Here's the description: Circa 1890 one bedroom log cabin, totally isolated with three large front porches overlooking a spectacular view of the hills, queen iron bed, sleeper sofa, romantic bathroom with stained glass windows, stone and glass shower for two, and an oversized tub, sunken in stone. Courtyard with private hot tub, gourmet kitchen with atrium, stone fireplace with gas logs, home theater with surround sound, TV/DVD/stereo/CD player, and satellite dish. The ultimate in luxury! Perfect for honeymoons. We expected this to be one of those places that sounds better on the internet, than in person, and it was better than we could have hoped. We were there for our anniversary in February, and got lucky with the weather. There were peacocks running around, a big hot tub, surrounded by a stucco wall, so you had complete privacy. An amazing bath... shower for two, and a really big tub, with candles all around for your enjoyment. A fridge packed with breakfast stuff, so no one was coming to bother you in the morning. You could eat when you liked. Full kitchen, with a Jenn-aire type stovetop, if you wanted to grill your own steaks inside. A covered veranda that overlooked beautiful rolling countryside. A living room with a fireplace you started with a button. Very romantic, very private, and minutes from the galleries and eateries of Fredericksburg. We booked it again for this February. It's one of those places that if the weather was bad, you'd be groovin' inside, if you know what I mean. Heck, I probably should delete this, to keep the crowds away! Best to go later in the week and the weekend, if you can book it. A lot of the art galleries and antique shps close on Monday and Tuesday. Just a heads-up for anyone interested. That sounds like a great idea, RM95, regardless of where you end up. Have fun! http://www.knoppschoolroad.com/index.php
NOLA's fine for that kind of visit. He'll stick to the Garden District and French Quarter, anyway. If you wanna stay right in the Quarter, stay at the Royal Sonesta on Bourbon Street. If you wanna stay in a bed & breakfast, I have stayed at a quaint little home in the Garden District on Magazine St. I can google it and give you the contact info if you want it. It was very affordable. Much cheaper than staying at the Royal Sonesta. For dining...I love NOLA's which is one of Emeril's restaurants. I can't miss beignets at Cafe du Monde in the morning, either.
New Orleans is dirty. My wife and I went there for a romantic weekend, and we had some fun, but overall, the place was a dump, and this was BEFORE Katrina. It smelled bad, Bourbon street was no longer about Zydico music, but more about how many strip clubs they could cram onto one street. I would take her to a B&B and do some antiquing, do something that is just the 2 of you, without so many distractions. DD
Make sure you cute couple go to Larry Flynt's Hustler Club on Bourbon Street after about seven hurricanes. That will be the tonic you are looking for.
I'd go with Deckard's B&B. If you and your wife get in a fight, there's always that hot redhead to keep you company...
I second MadMax's comments on NOLA. I was there in Dec. last year and the French Quarter was back in business and had minimal damage. The Garden District and Uptown were in worse shape but I figure in a year they must be cleaned up and running. The rest of NOLA though is a different matter. The extent of the damage just outside the French Quarter in Tremain was pretty severe and from what I'm hearing recovery in many parts has been extremely slow or not at all. So while if you stick to the Quarter and the Garden district it might be romantic but if you go a half mile away that feeling could easily be spoiled. Also the weather in NOLA in January isn't all that great, overcast and rainy. I would still recommend going because NOLA can use the tourist dollars but frankly I wouldn't consider NOLA in January a romantic get away. If you're willing to travel a little further I would recommend going someplace with snow. Nothing is more romantic than snuggling with your honey in front of a roaring fire while the snow is falling outside. I could recommend a few places in the Upper Midwest but that might be too cold for Texans otherwise you could check out some spots in Virginia, New Mexico or there are even some deals to CO.
This may not be the trip for it...but if I were there, there's no way I could avoid driving just east of the city and into the 9th Ward to get a sense of the scope of devastation. All that is still the same.
I think Santa Fe is always one of the best weekend getaways. If you're anti-cold, then probably not the best idea in January, but I think its a great town. You could always do Napa Valley...wine country.
You can get super cheap cruise deals during January. I have been looking for one at the end of Dec and after seeing the prices, I wish I could go in Jan instead.
I dunno. I would avoid New Orleans now. There's nothing romatic about NOLA right now as far as I am concerned.
