Best Nature and Parks (RV, National, Dog, etc) in St. Charles Parish

"There aren’t a ton of green spaces in downtown New Orleans, so Louis Armstrong Park, just outside the French Quarter, is a welcome option. Given its proximity to the city’s culture, the park has also become a hub for festivals and seasonal events. It’s a well-designed, landscaped spot that packs a lot into 32 acres."

"Another well know park and named after a famous musician, is the Louis Armstrong Park. It’s located in Treme near the French Quarter. It has sculptures and vendors selling food and crafts."

"Located slightly northwest of the French Quarter, City Park is a huge park and Botanical Garden to explore. The Park is full of the best things to do in New Orleans, especially if you’re looking for a more chilled out day. From carousels and statues (which you’ll find in the Storyland section) to stunning walks, it’s totally gorgeous and well worth a visit."

"If you’d prefer a more leisurely option, you can escape to one of the local parks (City Park or Audubon Park) not far outside of the Historic District. If you haven’t gotten your fill of jazz yet, you can do the Harbor Jazz Cruise on the Steamboat Natchez. I’ve listed more details on all the options below."

"Protecting six different locations in and around NOLA, the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve adds up to 22,421 acres, encompassing bayou, prairie, swamp and the site of the Battle of New Orleans (1815) at Chalmette Battlefield and National Cemetery. The park also looks after the French Quarter Visitor Center, which maps the history of New Orleans and the many cultures of the Mississippi Delta in Louisiana, going into language, music, livelihoods and architecture. A little way south of New Orleans in Marrero is the expansive Barataria Preserve, where marsh, swamps and hardwood forest are crawling with gators, snakes and turtles."

"The Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve is another great park to visit if your family loves nature and animals. The Barataria Preserve located in Marrero Louisiana is about 30 minutes outside of New Orleans, if your family is in town for a while, I recommend visiting this park. For more information on The Jean LaFitte National Historical Park and Preserve visit https://www.nps.gov/jela/barataria-preserve.htm"

"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"

"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."

"Finally, head to Crescent Park for a beautiful sunset view of the city, and after the sun goes down venture over to Frenchmen Street for some live jazz and blues. While tourists tend to visit Bourbon Street, you’ll see more locals on Frenchmen. For tonight’s live music, check out this listing by the local radio station."

"The refined Uptown park around Audubon Zoo is a bit older, having been landscaped in the 1880s on what used to be a plantation and staging area for Buffalo Soldiers in the Civil War. If you’re mesmerised by New Orleans’ twisting live oaks you’ll love Audubon Park, which has trees that go back to its plantation days. Before this space could be laid out by the eminent John Charles Olmsted, it hosted the World Cotton Centennial of 1884, a world’s fair."

"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."

"About a one-hour drive from the centre of New Orleans, Oak Alley Plantation is well worth a visit if you’re heading out of the city. Now, a tour here will usually mean a two-hour stay but it’s well worth it if you want to learn more about the history of this house and plantation at your own pace. It’s easily one of the best things to do in New Orleans if you’ve got a car or on a wider road trip (like we were)."

"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."

"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."

"Louisiana is a state that is famous for its waterways and bayous, and New Orleans is no exception to the rule. Fronting the French Quarter is one of the best riverside parks in the city – Woldenberg Park. Originally the location of warehouses and wharves on the east bank of the Mississippi, the site was retooled in the 1980s and 1990s into a park."

"For a day of exploring in the French Quarter, Woldenberg Park is an essential stop. Located right where the Quarter meets the mighty Mississippi, the park begins at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and runs along the water to St. Philip Street. Picnic spots, gazebos, and waterfront benches provide some of the city’s best views of the river."

"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."

"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."

"We’ve saved one of the bests for last, as everybody who’s anybody in Louisana knows that Tastee serves some of the best donuts in New Orleans. They serve everything from king cakes and buttermilk drops to standard donuts. And, honestly, it’s all so tasty that you’re going to have to try it all."

"A New Orleans childhood favorite from back in the day, Tastee is well known for king cakes, buttermilk drops, and doughnuts, not necessarily in that order, but some folks swear by the apple fritters. There are two locations to satisfy."

"Back in 1991, Phillip Songy started his family-owned donut shop that has since blossomed into a full-service neighborhood restaurant, Terrytown Cafe & Donuts. In 2015, the signature glazed donut was voted "Best Doughnuts City Wide" in a local competition. The hand-cut classic donuts are incredibly affordable; a single donut is less than a dollar."

"This 24/7 neighborhood bakery on the West Bank won over Times-Picayune judges with its glazed doughnut and apple fritter. The T-P crowned Terrytown as having the best doughnuts and for the best value. But Terrytown Cafe and Donuts’ regulars already knew that."

"A beacon of locally made art and jewelry on Frenchmen Street since 2013, this evening market is open nightly from 7 pm to midnight or 1, depending on crowds. Right next door to the Spotted Cat and in the heart of the Frenchmen Street nuttiness, this brightly lit marketplace boasts a revolving roster of serious artists creating everything from sculptures made from flatware to Impressionist style streetcar scenes and inventive offbeat t-shirt designs. This is where locals in the know buy their gifts and art for the wall and wearing."

"For some reason, Frenchmen Street remains an undiscovered gold mine to most first-time tourists, and even for many of the seasoned visitors; the Frenchmen Art Market is one of the gems of the city. If you are traveling with family or simply strive for more depth than the bars and nightclubs can provide, take a stroll under the lights illuminating the fantastic displays. This weekly nighttime market truly personifies the ambiance of this magnificent city."

"The Pharmacy Museum has quite an interesting tour – don’t let the name fool you!. It’s all about old school remedies and how they evolved through history, with a local twist."

"A post shared by Whitney Plantation (@whitneyplantation) on Mar 29, 2018 at 1:39pm PDT Unless you have a car with you, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be able to visit a plantation the same day as doing a swamp tour because they’re located far apart. However, if you do choose to do a plantation tour, choose Whitney Plantation, the only plantation museum in Louisiana with a focus on slavery. Unfortunately, I did not do my research and visited a different plantation house and was incredibly disappointed that they didn’t address slavery whatsoever."

"The Whitney plantation is the first American museum dedicated to slavery. It has records of memoirs from literate slaves and their experiences. The Whitney plantation focuses on the institution of slavery. The Laura plantation is a creole owned plantation whereby the family tell the history of the their generation."

"Whitney Plantation, on the other hand, focuses on slavery and what life was like for the slaves living on the plantation. There are personal narratives and exhibits of the slaves who lived on the plantation which can certainly be more emotional but important history to understand nevertheless."