New Orleans by Train

[WarGuyEd]

We are coming to New Orleans from B'ham, AL by train on a Sat. and staying at the Hilton Riverside. We will board the Carnival Elation on Monday. Then return and stay another night at the Hilton Riverside before returning by train on Sunday.

 

Any tips regarding getting from train station to hotel, hotel to port, places of interest, must-do places to eat (like the "hole in wall" places instead of fine dining) Thanks, in advance!!

[PenguinLife]

I would think taxi to hotel it is probably around 10 blocks or so, but that is a ways with luggage. Walk to the cruise terminal from the hotel through the river walk outlet mall, you can get all the way there basically indoors. As to places to eat check out Mulates http://www.mulates.com/ if you want real cajun food, it is just across from the cruise terminal (3 blocks or so directly behind the Hilton riverside). They serve authentic cajun food, one of a few places in New Orleans that does, most new orleans food is creole, or some creole / cajun mash up, not actual cajun. Creole and Cajun are NOT the same, although both have a number of dishes with the same names the way they are seasoned is very different. If you want to know the difference ask google, there are a lot of ways to describe it, one common example is most creole food is tomato based and most cajun food is not. (creole gumbo has tomatoes, cajun gumbo does not), also I think of creole as having a sharper bite to the seasoning, and cajun more of a bold flavor profile.