New Orleans, Louisiana – The Clever Boater

Location

Region: Gulf ICW
Latitude: 29.9729° N
Longitude: -90.0874° W
Waterway Guide: New Orleans, LA

Destination: New Orleans

New Orleans is not a regular stop on the Great Loop route. Most Loopers use the Ohio River to the Tenn-Tom waterway route and skip the lower Mississippi River. When they reach Mobile, Alabama, they turn left and head toward the Florida Panhandle.

The lower Mississippi is very industrial from the junction of the Ohio River to New Orleans and has no marinas or amenities. Even in New Orleans, there are no marinas or docking facilities for pleasure boats along the Mississippi River itself. They are all on the city’s North side along the shores of Lake Pontchartrain.

We have visited New Orleans several times by plane and enjoyed the experience. On our second Loop in 2023, we decided to visit by boat. So, from Mobile, Alabama, we took a Right Turn at the end of Mobile Bay and followed the Gulf ICW West toward New Orleans. New Orleans is about 160 miles from Mobile. Several great stops are available along the route, like Ocean Springs, Boloxi, and Gulf Port, Mississippi.

Most Loopers end up in Mobile Bay around Thanksgiving or Christmas, and a trip to New Orleans around Christmas time is great! It’s not hot, and there are plenty of events going on.

As mentioned, there are no marinas along the Mississippi River or safe anchorages with shore access. The river through New Orleans is lined with industrial docks and high levees. The marinas are located along the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal and the shores of Lake Pontchartrain.

One of the considerations when visiting New Orleans is that the marinas are about 6 miles from the French Quarter, where most of the “action” is. While most streets have sidewalks, biking is not an option for most people as access almost requires jumping on an Interstate. Also, public transportation, while available, is pretty inconvenient. One Street Car line comes within 2 miles of the two main marinas in Lakeview, and the area during the day is not bad for walking. However, your best bet for getting to the Canal Street/French Quarter area is to use Uber/Lyft.

When visiting New Orleans by boat, we suggest either the New Orleans Yacht Club or the Orleans Marina. These are side by side in the Lakeview section of the city. The area is safe, and there are good facilities. The other options next to the Lake Front Airport and the Inner Harbor Canal are in more industrial areas and are a bit farther from downtown.

Where To Eat

Downtown and in the French Quarter, there are hundreds of options far beyond the scope of our article. For restaurant suggestions, I’ll assume you are docked in the Lakeview area at either the Yacht Club or Orleans Marinas and will cover eateries within walking or bicycling distance of the marinas. The area around the Marianas is walking and biking friendly.

A large flood wall surrounds both of the marinas. To get to anything (Except JB’s) from the Yacht Club, you must go to the flood wall opening, a big “S” route from the docks. From the docks to Lakeshore Drive (where most of the restaurants and shopping are, is a mile walk. Orleans Marina has an exit much closer, only a couple of hundred feet.

JB’s Fuel Dock is right across the street from the Yacht Club. It’s a small dockside eatery with great Pizza and Burgers. You may have to wait a minute for your food if the waitress has to go out and pump fuel, as it is also a fuel dock! It has a nice outside deck.

Sala Nola, Lakeview Harbor, Russell’s Marina Grill, and Two Tony’s Restaurant are all located just south of the marinas. These are standard Italian & American Fare restaurants. We tried all four during our stay and had great meals in all of them. We especially liked Sala Nola for its specials, and it is open for breakfast Wednesday through Sunday.

Felix’s Oyster Bar, The Blue Crab Restaurant, and Landry’s Seafood House are all just a couple of hundred feet from the marinas. However, there is a canal in between, so from The Yacht Club, it’s about a 1.5-mile hike or a short bike ride. These are signature New Orleans Seafood Restaurants. We ate at Landry’s twice and had excellent meals! I would suggest reservations at all three.

Station 6 is a casual oyster and seafood house not far from the marinas. A shortcut near the flood wall opening (check Google Earth) makes it close—good casual seafood.

Shopping Therapy

Right at the intersection of Lakeshore Drive (near Russell’s Grill) is a small shopping plaza with a Walgreens Pharmacy and a good grocery store, Robért Fresh Market.

Note: It’s rare that I bad-mouth a business. However, next to the Robért Fresh Market is Mail & More, a mailbox and shipping service company. They will not receive mail unless you sign up for a mailbox (even though their website says they do), and the staff was quite unfriendly.

About a mile east of the Walgreens on Allen Toussaint Blvd is an Ace Hardware and a UPS Store.

The Lakeside Mall is about 3.5 miles west of the marinas (but still on the lakeside of town). This is a large enclosed mall with all the major stores, including an Apple Store. Also nearby to the Mall area are Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Lowe’s Home Improvement, and Rouses Market. You will need to Uber or Lyft as the area between the marinas and the Mall is very congested and “urban.” The closest Walmart Supercenter is 7 miles from the marinas in the same general direction as the Mall.

Getting Around On Shore

Walking and bicycling are fine in the local area around the marinas. The immediate neighborhood is good. If you are going to the French Quarter or to the Lakeside Mall, I would highly suggest Uber or Lyft. You can catch one of the Streetcar lines about 2 miles from the marina, but I would not want to walk that route after dark.

Here is a map of New Orleans with the major areas marked for reference.

A – The Yacht Club and Orleans Marinas
B – South Shore Harbor Marina
C – New Orleans RV & Marina
D – Downtown & The French Quarter
F – Restaurants, grocery, and Walgreens near the marina
G – Lakeshore Mall (and nearby stores)

Keeping Entertained

There are many things to do in New Orleans. If you are looking for Jazz or other more seedy entertainment, the French Quarter is for you! Check out Frenchman St, near the French Market area if you want jazz but don’t want as much chaos. It has excellent restaurants and music venues without the Drag Queens.

I’ll list a few attractions we enjoyed here, but it’s only a small list. These attractions are in or near the French Quarter and Canal Street.

Mardi Gras World is in the Warehouse District (near Canal Street), where they make and store the large floats and characters used in Mardi Gras parades all over the South. You can walk through the huge warehouse and see floats being made and hundreds of huge characters in storage!
The National World War II Museum, also in the warehouse district, is a huge display of WWII equipment, history, and stories. If you go, plan at least half a day.
The Sazerac House is on Canal Street and is the home of the Sazerac Distillery, famous for Peychaud’s Bitters and Herbsaint Liqueur. You can walk through a four-floor self-guided tasting tour!
Steamboat Natchez will take you on a ride on the Mississippi. They offer tours and lunch/dinner cruises. It’s a great way to see why you don’t want to anchor on the Mississippi!
Cafe Du Monde is home to the famous Beignets!
The Museum of Death is on Dauphine St. It was interesting but not worth the admission price. Still, it might be worth visiting if you are a fan of death masks.
The Historic New Orleans Collection on Chartres St is an art museum and house tour. Very interesting.
The Pharmacy Museum is also on Chartres St. Brenda loves anything pharmacy, and the collection here is extensive!
Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights on Royal Street. Handmade gas lamps. Watch them being built!
Jackson Square in the heart of the French Quarter, is a must-visit. It’s an open park usually surrounded by street performers, street jazz, artists, and unique characters.
The Louisiana State Museum, the Cabildo, and the Presbytere are located together in Jackson Square. They feature exhibits on New Orleans history, Mardi Gras, and Hurricane Katrina.
The French Market is an outdoor market at the east end of the French Quarter. It has hundreds of unique vendors and lots of food options.
New Orleans Jazz Museum has a very good display of the history of Jazz in New Orleans. It’s just past the French Market.
Cemetary Tours can be had by taking the Streetcars from Canal Street to the Cemetary District. It’s an interesting way to see the city, and there is lots of history.

In the center of New Orleans is New Orleans City Park, a 1,300-acre park that stretches from the edge of downtown to Lake Pontchartrain. We visited around Christmas, and New Orleans had a large walk-through light display in the park that was neat to see. Also nearby are the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Museum of Modern Art.

If your travel coincides, two other events worth mentioning are the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (NOJAZZ Fest) held at the Fair Grounds Racecourse, usually the last week of April and the first week of May. I’ve been three times and would love to go again! It’s a huge event that lasts two weeks with four main stages and many smaller venues. If you love Jazz, GO!

The second is, of course, Mardi Gras, which is tied to Easter and so varies each year. The “Carnival Season,” which ends with Mardi Gras, starts on January 6th, so from then to Easter, there are usually parades every week.

Getting There

There are four main routes to New Orleans.

From The West

Loopers and those traveling from Texas up the Gulf ICW can take a side trip into New Orleans. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) will bring you into the Mississippi just a few miles west of the turn at Mile 93.4 at the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal, the route to the marinas along Lake Pontchartrain.

From The North (Mississippi River Route)

If you are coming down the Mississippi River, either because you started in upper Mississippi or to explore your inner Tom Sawyer, you will pass the junction with the Gullf Intracoastal Waterway at mile 99.5. At mile 93.4, you will enter the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal, the route to the marinas along Lake Pontchartrain.

From The East (From Mobile, Alabama)

Turn right on the Gulf ICW from Mobile Bay, and head west! You will pass Dauphin Island and Pascagoula, MS. We checked into stopping in Pascagoula, but it is mostly an industrial port. Your first stopping point is Ocean Springs, MS, a short detour off the GICW. Ocean Springs is a little harbor, and the town of Ocean Springs is a great tourist stop with many small boutiques and restaurants. It made our list of favorite spots and will be the focus of a Destinations article in the future!

Right next door is Buloxi, which has a large marina and many amenities. It’s only a mile from Ocean Springs to Buloxi, so if you can’t get into Ocean Springs, try Buloxi. Buloxi is another stop with lots to see and do. Our traveling friends docked here as they have family in Buloxi, and we visited them from Gulfport.

Gulfport is next on the list. It is a very large marina with excellent facilities. Gulfport has many good restaurants and the cheapest fuel we’ve found on the Loop! Also, around Christmas, the park outside the marina is turned into a Christmas Festival of Lights!

Depending on your travel speed, you can make New Orleans from Buloxi, but if you need another stop in between, Pass Christian and Bay St Louis offer marina options.

You have two options when you reach Mile 35 on the GICW in the area known as The Rigolets.

Option A is to go through the Rigolets and into Lake Pontchartrain, then across the lake, under the I-10 and US-11 bridges, and then on to the marinas on the south shore of the lake. The US-11 bridge is under construction and has frequent closures. Also, if there is any sort of wind, the lake can kick up pretty well, and it can be a long, uncomfortable crossing.

Option B is to turn left and follow the GICW. From the Rigolets, the GICW is in a dug canal with reasonable protection from the lake and the Gulf. You will follow it to the intersection of the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal, where you turn right, go under two railroad lift bridges, and into Lake Pontchartrain. From there, it’s only 1.5 miles to the Yacht Club or Orleans Marinas.

We took Option B, and it was an easy cruise. We met a boat heading in the opposite direction that had opted for Option A. When they got to the US-11 bridge, they were told that they had canceled the noon opening and would not open for at least 48 hours, so they ended up on Option B anyway.

Final Approach

Regardless of your approach, when you get through the Alomonaster Railroad Bridge, you will see the Seabrook Harbor and New Orleans RV Resort & Marina ahead on your left.

An important note! If you have an air draft of 48 ft or more (sailboats), you must open the Danziger (US 90) bridge. You need to schedule this opening at least two hours in advance (police cars have to block the bridge when it opens), and we have heard that they sometimes say, “Go away and come back tomorrow!”

After the two marinas, you will see the Seabrook Railroad Bridge. Normally closed, they will open on request, with a 10-minute delay before a freight train and a 20-minute delay for a passenger train. Heading into the lake is no problem as there is a large protected basin in which to hang out. However, heading out of New Orleans from the lake, if you get stuck in a bouncy lake, you may be uncomfortable for a bit.

After you get under the Seabrook Bridge, you can either take a left around the airport to Southshore Harbor Marina or turn left for 1.5 miles to the Yacht Club or Orleans Marinas.

Marinas and Anchorages

New Orleans Municipal Yacht Harbor – Good facilities. The transient dock is a 300 ft face dock. We stayed here and enjoyed our stay. There is pumpout available, but no fuel. The only consideration is that it’s a long walk to shore and over a mile walk to the main street. (Fuel is available at JB’s Fuel Dock nearby)
Orleans Marina – It also has good facilities and it is a bit closer to the shore. Pumpout, but also no fuel. (Fuel is available at JB’s Fuel Dock nearby)
South Shore Harbor Marina – Right next to the New Orleans Lakefront Marina. It has a pump-out but no fuel. There is no easy access to town, and the airport next door can be loud. Also, even with two breakwaters, it can be bouncy in an east wind.
New Orleans RV Resort & Marina – This marina has limited transient slips and pumpout facilities but no fuel.
Seabrook Harbor & Marine—This is a full-service marina with repair facilities. It is in an industrial area but has access to downtown. It has Gas, Diesel, and pump-out.