Day Trip to New Orleans
from Bay St. Louis

A day trip to New Orleans is one of the best-kept secrets of staying in Bay St. Louis — you get the whole city, then you get to leave it behind and come home to quiet water and a bonfire. From Lake LaCroix RV Resort, the Big Easy is only about an hour west, which means you can wander the French Quarter, sip café au lait at Café du Monde, ride the streetcar past Garden District mansions, and still be back at your calm lakeside site well before bedtime. No French Quarter hotel bill, no downtown parking headaches overnight, no city noise when you're trying to sleep. Here's how to do it right.

Why basecamp on the bayou instead of a city hotel

New Orleans is a wonderful place to visit and an expensive, noisy place to sleep. Downtown hotel rates spike around events and weekends, parking is its own line item, and the Quarter doesn't exactly quiet down at night. Basecamping at Lake LaCroix flips the equation: you sleep on a spring-fed lake in Bay St. Louis, drive in for the day, and keep the trip easy on both your wallet and your nerves.

The trade is simple and it favors you:

• Quiet nights on the water instead of Bourbon Street at 2 a.m.
• Full hookups and a level concrete pad two minutes off I-10 Exit 13 — an easy in-and-out for the city run
• A real resort to come home to — pool, sandy beach, dog park, and firepit on our amenities page
• The dog stays comfortable at the park rather than shut in a hotel room while you're out
• The best of both worlds — big-city day, small-town Gulf Coast night

The drive: about an hour, and easy

Getting to New Orleans from Lake LaCroix couldn't be more straightforward. You're two minutes from I-10 Exit 13, and from there it's a roughly one-hour shot west across the state line into the city. Leave after a slow morning coffee and you'll be parking in New Orleans by mid-morning. A few tips to keep it smooth:

• Beat the traffic. Head in mid-morning and leave the city before or after evening rush to dodge the worst of I-10 congestion.
• Take the daily driver, not the RV. Leave your rig level and hooked up at the lake and drive the toad or car into town.
• Have a lunch and a dinner spot in mind so you're not deciding on an empty stomach in a crowd.

Parking in the city

Driving into New Orleans is easy; parking in the French Quarter takes a little planning. Street parking is tight and tightly enforced, so most day-trippers do best in a paid garage or lot on the edge of the Quarter or the Central Business District, then explore on foot. Better yet, park once near a streetcar line and let the streetcar do the rest — it's cheap, scenic, and saves you from circling for a space. Read the signs carefully wherever you park; the city is serious about towing.

A suggested day in New Orleans

You can't see all of New Orleans in a day, so don't try. Pick a rhythm and let the city do the rest. Here's a plan that hits the highlights without wearing you out.

Morning: the French Quarter & Café du Monde

Start in the French Quarter, the oldest and most iconic part of the city. Wander Royal Street for art and antiques, take in Jackson Square and the St. Louis Cathedral, and stroll the French Market. Somewhere in there, get in line at Café du Monde for beignets buried in powdered sugar and a café au lait — it's a rite of passage, and the people-watching is half the fun.

Midday: ride the streetcar to the Garden District

Hop the historic St. Charles Avenue streetcar and rattle uptown past oak-lined avenues to the Garden District, where grand 19th-century mansions sit behind iron fences and blooming gardens. Get off and walk a few blocks — it's one of the prettiest neighborhoods in America and a complete change of pace from the Quarter.

Afternoon: lunch and a little more wandering

Fuel up on the food New Orleans is famous for — a shrimp po'boy, a bowl of gumbo, red beans and rice, whatever calls to you. Then spend the afternoon however suits your crew: more Quarter browsing, a riverfront walk along the Mississippi, a museum, or just a shady bench and a cold drink.

Evening: head home to the lake

This is the beauty of the day trip. When the city gets loud and your feet are done, you point the car back toward Bay St. Louis and, about an hour later, you're pulling off at Exit 13 into the quiet. Fire up the grill, light the firepit, and let the kids toast s'mores while you put your feet up. Big day, easy night.

When to go

New Orleans is a year-round city, but the calendar shapes the trip. Spring and fall bring the most comfortable weather and some of the biggest events, from Mardi Gras season to Jazz Fest and French Quarter festivals — lively, but also busier and pricier in town, which is exactly when day-tripping from the lake pays off most. Summer is hot and humid; plan indoor stops and shady breaks, and save the afternoon heat for the pool back at the park. Winter is mild and quieter, a lovely time to wander the Quarter without the crowds. Whatever the season, an early start and an early exit beat the traffic.

Make a few days of it

One day is plenty for a New Orleans taste, but the whole point of a Gulf Coast basecamp is that the city is just one option. Spend another day in Old Town Bay St. Louis, a morning fishing or kayaking the bayou, and an afternoon at the pool and beach — and suddenly you've got a proper trip. If the lake keeps you longer than planned, our longer stays make it easy to settle in for a while. Questions about your rig or the drive? Reach out through our contact page.