I'm thinking of taking a vacation day on Friday and riding down to New Orleans from NW Arkansas (about 650 miles one way). Temps are only supposed to get up to about 58 in Arkansas and high 60's/low 70's in LA but almost no chance of rain.

My only real concern is how safe will my bike and I be in New Orleans?

 

stay in a good hotel in the quarter and your bike will be parked inside a garage. pricey but safer.....a little pat o'briens would be a blast.....

 

I live in the city, park it all over the place and have never had any problems. I usually just hang my helmet on the mirrors, and even that hasn't been swiped. That said, Sparky's advice is pretty solid. Plus staying at a nice place in the Quarter will mean you can drink and walk, instead of drink and ride (assuming you enjoy adult beverages). By the way there's a FREE blues festival this weekend a streetcar ride away (http://www.jazzandheritage.org/blues-fest/). If you haven't ever heard him Sonny Landreth is truly among the best slide guitarist around.

 

When I was down there in July, I saw a bunch of bikes parked right off Bourbon Street. People seemed to leave them alone.

 

I made the mistake of going to new orleans a couple of years ago. Will never go back, has to be the dirtiest,nastiest most run down city I've ever seen. I stayed in a good hotel in the quarter. Nothing but run down strip clubs and dive bars and a lot of con-artists roaming the streets. I did take a bus tour that was somewhat intresting but other than that it was a big disappointment.

 

Take a helmet you can fit in your saddlebag, I don't trust anyone in a large city like that, not just N.O., but any party town like that. Have had goggles and stuff go "missing" somehow before.

 

Stopped there on the way out west this spring. Stayed at the Clarion in the 1300 block of Canal St. Parked the bikes in their fenced lot across the street & walked to Bourbon St. Low cost & no problem.

 

Thanks for all of the replies. I think I'm going to go for it. I grew up in Queens, NY and worked in Manhattan as a messenger back i he 70's. Went to NYU and worked on Wall St in the 80's so I'm used to scams.

Once again thanks for he advice.

 

I live in Jackson Ms, and it is suppose to rain all the way through Friday, and be nice Saturday, hi only 60 for Saturday..
If my buddy makes a deal on a RG in NO we will going down Saturday morning to get it.

 

sorry you missed the garden district out by Audubon Park and Tulane. Bourbon Street is not New orleans. Bike night at McGuire's Pit Stop in Metairie (Metree) is huge. MidCity Rock and Bowl is extreme. I've gone to New orleans 16 years running now and would love to live there but the money is here in alabama.