Elysian Fields Inn – New Orleans Gay Friendly Bed & Breakfast

Elysian Fields Inn - New Orleans Gay Friendly Bed & Breakfast

Welcome to Elysian Fields Inn, a fully licensed New Orleans Bed and Breakfast located in the Historic Faubourg Marigny section of New Orleans. Our neighborhood was just listed as one of the four hot neighborhoods in America by Travel + Leisure Magazine. Everything mentioned in the article is within a few blocks of our Inn.

The Frenchmen Street shops and restaurants, French Quarter and French Market are all just steps from our door. Stroll to the Riverwalk Marketplace where you can browse the numerous upscale shops before boarding the Streetcar for your tour of the Universities and grand homes of the Garden District along the famous St. Charles Streetcar Line.

Elysian Fields Inn is located in the historic Faubourg Marigny section of New Orleans. Our guests enjoy the close proximity to the French Quarter (only 5 blocks) and the Frenchmen Street shops and restaurants.

See the Elysian Fields Inn Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Louisiana Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals

La Dauphine – New Orleans Gay Owned Bed & Breakfast

 La Dauphine New Orleans Gay Bed and Breakfast

You might have heard people say that New Orleans is like San Francisco, Savannah, Charleston, Paris, or Marseilles. It’s not. The biggest difference is that the streets are exploding with live music all year round. You’ve never seen such “street theater.” Our most cherished visitors come for our food, music, architecture, history, artists, and writers. The ambiance is most like the French Caribbean.

We live in the old French area, much like my Creole ancestors did, coming from France and Spain in 1715 and 1793, respectively. My mother and father grew up speaking French just a few houses away from us. Our district, Faubourg Marigny, is a quieter version of the adjacent French Quarter-the main difference being that you can actually sleep at night here. It’s the safe, artist/gay residential area with about 70 bed and breakfasts. The city attracts one million visitors each month, so accommodations fill up quickly.

Within a couple minutes walk of our front door, you have access to restaurants such as Marigny Brasserie, Belle Forche’, Cafe Negril, Feelings, Santa Fe, Marisol, La Peniche, Mona’s, Wasabi, Adolfo’s, Santa Fe, and bars such as Spotted Cat, Cafe Brasil, d.b.a., Checkpoint Charlie’s, Phoenix–not to mention an over abundance of galleries and antique shops. There’s a Cuban grocery store right across the street. Jackson Square is a mere 20-minute stroll through the adjacent French Quarter.

See the La Dauphine Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

New Orleans Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals

The Lodge at Butte La Rose – Louisiana Lesbian Owned B&B

Lodge at Butte La Rose

The Lodge at Butte La Rose is a venue in the tradition of the South Louisiana “camp”. Conveniently located 5 miles south of I-10 and nestled in the community of Butte La Rose, the only community in the Atchafalaya Basin. The Basin is the largest wetland in the United States. The Lodge is your home base to launch your exploration of the Atchafalaya and the Acadiana region.

We here at The Lodge want your stay in the Basin to be memorable and relaxing. There are so many things to do and see here at The Lodge, or just sit on the screened in porch, read a book, and enjoy a glass of wine. You can also go sight seeing, shopping, hiking, kayaking, or nature hunting. We can accommodate up to 16 people so bring all your friends or family and pass a good time in the bayou! Make sure you ask Ms Gerri to tell you a Boudreaux and Thibodeaux joke. She’s got a million of them!!

See the Lodge at Butte La Rose Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Louisiana Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals

Four Perfect Dates in Gay New Orleans – Towleroad.com

Gay New Orleans Park - Pixabay

No matter where you’re staying in New Orleans, there are tons of ways to spend your stay getting closer with your bae. Celebrating its Tricentennial this year, New Orleans offers couples tons of unique ways to indulge in a little Crescent City romance. Feel the love with these four New Orleans dates.

DATE 1: Picture Perfect Park Day

For the outdoorsmen in your life, find some refuge from the hustle and bustle of city life to take a relaxing stroll through City Park. The 1,300-acre urban oasis is fifty percent larger than New York’s Central Park and features the world’s largest collection of mature oak trees.

Share some fresh-air with your beau by bike or boat with rentals from Wheel Fun in the park. Tackle the trails on a tandem bike or surrey bike with canopy. Take your pick from a pedal boat, kayak or canoe to float merrily along the bayous and lagoons. Or you can let someone else handle the paddling with a Venetian-style gondola tour aboard the Bella Mae.

Full Story at Towleroad.com

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Flawless New Orleans Arts Destinations -Towleroad

Oleander on Royal gallery
Photo: Jonno D’Addario

It’s easy to get your fill no matter what you’re thirsty for in New Orleans. No, we’re not just talking about the city’s cocktail culture, 24-hour bars and infamous “go cup.” The Crescent City also serves up plenty of opportunities to drink in the city’s vibrant art and culture scene.

New Orleans’ rich history and unique blend of cultures are on display all over the city, from museums to bookstores and even just lining the streets. No wonder it’s long drawn creatives looking for inspiration (including Scissor Sisters’ frontman, Jake Shears). As New Orleans readies for a year-long tricentennial celebration, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite can’t-miss cultural destinations.

Mardi Gras may be New Orleans’ most famous annual tradition, but even if you can’t make it for the annual blowout, you can still partake in the celebration at Mardi Gras World. Let a tour guide lead you through the studios where artists are hard at work building floats. You’ll have the chance to see lavish costumes, extravagant props and even sample King Cake — a delicious treat that’s hard to come by when it’s not Carnival season.

By Andy Towle – Full Story at Towleroad

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TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD: Best Restaurants in New Orleans

VacherieFor fine dining we enjoyed VACHERIE, 827 Toulouse Street, and is located in the historic Hotel St. Marie. http://vacherierestaurant.com/ For reservations, call 504.207.4532. Vacherie Restaurant is named for the town of Vacherie, Louisiana, a small community situated on the banks of the Mississippi river just west of New Orleans. Laura’s Plantation, which is the only plantation that we highly recommend visiting is nearby. Chef Jarred Zeringue grew up there amid the sprawling farms, grand live oaks and antebellum plantations. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and they also have a large bar for those who just to stop in for a drink or two. Eat New OrleansFor our appetizer, we enjoyed the Alligator Tail Etouffee with Jasmine Rice which was really tasty. For our entrees we had the Pan Roasted Duck Breast with Steen’s Cane Syrup Glaze which was a real treat and the Crab Cakes Remoulade with Corn and Creole Green Beans which melted in your mouth. And for dessert what else but the Louisiana Pecan Pie. Paul was our very attentive and professional server. He also has another fabulous restaurant called, EAT, 900 Dumaine Street, http://eatnola.com/ . We especially enjoyed talking with the Manager, Erik. He and his husband are what makes us very proud about young Gay men. We wish them the VERY BEST in their lives together and with their family! Mona Lisa's New OrleansFor wonderful Italian we enjoy: MONA LISA’s, 1212 Royal Street, https://www.facebook.com/Mona-Lisa-NOLA-318143785407/?ref=page_internal We enjoy this restaurant because it is FUN place to dine. Even though you don’t know any of the other guests, everyone talks to one another. The owners, Tom and Farrow are extremely FUN and on top of everything. Cheezy Cajun - New OrleansFor true Cajun cuisine we enjoy: THE CHEEZY CAJUN, 3325 St. Claude, http://www.thecheezycajun.com/ Here you will find some of the best Cajun in New Orleans. Actually most of their guests say that it IS the best Cajun food in New Orleans. The owners, Doug and Michael are wonderful guys. Don and RayAlways remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone! TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD is written by Donald Pile and Ray Williams, Award-winning, Celebrity travel columnists who write for gay publications from coast to coast (And now legally married). Proud members of the IGLTA. You can email them at gaytravelers@aol.com and visit their website at http://gaytravelersataol.blogspot.com/

New Orleans Gay Travel Resources
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TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD: Meeting Interesting People

Douglas Alexander and Erik Alexander Douglas Alexander and Erik Alexander with their precious baby girl[/caption]

It is so hard to wrap my head around at what this past year has been like. This time last year Douglas and I continued our dialogue about adopting a baby. Although we had talked about it many times in the past, this is when the conversations really became much more in depth.
October of 2015 started the serious discussions about whether or not we were ready and when we realized we were… just how the heck we were going to make it happen.
I’ll first of all say this… EVERY SINGLE PERSON you know in life, you have met for a purpose.
There is a reason for everything, you just may not know it now. And in time, the reasons reveal themselves. We reached out to everyone that we knew of that have adopted, which was not a lot of people. And most of them did not get back to us. So we were left full of unanswered questions and a path we wanted to go down, but absolutely no idea how to go down it.
Douglas & ErikSo I suppose we started like any other couple would that wanted to adopt. GOOGLE. We found 2 agencies that were located on the west coast that seemed like our type of route. We would have to fly there and begin orientation. The wait time for gay couples usually ranges between 3 to 5 years. But we were ready and eager to wait. We made the call and requested our starter packet. And we waited…
The very next day we received an email from one of the original parents we had reached out to months prior. This person was actually co workers with our neighbor at the time. She had given us his email and we reached out to him. As life would have it, a few months later, he responded. He knew of an adoption attorney that was in need of a family, particularly a gay family that was ready to adopt. So he gave us the attorney ‘s contact and we immediately reached out to her.
It was the first week of November and I remember exactly where we were, what we were doing and how we felt. When she said that she had a birth mother in our city… Our hearts jumped. But when she said that the birth mother was particularly looking for a same sex couple… our hearts nearly jumped out of our chests. We both looked at each other in our kitchen with our eyes as big as saucers and with cautious optimism asked what we needed to do. We frantically composed a bio with a few pictures to send the birth parents to hopefully, maybe match. We sent it over and all we could do was wait.
That night we left a restaurant and were in the neighborhood of where the hospital where the baby we were hoping to match with was. As soon as we passed it a huge shooting star shot across the sky. In New Orleans you really don’t see shooting stars.
We were amazed and just hoped that could just be a devinely planned sign.
We found out the next day that she wanted to meet us in person. As much as we wanted to shout from the rooftops and tell everyone we knew… we knew it needed to be kept secret. We heard so many heart breaking stories about how some adoptions fall through, and we didn’t want to jinx anything. As hard as it was to keep quiet, that is what we did.
Douglas & ErikWe met with the birth parents multiple times, and each time got to know them and their families a little bit better. ​
We soon found out that we indeed matched. They picked us! As soon as that became clear, we scrambled to get the nursery in order! It was quickly transformed into a peaceful wonderland. It was exactly how I envisioned it.
We knew that ad potion has high points and low points. We also knew that the baby was born at 32 weeks. That is a little premature. She needed to stay in the NICU until she was healthy enough to be discharged. We had a few close calls on finalizing. We knew the birth mother started to get attached to the baby as she was in the hospital. It even was told to us that she had changed her mind in the 11th hour. It was being labled as a “failed adoption”.
All I could do was cry. It felt like there was a death in the family. Everything had been done on our end. We did everything we needed to do. We even had a brand new nursery. I just prayed that I could get my heart in a place to accept it and be happy for the mother. To just allow myself to know how difficult it must have been for her. To put myself in her place. As hard as it was, I did.
And then, the phone rang.
It was about the birth mother. She again, changed her mind and said the papers would be signed on Friday. Of everything that we went through… this was the hardest to wrap my mind around. I was just in 2 days of mourning and then all of a sudden I am to be completely over joyed? How could I be? I was more scared than anything, just because I was terrified It could fall through again. However, Friday came… and we adopted our baby. Our beautiful
Roberta Allison Mae Alexander… “Alli Mae.”
We were told at first we would wait between 3-5 years. We ended up waiting 3 and half weeks.
No one we have talked to, the agency, social worker, attorney, no one has heard of an adoption that fast. But it happened. As hard as some of the days were to get through… we made it. And we wouldn’t have changed anything that happened. It all made us stronger in the end. We are so grateful for both the birth mother and birth father. They both have such supporting and special families. We are honored that they chose us and this wonderful life brought us all together at this very important time. We will always be eternally grateful to all of them.If you and your partner are searching in hopes to find a baby just know… it will come in its right time. You will know in your heart. Talk to each other. Lean on each other. And if you need to, cry with each other. Sometimes, adoptions do fail. And when they do, have faith that you will pick up the pieces and march forward. Stay strong. Think positive. What will be, will be. You are here for a purpose. You meet everyone in your life for a reason. And everything that happens in your life is destined. Always remember that.
You can contact them at nolapapa.com and on facebook/nolapala.
CONGRATULATIONS GENTLEMEN  ON YOUR LIVES TOGETHER AND NOW WITH YOUR OWN FAMILY!
Don and RayAlways remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone! TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD is written by Donald Pile and Ray Williams, Award-winning, Celebrity travel columnists who write for gay publications from coast to coast (And now legally married). Proud members of the IGLTA. You can email them at gaytravelers@aol.com and visit their website at http://gaytravelersataol.blogspot.com/
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TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD: The Historic New Orleans Collection

The Historic New Orleans Collection

While visiting New Orleans we found a  very interesting place to visit. “The Historical New Orleans Collection” is housed at 533 Royal Street in the heart of the French Quarter. Hours are Tuesday thru Saturday, 9:30 to 4:30 and Sunday, 10:30 to 4:30. Closed on Mondays.
The Historic New Orleans CollectionThe Historic New Orleans Collection is a museum, research center, and publisher dedicated to preserving the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South. It was founded in 1966 by General L. Kemper Williams and Leila Hardie Moore Williams who were collectors of Louisiana memorabilia and wanted to share their collections with the public.
The Historic New Orleans CollectionGuided tours give visitors an inside look at the elegant residence of the founders including the magnificent architecture and plush courtyards and it includes 7 buildings that compose the complex.. It truly is a remarkable tour and true New Orleans history at it’s finest.  They have beautiful period furniture, silver, porcelain and oil paintings. There are different exhibits at different times. In addition they have a very interesting Gift shop.
The Historic New Orleans CollectionThe Williams Research Center is located just a block away at 410 Chartres Street. Their hours are Tuesday thru Saturday, 9:30 to 4:30 and they are closed on Sunday and Monday. They have over one million items from more than 300 years, documenting New Orleans history. Scholars, historians and the general public can do research there.
While we were there, they had an exhibit of photographs by the Louisiana photographer, Clarence John Laughlin who was an American photographer best known for his surrealistic photographs of the South. The exhibit . also included photos by his contemporary photographer/friends. It was a remarkable and interesting exhibit.
The subject matter ran from landscapes to people in the area as well as buildings, trees, nature and a good general range for all to enjoy. Laughlin’s business and personal correspondence, notebooks, negative index, clipping file, and published and unpublished manuscripts for books and the articles are available to research at the Williams Research Center there. This certainly a “must see” place to visit and tour when visiting New Orleans!
Before visiting the Collection, visit their website at www.hnoc.org. Their phone is: 504.523.4662.
When we visit museums and historical places, we always enjoy complimenting some of the people who were outstanding. Among the people that we found truly friendly and professional were Docent Kurt Owens, Receptionist, Frances Salvaggio, Volunteer Barbara Louviere and Marketing Associate Anne Robichaux. You could tell that they all enjoy doing what they do. They were all very knowledgeable about New Orleans and full of information.
After visiting the Historic New Orleans Collection we highly recommend these restaurants in New Orleans,
VACHERIE, 827 Toulouse Street, EAT, 900 Dumaine Street,
MONA LISA’s, 1212 Royal Street, THE CHEEZY CAJUN.
To really get the ‘feel’ of New Orleans we like to stay at the BLUE60 Guest House, 1008 Elysian Fields Avenue.
Don and RayAlways remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone! TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD is written by Donald Pile and Ray Williams, Award-winning, Celebrity travel columnists who write for gay publications from coast to coast (And now legally married). Proud members of the IGLTA. You can email them at gaytravelers@aol.com and visit their website at http://gaytravelersataol.blogspot.com/
New Orleans Gay Travel Resources
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TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD: Laura's Plantation

Laura's Plantation Laura's PlantationWhile we were recently visiting New Orleans, we stopped by for a tour of Laura’s Plantation which is located about 35 miles west of the New Orleans Airport and right on the banks of the Mississippi River. We had already read the book, “Memories of the Old Plantation Home & A Creole Family Album” which was written by Laura Locoul Gore many years ago and published in 2001. Gore who died at the age of 101 in 1963 chronicles her life and her famiie’s history on the Plantation. She sold the Plantation in 1891 and moved to St. Louis with her husband. It is a marvelous read. When we entered the front area of the office we were greeted very warmly by the staff. There were about 8 of us for the tour. We had been told that all of the tour guides were extremely informative, professional and friendly. For our tour, we had Jay Schexnaydre, who is the assistant manager of Laura’s Plantation. Laura's PlantationIn all of our travels from coast to coast we have visited and toured dozens of museums, home tours and all types of tours however Jay was the best tour guide that we have ever encountered. His tour was extremely informative and professional and entertaining. You could tell that he really enjoyed what he was doing. After the tour when we were all walking out, everyone in our tour was commenting on how good he was. Some things can be written about or seen in a movie or on television however this Plantation is something that has to be seen in person. (and with an excellent tour guide like Jay). How he can remember all the names and dates is amazing. He talked about each of the family members and what they did (and didn’t do) and it is a true history lesson. From being inside the large Plantation house itself to the slave quarters one really does get a true sense of how it was to live back in that era. It is about a 75 minute tour and one is spellbound the Laura's PlantationWe always tell our readers to “talk to everyone” and we met a couple on our tour, Kelly and Rich from New Zealand. They were visiting the United States and we just happened to be in the same tour group that they were in. We had a very fine conversation with them and then the next day we ran into them again on the streets in the French Quarter in New Orleans. With the thousands of tourists there, what are the odds of that happening ? It is always nice to meet people from other countries as they visit the United States and especially when they are as fun and interesting as they were. Now we want to travel to New Zealand just so we can visit them! Laura's PlantationLaura’s Plantation hosts 12 buildings that is on the National Register surrounded by fields of sugarcane, vegetable and fruit gardens and formal French parterre. Beginning in 1805 and for the next 5 generations, different family members owned the Plantation. Years later the ‘right’ people purchased the Plantation and completely refurbished it and now it is back to it’s original grandeur for people to visit and learn about it’s history. And what history there is!   Your admission includes a guided tour based on Laura Locoul Gore’s book and a complete guided tour of the Big House, it’s raised basement and galleries, men’s and women’s parlors, service rooms and common rooms as well as a guided tour of the 200 year old sugar plantation homestead. In addition a tour inside a slave cabin and many other places. They are open every day and they give tours from 10 AM to 4 PM. Be sure and take your camera with you. Their website is: https://www.lauraplantation.com/ or give them a call at 225.265.7690. There are other Plantations in the area to visit but you might as well tour the BEST ONE which is the Laura’s Plantation! Thank You to the entire staff for making this such a great place to visit! On your way back to New Orleans, be sure and stop in the small town of LaPlace, Louisiana and dine at Wayne Jacob’s Smokehouse Restaurant. They smoke all their own meat right there. We had their baby back ribs and also beef brisket and they were the tastiest that have ever had. The servers are extremely friendly and you will leave with a big smile on your face and your stomach will be full especially after eating one of their desserts. They are located downtown LaPlace at 769 West 5th Street. Give them a call at 985.652.9990. Check out their website at: https://wjsmokehouse.com/ and they are open 7 days a week. You can also purchase food there to take home or to ship home or to friends Don and RayAlways remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone! TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD is written by Donald Pile and Ray Williams, Award-winning, Celebrity travel columnists who write for gay publications from coast to coast (And now legally married). Proud members of the IGLTA. You can email them at gaytravelers@aol.com and visit their website at http://gaytravelersataol.blogspot.com/

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TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD: New Orleans, Where the Good Times Roll On and On

New Orleans gay

New Orleans is simply too much to write about in just one column so we are going to make this a 3 part column for the next two weeks. We have been to New Orleans several times over the years and like San Francisco, it is a city that you keep wanting to go back to. It never changes but yet it does change. Partying is the number one thing to do in New Orleans however they do have fabulous restaurants, bars, museums and art galleries which we will talk about in the next columns.
New Orleans is always busy and crowded so be sure and reserve  early.
Blue60We have found a new Guest House which is within walking distance to the French Quarters but far enough away not to be affected by the loud noises. The Blue60 Guest House was formerly a Bed and Breakfast and the new owner, Joshua Smith purchased it a couple of years ago and has refurbished it wonderfully. He has sunk a great deal of time and money in restoring and updating it. Will is the manager and they both are on top of everything.
blue60 - New OrleansThey make your stay so enjoyable. That is why they have so many repeat guests that return again and again. The house was built in 1842. Each of their 5 guest rooms offers the convenience of a private outdoor entrance, private bathrooms and full amenities including a mini-fridge, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, the use of a charcoal BBQ on the back patio , free WIFI and use of the Hot Tub.
blue60 - New OrleansThe rooms are very large and spacious. The Guest House is located in the Fauborg Marigny district just to the east of the French Quarter. Within just a couple of blocks you will find a variety of restaurants and bars. There is also a large Walgreens just a block away. And if you are real lucky you will be there when his Mother is there from out of state. She is FUN, FUN, FUN!
Their address is 1008 Elysian Fields Avenue. You can email them at info@blue60guesthouse.com and their website is www.blue60guesthouse.com Their phone is: 504.324.4311 We have stayed in New Orleans several times and this is our very favorite place to stay. Joshua and Will care about their guests and will do most anything to make your stay in New Orleans perfect for you.
There are hundreds of restaurants in New Orleans and we highly suggest these:
For fine dining we enjoy:
VACHERIE, 827 Toulouse Street, http://vacherierestaurant.com/
EAT, 900 Dumaine Street, http://eatnola.com/
Jarred is the owner of both of these fine restaurants and each has a great atmosphere and extremely professional and friendly staff.
For wonderful Italian we enjoy:
MONA LISA’s, 1212 Royal Street, https://www.facebook.com/Mona-Lisa-NOLA-318143785407 We enjoy this restaurant because it is FUN place to dine. Even thou you don’t know any of the other guests, everyone talks to one another. The owners, Tom and Farrow are extremely FUN and on top of everything.
For true Cajun cuisine we enjoy:
THE CHEEZY CAJUN, 3325 St. Claude, http://www.thecheezycajun.com/
Here you will find some of the best Cajun in New Orleans. Actually most of their guests say that it IS the best Cajun food in New Orleans. The owners,  Doug and Michael are wonderful guys.
Don and RayAlways remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone! TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD is written by Donald Pile and Ray Williams, Award-winning, Celebrity travel columnists who write for gay publications from coast to coast (And now legally married). Proud members of the IGLTA. You can email them at gaytravelers@aol.com and visit their website at http://gaytravelersataol.blogspot.com/
New Orleans Gay Travel Resources
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