We spent a week in New Orleans apart from one night at the Madewood Plantation B&B. The plantation was built in the 1840's in the neo-Classic style. Included in our room rate were wine and appetizers before dinner so it was quite a good deal considering it was out in the middle of nowhere! Our fellow guests were very good company which made the stay even better.
Our timeshare was very spacious and in the heart of the French Quarter. We took a swamp tour of the bayou and were lucky to see several alligators since the weather was so warm - they normally hibernate during the winter. We visited Donaldsonville, which was founded by William Donaldson. We just had to sign the visitor's book!
New Orleans is nearly back to normal, in the French Quarter, which is where most tourists spend their time. It wasn't really affected by Katrina (more damage from looting and the wind). However, many bars and restaurants are not operating at peak capacity because of lack of staff and tourists.