at Girod and Magazine downtown Saturday morning. It opens at eight and you should be there when it opens. You can buy fruits and vegetables, flowers, gourds, sandwiches, plants, and more; you can also check out local denizens who shop there.
Bring a good shade hat and long sleeved natural fiber clothes and comfortable shoes. You will walk a lot. There are lots of crepe myrtles and despite the heat there are roses. The Botanical Gardens in City Park is very nice (the new Sculpture Garden is great too).
Drink a lot of water. A lot. Avoid Bourbon Street (it's smelly and not nice at all, except for Galatoire's). The Garden District is pretty and you can get there on the streetcar; the Audubon Zoo is also a good place for plants.
Huge oaks abound there, along with other lovely plantings.
You can get to Jean Lafitte Park in Lafitte by car and check out swamps and marshes and the occasional alligator.
Be prepared for brutal heat; the temptations of the city involve rich local foods that are not always compatible with the violent heat. Wise locals pray for rain and enjoy it; it cools things a bit.
Email me if you want any other info!