We are only a couple hours drive from NOLA and would like to make a day trip over to order some gas lanterns at the Bevelo shop. It can be done online, but that's no fun! While there we would like to ride the St. Charles streetcar through the garden district and back to our car, which will, hopefully, be parked somewhere near the Bevelo shop at 318 Royal Street. We would like to go for an early dinner and then drive home. Can someone help me with the logistics, as we are completely unfamiliar with New Orleans? How convenient is it to get to a streetcar stop from the Bevelo store? Do I need tickets in advance or can I purchase upon boarding? Any restaurant suggestions somewhere along that route/general area where we would not have to drive and find another parking place. Is there a safe parking garage in that area? I've heard parking is a big problem and I get nervous driving in unfamiliar cities, so it would be nice to only have to deal with parking once for the day. As far as restaurants go, someplace relatively nice but not too expensive with good seafood and creole dishes.
Thanks for taking time to read and make suggestions!