Planning a trip from Long Island, NY to New Orleans in late October, Begining of November. Looks like Interstate 81 is the best way, but heard it is very Mountainous and could get snow that time of ye...
I 81 is a great road which we take all of the time. It has the least amount of traffic compared to your other options. There are no steep climbs and makes for a nice ride. You might want to check out Pontchartrain Landing which is safe and much less then The French Quarter. They have a bus that runs to the Quarter or you can drive it in twenty minutes. Enjoy.