We’ve been to New Orleans twice now and there is so much to explore. In the hopes that this will help others with their trip to NOLA I would like to share some of our adventures. Let’s start with the attractions we have visited and then some of our favorite places to eat.
Mardi Gras World was a great attraction. The most important piece of information that I somehow missed is they provide free shuttle service from the area hotels. We walked there for about two miles. Not that I mind walking but there was a storm coming and we barely made it. We would have been soaked but we got very lucky. Of course we took the free shuttle back to our hotel. Once you enter the building you take the path to the register as you walk through float elements on both sides. Tickets are purchased in the gift shop at the register. They begin tours every 30 minutes. The tour starts with a very interesting film about Mardi Gras and the floats. After the film we were escorted through the warehouse by our tour guide. He took us through the process of building floats. We learned a lot about the floats and the different krewes. We mistakenly thought Mardi Gras was one day of parades. We learned what Mardi Gras Season is all about during our visit. We got to see the most amazing and beautiful floats as well as Chick-Fil-A cows and other characters created here. The tour was informative and fun. Now we watch several of the live streamed parades from January 6th to Fat Tuesday.
When you are ready to venture outside of the main area there are some amazing sites. A drive along Lake Pontchartrain is truly beautiful. We wound up at the Mardi Gras fountain. I enjoyed walking around the fountain and looking at all the symbolic markers of the Mardi Gras Krewes.
One of my favorite places to hang out is Musical Legends Park. They have live Jazz music in the open outdoors with statues of Jazz musicians around the courtyard. You can order one of the best beignets in addition to other food from Cafe Beignet. There is a bar where you can order drinks. They have all kinds of mixed drinks but not a great wine selection. The only wine they had was Barefoot so I went somewhere else to get wine. After all one must have a great glass of wine when listening to great jazz. All the sugar from the beignets attracts flies so the best tables are under the fans.
Every visit to New Orleans should include a visit to Jackson Square. You never know what you will find there. I have had tarot card readings, hung out with pirates, and witnessed great entertainment. Artists display their work outside the fence and sometimes you get to see the artist in action as they create paintings, drawings, etc. You will want to be sure you have tip money on hand for performers or for having your picture taken with interesting people such as pirates.
We had true crime fans in our group so we visited the Museum of Death. This place looks kinda small for a museum but it is packed with information that is not for the faint of heart. Exhibits include graphic crime scene photos and facts about several serial killers.
The tree of life is a short drive from the French Quarter but worth the trip. We went before the Museum of Death. In hindsight we should have reversed the order and visited the tree after the museum. The tree is believed to be between 100 – 500 years old. It is located in Audubon park next to the zoo so we were able to see the giraffes which was a nice bonus.
We stayed at the Bourbon Orleans hotel on our first visit. This is a great place to stay to experience New Orleans. It is in the center of the French Quarter. My husband booked it because it is haunted and I love chasing and trying to see ghosts. They have a tour on Thursday nights for guests. The tour was the highlight of our stay. It not only involved a few ghost stories, we also had the pleasure of seeing the ballroom and stories of past events. The bar at the hotel was a great place to hang out. Between the great music and specialty cocktails I could have spent every night here if I weren’t so tired from sightseeing.
Pat O’Briens is at the top of my list of fun places to hang out in New Orleans. The courtyard is my favorite area with its beautiful fountain! They are known for their Hurricane so I tried my husband’s but it was too sweet for my taste so I ordered the Rainstorm. It became my favorite drink here and it is made with vodka, melon liqueur, coconut rum, pineapple juice, and blue curacao. If you struggle with deciding on what to eat I recommend the trio sampler so you have a bit of jambalaya, gumbo, and red beans and rice. They had a Cajun version of Shepherd’s Pie on our last visit and it was delicious. The staff is always friendly and it is a great place to hang out.
Cafe du Monde is across the street from Jackson Square and usually has a long line but the line goes fast. This place is known for its beignets and coffee. I’m not a coffee drinker but I’ve had the beignets and they are good.
Ruby Slipper is a great breakfast option. There is usually a wait but your patience will pay off when you taste the food. We were seated at an outside table and the weather was beautiful. I ordered the Peacemaker so I could get my two favorite benedicts. The struggle of choosing between them is solved by being able to get them both in one dish. They are the Eggs Cochon and the Chicken St Charles. The braised pork on the Eggs Cochon is so delicious and I love the chicken on the Chicken St Charles. This place should definitely be on the top of your breakfast list.
Vieux Carre Pizza is the best pizza in New Orleans according to the local people we asked so that’s where we went. I ordered a slice of the Meatlovers and it was very good. We stood at one of the two countertops and ate our pizza. It appears they do more take out orders as there aren’t tables inside. There were just two barstools and two counters by the windows.
When in the mood for upscale dining with great food then a reservation at Brennan’s is the way to go. We decided to have dinner here shortly after we arrived in New Orleans. I say that because after being seated I realize it should have been thought out instead of a spur of the moment decision. My reasoning is I would have dressed a lot nicer and felt more comfortable. It was such a beautiful romantic restaurant. The staff was friendly and the atmosphere was upscale and nice. We were presented with the drink list and the dinner menu. I started with the Sparkling Strawberry Cocktail. It was perfect – not too sweet and very good. They had an impressive wine list so if you are a wine lover as I am you will want to ask for that list before ordering drinks. For my entree I had to go with the Berere Spiced Tuna. Gulf Tuna with okra and black-eyed peas in a coconut cream sauce. It was so delicious! There is nothing better than dining at a nice restaurant with amazing food! Hats off to the chef. This will be a must stop for every trip to New Orleans. It was that impressive!
We try to eat somewhere special on our last night of a trip. We started by looking for a Landry’s restaurant since we are club members. When Landry’s Seafood House popped up we made reservations. We were seated at a table in the bar area. We requested a low top instead of a high top table on the reservation. Don’t make this mistake. The high top tables are the ones beside the window that overlooks the river. Our server’s name was Erica and she was an absolute delight. She made our dining experience very enjoyable. I started with the Captain’s punch which contained rum, banana, peach, and tropical juices. It was very good. The blackened redfish etouffee with creole green beans and dirty rice sounded amazing so that’s what I ordered. It was delicious. This was a great fine dining experience.
