Three Days in New Orleans
New Orleans has a lot to offer, from ghost tours to jazz bars - here’s what to do on your short trip to the Big Easy.
Day One:
We stayed at the Hilton Riverside Hotel - a beautiful hotel that sits on the Mississippi River, within walking distance of the French Quarter. We got up early to grab beignets and coffee downstairs at Cafe Du Monde, then headed off to a swamp tour at the Barataria Preserve.
The tour has three boating options, from a fast-moving air boat to a slow barge. I recommend the regular swamp tour - it’s slow and quiet, which gives you a chance to take in all the wildlife and listen to your guide. I saw several gators, turtles, egrets, snakes and an old shack that has been used as a film location for several popular movies.
Have a classic creole lunch - we chose Cochon, a recommended Cajun restaurant from the book Where Chefs Eat - but there are so many different dining options, and just about any place you walk-in will have great food.
Then make your way down to the Garden District - an area with beautiful homes, streets and boutiques. We went just after Mardi Gras, so all of the trees were draped in beads. Park and walk around - there are several tours, but we opted to explore freely - we walked through the neighborhoods and spotted the homes of Drew Brees, John Goodman, Archie Manning and Sandra Bullock - all beautiful and styled totally different.
Have dinner in the French Quarter. We chose Oceana Grill - a hole in the wall right off of Bourbon Street, with excellent Cajun food and desserts.
Day Two:
Take a short drive out to view plantations. There are so many different options and styles, but I found Destrehan and Oak Alley to be the most interesting and unique. Oak Alley had large, beautiful grounds with a gorgeous entrance of interrwined Oak trees, as for the home tour I preferred Destrehan - the tour guide was incredible and the history of the home was far more interesting to me. Destrehan grounds, though close in distance to Oak Alley, were uniquely different - the Oak trees were covered in a Spanish moss and the grounds were more rustic and dreamy. I certainly recommend visiting both, they are also a location for several films.
On your way back in town, stop through a small town for a snowball - Louisiana’s take on a snow cone, though much tastier (they will forever ruin snow cones for you, so eat them at your own risk.)
In the evening, tag along on a ghost tour through the French Quarter. Now, a lot of these are fake scams, but if you ask your hotel staff, they will sign you up for the real deal. However, if you’re expecting actual sightings, this isn’t for you. Our tour guide walked us around establishments where reported odd occurrences happen, while giving us a back story on who is likely to be haunting the area. These stories involved vampires, old extravagant parties gone wrong, Spanish settlers and the American Horror Story: Coven mansion (home to a disturbingly true story, once owned by Nicolas Cage). This was a fun, spooky way to learn history on NOLA and see the city and architecture at night.
Day Three:
Have breakfast at the original Cafe Du Monde, then spend the day exploring cemeteries (home to some of the oldest in the country). Have lunch at Juan’s Flying Burrito - a spot frequented by Sandra Bullock, then plan to walk Bourbon Street at night. Even if you don’t plan on drinking, it’s worth experiencing. You’ll run into many unique people, themed bars, live jazz and bead-throwers.
Here’s a few bars I’d recommend:
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop (one of the oldest in America, dating back to 1772)
Old Absinthe House
Cat’s Meow (for live music)
Fat Tuesday (several flavors of alcoholic slushies)
Most attractions in New Orleans are closed by 5pm, so make sure to plan ahead with tickets and get an early start each day.
If you have other recommendations, drop a comment. If you try these places, let me know - I’d love to hear about your experience!