New Orleans travel highlights.

I am going back a few years for this post, 2014 to be exact (hence the short hair). The Mister recently ventured back to NOLA for Mardi Gras & left me at home in a state of major travel envy. It was his stag after all, so at home I stayed. In his absence, I dug through old photos & searched the back of my brain for fond memories of our first NOLA vacation to share.

& because it would be real shame to read about NOLA & not listen to jazz, I have some beats to serenade you while you read.

GARDEN DISTRICT // where you get major house envy

T O D O :

Admire all the 19th century homes. We took ourselves on self-guided tours with the help of these books & online maps like this one, but we actually had more fun getting lost & wandering around aimlessly. However, having a travel book was handy to look up the history of an old building. One of my favourite spots was this home formerly owned by Anne Rice & her Husband, Stan Rice.
Venture off to Magazine Street for shopping. Don't forget to bring your walking shoes for this one. Here is a handy dandy list + map of the shops & restaurants.

& just for fun, here is a peak into the cornstalk fence mansion.

SAMUEL'S BLIND PELICAN // hello, food coma

Hands down, Samuel's Blind Pelican was my favourite restaurant experience in NOLA. Why? It is super casual, which is great after a day of exploring by foot. AND they have the best seafood. We literally stuffed our faces with clams, oysters, mussels, and fresh crawfish for hours on end (we have no shame when it comes to seafood).

T I P S : (1) The crawfish dinner is only available during the evenings, on certain days of the week. Call ahead to get the deets & avoid disappointment. (2) Try the local Abita beer. (3) If you are staying near the French Quarter & have just finished exploring the Garden District, this spot is on your way home & next to the trolly system.

FRENCH QUARTER // the one & only

T O D O :

Ogle all the creole cottages + grand mansions.
Grab a coffee + beignet at the famous Cafe Du Monde & go sit in Jackson Square.
Browse the street art in Jackson Square for one-of-a-kind pieces for your home.
Buy a book from Faulkner House Books. Named for its famous former visitor, William Faulkner, this place is a book lovers heaven. Read their story here.
Hydrate with an adult sweet tea from Stanley (from the bar/shop side, not restaurant) & go explore.
Get in touch with your dark side in the Voodoo shops. The ten best are listed here.
Sit in a dark corner of Irvin Mayfield Jazz Playhouse with a bottle of vino & let the music awaken your soul.
Book a free walking tour (just bring cash for tip). This was a great way to learn about the very interesting French Quarter history.
Shop the French Market for local goods & snacks for your room. We loved the 'gator jerky.
Have a drink at Lafitte's Black Shop Bar where the European settlers got tipsy. Rumoured to be one of the oldest bars in North America.

PLANTATION TOURS // flashes to the past

Being a crazy old house lady, you can imagine how exciting it was for me to explore these old beauties. I was like a kid in a candy store!

T I P : Whatever plantation tour you book, make sure it visits Oak Alley!! One of my favourite memories of the trip was hearing the history of this home (the first five snaps) & sipping a lemon julep. We also had the chance to explore the Laura Plantation (the last snap) & hear about the #girlbosses of the 19th century who ran that planation.

F U N F A C T : Back in the day, when guests arrived to the Oak Alley planation, the owners would leave half a pineapple in their room as a welcome gift. Days or weeks later, when the owners wanted to communicate that the guests were no longer welcome, they would put another half a pineapple in the their room.

FRENCHMEN STREET // let your soul sing + heart dance

Our fancy camera didn't stick around for the night life, so these blurry snaps will have to do. Sorry, but I have to work with what I have here, people.

T H E B I G G E S T N O L A T I P : I loved all the areas to explore throughout the French Quarter, but if you are looking for the best live music experience, you need to spend your evenings on Frenchmen Street. The best live music is found on Frenchmen Street in pubs and on the street. I suggest making Bourbon Street only a quick stop on your journey. It is very "touristy" & tacky in ways. The music scene in NOLA is like no other. The sea of people mesmerized by music lifts your heart + soul. Some people have even gone as far as to call Frenchmen Street "the real NOLA".

T H E M U S T S E E S : Frenchmen Art Market + Blue Nile + The Spotted Cat

CEMETERY WANDERS // where the witches play

Is it weird that I find cemeteries extremely peaceful + calming? Wait, don't answer that . . . Anyways, we wandered two of the more popular ones:

Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 (in the Garden District; first three snaps)
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 (next to the French Quarter; last three snaps)

Personally, I liked the Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 best because of all the trees + greenery, but the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 had a greater variety of tombstones & rumour has it you can occasionally catch a musician's funeral there, which from what I hear is a very powerful experience.

THE SWAMP // where the alligators hunt

Hands up if the swamp makes you think of The Rescuers! Anyways . . . I highly suggest experiencing the swamp. It is peaceful & serene if you are not terrified of 'gators. Those buggers run the joint! A baby one even took the tour with us. You are probably hoping for a tour company suggestion, well for the life me, I cannot recall the exact company we used (oops). I will say, we booked it through our hotel, so I would suggest asking your hotel for their recommendation.

T I P : Bring a windbreaker jacket, the thin sweater I wore had me shaking like a leaf.

Reflecting back on our NOLA adventure, I realized that this trip was truly very special because it was where we decided to buy an old home. A few months later, The Madame was purchased. A year later, this blog was born. Thanks for riding the train down memory lane with me. I hope you found this information helpful!