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The Big Easy. Crescent City. Birthplace of Jazz. N’awlins, as the locals pronounce it. New Orleans is of course known for Mardi Gras, Bourbon Street, and beignets, but there is much more to it than that.

Founded in 1718 by French colonists (New Orleans was a city before the U.S. was a country!) and influenced by French, Spanish, Native American, and African cultures, it is one of the most diverse and culturally significant cities in the country.

Where to Stay

We stayed at the Roosevelt New Orleans, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel. A hallmark of the Waldorf Astoria brand is iconic hotels and locations, and this one certainly did not disappoint. The building first opened in 1893 and is home to the Sazerac Bar, where the cocktail was first created. This hotel was in a great location so we could walk or take short Uber rides anywhere. The lobby is utterly breathtaking- one of the most beautiful hotel lobbies I've ever seen. Of course, being a luxury hotel, the service was wonderful, and the rooms were spectacular.

Even though we didn’t stay there, the Hotel Monteleone is worth mentioning. It’s another luxury hotel in the French Quarter and is known for the famous Carousel Bar, New Orleans’ only spinning bar. Don’t worry, it moves slowly. This hotel is one of the oldest in the French Quarter and has been featured in numerous TV shows and movies.

If heading to New Orleans with a larger group, consider renting a house or small apartment. There are great options in the French Quarter, and if you’re looking for a quieter setting, the Garden District as well.

Our Take on Bourbon Street

Prior to venturing to the Big Easy, we were warned by everyone we told to avoid Bourbon Street…gross, dirty, dangerous, etc. If we ever return to New Orleans, Bourbon Street wouldn’t be where we spend the majority of our evenings but, perhaps because we were there in the off-season, it didn’t seem to be very busy. I’m not sure the reason, but it was not as bad as everyone said. It was definitely touristy, but enjoyable to walk around, and well, we were tourists so of course we had to try a Hurricane and a Hand Grenade, and sing a couple songs at the Cat’s Meow. That said, there are just a couple places I’d say are worth returning to:

Jean Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar
World Famous Cat’s Meow
Olde Absinthe House
Pat O’Brien’s

On our first night, overwhelmed by the sheer number of restaurants and bars, we booked a Haunted Pub Crawl, which was a great way to get acquainted with the area and learn a bit more about the history of the buildings. They took us to not only the most “haunted” bars in the French Quarter, but some of the oldest as well. I’d highly recommend this tour- spooky vibes, history, and delicious cocktails.

the gals on bourbon st.

LaFitte’s Blacksmith Shop

“world famous” hand grenades

Eats

There is no shortage of good food in New Orleans. In fact, it can be almost overwhelming trying to choose simply because there are so many good choices. We picked ours based on reading blogs, Google mapping the area, and simply walking around and picking something off the cuff. All are good options, and while I think it's always a good idea to have some choices in mind when visiting a new area, just walking into a restaurant and making a spontaneous decision is what makes travel exciting, and good or bad, memorable. In my experience, picking one nicer restaurant and making reservations ahead of your trip is essential, and the rest can be a bit more spontaneous. But you also don’t want to miss out because you didn’t plan ahead.

Our choice for a nice dinner was Antoine’s, a classic family-owned New Orleans restaurant that originally opened in 1840 (this is a good 20 years before the Civil War, for perspective) and is still operated by the same family today. A green flag of any outstanding restaurant is employee tenure and attitude, and it was very obvious the staff enjoyed their jobs, as many had worked there for years. The pride they felt working for this historic restaurant was palpable, and after dinner enthralled us with stories from the restaurant's history and allowed us to wander its many dining rooms, lined with vintage menus and photos. Definitely a 5-star experience.

A few of the other restaurants that were on our list but didn’t get to try:

Arnaud’s
Brennan’s
Commander’s Palace

Waking up after a night out on Bourbon Street, brunch was the first thing on our minds. Now, this is something we did not plan ahead, and if I were to go back and do things differently, I would have booked us a jazz brunch at one of the aforementioned restaurants. We live and learn. Whether we were in dire need of heavy breakfasts to fuel us for our day or the food in New Orleans is just that good, we didn’t have a bad breakfast anywhere. Our first morning we walked into the first place that served brunch and could seat us relatively quickly and that’s where we ate. I didn’t even remember the name it was such a small place, but they served seafood benedicts, bacon, and a heck of a bloody mary, and that was good enough for us.

Cafe Du Monde is of course one of the most well known spots in New Orleans. Everytime we tried to go, there was a massive line that just didn’t seem worth it for a beignet and coffee. However, on our last day it snowed, if you can believe it! Evidently this is extremely rare for New Orleans and the city was basically empty, so it was a perfect time to indulge. A perfect ending to our trip and very much worth the wait.

Things to Do

Admittedly, while January is a nice time to visit New Orleans due to the lack of humidity and fewer crowds, certain activities weren’t available to us, such as swamp tours to see gators or a plantation tour. Apparently, gators hibernate.

One of the best attractions in New Orleans that we were able to visit was the National WWII Museum. As someone who got a minor in History simply because I loved it, this was something I had been looking forward to for a while and it did not disappoint. Set aside a few hours- there are tons of exhibits and interactive experiences.

Since it’s in the neighborhood, after the museum we walked to the Buckner Mansion…for those American Horror Story Season 3 fans, also known as Miss Robicheaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies. The Garden District where this is located is known for its opulent mansions and the St. James Street Car. The French Colonial/Creole-style homes in this area are stunning and it was a great afternoon admiring them.

Buckner Mansion

What Would We Do Differently?

More tours! Swamp tour, plantation tour, and cemetery tour
Don’t eat too much at brunch- you’ll be too full to eat anything else the rest of the day and there are so many good things to try!
Explore the Garden District more thoroughly
Go out on Frenchman Street instead of Bourbon Street