New Orleans has always been someplace I’ve wanted to visit, but somehow just never made it there. Last summer, we started talking about New Orleans at work and ended up planning a girls weekend away in January.  As luck would have it, we ended up picking the weekend following the coldest day NOLA has seen in over a decade.  That resulted in us arriving to no working bathrooms in the airport and a boil water advisory, which made things interesting.  Thankfully, things only went up from there!  We had a group of 7 girls and had the best time partying in NOLA.

Accommodations

We stayed at Le Richelieu in the French Quarter hotel. The location of this hotel was the best. It’s only a 5 minute walk to Frenchman and Bourbon Streets, but it’s located on a quiet street, away from the noise. The rooms themselves could stand a face lift, but they were clean and decent sized. The best part of this hotel was the balcony off the room.  It was huge and made our NOLA hotel experience feel very authentic.

The hotel also has a pool (if you go sometime other than January) and a small bar area. Although the hotel is a little bit older, it is charming and in a perfect location for exploring the French Quarter.

Food and Drinks

Café Du Monde
The number one place to visit on any NOLA vacay. Trying a beignet (or 3) is a MUST. Throw your diet out the window and just enjoy the deep fried, powdered sugar covered goodness. They are delish and worth every calorie. If you are a coffee drinker, you should definitely try their chicory coffee. It’s special to NOLA as apparently it was added to the coffee to expand their limited supply when there was a shortage of imported coffee during the Civil War.  People liked it, NOLA stuck with it for tradition sake and today you can try it yourself with a hot or iced coffee at Café Du Monde.

Brennan’s
The home of bananas foster. I had never had bananas foster prior to this trip, so comparatively I can’t really say if it’s the best ever, but I can say it was really good. The brunch here was also fantastic. It’s on the pricier side, but worth it. It’s centrally located in the French Quarter and takes reservations, so they really can’t make it easier for you to try it out.

Gumbo Shop
We stopped at the Gumbo Shop for dinner our first night because we were starving, cold and need food to absorb the booze we had been enjoying all day. It wasn’t on the list of recommended places I was given, but it was excellent. It was reasonably priced and offered lots of traditional creole options, including vegetarian options which was helpful for my vegetarian friend Christina. NOLA is not super vegetarian friendly, so anywhere that could accommodate her was great.

Horn’s
Brunch at Horn’s was a happy accident, as the place we had planned on going was closed because of the boil water advisory. Brunch was SO good. It was dirt cheap, huge portions, strong cocktails and a super fun vibe. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, which would have been great had it been a little bit warmer.

NOLA Poboys
A poboy is another traditional NOLA food you have to try. I honestly had no idea what a poboy was, but knew I would definitely have one.  Turns out it’s basically just a sub, but with more fish options instead of deli meats. I tried the fried catfish poboy and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

Dat Dog
Dat Dog was recommended to us by Jordan, our airboat captain.  Home of the gator dog, which the girls loved.  The vegetarian dog is reportedly tasty as well, per Christina.  A cool place with a balcony bar on Frenchman Street.

Bars
Pat O’Brien’s – Created the hurricane.  Great outdoor space.
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop – Oldest bar in America.  Candlelit, on Bourbon Street.
Fat Catz – Fun place for live music.
Willie’s Chicken Shack – Made a great mimosa to get our day started.
Golden Lantern – A fun gay bar that does drag shows at night.
American Sports Saloon – Great balcony, great cocktails.
Johnny White’s Pub & Grill – Another great balcony, good cocktails, decent food.
Tracey’s – Irish Pub in the Garden District.  Outdoor picnic tables along Magazine Street.

Top 5 Attractions

1 – The French Quarter
Spend time wandering down Bourbon, Royal and Frenchman streets, bar hopping, listening to music, and eating your way through the city. Bourbon and Royal streets are fun but super touristy.  Frenchman Street is less touristy, but still has lots of restaurants and live jazz.  Day or night, you’ll find lots of entertainment.  Take the time to stop and listen to the street musicians, who are also crazy talented.

2 – Gator tour
We knew that if we were going to NOLA, we had to do a gator tour. We chose to go with Airboat Adventures for our tour based on the reviews I had read.  Unfortunately due to the cold temps, the gators were no where to be found.  Although we were disappointed to not see any gators, our tour guide Jordan was great and gave us lots of information about the wildlife in the area, what a bayou actually is (essentially a dead end swamp) and NOLA suggestions in general. We did see an armadillo (eagle eye Laren spotted that one) and a blue heron catch a fish, which was exciting.  Despite the lack of gators, being on the air boat and getting to explore the bayou was still a great experience.  However, if you have your heart set on seeing some gators, make sure to plan a trip in warmer weather, when they guarantee seeing multiple gators on your tour.

3 – New Orleans Drunk History tour
We booked the drunk history tour, because learning about NOLA while drinking just seemed like the best way. Our (very pregnant) tour guide Ashley was great and helped to ensure we had the best time. We learned about some of the haunted homes in the French Quarter, which was fun (and not scary if that’s something you are worried about)!  Also I learned the difference between a balcony vs gallery (a balcony is supported by brackets, a gallery is supported by posts or columns), which was a great NOLA fact.  Ashley kept the party going made sure we were having fun, with built in stops along the way to get refills and take bathroom breaks.  A walking tour is a great way to see a city, and I have to say that a drunk walking tour is even better.

4 – Garden District
The Garden District is about a 15-20 minutes car ride from the French Quarter, and worth the $5 Uber ride. Take time to walk down Magazine Street and weave your way through the side streets to see some of the beautiful homes. Also take the time to visit the Lafayette Cemetery, which is the oldest public cemetery in NOLA. Fun fact, no one is buried under ground in NOLA because it’s so wet. Therefore everyone is buried in stone crypts and mausoleums. It’s weird to think about visiting a cemetery on vacation but it’s unlike anything I’ve seen anywhere else and should def be a stop. They offer tours to give more information and history, but simply walking through and exploring is sufficient if you’re short on time and/or don’t want to pay.

5 – Jackson Square / St Louis Cathedral
Jackson Square is right across the street from Café Du Monde, so someplace everyone should be visiting. I suggest getting some beignets and coffee to go, and sit on the benches in Jackson Square to enjoy them. When you’re finished, you can go inside to tour St Louis Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in North America.  You can also walk around the square and take in the live music, great art vendors and just people watch.

Honorable Mention

Balcony bars
Drinking is more fun when you are outside with a view. I think the balconies/galleries made NOLA so charming.  It was so fun to watch the people walking on the streets below, listen to live music, sit in the sunshine and drink the day away.  Maybe not in the height of the summer, but a 70 degree day in January was perfection!

 

We had such a fun weekend in NOLA.  On top of the great group of girls I was with, my oldest friends also happened to be in NOLA the same weekend, so I was able to see them as well….small world!  A long weekend is the perfect amount of time to explore.  There is tons to do and entertainment everywhere you turn.  Your liver and body in general will require a healthy detox once you’re back, but it’s worth it.  Eat all the fried foods, drink all the drinks and enjoy your time in the Big Easy.  It’s a vacation unlike any other!

*A special thanks to Caitlin, Tami and Mara for all their helpful suggestions on where to go and what to do!