Our first time visiting New Orleans. It’s difficult to describe. On one hand, it matches our expectations. The centuries-old architecture, built in the 1700’s, is exactly what we imagined. And we were aware that people say it is dirty, especially along Bourbon Street. But hearing about it and actually experiencing it are two different things. It was fantastic! It’s an incredibly old city and the rough edges can be forgiven because the character is unforgettable.
October 29, 2024
To get the lay of the land, we started with the hop-on, hop-off bus. This was a great option. It took a 1 1/2 hour loop with a tour guide around all of the districts. This helped us orient ourselves on where to spend our time.
One of our first stops was to the infamous Cafe DuMonde for some coffee and beignets (French donuts). Piled high with powered sugar, they live up to the hype. If you do come here, it’s cash-only. We learned that is the case frequently here in New Orleans.
We wandered through the French Quarter most of the day. It’s 78 square blocks. Bourbon Street is a bit haggard by day. It has many “gentleman’s clubs” and walk-up bars with Hurricanes or Hand Grenades to-go in big plastic cups. However, there are some really beautiful streets just blocks over. There was an area with several galleries in a row, chandelier stores and gorgeous hotels. There are also a surprising number of residence who live in the French Quarter. There were not as many street performers as we expected but are told that increases by night.
Our next must seek out item was a Muffaletta for lunch. It’s a kind of sandwich, very popular here and, and again, lives up to the hype. It was fantastic. They are big and it is recommended that you split one with a friend (or your spouse!) We chose Cafe Beignet because they had a live jazz trio and gumbo too.
New Orleans is home to the oldest Roman Catholic cathedral in the U.S. Pope John Paul II visited the Cathedral Basilica of St Louis King of France. He delivered mass there in 1987. The Cathedral is the grand overseer of Jackson Square.
Our final “must do” for the day was to try an infamous Hurricane. They were strong and very “fruity.” After a couple of these, it’s no wonder Bourbon Street gets a little wild!
October 30, 2024
We look for opportunities to get the dogs out. They often are asked to wait patiently for us while we are exploring. The puppy field trip this morning was to the New Orleans City Park. Two times the size of New York’s Central Park, it was impressive. We walked 5 miles and didn’t scratch the surface of all there was to see. The Park has 24 miles of walking trails, 2 horse stables, and 2 golf courses. It also features a tennis club, the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA), a Sculpture Gardens, and the Louisiana Children’s Museum.
We returned to the Quarter later in the afternoon today. This served as an appetizer to our very special excursion this evening. The French Quarter comes alive at night and that is when the performers come out as well. It felt exactly as New Orleans should.
We were so excited for our evening excursion~ a jazz, dinner cruise down the Mississippi River on the Creole Queen.
We thoroughly enjoyed our evening and put this on the list as one of our favorite events so far.
October 31, 2024
Halloween in New Orleans!! We have been looking forward to this since we planned our trip a year ago. It did not disappoint! Locals told us that Halloween is a big deal here and the second largest party to only Mardi Gras.
We started our evening with dinner at Mr. B’s Bistro. Infamous for their Gumbo Ya Ya and Honey Glazed Porkchops, they lived up to the recommendation. Greg said it was the best pork chop he’s ever had.
We spent our time on Bourbon Street. It looks much less seedy in the dark with neon. The entire quarter was celebrating. If we needed a break from the packed parade of costumes on Bourbon, we had only to wander a block in any direction. It was fantastic and we will be back!
This entire experience has made it clear we will be coming back for Mardi Gras!
November 1, 2024
Our final day in New Orleans, we decided to explore the Garden District via street car. For only $3 you can ride the street cars for the full day. We caught the Canal Street trolley at the New Orleans Art Museum. We boarded it outside of the city center and headed to Bourbon Street.
At Bourbon and Canal Street hop off the red street car and onto the green to the Garden District. The trip would have taken us 10 min to drive but over an hour on the street cars. But that’s the fun of it!
We were able to view some of the cemeteries New Orleans is famous for here in the Garden District. St Louis Cemetery #1 is now closed to the public unless you pay for a walking tour. We could only glimpse this one from above. It houses a future famous inhabitant.
In 2010, Nicolas Cage purchased two plots in this cemetery, using one to construct this pyramid mausoleum for himself.
Cage has a history with the city of New Orleans. He purchased both the infamously haunted LaLaurie Mansion and the historic Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chapel. (He lost them both during his tax issue problems.) Cage purchased his tomb next to New Orleans’ supernatural heavy, Marie Laveau in the hopes she will bring him good luck in death, because he believes he has been cursed ever since buying the LaLaurie Mansion. Strangely, if you look at his box office record, his fails do coincide with mansion ownership. Cage also filmed the movie Ghost Rider in this cemetery.
Our next cemetery stop was at the Lafayette Cemetery #1. This one is typically open to the public. However, today it was closed to family only for All Saints Day. We were only able to capture a few pictures through the fence.
Batting 0 for 2 with the cemeteries we decided to explore the Garden District. Narrow overgrown, oak shaded streets with lush vegetation and giant mansions. Pictures don’t do these mansions justice. Sandra Bullock, John Goodman and Beyoncé/ Jay-Z own mansions here and Eli, Peyton and Cooper Manning grew up here. Their parents still live in the same house. Our shuttle driver was Adam. He took great care of us all week. He regaled us with stories about playing the Mannings in rival High School sports.
We hopped onto the street car for one more stop to Uptown. We wanted to visit the Audubon Park across from Tulane University. We learned something new. We didn’t know that Loyola is right next door to Tulane. Students comingle classes across campuses.
The Audoban Park used to be two adjacent plantations. The government seized them during the civil war and burned down the plantation houses. Now it includes walking paths, a zoo, a riding stable, tennis courts and a golf course.
We just wrapped up an unforgettable four days in New Orleans, where every corner of the city offered something vibrant and unique. From the buzzing streets of the French Quarter to the peaceful, tree-lined paths of the Garden District, each neighborhood had its own charm. We immersed ourselves in local history, explored the city’s incredible food scene, and enjoyed authentic jazz that seemed to spill out of every doorway.
New Orleans is truly a city that lives and breathes music, culture, and hospitality, and these four days left us with memories to savor until our next visit.
Marci@Sunningbythesea.com
(720) 803-7287
http://www.sunningbythesea.com
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