This article has taken far too long to write because every draft has been wild and meandering. This article didn’t know what it wanted to be; it was trying to meld and mesh too many stories and thoughts and identities into one cohesive thing. Much, it occurred to me, like New Orleans itself.Â
New Orleans is one of the most unique cities and deserves to be experienced. Inside a swampy, steamy metropolis is nearly all pieces of the human story. A long, torturous history full of triumphs and misery have combined to bring a vivacious personality to one of the oldest and tightly protected city centers (the French Quarter).
New Orleans speaks about: music, freedom, independence, survival, joy, creativity, art, rebirth, hurt, heaven and hell. It is everything. I have never been to a city before that hits on a guttural level. The busker’s aggressive rhythmic banging on the plastic buckets one rainy evening, reflecting the red neon lights above, beat in my stomach — New Orleans drives her soul into you.
There is no place else like it in the States.
It is worth the visit.
I will spare you all of the additional introspection this travel log could take.
I wanted to say something about gratitude and the powerful effect of busy moms taking time to connect with one another and take a risk on an impromptu trip.
I wanted to say something about coming back to a city you saw through teenage eyes to experience it with wisdom and new understanding.
I wanted to say something about what makes a great travel partner, and how I hope I am getting better every trip at being one.
But the city took all those stories, mixed them together, threw some spice on them, and served them to me as simply “New Orleans.”
So, instead, I will share with you what we did and where we went, in the hopes that you, too, can cash in on the spirit of this city.
But some things to note –
I did not take my kids. And I am glad I didn’t. While yes, I went as a teenager for a softball tournament, this place is much richer when explored as an adult.
Also, Bourbon Street is not my scene. I know that for many, Bourbon Street IS New Orleans, but I don’t mesh with that part of town. To my tender heart, there is too much of the worst of humanity. I can have fun, and do love dancing, but something about Bourbon Street felt a little too Dante-esque. If you want recommendations on bars on Bourbon Street, this isn’t the article for you.
If you are looking for shopping, facials, massages and salons, this is also not the right post for you. While I appreciate all of those things, that isn’t necessarily how I spend my time when I travel.
But what you will find?
Recommendations on how to really discover the city. You can’t turn away from its poverty and pain, but you should wallow in the vibrant artistic way of life New Orleans offers in return.
What to do for a great Girls' Weekend in New Orleans (off of Bourbon Street!):
Table of Contents
Where to Eat in New Orleans
This is one of the most important elements of a good New Orleans visit. It is a culinary capital, filled with ground-breaking chefs, coastal bounty, and a food tradition that merges cultures, going back generations. We start here.
Eating in New Orleans can be a joy, but lines are long, reservations booked weeks in advance, and to actually get in to where you want to go, it helps to plan ahead.
Delicious food is ubiquitous, so you can certainly figure it out as you go. But be prepared to wait. Some popular restaurants that did not take reservations were over an hour’s wait on the weekend.
Once I arrived in New Orleans, finding places to eat for the nights I hadn’t pre-booked reservations was hard. If there is a place you really want to go, plan in advance.
But here is what worked out for me –
Café du Monde is likely the most famous spot to eat in all of New Orleans. I arrived at 8:00 a.m. on a Friday and had a very short wait, serenaded by a raucous jazz band. But during the remainder of my time in NOLA, the line snaked down the road, hundreds of people deep. Worth the wait? Likely not (see next spot). But it was delicious.
Café Beignet keeps du Monde honest and, quite frankly, I enjoyed the beignets here much more. There are numerous locations across the Crescent City, and lines will still build up, but it was never as backed up as Café du Monde.
This may seem blasphemous, but I ate at one restaurant twice while in New Orleans: Luke.
Chef Erick Loos and team have created a small, intimate dining area with an accessible, exciting menu in a little nook off of the main strip. Getting a spot at the bar was easy (hence why I was there twice). The oyster sampler was fantastic, with samples from PEI, California, and the local waters. I enjoyed everything I had here.
On a drizzly, busy weekend evening we popped into Red Fish Grill, part of the Brennan restaurant group. We didn’t have reservations, but we weren’t starving either after gorging on the addictive fries at The Carousel Bar (see below). We found bar stools and ordered.Â
I tried the house special of fried BBQ oysters and a hurricane cocktail. Truthfully, neither are things I’d ask for again.
While we wanted to get further afield to seek out some of the top-recommended Po’boys, that wasn’t an option with our time and schedule. So we found ourselves at Johnny’s Po’boys in the French Quarter. I ordered their classic: fried catfish. It was light and fluffy, yet simple and perfectly plain. There wasn’t too much to think about and this sandwich filled and warmed me in no time.
One morning we booked ourselves a delicious brunch at a new restaurant receiving rave reviews: Saint John. A tiny little restaurant tucked away (you’d miss it if you weren’t looking), they wouldn’t seat anyone without reservations given demand.
We enjoyed brunch cocktails sitting near their wrought iron railing, welcoming the sun. The food was inspired by the local cuisine but fresh and creative.
We also treated ourselves to a fancy meal at Restaurant R’evolution for our final night in town. We had reservations and I didn’t take a single photo, but this well-established restaurant offered crab beignets and fun twists on the sazerac. It was an experience. We took our time and savored it.
Where to Drink in New Orleans
Obviously, you could grab a drink at any one of the hundreds of bars on Bourbon Street. Again, this area of the heaving masses (a lot of them actually heaving) was not a place we spent a lot of time. But clearly, there are places to get drinks.
Located inside Hotel Monteleone, The Carousel Bar was a more perfect fit for me. It had a surprisingly laidback atmosphere for such a fancy setting. While a small jazz band set up, crystal lights twinkled, and an old carousel which served as the bar rotated, patrons mingled with each other midafternoon. People were there to unwind – we had great conversations with visitors from all over the States. (Get the fries and a bar specialty cocktail.)
We spent some time at the lounge of our hotel (see below) taking advantage of some drink coupons and I enjoyed that spot, too. It was comfortable and easy, and the beverages were good. Also, it was phenomenal for people-watching.
The Sazerac House is not a place to go sit at a bar, but it is a must do if you want to learn about the importance and development of the cocktail culture in New Orleans.
Having been to Buffalo Trace, I am constantly amazed by the breadth and depth (and amazing marketing firepower) of this distillery. There are a few spots in The Sazerac House with free tastings.
What to Do in New Orleans
See live music – especially at Preservation Hall.
Live music is everywhere in New Orleans. This city breathes and oozes it, like a force that just can’t be contained. (For what it’s worth, I found this to be more true of New Orleans than Nashville even though the latter is lauded as the music city.)
Preservation Hall was the experience I was most excited about prior to the trip. We own an old vinyl of the Preservation Hall band performing and it is one of my favorite records. The musicians here aren’t making solo careers for themselves but they are blow-your-mind good.
The venue is really small, with about 30 backless benches and standing room at the back. Preservation Hall started back in the 1950s and has been preserved (get it?!) in much of its original state. It is funky and old and I absolutely loved it. It can’t even be counted as vintage because it is still just itself as it was decades ago.
Shows are short, but you are right there with the musicians, able to see everything. Tickets in advance are a must.
Take a free tour of the Garden District.
I love free walking tours (see here, here, and here.)
This time, we went into the Garden District with Free Tours by Foot. Sure, we spent some time seeing famous people’s houses (Sandra Bullock, the Manning’s, Zion Williamson’s, and more). But what stuck was the history of New Orleans. It was founded on such divisiveness and racism, and that shows in the street names, the layout, the lots, and the architecture.
Visit the National Parks.
Did you know that New Orleans is home to some sites in the National Parks system? We stumbled into one but missed the one across the street in the French Market. But, as always, the exhibits were illuminating, and the jazz performance was a pleasant surprise.Â
(If you like National Parks, be sure to check out all of our posts on parks we’ve visited.)Â
Learn about voodoo.
We, again, did a free walking tour on voodoo as a last minute addition to our itinerary. I didn’t know much about voodoo – apart from the dolls – but the tour started in Louis Armstrong Park and ended in the French Quarter. The depth and understanding of this old religion, and how it morphed to protect itself from obliteration when Christianity sought to convert all the “heathens,” was riveting. It is still hard to tell fact from legend, but that’s part of the fun.
Meander, get lost, and discover New Orleans by foot.
Walk through the French Market. See the Mississippi River. Just spend time walking aimlessly around New Orleans. It is the best way to discover and savor.
Where to Stay in New Orleans
I eventually relocated to the New Orleans Marriott to be with my friend and travel partner, who has great Marriott benefits. This hotel has a good location and comfortable amenities (even if, like nearly all businesses post-pandemic, service was slow and painful).
But my first night in town I was solo and booked a room at the Bienville House. It was old, comfortable, and the location couldn’t be beat. The courtyard invited lingering and daydreaming. It was just what you want in a New Orleans hotel.
Whatever you do, if Bourbon Street calls, if shopping is your joy, spend time in New Orleans discovering all of its sides. New Orleans tends to be portrays one-dimensionally across our media landscape, I feel. But, much like my feelings and experience on processing this weekend, it is diverse and eclectic. It is a grab bag of phenomenal and overwhelming. And it is all yours to explore.Â
Other Helpful New Orleans Links
- Guide to New Orleans
- Hippie in Heels’ blog post has some other great ideas
- National Park sites in New Orleans: Jean Lafitte and the jazz trail.