A couple months ago, Josh and I were discussing going on one last trip as a family of two (we actually haven't been on a vacation in like 5 years haha). And were discussing where we should go. We talked about Chicago for a football game, but the timing would have made it very cold in Chicago, Denver same thing, and I can't really do a bunch of hiking or anything right, Key West as this is where we got married (well near Key West, but we did visit it) but I felt this is usually a drinking centered location since we have seen most of what it has to offer. So we thought maybe New Orleans? Lots to do other than drink (tons of history and ghost stuff which I am so in to) but still fun and I assumed, not quite so crazy when it's not Mardi Gras. So NOLA it was. we decided to drive, as flights there were cheap but flights back (the Sunday of thanksgiving weekend) were insane, and car rental was also ridiculous.
It was a 10 hour drive which is not that bad, and we planned to leave at noon on Wednesday after Josh left work a bit early. Turned out he didn't have to go in so we got a little earlier start. We drove to Gulfport, MS, about 1 hour from New Orleans, and stayed at a little hotel along the Gulf for the night. I of course had to get up and check the sunrise and do some shelling before we finished our trip. There were no shells, but it was nice!
We continued on and I insisted we take the long way around and drive across the world's longest bridge, across Lake Pontchartrain. It is 23.83 miles (38km) long.
We got to our hotel late in the morning and checked it out a bit. The Saint Autograph Collection. So beautiful and in such a convenient area.
After a quick stop in our room, we decided to go explore the area. We were 2 blocks from Bourbon Street so that was out first stop.
We walked down Canal street, it was really beautiful done up for Christmas. The hotels are gorgeous too.
We were hungry so we stopped at the Creole House just a few blocks down from our hotel. I got a crawfish dish and gumbo and Josh got a sampler of a few traditional local dishes. all delicious!
When looking up pictures of NOLA this one came up a few times and I am so in love with this building ad the beautiful ferns!
Jackson square, such beautiful park with vendors set up around the perimeter and the beautiful cathedral in the background. It is also right across from the French Market and Cafe Du Monde... I couldn't wait to go.
The view of Jackson Square from the Washington Artillery Park.
The Christmas tree in Washington Artillery Park. There was also a bagpiper set up there most of our trip. Not offense to him but I guess I'm a bagpipe snob from growing up around them, but he was pretty terrible.
The Mississippi River at sunset.
Bourbon Street selfie. It is quite the place at night!
Our hotel lobby. The trees were so beautiful but I couldn't get decent pictures for the life of me.
Since we were in bed by about 9 pm every night, we were up early to get out exploring, we started by wandering the streets again.
After Bourbon street has been freshly hosed off and smells decent!
Our main reason for being up and out early was to get to Cafe Du Monde before there were 5 block (I'm not exaggerating) lines to get in. We got there, waited about 10 minutes and then managed to be jerk and get a seat (my friend Sandy had let me in on a little trick to get in). This is a NOLA must do and a million percent worth it. These Beignets are life changing! Especially when pregnant and craving all the sweets!
When we were done breakfast and hopped up on sugar, we got onto the Hop on Hop off bus for a tour around the city since I'm pregnant and Josh's back was bugging him. It was great and really cut our walking down.... we still got 25000 steps everyday though!
We didn't end up doing a tour of St. Louis cemetery No.1, as it had funny hours, but we did snap some pictures as we drove by. Marie Laveau's tomb is here as well as Nicholas Cage's very crazy/cool pyramid tomb.
We drove by Harrah's, the only casino in New Orleans. Gambling is actually illegal in Louisiana, but apparently this isn't gambling, it's gaming (it is a completely normal casino with slot machines etc).
We got lunch at a little Caribbean restaurant in the Garden district. We shared some tacos and on the way out I noticed a plaque stating that the restaurant had been "helped out" by David Adjay, a Canadian chef that I have met a few times. Pretty cool.
We went down St. Charles Street, the ritziest area of the city. Celebrities like Beyonce and Jay-Z, Ellen and Sandra Bullock have houses in this area. The mansions are huge and historic and beautiful.
The Superdome, it is so insanely huge in person.
We got back to the area of the French Market, I just love the buildings.
There were a lot of horse drawn carriages. I wasn't a fan, the horses are obviously overworked and unhealthy.
We took a walk through the French Market. It's very huge and has some very unique items.
We got a delicious drink there as well.
Joan of Arc.
We stopped into the hotel where the carousel bar is, it is so beautiful but the bar was packed.
Dinner was at Desire Oyster Bar in the Royal Sonesta Hotel. This is a beautiful hotel with the cutest courtyard. We got the grilled oysters to share (unbelievably delicious) and Josh got the shrimp and grits (best shrimps and grits ever) and I had some traditional Creole Jambalaya.
This evening we did one of the things that I was most excited for on our trip. The Haunted New Orleans Tour. A little walking tour around the French Quarter to some of the city's most haunted places. We started at the Hotel Provincial which was a hospital for wounded soldiers during the Civil War. You can still see dismembered soldiers, operating doctors and random pools of blood.
Our next stop was one of my favorites, the LaLaurie Mansion. Any American Horror Story fans might know the crazy history of this mansion that involves crazy human experimenting and just pure evil. There is a lot of hearsay involving this mansion but you can find out the history of it and it's insane owner Madame LaLaurie here. The mansion is also said to be cursed, having many stories about subsequent owners having terrible luck and losing entire fortunes, including Nicholas Cage several years ago.
Next we went to Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, a very old (the oldest bar in Louisiana and one of the oldest in the US) and dank,creepy place, especially at night as it has almost no lights inside. Jean Lafitte, the original owner was one of the most notorious pirates in US history and also helped Andrew Jackson defeat the British during the War of 1812. The bar is said to be home to Lafitte's ghost as well as as possibly a girl that killed herself there in the 1800s and another phenomenon, phantom red eyes.
Our last stop was the Andrew Jackson Hotel (one of my favorite buildings). It was originally a home for boys that lost their parents to Yellow Fever. The home burnt and building was consumed with the boys inside. The ghosts of these boys are said to be mostly mischievous, pushing people out of their beds, messing up pillows and laughing in the courtyard.
The start of our final day, in front of one of the trees in our hotel.
The restaurant in the hotel had Bloody Mary French Toast for breakfast, of course I had to try, and it was delicious!
We made our way over to Harrah's for their festival of lights. Unfortunately it was all outside so we didn't get to enjoy the lights very well but it was still beautiful.
IN front of Archie Manning's restaurant. We found this super cute little alley way and area while wandering around.
We made our way back to the French Quarter and Canal street to check out the Bayou Classic parade, for the football game that was taking place later in the day. We got some real New Orleans and some real NOLA Mardis Gras beads. This was a unique parade, instead of candy (there was still a little candy) the floats threw products like body wash, deodorant and toothpaste to help the kids that were there to watch the parade that are living in poverty.
We continued on to the Carousel Bar just in time for it to open. We were stuck in a line but still got right in and got a spot. The bar is like a carousel and very slowly rotates (very slowly). It is really cool though and has some great drinks.
We continued on our way and stopped for some souvenirs. We found a store that had some hot sauces so hot that you had to sign a waiver.
One of our last lunches out, we went to Napoleon's for their world famous Muffaletta sandwiches. I was advised by a friend that had been to NOLA not long before to get the sandwich here and she didn't steer us wrong. It was AMAZING. Even Josh, who hates olives, LOVED this sandwich.
We took a last walk down by the waterfront, and walked by the Natchez Steamboat, while the guy on top was playing some songs with the steam organ (I have no idea what that is called).
The street cars that run all over the city.
We went into the ritzy mall, mostly so I could go into Tiffany.
One of my favorite pictures from the trip, love this little side street.
Last NOLA meal! We went to Landry's Seafood House, right on the water in the Jackson Brewery Building. It as here that I got my favorite meal of the trip.
I got the Blackened Catfish Achafalaya. One of the best things I have ever eaten. Catfish in a sauce of crawfish, capers and lemon butter. Seriously amazing. Josh got the Crab stuffed Shrimp Enbrochette, also very yummy!
We took one last walk down Bourbon Street to round off our trip. It was still early so not too crazy this time and I actually got some good pictures.
We were back in the hotel and in bed by 8pm so that we could be up and on the road by about 6am. While Josh was getting the truck from the parking garage in the morning, I took a couple more pictures of the hotel. Little did I know that all the sirens I had woken up to in the night was a mass shooting at the hotel next door. 10 people were shot in total and as we walked out we saw the crazy scene, a couple hours after it had unfolded. A terrible tragedy, and make me happy we had been back in the hotel and in bed so early.
On the way back I snapped a couple pics. Sweet Home Alabama and Chattahoochee, because way down yonder on the".
We were home by about 6pm that night and considering it was one of the worst driving days of the year, it really wasn't that bad.
Here are some of my souvenirs from the trip.
We had a great little getaway, it had been years since we really did anything like this, so it was nice to get out and have some adventure! We really enjoyed the city and definitely want to go back some day as there were still things that we never got a chance to do .
