Since taking my last out-of-state trip to St. Louis, I have been anticipating my next travel adventure. When my mom brought up the idea of traveling during the holidays, I was like yesss let’s go! Any chance to make moves to a new spot with dope culture, food, and good vibes is something I’m all for!
We decided the next adventure would be to New Orleans, Louisiana. Keep reading to check out my first time in NOLA and some things to do and eat in New Orleans!
I have never been to NOLA, so I knew very little about the actual French/ Creole influence in the city. However, this trip was such a good vibe. Here’s a brief recap of the things and places we did and places we ate at while in NOLA.
Now, check it, this trip was more about relaxation than nonstop moves like my trip to STL, so this list is not loaded. However, I do know that I for sure will be coming back to NOLA and will add more to this list in the future!
So let’s see about some things to do and eat in NOLA!
NOLA AKA “The Big Easy”
As we headed to our hotel from the airport, I noticed how downtown was filled with all the brick buildings and colorful aesthetically pleasing walls. I love brick walls and unique aesthetics, so they always quickly catch my eye! Once we got to the hotel, we were warmly greeted by the doormen as they helped us out the vehicle and with our bags.
“Welcome to the Big Easy” is the first words that we heard from the front desk Service clerk, Ashley, as she checked us into our hotel room at the Loews Hotel (New Orleans). Let me brag about our hotel! This hotel definitely made this trip even more enjoyable!
Here’s some pictures of our room:
Definitely check out Loews Hotel for your hotel needs! Anyways, on to our moves.
Friday
As we got more of a feel for the city, I loved the beautiful architecture that is heavily influenced by its French, Spanish, and West African roots. The mixture of colorful, brick walls along with the balconies that make up the French Quarter catches your eye and makes you want to take a picture or two. My mom kept telling us how much the color and balconies of the buildings reminded her of back home in the Virgin Islands.
Check out some of the dope pictures from our walks in the French Quarter:
Side note: my brother is beast with his camera (follow his business instagram @thekidshotit)!
New Orleans Burgers and Seafood
Because of the recommendation of Ashley, our first bite to eat was at New Orleans Burgers and Seafood. I got some gumbo while my sister tried some jambalaya to get a little taste of NOLA. Our waitress was very welcoming as she told us about other authentic New Orleans dishes that we should try before leaving NOLA.
After lunch, we explored the French Quarters with all the shops, restaurants, and creative street performances. From some guys using the top halves of soda cans to make tapping sounds with their shoes to a man singing while his dog went to the crowd to collect money to a human statue, New Orleans is definitely a place open to the creativity and talent of street performers. I thought it was pretty cool to see so many different performances going on simultaneously all throughout the French Quarter.
Saturday
On Saturday, it was both rainy and cold, but we pulled out our rain jackets, umbrellas, and layered up to check out the city through a scavenger hunt we found on Groupon.
Though we took an L, we definitely enjoyed finding the people and things on the list, taking pictures/videos, and gaining points. Aside from the game, we also took some time to take some great rainy day pictures and ate a popular spot called Willie’s chicken.
Again, my brother is skilled with the camera! Here’s my favorite rainy day picture:
Willie’s Chicken Shack
For food, we stopped by Willie’s chicken shack, ordered a lil 4-piece combo and also an order of catfish and fries. Willie’s Chicken Shack was pretty solid, but the biscuits were good! Like we legit kept talking about these biscuits and how we didn’t even need jelly!
Night Life on Bourbon Street
Later on that night, my brother and I decided to explore and get a feel for New Orleans nightlife. So many people were out and lit as especially on Bourbon Street. Now, Bourbon Street is a known spot in New Orleans because of the clubs, bars, and other spots that are on that strip. Before we even looked up at the street sign to see that it was Bourbon street, we heard all the noise and knew, oh, this gotta be Bourbon street!
If you decide to check it out, make sure you do it safely, bro/sis!
After, knocking out and catching some z’s, we woke up the next morning ready to hit the city again.
Sunday
We couldn’t be in NOLA and not learn a little more facts. So, to learn more about New Orleans, we went on a walking tour around the city called the Saints and Sinners tour by French Quarter Phantoms ($17 adult tickets). I think y’all should check it out and learn some new info about New Orleans. Like did you know that New Orleans’ motto is “Laissez Les Bon temps rouler” which is French for Let the good times roll. No? Me either!
Touring around New Orleans
Shout to Malika, our tour guide, that really gave us the historical tea about NOLA. I learned a lot of the roots of NOLA including more about the real history of New Orleans voodoo and the voodoo queen, Marie Laveau! Check out frenchquartersphantoms.com to schedule one of their tours!
Though it was another pretty cold day, I really liked walking around the French Quarters and learning all the cultural influences that played a role in shaping this city.
Just a heads up, though, again this is a walking tour, so make sure you pick the right kicks that’ll have you good for at least an hour. This tour should definitely be on your list of things to do and eat in New Orleans!
Beignets at Café Du Monde
Fast forward through a little nap, we had to stop by Café Du Monde to get our first taste of New Orleans traditional treat, beignets (pronounced: ben-yays). Beignets are French-style doughnuts sprinkled with powdered sugar. This delicious treat draws long lines daily as it is open 24- hours a day. The wait is worth it though, and the line moves pretty fast!
You can get in the dine in line or take your beignets to go like we decided to do! Next time, I will be sure to dine in and pair my beignets with a Café Au Lait (pronounced: o-lay).
Definitely, stop by Café Du Monde at least once before leaving NOLA, so you can check it off of your things to do and eat in New Orleans.
Now let’s talk about my favorite part of this trip. The highlight of my first experience in Louisiana.
Monday
The Whitney Plantation
Today, we rented a car, so we can take the 50-minute drive from Downtown NOLA, where our hotel was to the Whitney Plantation ($25 adult ticket). I am all about learning something new from history. The Whitney Plantation is a great move because this is the only museum in Louisiana that really focuses on the perspective of the slave.
On the 1hr and 30-minute tour, you will see and hear the words of the slaves as they share their experiences. Here is one account of a slave that really stuck in my head.
As I walked around the plantation and saw one of the slave quarters, I couldn’t help but think how much those who came before me had to endure, so I could enjoy certain freedoms. We gotta remember to never take anything big or small for granted. Being that this was the highlight of our trip, I think everyone should add this to the top of their list of things to do and eat in New Orleans.
We Dat’s Chicken and Shrimp
After all the walking around, we went to a well-known Wing spot in NOLA called We Dat’s Chicken and Shrimp that was recommended by my foodie homie, Jailan. We had some hot BBQ wings, fries, and catfish was gone in no time. Though we were basic and got the regular fries, they have all kinds of options to top their fries. Check them out when you are in NOLA.
Until Next time NOLA!
All in all, New Orleans was a much-needed relaxation trip. From all the craziness of the year, it felt good to find some balance between napping daily and enjoying some of the liveliness of NOLA. Taking in all the scenery and the overall ambiance of NOLA was wonderful. Trust, this will not be my last time in NOLA. This trip is only the beginning, and more activities will be added to my list of things to do and eat in New Orleans. NOLA has my travel stamp of approval! It’s LIT!
Now, drop a place you wanna visit and why in the comments below!
Thanks for Reading! Until next time!