Hollyday Planner

For the summary of this trip, see my itinerary

This is a place I’ve been to a handful of times. Happily, there isn’t one itinerary I loved most. So I decided to write this NOLA post a little different. It’s organized in a way you can choose what you want & get the information you need.

Day time Downtown

I’ll start with some fun things to pick from for daytime.

• Ride the Streetcars – Top of my list. It’s a great way to see a lot of the city. It also helps you reach some of those sites that are too far to walk. We usually prebuy the 1-day Jazzy Pass (I think it cost $3). These move slow & make several stops. So it’s a relaxing way to get around. The website has lots of information for where to buy passes.
  • St. Charles line (12) – Probably the most popular line. We hop on at Carondelete & Canal st. It’s a longer ride. You’ll see residential neighborhoods, Tulane & Loyola Universities. This is how to get to our favorite restaurant, Camellia Grill. The Carrollton & St Charles stop is right in front of the restaurant.
  • Riverfront line (49) – This line runs most of the riverfront. We usually get on at Canal Street and go out to the French Market.
• Saint Louis Cemetery No 1 – It may seem strange, but it’s a favorite. This is more than a cemetery tour. You learn great history & see some famous graves. Marie Laveau is the more popular tomb. Tickets are required.
• Jackson Square – We like walking around Jackson Square. Lots of street performers. We even had a poem written for a friend. There’s also St. Louis Cathedral. There’s plenty of restaurants on the square. Plus, it’s a great connection between the Riverfront & Bourbon St.
• Mississippi River River Front – We usually walk down Canal St until we reach the River. It’s a peaceful place & we enjoy seeing the Mississippi. The area closer to Steamboat Natchez has a mall.
• Cruise down the Mississippi with Steamboat Natchez – Love this! It’s a nice casual cruise down the Mississippi. They point out lots of interesting things. And there’s a stop or two to get out and explpre some historical sites. The entire cruise took about about 2.5 hours. Tickets are required.
• WW2 Museum – We finally did this on our last trip through NOLA. It is massive. We didn’t have a lot of time so I would recommend planning at least 2 hours (and that’s sprinting through). I know some people who have split a visit here over two days.

Night Time Downtown

What NOLA is known for.

• Bourbon street – obviously! We love taking in the experience of Bourbon Street. It was a later trip that we finally got a balcony room overlooking the Street. That is an experience in itself. It was fun tossing beads down. But getting to watch Bourbon for a while was the best part. So many good bars & restaurants.
• Preservation Hall – We did this on a family trip. Super fun. The show was about an hour long with lots packed in. It’s a small space. Very historic. Tickets are required.
• Ghost tour – This was part of a couples’ trip. There are a lot of options so I didn’t put one link in particular. We did a haunted pub crawl. This is just a fun time. We still get good laughs out of remembering this. Tickets are required. They can be bought a little last minute. So you can check out options after you get to NOLA.
• Carousel Bar – Loved seeing this. It’s shockingly pretty. This bar is located inside Hotel Monteleone. There is an actual spinning carousel that you stand on to order. They still serve prohibition era drinks.
• Royal Street – We sometimes enjoy getting off Bourbon for a while. Bourbon can get very crowed. We found we enjoy Royal Street for a more calm night stroll. It’s only one block off Bourbon. There are incredible galleries & shops.
• Sugar Bowl at Casears Superdome – It’s unusual for me to point out the bigger event venues. But I need to call this one out because it was the reason for one of our trips. We went to NOLA for the Sugar Bowl (yes, we won!). It’s an easy walk from Bourbon Street.

Restaurants

The real reason to go to New Orleans.

• Walk in anywhere – While I do have my personal favorites, NOLA is a place you can walk in anywhere and eat a DELICIOUS meal.
• Camellia Grill – Take the streetcar. Stop on your drive in or out of town. Just be sure to eat here once. The inside is a classic diner setting. Prepare yourself, there will be a line. It’s worth it. Walk to the daiquiri bar across the street and sip while you wait.
• Cafe du Monde – The famous beignets. There are plenty of beignets around NOLA, but these are famous for a reason. We went to the location by the Riverwalk. They had a “to go” line that moved fast.
• Napoleon’s House – This house was built for Napoleon. Even though he never made it there you can enjoy it. It’s beautiful. And the food was good.
• Felix’s Oyster Bar or Acme Oyster House – Oysters are everywhere. These are the two more popular restaurants. And they are across the street from each other.
• Ernst cafe – This place was highly recommended by a friend. So glad we went. It’s a smaller place. I thought of it as a classic NOLA favorite that has been kept under the radar. And prices can’t be beat.
• Gumbo Shop – So good I actually bought some of the sauce to bring home. There will be a line here. And Gumbo is in the name so you know it’s good.
• Pizza & Daiquiris – There will be plenty of times during your stay you’ll be glad they’re everywhere.

Around New Orleans

We have enjoyed visiting sites around New Orleans during most of our trips. Here’s a few of our favorites.

• Shreveport – A good place stop on the drive.
• Shreveport – So not in the NOLA area, but a good spot to stop for the night to break up the drive. We enjoyed checking out the floating casinos.
• Oak Alley Plantation – This had been on my wish list for a while. We finally got the chance to stop by on our final big family road trip. We came by as we left NOLA and enjoyed it. Tickets are required. The tour lasted about an hour. And there’s plenty to walk around & see outside of the tour. It’s about an hour outside of NOLA.
• Swamp Tour with Cajun Encounters – a fan favorite. You’ll boat around and see bald eagles, pigs, raccoons & GATORS! Our first visit was in the colder months. So we didn’t see as many as we did on a future trip. Tickets are required. It’s about 45 minutes outside of New Orleans. And you’ll get to pass over Lake Pontchartrain. The town of Slidell nearby has good restaurants.