NEw Orlean Louisiana (NOLA)

New Orleans has tons of history and we had a great time. Additionally, if you get overwhelmed by the city, you can always drive out and visit the nearby swamps and/or plantations.

The French Quarter & Bourbon St

Bourbon Street is located within the French Quarter and is home to bachelor and bachelorette parties, spring breakers, party goers and numerous people who have had a few too many drinks. Needless to say, I’m a bit on the old side of the average age on bourbon street, but it is still interesting to stroll down for people viewing.

Alternately, Frenchman Street is the live music area with numerous bars and is worth a stop if you’d like to see some live bands. If you would like to catch some New Orleans jazz, make sure to book reservations to visit Preservation Hall located in the French Quarter. They run 1 hour sets in the afternoon and evenings.

For dining, there are so many great places to eat in New Orleans. The Café du Monde, serving only chicory-blended coffee and fried beignets, is very popular as evident by the long line throughout the day. Don’t be discouraged, they are super-efficient and the line moves quickly. We also made a stop at Mothers to grab a po’boy.

Mardi Gras & Parades

New Orleans celebrates Mardi Gras for nearly two months from early January up until Fat Tuesday in late February. They hold parades during all of mardi gras, with the scale and crowds increasing each weekend. 

Krewes (groups who make up the parade) make up the parade floats for any particular parade. We visited the weekend before the final weekend, which was nice because prices were lower and easier to make.

We saw a couple of parades including the Krewe du Vieux parade. It is known as one of the more raunchy parades with many of the floats being politically charged and/or containing sexual themes. It is definitely fun to see all the musicians and performers making their way through the streets each evening.

World War II Museum

The National World War II Museum is a huge museum and very well done. I’d plan for at least 2-3 hours, but you could easily spend an entire day (or more).

When you arrive, you receive a card that details the life of one service member throughout the visit. Additionally, there is a interesting film narrated by Tom Hanks (I’m assuming because of his connection with Saving Private Ryan).

Finally, the last main room has numerous WWII planes hanging from the ceiling. Overall, I think even people who were bored during their US history would still enjoy visiting this museum.

The Whitney Plantation

If you only visit one plantation, make it the Whitney Plantation. The Whitney Plantation has dedicated it’s focus on the history of the slaves in the Louisiana area.

The plantation contains numerous sculptures and memorials to the slaves in the region. It can be an emotional experience to read direct quotes from the slaves as well as historical uprisings.

I would recommend starting with the Whitney Plantation tour as it delivers a real-life portrayal of slave life. Additionally, if time allows, follow up with some of the other plantations of the area such as Oak Alley, Laura and Destrehan Plantations.

Oak Alley Plantation

If you think of New Orleans plantations, Oak Alley Plantation is probably what comes to mind. The large building has an alley of oak trees that creates an umbrella leading up to the main house and is probably the most recognizable of the New Orleans plantations.

Oak Alley offers guided tours of the inside of the house. Also, the tours detail the history of the plantation owner families. Additionally, Oak Alley plantation was used in numerous shows and movies, including Interview with a Vampire.

Barataria Preserve and Jean Lafitte Nature Preserve

If you are looking to get out of the city, the Barataria Preserve within Jean Lafitte National Historic Park might be just the place. Additionally. there is a short boardwalk trail from the visitor center to explore the swamp. This connects to the Bayou Coquille Trail, however that connection was under repair when we visited in 2021.

We also hiked the Twin Canals Trail at the Barataria canoe launch, which offered good opportunities to see birds and other wildlife due to the waterways. You can find a trail map of the area here.

For Next Time

It would be interesting to check out some of the city’s cemeteries. Also, all of the tombs are above ground since most of the city is at or below sea level. Unfortunately, most of these were closed at the time we visited, due to pandemic restrictions.

ALSO CONSIDER VISITING THESE NEARBY AREAS

Check out some of the other sights in the Southwest Region.