Top 5 things to do - New Orleans, LA

New Orleans is a fun city with a rich history, beautiful architecture and fresh local seafood! As you stroll around town, you will see live entertainment and bars on every corner, age old churches and gorgeous historic homes with immaculate landscape! Overall, it’s a walkable town, but the streetcar can help get from one area to the next! There is something for everyone in NOLA but in my opinion is best suited for 21 and older. Perfect spot for a guys/girls or couples’ trip! Read on for the 5 things you MUST hit on your next trip to NOLA!

1.      Visit Magazine Street! This was my favorite part of New Orleans! This area is full of restaurants, bars and cute little boutique shops! It is also home to my favorite NOLA hotel, Hotel St. Vincent. This hotel has a beautifully landscaped garden area, with bar serving up delicious cocktails overlooking a gorgeous pool. It also boasts several restaurants and an indoor bar as well! We’ll definitely stay here on our next trip!

2.      Dinner at GW Fins! This will require a reservation, but was well worth the planning! This fancy establishment had delicious food, wine pairings that were spot on and some great cocktails! And maybe the BEST-EVER dessert, The Salty Malty Ice Cream Pie is to die for!

3.      Diner at Antoine’s! Located just across the street from GW Fins is Antoine’s, a staple in New Orleans! You will also need a reservation to get in, and they have a dress code as well, so be sure to check that out! The food was good, but perhaps the best part, a local told us to slip our waiter some $$ and ask for a tour! Ours was super busy, but told us where to go

4.      Stroll BOURBON STREET at night! The best people watching in the city hands down! Grab a drink and take a stroll, that is right you can drink on the streets! If you like history, hit Old Absinthe Bar. For a jazz show sure to please hit Fritzel’s European Jazz Pub (my favorite). Pat O’Brien’s has a great courtyard patio that is spacious, which you don’t get a lot of in NOLA! You can dance on the bar at Coyote Ugly, if you enter be prepared to get up there! Or take a spin on the Carousel Bar inside Hotel Monteleone, yes this bar actually moves (its fancy, and so are the prices).

Never a dull moment here!

5.      Take a River Cruise. It was fun to see the city from the water, and navigate the Mighty Mississippi! You can cocktail, brunch, whatever you’d like all while taking in the sights and getting the history of NOLA. The Domino Sugar factory was a sight to see, the giant bucket lifts 10,000lbs of sugar per scoop! And ours stopped at historic grounds of the Battle of New Orleans, if your into history, this was very interesting! We rode the Creole Queen and did the Historic Cruise.

Bonus # 6 (because it was hard to pick just 5)

               Ride the trolley to the New Orleans City Park. You could easily spend an entire day here! The gardens are amazing, the New Orleans Museum of Art is also here, and there is tons for kids to do, putt putt, children’s museum, playgrounds, whatever you do, don’t forget to grab a beignet from Café du Monde!

With this list you are sure to enjoy your trip!