I spent a weekend in New Orleans in late October. I really enjoyed New Orleans and had some favorite things to do I wanted to share:

1: Krewe of Boo

I happened to be in New Orleans during the Halloween parade in New Orleans, Krewe of Boo, in the French Quarter. I enjoyed experiencing a bit of Mardi Gras-ish festivities, drinking on the street and having beads and other items thrown off of the floats.

2: Food

I was definitely excited about the food in New Orleans, and I got to try many things. Above is crab cake benedict with cheese grits from Elizabeth’s (photo of me in front of it below).

Beignets from Cafe du Monde were a must on my list. I got those to go after the parade. I wanted to try some French food, and Cafe Degas was just lovely:

Below is the quail. I also got to try softshell crab and a raspberry chambord cake at Cafe Degas.

Another favorite was oysters baked in brie, which was just delicious.

3: Magazine Street

This is a street full of cute shops, cafes, and restaurants. I really enjoyed strolling around and looking at Halloween decorations, random antique shops and record shops (and stationary, my favorite), and trying some more food.

4: The Art Museum and Sculpture Garden

The art museum in NOLA isn’t huge, but it was really nice. Funny enough, there was a global warming photography exhibit with side by side photos of Louisiana wetlands and glaciers, many of which were in Iceland. There was a Mary Cassatt and a few Picasso, Pollock, and other famous artists. It turns out Degas had some French Cajun family and spent some time in New Orleans, so they had a few of his works as well.

The Sculpture Garden is large and really nice. I felt like I was in Louisiana with the Spanish moss hanging from the trees. There was a large variety in the sculptures and it made for a nice walk.

5: Riding the street car down St. Charles Street

This was a nice break from walking around and you get to see a lot of beautiful houses (mansions!) along the way. People go all out for Halloween which was fun.

6: Walking by Bayou St, John/detour to the cemetery

Walking along the bayou is really nice – seeing people set up picnics or just relaxing near the water along the way.

The cemeteries in New Orleans are interesting and filled with ornate crypts. I think it’d be fun to come back and do a tour (one of which I walked by), to learn more about the history.

7: Live music everywhere

 

 

The photo above is from Bacchanal. You pick out a bottle of wine, and some cheeses, and sit outside on the patio listening to music. It’s heaven! I also enjoyed hearing live music when I was exploring Bourbon and Frenchman Streets, both indoors and out.