Hi everyone! I’m Erin’s sister, Sara. This past weekend, I was in New Orleans for a school competition, and I’m honored to write a guest post about my trip for Wonderlost! Although I was only in town for a weekend, there was enough time to have the true New Orleans experience.
The French Quarter has the quintessential New Orleans architecture. The colorful buildings in this part of the city are adorned with balconies and Mardi Gras decorations (yes, the city is already preparing for Mardi Gras in January!). The French Quarter is right up along the Mississippi River, which makes for some great views.
In preparation for Mardi Gras, there are different parades that travel through the city. I was lucky enough to catch one of the more famous parades, called Krewe du Vieux. There were bands, obscenely decorated floats, and tons of people dressed up giving away free (equally obscene) stuff. Condoms and dick straws, anyone? If you’re ever in town during these parades, I would highly recommend seeing them just for the sheer entertainment and shock value.
My favorite part of the city was a neighborhood called Faubourg Marigny. There was a bunch of live music in both the streets and the bars ranging from jazz to indie. You can find most of the nightlife in this area along Frenchmen Street. I went to a place called Bamboula’s, which had a live jazz band, and a Japanese bar/restaurant called Yuki Izakaya, which had live music and a projector playing animated films on the wall—very cool place! But my favorite part was watching all of the live street bands playing jazz and oldies.
Of course, you can’t have the full New Orleans experience without seeing Bourbon Street. This part of the city felt like an alternate universe. There was plenty of nightlife with just about any type of bar you could find—dance clubs, dive bars, strip clubs, live music—anything and everything!
New Orleans food is very good, but be prepared for everything you order to come fried! For breakfast or a snack, I recommend a place called Café Du Monde in the French Quarter. There, you can find good coffee and beignets. Beignets are a delicious French pastry made of fried dough with powdered sugar. Very delicious, but make sure you eat them right away while they are still hot!
There’s lots of seafood everywhere you go in the city. My favorite meal was at a restaurant called Acme Oyster House. There are several locations throughout the city, and you have to try the chargrilled oysters. Another good place to eat is Grand Isle. The Fisherman’s Stew there is a must! The service is amazing everywhere you go—true Southern charm.
New Orleans is a very unique and fun place to visit. It’s a charming city with lots of great food and nightlife. There is never a dull moment!
I was there AGAIN for NYE! One of my favorite US cities! I agree about Frenchmen Street! And the food in NOLA is amazing. I’ll be writing about it this week!
You hit Frenchmen spot on…. By far the best little spot to hang around at night 🙂 Also go to Liuzzas by the Track for the best gumbo!
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