#TravelTuesday- A Guide To New Orleans In 48 Hours
I had a quick weekend trip to New Orleans, Louisiana to attend the Lil Weezyana Festival where Lil Wayne was headlining with a Hot Boyz reunion and other friends of Wayne stopped by to perform.
So since I had only 48 hours, I have a quick guide for you if you want to get everything in in a short time! I have been to New Orleans about 20 times so I am very familiar with trying out different things in the Central Business District & the French Quarter so these are some of my suggestions based on a visitor who wants to get alot in in a short time.
Eat, Eat, & Eat
Overeat!! I definitely do. Get the obvious things- Creole food- gumbo, shrimp etouffee. Try something you can’t get in most cities- Gator or Turtle. If it’s in season, get some crawfish. Oh and for dessert don’t forget banana’s foster, bread pudding, and the infamous beignets.
Cafe du Monde is open 24 hours so you can stop by anytime and get a delicious beignet until you have powder all over your face!
New Orleans, LA 70116
For food, I could recommend a million spots, but I will just pick a couple of my favorite- Oceana Grill (great seafood), Ruby Slipper (brunch), Not to mention, alot of restaurants are open pretty late. I usually eat like 4 times a day when I am there…smh at my waistline.
Local Boutiques & Vendors
If you are like me, you like to pick up some local finds while traveling. You can go to the mall in your city, so take this time to pick up some local jewelry or art and hit up the local boutiques.
I would definitely hit up local sunglass brand Krewe du Optic. Their sunglasses are super dope, quality & handmade. Totally worth the price and they are seen on quite a few celebrities!
Also, DVRA has the cutest tropical themed clutches. The store they are in works with other local designers as well so you can catch a few designers and pick up some accessories!
1113b St. Mary Street,
New Orleans, LA 70118
Pick up some dope local items and you can stunt with your one of a kind items back in your town!
Supernatural
Everyone knows New Orleans is truly historic and has a reputation of being somewhat spooky. This is a good time to take a Ghost Tour where you walk to haunted houses in the French Quarter or even a Cemetary Tour and visit the Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau’s tomb. Check out Groupon for tours! This past time I even visited a psychic at Earth Odyssey. It was mind-blowing! Seriously! Go to Kay. Even if you don’t believe in it, it is a great experience.
306 Chartres St,
New Orleans, LA 70130
Frenchmen Street – Live music & shopping
In the evening, you can shop with dope local vendors on Frenchmen Street which is in the French Quarter but without the chaos of Bourbon St. It’s called the Frenchmen Art Market. You can find art, jewelry, clothing, all by local artists. It’s about 15 vendors and is typically from 7/8pm-12midnight/1am depending on the day. Check them out and then when you are done, go listen to a brass band and a live music spot and get some drinks!
Live music is another obvious for New Orleans. They have so much different music than the rest of the U.S. Check out a brass brand, zydeco, blues, or something else true to New Orleans culture. Bar hop and go from spot to spot until you find something you like.
Bourbon Street
Okay, this is the obvious! Since Bourbon is basically 24 hours you can save this for 2am after you have done everything else. Try out the popular Hand Grenade but beware and don’t drink it too fast! Check out the local bars and listen to some music since they have no cover you can literally pop in and out if you aren’t feeling the vibe. It’s a ton of places to choose from. Take in the ambience. You will probably want to be in and out of Bourbon St. Between drunk people, crowded streets, you will either love it or hate it.
After shopping, eating, doing a tour, drinking, partying and listening to live music…it’s been 48 hours! Enjoy New Orleans! What are you favorite places or things to do in New Orleans?
