As I strolled the city last weekend, I passed a man carrying a rooster, a woman with a bunny on her shoulder, and a couple, each with a large snake draped around the shoulders.
Bizarre? Not when the city is New Orleans.
It’s been two years since I’ve visited one of my favorite cities, and she is just as fabulous as I remembered. Four days of eating, strolling, drinking, shopping, dancing, and listening to everything from jazz to eighties cover bands.
There is simply no place like New Orleans. I say this with confidence, even though I have only seen a fraction of the city and its communities. Where else is there music in the streets on a weekday afternoon? Not organized concerts, but a group of musicians who sit down and start playing?
We ambled through the French Quarter, peeking into doorways for a glimpse of courtyards teeming with flowers, greenery, and fountains.
As a devoted viewer of American Horror Story, I was morbidly thrilled to see the house of Delphine LaLaurie, the Louisiana socialite turned torturer and serial killer. Her doorway, decorated for Halloween, is decidedly less lovely than the others.
Many homes in the French Quarter go all out for Halloween. Grand balconies and iron work are decked out with ghosts, spiders, and the occasional severed limb in a fountain.
We stayed in the Halloween spirit on a haunted ghost tour of the Quarter, during which I hoped to see a vampire, preferably a sexy one. No luck. We did stop at a restaurant that is rumored to be haunted by the spirit of a former owner; there’s a table set for the ghost so that he will stop tossing silverware and wine bottles all over the joint in the wee hours. Our tour guide encouraged us to take a photo in hopes of capturing an image of the specter; if you look very closely you may just see him.
While what happens in NOLA generally stays in NOLA, I can share a few things that we did and saw. Oh, and ate.
1 wedding party dancing down the street
4 visits to Cafe du Monde, for a total of nine beignets. Some of us may or may not have dragged our fingers through the powdered sugar after the beignets were gone.
6 Pepto-Bismol pink vests that very few men could pull off. These guys rocked them, and they rocked the Crescent City Blues and BBQ. When locals say there is at least one festival every weekend, they’re not lying.
8 gazillion beads outside of this house off of Magazine Street. The first photo is a tree trunk and the second is a fence.
20 minutes spent with blog friend Cheryl of A Pleasant House. We were having lunch five minutes from her house, and she walked over to chat for a little while. How cool is that?
96 grilled oysters at Acme Oyster House, 24 of them eaten by me (over the course of two visits). I would not eat raw oysters if you paid me, but these grilled ones are a buttery, cheesy, slightly chewy piece of heaven. Some of us may or may not have licked the shells.
100 test tube shots purchased by some gullible but nice guy who felt bad for the girl selling them at a bar on Bourbon Street. He spent $150, and then gave most of the drinks away. We took a few off of his hands, but I wisely took no photos.
730 days until I’m reunited with the city I fall a little more in love with every time I visit.
If you’re looking for some suggestions of things to do and see as a tourist in New Orleans, check out my first post about the city. Or you can pin it below!
i so enjoyed going through this post. i love travel posts! i’ve gone to new orleans twice for jazz fest many moons ago. had a great time. hope to go back soon.
I’d love to go for Jazz Fest one year, or even Mardi Gras. I don’t need to party like the co-eds, but I’d love to see all the parades and the culture that makes New Orleans such a unique city.
Oh man! I really want to go to NOLA. The history and all the ins and outs of the streets. And what a great time to go around Halloween. I once wen’t to Salem Massachusetts around Halloween…definitely a must see. PS. That pastry looked amazing!!
Oh, the beignets are amazing! Definitely not a health food, but worth every calorie and gram of sugar.
How awesome!! I’m dying to go to New Orleans..I’ve heard so much about it and Halloween certainly seems to be the best time!
I love that you met Cheryl!! How cool is that!!
It was very cool! I hope you can get to New Orleans one day, Roshni – it’s definitely an experience.
Love this Dana! I used to live in New Orleans and it is Cah-ray-zee during Halloween. Almost as mad as Mardi Gras. Love the oysters at Acme. And please, pretty please, share the post -sot pictures?!
Sorry! The post “shot” – the test tube drinks…
No way! Actually, there were no post-shots pictures taken (that I can recall…)
I didn’t realize you all were in New Orleans! This looks like it was so much fun. I’ve never been but I have a feeling they would look at us like we are crazy since we don’t eat shellfish or pork haha. I would have to find something else amazing like that powdered sugar goodness that you shared! I think I want something sweet now! 🙂
You could still find plenty to eat, Brittnei, you’d just have to pick your restaurants carefully. I had a blackened drum fish one night that was delicious. Red beans and rice too – yummmm.
Sounds like a fun time! I really want some beignets now 🙂
I could eat them everyday – mmmmmm.
I’m laughing because I was just telling my friend about walking through a park in San Francisco and seeing a man openly smoking a joint with a parrot on his shoulder.
Ah, wild cities.
I only went to New Orleans once and the beignets were fantastic but I mostly remember the chicory coffee I had with them. At 6:00am. And my body can’t even handle caffeine but this was fine. I guess it was great quality.
And I remember the test tube shots! And Bourbon Street at 3:00am was PACKED! And I went in July, not Mardi Gras.
I also remember a high homeless cat population and their faces weren’t like the cats we have here. They were.. wild looking. Mini tigers.
I bought a can of that coffee – Matt loves it. I didn’t see any cats, but I do see quite a few young adults who are homeless and travel around with their dogs. The dogs look healthy, though, and well loved.
I want to say Frank has been to New Orleans and since we have been watching The Originals I commented it would be cool to visit it once we are back. I think ghost tour would be a must for us!
I love the Originals! My husband saw a guy jogging that he thought looked familiar, and he googled him. Turns out is was the actor who plays Stefan on Vampire Diaries – and I MISSED HIM!
There truly is not city like NOLA. I’ve been lucky enough to go twice, the last time three years ago for a wedding in Baton Rouge. Oh my goodness, the food! And in November the weather was beautiful.
I bet it was – October is great weather too. The couple we went with would love to renew their wedding vows in a few years; I would love to parade down the street behind them to celebrate!
I’ve never been to New Orleans, but I want to go so badly! (might have to wait until the kids are older, though) Those bead displays are amazing. I wonder how long it took to collect them all and create the displays. Thanks for sharing what sounds like a fun time!
We didn’t go until our kids were 10 and 13. At that age, they aren’t too much of a burden on the babysitting grandparents. It’s much easier to travel now that they are older!
New Orleans is on my bucket list.
What a thrill)))
Great, fun photos, Dana. xxxxx
Thanks, Kim – I hope you get to visit one day soon!
Soooo, quite shamefully, my only understanding of New Orleans comes from music and movies, but I LOVE that it’s so similar to what’s portrayed in art (and animation) and your post is GORGEOUS and makes me want to visit.
The beignettes look UH-MAY-ZING! Are they filled with anything or just ploofy pillows of gorgeousness?
That’s a good point, Lizzi. I do feel like NOLA is similar to what you see on television and movies. Of course there is so much more. And the beignets are amazing. No filling – just ploofy pillows of gorgeousness with tons of powdered sugar. Yummmmm.
Loved the whole tour. We have never been to New Orleans and I am intrigued. Loved seeing the photos and of you and Cheryl.
Thanks, Sue. It is a great city; there really isn’t another like it in the US. I hope you get to visit someday!
What a lovely post Dana! SO happy you had a great time. I LOVE your pic’s!!! Especially the bead tree- aren’t they a riot?! Such a splendid time meeting you. I hope to see you again in the ‘Hood’.
I hope so too, Cheryl. Thank you again for taking time out of your Saturday to visit with us!
I’ve never been to New Orleans before but it looks amazing! Your pictures are so great and really show the life of the place!
And that’s just a sliver of it, Kate – it’s hard to do it justice with photos.
I wonder if there are any missing numbers–vodka tonics and bloody marys, people passed out in the street, money lost at casino…
I could have gone on and on, Kevin, but I have a rep to protect.
My sister has travelled a lot and the one place she was ever so enthusiastic about? NOLA. I haven’t been but both she and you have me fired up to go. Love that you also tied in a visit with Cheryl. First time to meet? Oh and a ghost tour! Bonus. Did one in my daughters college town this Summer because we kept seeing it stop outside my B and B. Wanted to learn about “my” ghost. Am smiling about the chap buying all the shots …
First time meeting Cheryl – yes! So fun. You should make it down to NOLA at some point, Kelly – I’m sure you’d come away with some great stories.
I LOVE New Orleans – it has been way to long since I’ve been there!!!
One year during grad school I even went with a group during Mardi Gras – fun times for sure (the parts I still remember!).
I bet it was; I’ve never been for Mardi Gras. I would like to, but by the time I go I don’t think I’ll be up for partying as hard as I could in the past!
EEEP I love love love New Orleans! I’m so jealous that you were just there and how awesome that you got to meet Cheryl! So cool! Oh and those oysters? Look amazing. Sigh. I want to go. I want to go now. I was trying to think when the last time I went was, and I think it’s been almost 10 years. wow, the time does fly huh? What an amazing trip, Dana!!
It was so fun to meet Cheryl – you know I love to meet blog friends in person. And yes, you need to go back. Soon.
I wish some nice guy had bought all my shots when I was selling them back in the day!
I’ve always wanted to go to New Orleans- glad you had fun! I would have done the ghost tour too.
Kate, it was so funny. He thought the waitress was less than attractive, and that she would have a hard time selling all the shots. Can you believe that? So sweet but naive. I think you would love New Orleans; I hope you get to go one day!
I admit I have never been and was actually going to go with some friends when I was younger, but at the last minute couldn’t and had to bow out. But maybe someday Kevin and I can go together, when the girls are a bit older. Would truly love to see the city, especially seeing your experience here today 😉
It would be a great getaway for you and Kevin, Janine. And you’ll have plenty of time to take those kinds of vacations as the girls get older – start making your list!
It’s not a place that pops up on the mental to-travel list, but it seems to have all of my favorite things. I may have to put NOLA on the bucket list.
It wasn’t on my to-travel with either; the first time I was in my thirties. I think it’s probably a very different experience for young adults, but at my age I feel like I can have tons of fun and also appreciate the culture.
New Orleans has always been on my list but you just made it jump up a few spots. Sounds and looks amazing!
It really is a great city – there’s something for everyone, I think.
The first time I visited Cafe du Monde I was worried that the beignets would disappoint since they had been built up so much in my mind. Needless to say they did not!!! Just last night I was talking to a dear friend of mine from high school and we discovered that we had been in New Orleans the very same weekend in 2010 and didn’t know it. I was there for my nephew’s Tulane graduation, she was there for a wedding. We both remember the torrential rain and the delicious food!!
We have lucked out with weather each time we’ve gone – no rain at all. And there is nothing like a piping hot beignet; you couldn’t build it up enough!