New Orleans, Louisiana
- Becca Turner
- Aug 28, 2018
- 5 min read
Traveling is embedded deeply in my soul, when I am home in the Ville I am constantly planning where I will go next. Being a teacher allows me to spend a-lot of my free time in the summer months traveling, which is one of the many perks of the job. I have a travel bucket list the size of Montana that I am checking off one by one and Nola was at the top of that list. Why wouldn't it be? History, Live music, swamps, FOOD. So this June, myself and three of my best girl friends road tripped our way to Louisiana and these were our favorite things about the trip (along with some planning details too in case you wanna make the trek yourself ;)).
Trip Cost and Details: This trip is what I would consider a budget trip. I went with 3 of my girl friends so the trip was split four ways. It costed $600 per person total. We stayed at a laQuinta inn and suites and took a car and just split the gas. The total cost of the trip included the cost of food, souvenirs, gas and lodging. Our biggest money saver was buying a city pass. The pass included lots of different options but we went to the world war two museum, the swamp tour, oak alley, and the zoo for the price of ours and there was still more we could've done if time would have allowed.
Food:
Y'all, the food in Nola is to die for!!!! Here are some MUST STOP places and what we ate there.
Brennan's: Okay so this was by far the fanciest (and more expensive) of all the places we ate on our trip. It was worth every penny. Every single thing we tried there was amazing. You will be doing yourself a disservice if you do not start with the seafood gumbo. Y'all this is the best gumbo I have EVER eaten.
I also ordered the blue soft shell crab special and we ended with the bananas foster. **Fun Fact** Brennan's is known for creating the Banana's foster and I can see why! Also, the decadent dessert is flambayed at table side-need I say more? (amazing)
District Doughnuts: Guys, I have to say it-I really am not that big of a doughnut fan. I like classic cinnamon sugar and pretty much nothing else so my expectations weren't super high for a doughnut shop. However, this place pleasantly surprised me by offering sliders as well as a wide variety of doughnuts. I, of course ordered my classic cinnamon sugar and then a fried chicken slider. Guys, I am from Kentucky and this tiny little sandwich held the best piece of fried chicken I ever had, topped with a spicy slaw and candied jalepenos. I would go back to Nola just for that slider. Please make a stop here and order five because you will want more.
Commerce: We came here for breakfast and it happened to be right across the street from where we stayed. If we weren't looking for it-we would've missed it. This little gem is a whole in the wall serving authentic Nola flavor. The people who work there are pretty great too and when they tell you to get something-just trust them. I got a New Orleans style Biscuits and Gravy and my friend go a breakfast Po'Boy. Delish. Side note-there will be a guy there who tells you to put their homemade chili-garlic hot sauce on basically anything you order. Do it (and then proceed to buy bottle of hot sauce for $2).
Drago's: Charbroiled Oysters. I thought they would be gross and slimy but they were amazing, garlicky, and everything I could've never imagined. Do yourself a favor and don't share these bad boys and when you're done dip the bread in the remaining garlicky goodness-you're welcome.
Cafe Du Monde: Guys. I love bread. I shouldn't but I do-so so much. And beignets are like sweet bread with powdered sugar on top. I had multiple beignets while in New Orleans but none compared to Cafe du Monde. This is a historic staple and if you are in New Orleans or within 500 miles you must stop for this deliciously sweet treat.
Butcher: Originally this was not on our list of places to stop but listen y'all. This place was GOOD. Meats made in house and then stacked between two slices of homemade bread and I mean there's no way you can go wrong. Lately, I have been a huge brussel sprout fan so anytime I see them on a menu, I must have them. These were unlike many I have had before because they were based in vinegar with some kind of spice to them. They were different but very good!!! My order: Italian sub with brussles on the side.
Music: I'll be honest. I don't like large crowds of people and if you're anything like me bourbon st. is NOT for you. Luckily I knew a local before our stop in New Orleans and they recommended Frenchman Ln. Less crowds and great live music on every corner. Highly recommend.
The Swamp: I didn't think I would like the swamp but it ended up being my favorite thing about our trip. We went on a boat ride led by our native tour guide. It felt like everything you could know about the history of New Orleans you could learn from the swamp. We saw gators, we heard about historic landmarks and sites throughout the swamp and we got to hold a baby gator. It was awesome and an unforgettable experience.
World War 2 Museum: New Orleans has a HUGE award winning World War Two Museum. The museum takes you through a tour of World War 2 from the perspective of a person involved in the war in some way. It was just a really powerful place that is difficult to put into words but is a must see for any history buffs.
Oak Alley Plantation: There are plantations all throughout the south but Oak Alley stands apart from the rest. Something I really appreciated about this tour in particular is that the historical aspect is told from the perspective of a slave and a plantation owner. The plantation is wonderfully preserved and it feels like you're in a whole other world when you're there. If you want to make a day of visiting the plantations the also have a restaurant on site.
Obviously I had a fabulous time on this trip and an equally fun amount of time reliving it through this post. I really hope you consider taking a trip to Nola, like as soon as you possibly can. It was an unforgettable experience that I'm sure to try again.
XOXO,
Becca
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