The reason for finally getting this blog running is my recent trip to New Orleans. As a researcher and planner, I was mildly stressed about how to prepare for a 6 person (3 couples) weekend trip where we got to see a good chunk of what the city had to offer without spending a ton of money, or feeling like we were jam packed every minute of the day. I think we did a darn good job, so here is what our trip looked like for anyone else looking to gather up some ideas. Side note: we are a group in our mid/late twenties.
Flight & Hotel Planning: As one of my friends works in the hospitality industry, we were able to get a wonderful discounted rate on hotel rooms, however we did have to stay in two separate hotels. The Double Tree on Canal Street was one, and the Hampton Inn on St. Charles was the other. If you are considering one of those, the Hampton Inn was by far the better option. The decor and overall style is much more updated, and the location is prime for hopping on the streetcar to visit the sights. The Double Tree is also in a great location (really can’t go wrong with hotels in New Orleans on location), but the hotel could really use a facelift- the pictures online have some serious filtering I think because nothing was gleaming quite that way when we stayed there. The service was wonderful however, and they had complimentary warm cookies at arrival, and were very friendly with any assistance we needed.
For the flight we took Spirit, and it was a running joke as to what we could get charged for next, I honestly and openly hate Spirit airlines. Due to a storm in New Orleans, we were unable to land the plane and had to refuel in Houston and then head back… so we were about 4 hours late into New Orleans when we finally landed. During all this, I could not even get a bottle of water because they had to charge my credit card for it, and due to us flying low no purchases could be made. If given a $75-100 price difference on booking a plane ticket, I will definitely pay more to fly Southwest or another airline. Flight tips: About 10 months prior to your trip, set up flight alerts on every major site you can, paying attention to which airlines do not show up in searches on kayak/tripadvisor, and listen to them on their advice to wait or buy, this will definitely help get the best price.
Since we had 6 people, before the trip we researched some of the top restaurants and made “just in case” reservations for lunch and dinner each day. Opentable is a great website for this- and it is free. Our first night we had reservations at Emeril’s, however with the flight delay, we missed it, and had to fend for ourselves at about 11pm for dinner. We were directed to St. Lawrence, which is good to keep in mind as it is one of few places that serve a full menu until 2am. http://www.saintlawrencenola.com/documents/Food%20Menu.jpg
The softshell crab blt and fried chicken dinner were both delicious, and the spring greens salad was great as a light option- do NOT get the caeser salad- you will be disappointed. This place has good drink prices as well, we stopped by on a walk during the day for Sangrias and Bloody Mary’s.
That first night we attempted to go to Frenchmen Street, which is advertised as being the spot the locals go to hear good jazz music without the crazy spring break intensity of Bourbon Street. I had been there on a work trip the year prior, and loved it. Go on a Friday or Saturday though, as during the week many places are not open. On the weekend this is also the site of the Frenchman Art Market, which is really fun to walk through.
We had planned to hit up Sobou that next morning, since on Fridays from 11:30-3pm they have 25 cent martinis (limit 3 per person) but we missed our too early reservation so we decided to hit up the popular brunch spot, The Ruby Slipper Cafe. If you are putting together a list and you only take one place from me- take this one. You will need to get there anticipating at least a 45 minute wait, but go up to the bar and order their bloody mary or mimosa. The bartenders talk while their heavy hand never stops pouring the liquor- you get your money worth for sure. http://www.therubyslippercafe.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/RSCMenu11-29-14.pdf Everything was delicious- get out of your comfort zone and order from their specialties!
We took the rest of the day to be tourists and travel on the streetcar (the St. Charles line is the oldest continually running street car system in the U.S) up through the Garden District (amazing homes) and visit the Lafayette Cemetery. We decided to forgo the tour options and do this ourselves, and it was really quite easy, and costs $1.25! Have the hotel front desk give you a map as to where to get on/off the streetcar, and ride away. When we got to the Cemetery there was a lovely woman starting a tour and let us hop on for I think $15 total for our group, this was worth it because she was able to explain the above ground grave concept as well as show us some of the famous plots that would have been hard for us to find alone.
Since I can’t remember where we ended up doing dinner this evening- I will throw out a recommendation from my work trip- and that is Red Fish right on Bourbon Street. http://www.redfishgrill.com/menu_display.html?id=52 the Alligator Boudin Balls are so delicious, and I had the Red Fish on the wood fired grill and loved it. Great place for some seafood options, I joked that I could have eaten there every night.
Saturday morning we did a rushed brunch at Saint’s & Sinners, which is Channing Tatum’s restaurant, and the only reason we had to go. It was good, but nothing spectacular. They do however have a crawfish boil platter that looks very good if you are on a hunt for that, otherwise I think just stopping by at night while on Bourbon Street will fulfill your Magic Mike desires.
The reason we were rushed is to make it for our Airboat Swamp Tour. This was so much fun. The bus picks you up from your hotel and it’s about a 40 minute ride to get to the swamps. You can bring any food/beverage you wish, but it will be hard to manage on the actual air boat, these things go fast and they are very loud. During the 2.5 hour trip they will wind the boat into populated areas where gators actually come up to the boat after being baited with marshmallows and meat, and it is crazy how close you get!
We actually got caught in a horrible rain downpour shortly after this, so our trip ended very wet to say the least. They do bring on a baby alligator to pass around and take photos with, which is a fun touch that really makes the whole experience come to a close. This was such a nice way to get out of the eating/drinking routine that takes over in New Orleans, and I would definitely recommend it if you have the time.
For dinner the final night we chose to do it up big at G.W Finns, and it did not disappoint. You will need reservations a few weeks in advance here, but the food was so delicious and the entire atmosphere is lovely. http://gwfins.com/menus/daily-menu/ the menu changes a bit each day, however if the blackened swordfish is on there, you will not regret it. My boyfriend, who always picks the best dishes of course ordered it.
We decided to take on the Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone this night, and we loved it. The bar itself is a large carousel that you sit at and it very slowly, spins in a circle. The atmosphere outside of the main bar is classy and relaxed, with a band usually playing. We were able to secure a nice spot on a sofa to have drinks and listen to the band, and then ended up dancing the night away to the music. Perfect ending to a great weekend in New Orleans.
Freiburger on the Fly 
