"New Orleans makes it possible to go to Europe without ever leaving the United States." FDR
Take it from our 32nd President, New Orleans is like no other town in the USA. I have been lucky enough to visit NOLA twice and I am already anxious to return. There are countless reasons to love New Orleans but lets narrow it down to five for the sake of this blog.
1. The Architecture of New Orleans: The first thing you notice on your journey to New Orleans is the unique and gorgeous architecture. Visually New Orleans is so original and awe inspiring. As you walk through the colorful streets you have absolutely no choice but to stare up at the wrought iron, the color coordinated shutters and to excitedly peak around every corner unable to wait to see what you will discover next. Yet at the same time you can't help but look down at the street names tiled into the sidewalk and into each bar and restaurant to get a little waft of air conditioning, music and entertainment. Best to wander the streets slowly as not miss anything, and lucky for you walking slowly is encouraged.
New Orleans has it all; crumbling worn down buildings that look like they have been left alone for hundreds of years to opulent colorful mansions that just scream old southern money. Personally I can't get enough of either. Every house and building that you encounter just oozes charm, whether its crumbling or perfectly painted.
Best places for that New Orlean's architecture? The French Quarter is where you will find most of what you are looking for, but don't miss the Garden District where you can find famous and fabulous mansions lining the streets.
2. The History and Jackson Square: New Orleans has a rich history, it was founded May 7, 1718 and has been the Gulf of Mexico's busiest port since the early 1700s. It has changed owners a number of times being owned by France and Spain and the France again, all before becoming part of the USA. NOLA was purchased in the Louisiana Purchase by the United States in 1803. During the first half of the 19th century New Orleans was the US's wealthiest and third largest city. Since it was owned by European countries for some of it's most formative years it is no wonder that FDR's observation is exactly right. It feels like some kind of a combination of a southern US city and a french village, with Spanish flair, which to me is essentially the best kind of place. There are tons of educational opportunities throughout the city, including tours and museums, but even just walking around you can feel the history of this place.
These streetcars (may or may not be named desire, hehe) became electrified in the 1900s and are an inexpensive and fun way to make your way around the city.
Jackson Square is on of the most famous landmarks in New Orleans which is both historical and beautiful. The focal point of the park is Andrew Jackson's statue triumphantly standing in front of St. Louis's Cathedral. The Cathedral is more castle-like and certainly gives you the feeling of being in Europe somewhere. There is a lovely park which is perfect to spend some time wandering around and finding a break from the heat in the shade of some Crepe Myrtle trees.
You can see that New Orleans is proud of its heritage and it's past literally at every turn in the city. These street markers are on most streets in the French Quarter, they indicate the street name from back in the 1700s.
3. Food!: Honestly I am shocked it took me this long to get to this glaringly obvious and important reason. New Orleans has some of the best food in the South (some might say in the whole country). The combination of cultures makes it so it has to be good. Southern cooking? Notoriously delicious, French cooking? Notoriously delicious, Spanish cooking? Notoriously delicious. So what could go wrong? And you would be right, whether you are an adventurous eater (like my boyfriend) or a picky eater (like me) there is something for everybody. I don't care if it is fast food or a fancy dinner, you will be sure to come back from this trip with a few souvenir pounds, and can I just say, worth every calorie. Can we start with my favorite? Beignets! If it were socially acceptable I would have ordered 6 plates of these fluffy fried donuts. I say, start and end your day with them, perfect breakfast and perfect late night snack after you hit Bourbon Street.
The only thing I don't like? They don't stick around too long. But good news, you can always order up another round.
They have classic Southern Food, barbecue, fried chicken, etc. They have a lot of seafood and cultural meals that are just done to perfection.
Here I am trying (remember not the most adventurous eater) Alligator. Which I have to say was a pretty big moment for me, and guess what? Tastes like chicken lol I was quite proud of myself for giving it a try and even more surprised in myself that I went for a second piece.
4. Cemeteries and Voodoo: Something that I find really interesting and fun about New Orleans is all of the stories and myths that surround this city. The idea of Voodoo magic, creepy cemeteries and fortune telling always makes me feel like a kid again. If I'm being honest I do not believe in ghosts but I find it fun to try to believe and at the very least hear the stories. In any city with this much history there is going to be all kinds of rumors and very often, even if you don't dig too deep you will be able to find a dark past. And in a place like NOLA, where there is a history of pirates, wars, slavery, voodoo and magic you can be sure to find some pretty fascinating stories about the past.
The cemeteries in New Orleans are both creepy and beautiful. As you may already know, the water table in New Orleans is very high and therefore (after some trial and error) early inhabitants of the city realized that they would be unable to bury bodies as they did in their home countries. Tombs are built above ground and the body is laid to rest within it's walls. Because of the hot, humid temperature the bodies begin to essentially bake, in the oven-like tomb, in a slow cremation process. After about a year the body will be only bones and those bones are swept into a hole within the center of the tomb and it is ready for the next family member to be placed inside. This process alone gives you a gory, creepy feeling doesn't it? I mean this is the stuff ghost stories are made of. On any given tomb you will find a long list of names of family members who have been buried there, many of the names date back hundreds of years ago. They have found this method works quite well and the grave yards have become quite a tourist attraction.
Another thing that I find thoroughly fascinating about these cemeteries is how the vegetation just takes over. Everything in New Orleans is moist and warm and perfect for sprouting all kinds of green things. These green things have no concept of an appropriate place to grow so they find their way into cracks and crevices breaking walls, sidewalks and even tombstones with their never ending desire to find the sun. The heat of this city creates this dizzying aura that makes everything green and magical, no wonder people here are so quick to believe voodoo.
5. Music, Art and Partying: Okay, so who is ready to party? NOLA is ready to party twenty-four seven. You can walk into a bar or restaurant and order a hurricane anytime of the day or night, you can take it out onto the streets and get wild all day everyday if you wanted to. That, of course, is a huge draw for a lot of frat boys and party girls, and there is nothing wrong with that. That was not exactly what I was looking for when I visited New Orleans both times I went and I was happy to find that that was not all there was. TV and movies would lead you to believe that you are going to see a lot of drunk people and honestly a lot of boobs walking the streets of New Orleans, night or day. I can tell you that if you are looking for that kind of a scene, it's there and you can surely find it. But that's not all there is! The history, architecture, food, etc. are just some of the things that make New Orleans fascinating and honestly I found it very romantic, especially because I visited on my anniversary. Before I visited I would have scoffed at the idea of anyone taking their family to New Orleans but now I am thinking of taking my own family some day, there are places I would certainly avoid with young kids but all in all it could be a very educational and fun place for a family vacation. Although I wasn't looking to earn beads on either trip to New Orleans, I still did want to get out and have some fun and experience the party that is Bourbon Street at night. (I would recommend taking in Bourbon Street during the day as well as at night).
Bourbon Street at night is certainly a site to behold and something that should be on everyone's bucket list, even if you don't drink. It's a lot of fun and debauchery (the word we kept using throughout the trip to describe the goings on on Bourbon Street at night). Its essentially warm all year round and you can drink out on the streets so everyone is out drinking icy alcoholic beverages, listening to the music blasting from each bar and club. People are up on their wrought iron balconies throwing beads down to get the crowd to do something crazy (you step on beads everywhere in the street). Sporadically a police officer will move the crowd a long (a completely thankless and fruitless job) so some ridiculous person in a car can try to get through. People are yelling, laughing, dancing, singing, crying, fighting, the works. It is like if people watching were a sport this would be the extreme sport version of people watching. The beauty of Bourbon Street is, it's free, you come and walk around, you stay as long or as little as you would like. You can drink a ton, or be like us and only have a handful of drinks. There are bars available for everyone's taste, from Jazz to Rap to Country. The other great thing is, there are lots of other bars and places to have a good time that have nothing to do with Bourbon Street.
Along with partying NOLA is of course known for artists, authors, and musicians. It is the birth place of Jazz and there is a very strong feeling of creativity throughout the air in this city which is very worthwhile to check out.
BONUS:
Okay I couldn't just leave it at five reasons because there is a day trip that should not be missed if you are visiting New Orleans.
Day Trip to Oak Alley Plantation: Oak Alley Plantation is an incredibly magical place in Louisiana which is not to be missed if you are in the area. This plantation is located in Vacherie, LA and I can guarantee it is worth every minute of the 45 minute trip from New Orleans. There is a historic house and plantation which are very interesting and worthwhile. However the real star of the show is the long alley of live oak trees that line the path to the mansion. The view is breathtaking and a photographers dream. Take an afternoon out of your debauchery in NOLA and take in sights, sounds and history that Oak Alley has offer, you will not be sorry (can I just say pictures do not do it justice). (check out my blog post on Oak Alley Plantation by clicking up there or here).
