This was my fourth time going to New Orleans and, each time I go, I think I fall in love with the city more and more. The first thing you may think of when you hear The Big Easy might be the illustrious Bourbon Street, Mardi Gras and all the craziness that comes with, but trust me, there is so much more to New Orleans than topless women, beads and parades! Let’s be honest, I could name a lot more than 5 of my favorite things to do in this city, but for the sake of keeping it the Friday Five – let’s just go with it. If you have any questions or want more suggestions than these, just leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail! š Let’s get started:
1. Commander’s Palace & the Garden District.Ā Numbers 1-3 on this list will include two things in one only because they are so close together. Take the St. Charles Street Trolley down to Jackson and visit Commander’s Palace and the Garden District. Commander’s Palace is a super classy joint that has the BEST food, a dress code, fancy service (the kind where everyone’s plate hits the table at the same time and napkins are laid in your lap –Ā they even match a black napkin to your black clothing) and, get this, 25 cent martinis! I’d recommend making a reservation for a late brunch / early lunch when you visit the Palace – noon seems to be the perfect time. But, whenever you go, and whatever you order, just be sure you at least split with someone the bread pudding.. it’s TO DIE FOR! The Garden District is one of my favorite areas of NOLA to just walk around take photos and enjoy the sights. The houses and streets are beautiful!
2. Magazine Street & District Donuts, Sliders and Brew.Ā Magazine Street is a long stretch filled with little gems of shops, delicious eateries and plenty of places to stop for a tasty treat or drink! On our last trip we discovered this place called District Donuts, Sliders and Brew (“brew meaning freshly brewed coffee, not beer!) and had the most amazing coffee and homemade specialty donuts. I knew I had to take the girls and, as expected, they loved it too. Prices are really reasonable and their beverages on “tap” include chocolate milk and assorted juices š It’s a fun place. They also serve sliders that are perfect for a snack and are seriously the best I’ve ever eaten!
3. Cafe Du Monde & Jackson Square.Ā Cafe Du Monde is located right in Jackson Square and, if you don’t visit this place for some chicory coffee and hot fluffy beignets then consider your trip absolutely pointless. Seriously. It’s that good. Jackson Square is gorgeous – featuring the St. Peter’s Cathedral (looks like a castle), the Louisiana State Museum and scores of local artists and musicians that like to hang out in the square. It’s all about culture in this part of town and the back alleys and connecting streets are just as much fun to explore.
4. The French Market.Ā Just down the street from Jackson Square and Cafe Du Monde is the French Market. It’s basically a Farmer’s Market and flea market rolled into one and it’s the coolest thing. Dozens of vendors, artiststs and restaurants are represented here and you’d be hard pressed not to find something you want to bring home. The girls and I enjoyed dacquiris while we walked around and found a few things to buy. Maybe one of these days I won’t eat so many beignets before visiting the Market so I’ll actually have room for the oysters, crawfish and other bits of deliciousness that you can sample… but.. then again.. maybe beignets and compromise just aren’t possible.
5. Frenchmen Street.Ā This was a place I had never been to before this trip, but I went looking for things that the locals do… and Frenchmen Street seemed to be number one on everyone’s list. We got into town in the evening on Thursday so we went straight to Frenchmen before we parked the car for the weekend (it’s about 10 minutes north of the French Quarter). Frenchmen is basically the more low-key/less touristy Bourbon Street area. It’s a couple of blocks of hidden gems,Ā restaurants and bars and it did not disappoint! We even ran into a local art show once the sun went down that was set up under scores of twinkle lights and it featured the coolest trinkets, jewelry and art!
We had such a great girls getaway in New Orleans! I hope that if you go any time soon you’ll let me know if you try any of these suggestions! Whether you love them or hate them – or find bigger better things to do – I’d love to hear about it!
Also, if you’re wondering why some of our instagram photos refer to ACE and why our hashtag was #ACEtakesNOLA – let me explain. These two gal pals (Carolyn and Emily) and I were roommates in college. We are also from the same hometown, though it wasn’t until we all were in Tallahassee for school at Florida State that we became good friends. Emily graduated high school in ’07, I in ’08 and Carolyn (fondly referred to sometimes as Carol) in ’09. Em and I had met while doing an internship with our church back home and we quickly became friends in the summer of ’09, and then with Carol when she moved up to Tallahassee for school that fall. WhileĀ living together, everyone referred to our house as the house of ACE because, naturally, that’s what our initials spell, and it has stuck ever since! Carolyn and Emily both went off and did other non-Tallahassee things upon their respective graduations from college, but now we are all back in the same city and this trip was sort of a celebration of friendship and life in general… We are all creative souls and we could (and did) spend hours with our cameras glued to our hands, just aimlessly walking around, saying a whole lot or, comfortably, nothing at all. We’re the kind of friends that would get a hotel room with a single king size bed because we’d rather snuggle together to sleep anyway. They’re the ones I laugh with and cry with. The ones I can be hilariously/annoyingly/weirdly/obnoxiously stupid with and dance with until 4am. They’re the ones that sit with me, a bottle of nail polish and a tall glass of wine during marathons of Greys Anatomy. The only ones that really get just how important a run to get froyo at 10:55pm truly can be. The ones I can be brutally honest with and the ones that remind me of the loving grace of God. They get me and I them and I’m so blessed to call them my people, y’all.
All that being said, I’m sure there will be other #ACEtakes_____ in the future… so stay tuned š
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