In honor of Fat Tuesday, I wanted to do a little run down of some of my favorite things to do in New Orleans.
A few weeks ago I wrote a post about my favorite places to eat in The Big Easy (of course, I started with food!).
But this city has way more to offer than beautiful beignets at historic Café Du Monde.
So here is a recap of some of my favorite things to do between meals.
The French Quarter
The French Quarter is known for Bourbon Street, which of course conjures up thoughts of open containers, bead throwing, and dancing in the streets.
I don’t drink, so this isn’t my jam, but I still love this area.
Walking down the street you can enjoy the talents of the street performers and musicians. If your looking to do some retailing, you can find everything from voodoo shops to art galleries.
And make sure to look up- literally.
The architecture is really special. Beautiful homes with hidden courtyards you can catch a glimpse of from the street, historic landmarks, and beautiful churches. It’s unlike any other place in U.S.
Sunday Gospel Brunch
The world famous House of Blues has a location in the French Quarter. While you can find the House of Blues in other cities such as Las Vegas, there is nothing like Gospel Brunch on Sunday morning at the New Orleans House of Blues.
This city is known for its music, soul, and food. They all come together during this combo of church concert and Southern brunch that will have you swaying in your seat.
I absolutely love going every time I’m in the city. I swear I feel the spirit. Why can’t every Sunday Service be this moving?
Go on a Guided Tour
The history of this town will make you fall in love with it even more. One way to do this is by going on a tour.
And you have your pick. New Orleans has more than 100 tour companies offering guided tours.
There is a tour for every interest. History, ghost stories, food, architecture- pick your interest and book that tour.
Take in Something Uniquely New Orleans
On our past two visits, my husband and I have booked our trip to sync up with the King Cake Festival. If you love King Cake, I can’t recommend this enough. All the best King Cake bakeries in the region come out to the Superdome (where the Saints Football team plays) and people can sample their tasty treats.
You have no clue how many forms that King Cake comes in until you experience this event.
We always take at least one cake home. And there is no doubt, it’s worth carrying it on the plane. That way it is fresh, truly made with love in Louisiana, and has that something special (or what the Cajuns call ‘lagniappe’- pronounced /lan yap/).
Just to show you how much better it is to get it from New Orleans and carry it with you, we ordered one from one of our favorite bakeries, and it came 2-day by FedEx. Not the same as we tasted at the festival, a bit travel worn, and somewhat of a mess. But still delicious!
This blog post could go on and on. The city of New Orleans truly has something for everyone.
So Happy Fat Tuesday ‘Eve’! Treat yourself to yummy gumbo or a beignet tomorrow in the celebration of the season!
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
