Every holiday I’ve taken has been either in the UK, France or Spain. In fact me and hubby spent our honeymoon in a caravan at Seahouses, Northumberland. Now I’m not knocking any of these holidays, they were all really good but this year we got to live the dream and visit the USA. We’d been watching The Originals on Netflix, a series about vampires which is set in New Orleans and even though we heard a lot of it is filmed in Atlanta we were fascinated by New Orleans and the French Quarter. So when we got the opportunity to book a trip to America we knew where we wanted to go. And I certainly did a lot of research before we went on the best things to do in the French Quarter.
So we booked 7 nights in the Wyndham Hotel, French Quarter, New Orleans and 5 nights in the Mirage Hotel, Las Vegas. With almost a year to wait the excitement built quite a lot. Our trip to the airport was going to be a long one.  We were catching the train from Newcastle upon Tyne, staying overnight in a B&B at King’s Cross then getting the tube to Heathrow Aiport the next day. We had a bit of a panic a couple of weeks before the holiday when I realised I’d booked the wrong date for our train home. I’d actually booked it for the day before we were due back! Apparently Trainline won’t allow you to just change the date, you have to cancel the whole thing and then rebook it. And of course you don’t get your money back immediately, that takes up to 7 days to make it back into your bank account. I would be very reluctant to use Trainline again as I found their customer services department very unhelpful. Anyway that eventually got sorted out and we both gave a sigh of relief, obviously that was the hiccup for our holiday.
Two days before we were due to fly the UK decided to have the worst snow fall we’d seen in a long time. I was sure someone was trying to tell me something! Weather reports were telling people to only travel if it was absolutely necessary. The snow didn’t stop. The day of our train journey we rang to book a taxi. They weren’t operating that night they said, the roads were too bad. I could feel the tears welling up with frustration. Our daughter offered to give us a lift to the train station so we decided okay but if the roads did look bad then we’d think of something else. It turned out the roads were not as bad as we thought they might be. We arrived at the train station safe and sound (and our daughter made it home again safe and sound).
Then it was a nail-biting wait at the train station. Trains were notorious for being cancelled in bad weather. Luck was on our side and the train arrived on time and got to King’s Cross only 20 minutes late. The next morning the snow was still lying but there had been no more flurries. Our tube trip was uneventful and we arrived at the airport in plenty time. The only hitch with the flight was a one hour wait on the runway while the plane was de-iced.
Our holiday turned out to be the most fantastic two weeks we’ve ever had. I could probably ramble on for 50,000 words about everything we did but I’m going to limit myself to what I thought were the best things to do in the French Quarter.
French Quarter New Orleans
Our 7 nights in New Orleans, French Quarter started just after Mardi Gras had ended so although we missed all the excitement of that it meant it wasn’t as crowded which for us was probably better. Here are, what we felt, the best things to do in the French Quarter.
Cafe Beignet on Bourbon Street
If you’re looking for things to do on Bourbon Street then Cafe Beignet should be your first stop. Bourbon Street has the reputation of being loud and full of party-going drinkers … which it is lol, but also a very interesting experience! The street is mainly bars and clubs but near the Canal Street end of it we came across some very tall railings and could hear jazz music. Just inside the railings we could see some statues which on closer examination were almost life-size statues of old jazz musicians. They were in an outdoor courtyard which also had tables and chairs scattered around a small stage where resident musician Steamboat Willie and his band were playing.
We sat at a table and ordered Bloody Mary’s. At $14 each they were pretty expensive but they were large and I don’t think I could have drank a lot of them.  I was expecting a stick of celery in it but they came with a long green bean! Very tasty they were too. Hubby didn’t like his so I drank them both. The entertainment is free but they do come round with a tip bucket which we certainly didn’t mind. The cafe also has a food menu and we called in for breakfast one morning. I can totally recommend the food (especially the beignets – more about those later) but unfortunately I found the coffee undrinkable … very strong chicory. The atmosphere on a warm evening sitting in that little courtyard, sipping cocktails, with jazz playing in the background is just wonderful, and just what we’d hoped for. Definitely a place to add to your list of the best things to do in the French Quarter.
Cafe Du Monde
The cafe that is world famous for the beignet, a deep fried pastry a bit like a square doughnut (without the hole – see photo above) and covered in icing sugar. Cafe Du Monde is an open-air cafe on Decatur Street and is always busy. We called in on a weekday so the queue wasn’t very long but we did pass by on the Saturday morning and the queue was right down the street – it would have been about an hour’s wait! We’d already had some beignet in Cafe Beignet and they were very tasty but we’d heard Cafe Du Monde was THE place to try them. We ordered a plate of them each along with coffee. The beignets are vegetarian but not suitable for vegans. They’re served three on a plate with an avalanche of icing sugar. I had to shake most of the icing sugar off.
They’re quite filling so we probably should have got a plate between us. Although they were still tasty (and the coffee was much better) I have to say I thought the ones we had at Cafe Beignet were just as good.
Jackson Square
With St Louis Cathedral towering over it, Jackson Square is a beautiful tourist attraction. It popped up all over the place when I was researching the best things to do in the French Quarter. The small park in the centre is a lovely place to sit and soak up the sun and the atmosphere. Around the outside of the park artists set up their work on the railings and the pavement but we didn’t buy anything as most of the pieces I liked were quite large and wouldn’t fit in my case. Just outside St Louis Cathedral you’ll find lots of street entertainers with crowds around them throughout the day. You could easily spend a couple of hours being entertained. And a trip to Jackson Square wouldn’t have been complete without popping into the Cathedral (we love visiting churches and cathedrals). Definitely worth a visit.
Steamboat Natchez
There were loads of tours and trips to choose from in New Orleans, but as there was lots of things we wanted to do and see we chose three. The first one being a 2 hour Jazz Brunch Cruise down the Mississippi River on Steamboat Natchez.
The cruise began with a fascinating talk as we sailed down the river, giving us an insight into New Orleans history and culture.
Then a buffet lunch was served. The vegetarian food choice was very poor, which I’d expected. I walked around the buffet in dismay – lots of chicken and fish. Then I came across the Red Beans and Rice, it looked absolutely disgusting but I ladled some onto my plate (reminded me of a prison film) and added some bread and salad. I’ve got to admit I sat for a couple of minutes before I plucked up the courage to taste it!
Fortunately it tasted a lot better than it looked. And it went well with a pint of lager. The resident jazz band set up in the dining area and played for the rest of the cruise – I wasn’t that into jazz beforehand but it’s very easy listening. We took a walk around the steamboat. It’s very olde worlde – I was picturing Mel Gibson in Maverick.
A view of the paddle wheel is a must. It’s surprising to think that’s the only thing moving the boat. And it’s very, very loud! I highly recommend the cruise but maybe choose the option without food if you’re vegetarian or vegan.
If you’d like to try your hand at cooking an authentic New Orleans Meal (Prawn or Chicken Creole, Spicy Cajun Corn and Banana’s Foster) there’s a great review of a New Orleans themed Spice Box over on Yeah Lifestyle.
New Orleans Cemetery and Voodoo Walking Tour
If you visit New Orleans you have to go on one of their Cemetery Tours. It’s absolutely fascinating. In New Orleans they bury their dead above ground in tombs and the tour guide we had was very knowledgeable. This particular tour was around St Louis Cemetary No 1 where Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans is buried and where Nicholas Cage has his own 9ft pyramid shaped tomb ready and waiting.
I advise taking a bottle of water with you and wearing comfortable shoes as this is a two hour walking tour. A fascinating addition to any list of best things to do in the French Quarter.
Whitney Plantation
This is a 5.5 hour tour that takes you past Lake Pontchartrain to the Whitney Plantation’s Louisiana Museum of Slavery and I can’t recommend it strongly enough. (Not in the French Quarter but as it was a trip from the French Quarter I’m including it in my best things to do in the French Quarter). The tour of the plantation itself was very emotional. Before it began we were each handed a lanyard with a card featuring a child that had been a slave there. The card has a picture of the statue of that child and an excerpt from an interview with them on the back. We wore them around our necks as we took the tour. Ours are now hung on the noticeboard in my office – they should never be forgotten. It’s hard to believe that human beings could ever treat other human beings in that way.
The plantation has the strangest feeling – even though horrific things went on there the place had the most peaceful feeling – calm, quiet and very, very still.
The day trip also had it’s laughs too. Our coach driver was hilarious – in his words he was a “310 lb sex god” He made the journey to and from the plantation really enjoyable and he was also extremely knowledgeable about the area.  Everyone should take this tour.
Our 7 nights in New Orleans were fantastic and we were very sad to leave it, but not for long! Hubby had always wanted to go to Las Vegas so we thought as we’d already be in the USA why not visit the gambling capital of the world while we’re there. 7 nights in New Orleans, French Quarter and then onto Las Vegas for 5 nights … here we come.
What would you add to my list of the best things to do in the French Quarter?
I hope others find this as interesting as I do, looking forward to Part 2!
Thanks Lynn – pleased you enjoyed it 🙂