New Orleans
a:New Orleans
r:Louisiana
I have wanted to go to (link: http://www.neworleansonline.com text: New Orleans) for such a long time and Alex is always open to a trip to the US and to explore a new part of this huge country. So this year we decided it was finally time to travel south and see for ourselves what we only heard of so far. If you have never been, I can wholeheartedly recommend a visit to this fabulous city. We went in March and have been told it was the perfect time to be there as it was warm and a little humid, but nothing compared to what it can be like a little later in the year. We had rain for one morning but perfect blue skies and warm weather for the rest of our stay. New Orleans is located in the southern part of the United States in the state of Louisiana close to the Gulf of Mexico. It is known for its music, vibrant nightlife, spicy food, and a great mix of cultures. We drove down south to the Big Easy, stayed for four nights, and left with great memories of this truly fabulous city. Please do read on for more...
Old 77 Hotel in New Orleans
a:Tchoupitoulas Street
r:Louisiana
Finding and deciding on the right hotel is always a big thing for me, but speaking to my friend Linda, a professional Travel Agent from New York about our planned trip made it a whole lot easier. She knows the city by heart and after I told her what we were looking for she recommended the (link: http://old77hotel.com text: Old 77 Hotel). So we went with her recommendation and she booked a room for us at this fabulous boutique hotel. The Old No. 77 Hotel used to be a Warehouse in its former life and has been transformed into a chic, artsy boutique hotel with cool designs which is located in the heart of NOLA, only three blocks from the French Quarter. Our room was spacious with great decorations and huge windows overlooking the front of the hotel. Our bathroom was well appointed, a spacious closet had room for all our stuff, and Wifi was included in the rate. The hotel has a gym, a great-looking bar, and a restaurant that was full every night we were there. I was very much looking forward to staying at this hotel and it didn't disappoint. The location is perfect, the price fair, the style excellent and most staff members were really friendly and helpful. If I am honest I feel that some staff members in the F&B outlets could have tried a little harder to be hospitable but overall we had a fabulous experience at this hotel and we would definitely return.
Sightseeing in New Orleans
a:New Orleans
r:Louisiana
**French Quarter** A visit to the French Quarter is of course a must when visiting New Orleans. The most famous street is Bourbon Street, where everybody walks from bar to bar, some musicians play in the streets, people carry drinks in plastic cups and the atmosphere is happy and joyful. And this feeling carries on when you walk from street to street and bar to bar. Visitors and locals are happy and celebrating and are enjoying the music. We were told to go and visit Frenchmen Street, so we did and found some great bars for live music where you buy a drink and sit there and listen to some great blues music (in our case). And when you feel you heard enough, you walk on, buy yourself a Bloody Mary to go and enjoy the street music, watch people and soak up the atmosphere, the warm summer weather together with your holiday feeling... Bliss!! **Garden District** One morning we bought a ticket for the streetcar and went to the Garden District of New Orleans. Originally laid out in 1832, the Garden District was created as a settlement for the new residents who did not want to mix with the Europeans who had settled in the French Quarter. The homes there are beautiful with stunning gardens and great trees, a lovely area to walk around. The best place to start is around Prytania Street and Washington Avenue which is the heart of this district together with the historic Lafayette Cemetery # 1. **The Mississippi** We felt we should do a lunchtime Jazz Cruise on the Mississippi. We went and bought two tickets which included the ride on the boat, a lunch buffet, and live Jazz music. It was very busy when we arrived and the ship was full. It felt very touristy and although the views of New Orleans were nice, the music quite good and the staff very friendly I would not really recommend this experience. Once you are on the boat, there is not much to see other than New Orleans as the area outside the city is very industrial. The food is not too good either and there are not enough seats in the shade and the sun was very strong. Overall it was nice to see the city from the water but it wasn't the cool experience we were hoping for... This does not necessarily make it to the To-Do list. **The Cemetery** The city has many cemeteries worth visiting and we chose the historic Lafayette cemetery in the Garden District. It is open from Monday - Sunday between 7 AM and 3 PM. Located between Washington, Sixth, Prytania, and Coliseum streets, it is the oldest of the seven city-operated cemeteries in New Orleans. There are immigrants from over 25 different countries and natives of 26 states as identified on the closure tablets. It is a beautiful cemetery in a lovely neighbourhood and many people go and visit. I liked exploring it, but I always have a somber feeling when walking around a cemetery. I would however recommend a visit if you are in the area anyway. **The Warehouse District** As our hotel was located in the warehouse district, so we explored our neighbourhood one morning and loved it! The warehouse district was originally established as an industrial area in the 19th century to store grain, coffee, and produce shipped through the Port. The transformation into today's arts district began in 1976 with the opening of the Contemporary Arts Center. Many artists and galleries followed as well as museums that newly opened in the area like the National World War II Museum which is the largest of the museums in this area. Restaurants and bars followed and there is a great selection of venues to choose from nowadays.
Oak Alley Plantation, New Orleans
a:Louisiana Highway 18
r:Louisiana
Ever since Scarlett O'Hara I have wanted to see a plantation with my own eyes. So we drove an hour outside of New Orleans and arrived at (link: http://www.oakalleyplantation.org text: Oak Alley Plantation). A historic plantation located on the west bank of the Mississippi River, in the community of Vacherie. It was Spring Break time and it was very busy, but we didn't mind and bought tickets to go in which cost us 22 Dollars each. Oak Alley was once a sugarcane plantation and is named and famous for its remarkable visual feature. An alley of southern live oak trees, planted in the early 18th century, that runs between the home and the River. We discovered the Oak Alley story, explored the grounds, and joined the tour of the house where we learned about the people who lived there over the years. We also discovered that Oak Alley has been used as a filming location every now and then over the years and was, amongst others featured in "Interview with a Vampire". But what stayed with me most are these absolutely stunningly beautiful Oak trees. What a magnificent sight they are and I am so very happy that we chose this plantation for our visit. Absolutely worth it and the pictures we took are fantastic and a great memory for us.
Warehouse District
a:New Orleans
r:Louisiana
As our hotel was located in the warehouse district, so we explored our neighbourhood one morning and loved it! The warehouse district was originally established as an industrial area in the 19th century to store grain, coffee and produce shipped through the Port of New Orleans. The transformation into today's arts district began in 1976 with the opening of the Contemporary Arts Center and many artists and galleries followed as well as museums that newly opened in the area like the National World War II Museum which is the largest of the museums in this area. Restaurants and bars followed and you have a great selection of venues to choose from nowadays.
Food in New Orleans
a:New Orleans
r:Louisiana
New Orleans is famous for its spicy food. And this was the first time that I have visited a city in the United States and really found something different in terms of food. We didn't take pictures of all the dishes we tried but I would recommend you look out for Mahi Mahi Tacos, Scampi and Grits, a really good Bloody Mary and Beignets at Cafe du Monde. Those dishes stayed with me and would be on my must-eat list should I return to New Orleans in the future... only great memories of this truly special place!
