How to Fall in Love with The Big Easy in Three Days | A New Orleans Travel Guide

Nadia Watson
Sep 13, 2018
11 min read

If we’re being really real, three days is plenty of time to be swept off your feet -- not because you get tired of New Orleans but because 1) When working a full-time, 9-6 with only 10 vacation days to spare, you learn to manage your vacation time and quite frankly, 2) Two hours was all it took before I realized the city was holding my heart captive… Now, I'm fully aware I could be biased because New Orleans is this European-Meets-Caribbean type of fairytale -- for those of you who don't know, I'm first-generation Caribbean (Guyanese) and studied abroad in Europe for six months. But...

Between the streetcars and horse-drawn carriages moving back and forth like clockwork, the harmonious thumping of drumsticks on buckets from the fingertips of beautiful black children throughout the Vieux Carré tickling my eardrums, the sweet and spicy aroma of Creole and Cajun seasonings dancing across my taste buds, strangers not just enjoying, but embracing each other... embracing the culture at every turn, my eyes couldn't help BUT to sweat profusely (Hey, it’s humid in NOLA, okay!?)

New Orleans isn’t just a city you see… New Orleans isn’t just a city you taste. New Orleans is a city you FEEL.

& Boyyy did I feel it. You see, this trip was right on time. The way coffee needs chicory, I needed a creative resurgence. In my work. In my relationships. In my mind. Oh, and did I mention it was the city's 300th anniversary? It couldn't have been anymore serendipitous.

But I have a confession... I’ve been back from New Orleans for over two weeks now and I still can’t get her off my mind. They say, "You can live in any city in America, but New Orleans is the only city that lives in you." I think it goes without saying I don’t think I'll ever shake The Big Easy... Not anytime soon, that's for sure. So I figured the next best thing to hopping on the next flight out would be recapping the ins and outs of my trip and hopefully convince you to explore the gem for yourself.

WHERE WE STAYED

HARRAH'S RESORT & CASINO

A+ Location

In walking distance: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Bourbon Street, Audobon Garden & Aquarium

DAY 1

We got in mid-afternoon on Thursday. Catching a 9am flight from LAX (which means we were up at 4 to get to the airport on time) is sure to stir up an appetite and luckily, we brought ours. First stop...

THE CREOLE HOUSE | LUNCH

Let me start off by reiterating how amazing it is to watch the people of New Orleans embrace each other's cultures like the true melting pot it is. We were greeted by this elderly white man and in the middle of our meal, I hear someone begin to belt out a soulful "Happy Birthday" song followed by Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly." I was scanning the room to see which talented young black man was hitting those notes but to my surprise, it was that same elderly white man who greeted us at the door. When I tell you I was FLOORED. Just... Wow. The staff all around were a bunch of gems. Our waitress and her two kids worked there. So family-oriented. And what better way to bring a family together than food?

While everything was made to absolute perfection, the standout dishes were the Chargrilled Garlic Parmesan Oysters and Crawdad Po’ Boy hands down. We washed it down with some good ol' Voo Doo Dolls (Vodka + Raspberry Schnapps + Orange Juice + Cranberry Juice + Tears from Baby Jesus Himself). Speaking of drinks, did I mention you can drink on the street? I repeat. YOU CAN DRINK ON THE STREET.

By the time we were through and the plates were clean, I MEAN CLEANED, we had to walk off at least an ounce or two of the feast we just had. Luckily for us, The Creole House is just a few blocks down from Bourbon Street.

BOURBON STREET

Bourbon Street was everything I dreamt it would be... And then some. Noisy. Unsanitary. Nocturnal. Heart-Warming. Exciting. Inclusive. Alive. Lit by neon lights, balconies adorned with Mardi Gras beads year-round, throbbing of music, and waves of crowds, Bourbon Street embodies bizzarre . With its doors and windows flung open to the wandering tourists and locals alike, the sweet sounds of live jazz are luring them in better than voodoo ever could. Take it from me who had to stop at every other bar because the unholy ghost wouldn't have it any other way. Whether you are a social butterfly or are too shy to dance, there's something about Bourbon Street that will make you want to dance the night away (and the day, too). For someone like me, once good music is playing, you can't pull me off the dance floor - or in this case, from the center of the famed street. Not even a parade. Which, by the way, we danced by two in less than 30 minutes!

Once we passed the last of the crowd and I danced for some beads (No, I didn't have to show any skin), I was able to revel in the stunning Spanish architecture (Fun Fact: Majority of the standing architecture is Spanish because the original French-style buildings burnt down in the late 1700s), eclectic shops, and intricate courtyards. There is no shortage of beauty in this city.

(Gallery Below)

DAY 2

Prior to our trip, I did a lot of research and planning. With so little time and wanting to do everything under Evangeline, narrowing down excursions was daunting and damn near impossible. It did help, however, that we all knew we wanted to visit a plantation. That, and Groupon. Listen to me when I say, Groupon is your best friend. Clutch. (You hear that, Groupon. Sponsor ya girl).

After much deliberation, the family and I decided on Oak Alley -- mainly because of the Slavery Exhibit and slightly haunted history. A few others we were considering: Whitney and Laura. But we'll save those for next time!

OAK ALLEY PLANTATION

Trip time: 12:00-4:30

Duration of tour: 2 hours

*Transportation provided. Meet at Gray Line New Orleans Lighthouse. $60 per person.

One of the largest sugar cane producing plantations in Southeastern Louisiana. At Oak Alley, women performed the majority of the heavy maintenance work. Repairing roads and levees was considered "women's work," while their more expensive male counterparts were organized around tasks directly related to sugarcane cultivation i.e. cutting wood, irrigation, and machinery repair. & To think, a little over a century later Beyonce would be filming Deja Vu anddd her B Day shoot here has the slave owners and their family rolling in their grave is the SWEETEST "F**k You" to The Man that I can think of. So naturally, I would've toasted to Auntie Yonce with a tall glass of lemonade, but when in N'awlins... You can't say no to the Mint Julips. And Oak Alley's is absolutely heavenly.

THE GUMBO HOUSE | LATE LUNCH

I ordered the jambalaya (and they definitely are not stingy with the portions) while everyone else got the gumbo which they gave 4.5 out of 5 stars. But to my surprise, my favorite dish was the crab cake we had for an appetizer. Whoo. That soft shell just melted in my mouth.

Once again, we took to Jackson Square where we *attempted* to walk off some of the Heaven-sent food we just devoured. Here, we saw local artists painting, tarot readers working their magic, and art displayed all across the square's iron fence. A gallery if I ever seen one. For well over a half-century, there has been an open-air artist colony at Jackson Square.

CAFE DU MONDE | DESSERT

Beignet... Done that. Except, you haven't. Not until you've gone to Cafe Du Monde. Located in the French Market at Jackson Square, the warm, sweet, funnel cake-donut-esque [BUT BETTER] treats are best paired with cafe au lait, a blend of coffee and chicory mixed half and half with hot milk. I'm not even a coffee drinker but that coffee was to die for. And Cafe Du Monde is worth every bit of hype and every minute you have to wait to be seated. Not to mention, it's the perfect place to people-watch.

SUNSET AT JACKSON SQUARE STEPS

After stuffing our faces with beignets, we walked up the Jackson Square steps with panoramic views of the city, spanning from The Mississippi River to the Place d'Armes to the St. Louis Cathedral and beyond. Men were playing their saxophones, children were dancing, mimicking the sun setting on the horizon, it was the magic you always hear people refer to when they speak of New Orleans but you kind of roll your eyes at because you know that no city is that magical. Except... it is. It truly is.

FRENCHMEN STREET | NIGHTLIFE

This was when I learned that the city of New Orleans and I have a lot more in common than I thought. Full of history and will find any reason to celebrate. More like, New Orleans brings out the best in me, haha.

Anyways, our first stop was Cafe Negril where they had a live band playing and I was naively expecting an "ethnic" band to be playing I don't know... reggae? Is it not called Negril? Anyways. Very cool scene but not just ours. So we walked down to Blue Nile, two stories of live music and amazing drink specials. The best part was obviously the upstairs balcony overlooking Frenchmen Street which, much like Bourbon Street, is just as much of a party outside as it is inside. With the jovial crowds enticing me and me naturally not wanting to miss a literal beat, I had to take it to the streets and no sooner found myself dancing in the middle of a jazz set with the saxophone player.

On cloud nine, we roamed through the French Quarter by way of Royal Street where we randomly came across a jerk chicken stand on the side of the road that we couldn't pass up. There were two guys running it, one a NOLA native and the other - to my pleasant surprise - from Suriname, the neighbor of my parents' native country of Guyana. I was over the moon with bliss. So when I began to tell him, "I'm from --" he finished my sentence for me because he knew right away I was Guyanese. I don't remember the last time I felt so "in-the-right-place-at-the-right-time" as I did in that moment. While the plate of food cost us $15, the conversation was priceless. The NOLA native spoke the word into us that night, reminding us that black people must take their power back and black men have to lift up our black women to do so. As I'm listening to him tell us of how he tried warning residents that Katrina was coming, he stopped mid-sentence to tell me that my "third eye" was strong. That I was very in tune with both my intuition and foresight and that my boyfriend must follow my need. Which completely floored me. All of us. But I felt a spark that night. A fire had been lit. An energy re-awakened.

Anyways, we found ourselves back on Bourbon Street and even though we just ate... We couldn't resist...

WILLIE'S | PRE-HANGOVER FOOD

Watch out Popeye's. Ima say one thing and one thing only... DEM BISCUITS DOE. Just kidding. I was too drunk to remember what they tasted like let alone even having one which I'm half depressed about but half unapologetic because I was so high on life and wasted on Hurricanes but that's neither here nor there. Plus, my man vouches and his taste buds never led me astray anyways.

DAY 3

THE GARDEN DISTRICT

Home to oak-shaded streets, the famous St. Charles streetcar, Lafayette Cemetery, lavish gardens and celebrity homes varying from Jay Z and Beyonce to Archie, Payton, and Eli Manning to Sandra Bullock to the American Horror Story House. Known for its grandiose mansions, vibrant Creole cottages, and timeless row houses, you can literally spend hours walking through the neighborhood.

ULTIMATE SWAMP TOUR

Trip time: 12:00-2:00

Tour duration: 2 hours

Transportation not provided. $20 per person. Uber appr. $30 RT

My cousin had recently visited for Essence Fest so I had reached out to her asking what we should do, etc. etc. I distinctly remember her strongly recommending we do this tour. Little did she know, she had me at Groupon. My boyfriend was a little weary - just because he didn’t know what quality the tour would be - but as an avid Groupon lover, I knew it would be just fine. But boy were we BOTH pleasantly surprised.

We took the covered boat tour and we honestly couldn't have asked for better guides. For one, you're greeted by the cutest bayou kitty cat which again just adds to the atmosphere. It's basically a family business and their commentary and interaction with the guests is absolutely priceless. They're extremely knowledgeable but even moreso personable and charismatic. From Leeroy from Swamp People to Captain Gary and his jokes to his young nephew, a little gator hunter in the making, I couldn't ask for more. Not to make this about race either but it was hard to be in the deep South and NOT think about it, but it was truly beautiful to witness how this young boy didn’t have an ounce of hate in his heart. You shoulda seen the little heart throb, trying to court these grown ass black women. It was the cutest thing I done ever seen. Not to mention, there's countless swamp tours but believe me when I say, if you can go on this tour with Leeroy, Gary and the little one, DO IT DO IT DO IT! Also, which I’m sure you’re all wondering -- YES! We saw tons of gators up close and we were able to hold a baby alligator andddd a babet* (well, we held the former and were creeped out by the latter which again, just enhanced the experience). We fed the gators and cruised on the bayou. The ride was smooth, scenic, and surprisingly peaceful. ULTIMATE SWAMP ADVENTURES REALLY LIVES UP TO ITS NAME.

After the tour, you work up a sweat… AND an appetite. Luckily, there are tons of eating options right next door, but we opted to Uber to...

CAJUN SEAFOOD | LUNCH

Yes, that's the name. My boyfriend wasn't gonna stop until he got some of N'awlins famous Crawdads, and not from just any fine dining spot. But a true hole in the wall and local gem. While there are four locations, you'll certainly feel like a New Orleans native walking into this corner restaurant on Broad Ave. We got a two pounds of crawfish, pig feet, and sides for literally only $20. High blood pressure never tasted better, LORD ALMIGHTY. Because it's not a sit down joint, we took it back to our hotel and spread some paper across the table and went to work. I can still smell the crawfish permeate the hotel room. My only regret is not going sooner because I definitely would've gone at least once a day, everyday.

STEAMBOAT NATCHEZ | DINNER

What a perfect way to end our trip. Aboard the last steam-powered paddle wheel on the Mississippi, and let me tell you, she maybe too touristy for some but she certainly is a beaut! Jazz dinner cruisin' down the Mississippi River watching the sun set beautifully on the city felt like something out of a Disney classic. While the brunch menu looked popppppin', the evening cruise is perfect because like I said, you get to enjoy the best of both worlds: daytime and sunset. We were first seated for dinner which was buffet style. There's also a cash bar onboard which is a plus! Entrees included seafood pasta, gumbo, creamed spinach, beef brisket, salmon, pork chops. And then came dessert! Bananas Foster, ice cream... BREAD PUDDING. I don't even LIKE bread pudding but my goodness, it was absolutely delightful. I mean, I'm salivating just thinking about it. Following dinner, we went outside to the upper deck where we watched the sunset as we passed different warehouses, the Ninth Ward, listening to the informative tour with live jazz serenading us in the background. The dinner cruise concluded with our own private fireworks show, which again, New Orleans hospitality at its finest.

While this was just my experience and my recommendations, I hope that you felt like this was your recollection, too. That you could feel the humidity on your skin. Taste the powdered sugar from the beignets on your tongue. Witness the beauty and resilience of America's Melting Pot. Find the next cheapest flight... But before you go (because I have a good feeling you'll be packing your bags pretty soon), just remember this: