There's NO pLAce like NOLA

Recently one of my best friends got engaged. For their honeymoon, they are planning to go to New Orleans, LA. One of my favorite trips EVER! Which got me reminiscing about the trip.

My boyfriend, Nate, and I went to New Orleans after I graduated from college in 2016. It was my final "Hoorah" before I started working. Sure, it wasn't crazy like backpacking across Europe for a month, but it was still one of my favorite places I've been to this day.

Nate's family has always kept a journal on their trips, no matter how small or how big of a trip so that they can remember where they went, what they did, and who they met. Nate did this on our trip, and I can't even begin to explain how great it was to go back and re-live our experiences.

Here's my Guide to getting the most out of New Orleans.

Where to stay: We stayed at the Le Richelieu in the French Quarter. When you stepped into the hotel, you immediately noticed the beauty and Charm of New Orleans. Each room is decorated to represent the different cultures that created New Orleans' history. Not to mention, it was walking distance to just about everything we wanted to do while we were there. The picture to the right shows the view outside our room. We spent some time in our hotel swimming and at the bar inside. We found a picture on the wall of Jimmy Buffett. Turns out he was a past guest of the hotel! If that doesn't make you want to visit, I'm not sure what will.



Where to eat: New Orleans has got to be my favorite foodie town of all time. I can't say enough about the flavors in their meals. I was not a fan of oysters before this trip, and after our very first meal there, where I had my first oyster, I didn't have a meal without one after that.

• The Royal House Oyster Bar - We found this restaurant in a brochure from the hotel, and since it was walking distance we decided to go. This was our first meal of the entire trip. The restaurant itself was a cute place, we were seated almost immediately. Our waiter was the nicest guy, talking to us about the menu, and teaching us about New Orleans. We had asked him to order us his recommendations and he did not disappoint. We started with the Chargrilled Oysters which were to die for. The oysters were topped with their parmesan butter cheese filling and to this day make my mouth water just thinking about them. Our waiter also brought out some Crab Claws, sautéed in a lemon, garlic butter sauce with toasted French bread to dip in it. Those were almost as amazing as the Oysters. This meal was so good, we had to go back on our last day to have it one more time.
• Belle's Diner - This place was unique due to the 50's styled diner theme you embrace when you walk through the doors. It was super fun and more importantly had great food. We came across this place after wandering through the French Market.

• Napolean House - The Napolean House was unique due to the hole in the wall feel you experience inside. It feels like you're hidden in this small building. Our table was off to the side in this small opening which made it feel private and secluded from others. We tried the Sazarac here, a popular drink in the area, not my favorite due to the bitterness, but Nate, Mr. Old Fashioned, loved it! In the end, the food was good and the beer was great, so I mean what else could you ask for?
• Bourbon House - This restaurant was unique because of the - you guessed it - bourbon. There was an entire wall filled with bourbon bottles when you walk in the door. The food was good too though.. but actually, we had an amazing oyster dish as well as shrimp and crabfish. For dessert, we had Creme Brulee and a bourbon milkshake of course. This place is a little bit fancier coming in hot with a slightly more expensive bill, but for Nate's birthday, only the best... right?
• Mothers Restaurant - This sandwich place was a recommendation from my brother-in-law and it was pretty good! It was more casual, and quicker than a regular sit down restaurant, a little bit further from where we were staying but if you find yourself over there might as well try it out!
• Cafe Du Monde - Cafe Du Monde is a MUST! Go in, grab some beignets, a coffee and have yourself the perfect Instagram pic! The Beignets are to die for with more powdered sugar than you could ever ask for, they make the perfect treat! Wash it down with some of their delicious coffee and then go sleep off your food baby.
  

Where to drink: New Orleans is definitely a place to drink! No matter what bar you walk into, you can't go wrong. Being a place where you can grab your drink and go, is really unlike anything I've ever done before. Like I said, there's NO pLAce like NOLA.

• The Original Tropical Isle - This is a fun spot, with a great atmosphere. You can find these stores all over, and their most advertised drink is the Hand, Granade.  This is a giant frozen drink that is very sweet. You can't go in and not get one. The "Hand Grenade Drinking Guide" below give's you a glimpse as to what this drink is like... needless to say we went back for a little nap after this one.

• Bamboulas on Frenchman Street - If you're looking for some amazing live Jazz music, Bamboulas is your place! We were talking with some people back at our hotel who told us to venture over to Frenchman Street. The "locals" place to go out. We took their advice and went found our way into Bamboulas. The night we were there, we heard the most amazing Jazz band playing. It was so interesting to see because Jazz music isn't something you normally listen to back home.
• Pat O'brien's Bar - This bar was on our list of "must go places" and it was definitely on there for a reason. This was one of the coolest bars we went to. It had so many different rooms and the atmosphere was different in each one. It was literally the perfect bar for every type of person. Our favorite spot was probably the dueling piano room. We managed to squeeze our way into a table at the front, ordered a couple Hurricane's and had a great time. I would definitely go back here!
  
• The Beach - This was a fun, upbeat bar with a ~beachy~ vibe, good drinks, and great music. 
• The Cat's Meow - We had as weird of an experience here as the name predicts. Might it be the storm that knocked out the electricity while we were there, or the middle-aged man singing karaoke while ripping his shirt off, this place was not a bore. If you're a fan of Karaoke and you like to drink, you might as well try it out, I can only hope you have as exciting of a night as I did. 
• Ticklers Bar - Ticklers was a dueling piano bar, which if you haven't noticed by now. I'm a fan. They had great music, a wonderful atmosphere and had a 90's cover band so yes, we had fun here! 

What to do: NOLA is definitely not a boring place, there's always something to do. Even non-alcohol related activities. It's a beautiful place, with a lot to see, so spending time being a bit of a tourist should definitely be on your itinerary.

• City Tour - We spent one of our mornings taking the City Tour with VIP Tours. This was an amazing experience. We started by visiting the St. Louis cemetery. Then we drove around and looked at some amazing houses in the garden district and learned a lot about the architecture as well as saw some of the Mardi Gras parade routes. We also drove through some neighborhoods that were affected by Hurricane Katrina. It was amazing to see the damage that was still present today even after so many years, as well as the newer structures that have been repaired. After that, it took us over to the City Park. It had a lot of contemporary art and beautiful trees. This tour was amazing and I would definitely recommend it to you future tourists. 
• Swamp Tour - The swamp tour was one of my "must do" activities while in New Orleans, and this one did not disappoint. We took our tour with Cajun Encounters. It was super easy, they picked you up, drove you to the swamp, and dropped you back off. It was amazing how many animals we saw, and how close we got to them. The tour guides were not only informative but also entertaining. Which realistically makes the tour that much better. I would definitely do this tour again.
• Audobon Aquarium - If you're looking for some air conditioning, and some cute animals this is your place. I am always a fan of the aquarium, so this was right up my alley. It was a good, fun family-friendly place to spend some time!
  
• Plantation Tour - We spent a day taking a bus tour to visit two famous plantations in Louisiana. The Laura Hosue and the Oak Alley House. It was awesome to learn about how the houses were built, the families that lived there, as well as seeing the quarters they lived in. It was like an up close and personal episode of MTV Cribs. Our favorite was the Oak Alley Plantation due to the 28 life oak tree's that lined the front of the house. Not to mention how photogenic it all looked.
  
   
• FREE Voodoo Walking Tour - Yes, I said it. Free! Not a bad idea. Whether you're into voodoo or not, this was a fun experience to walk around the neighborhood and learn about the ancient voodoo history. Mind you this is a "walking" tour and New Orleans gets HOT in the summer so take that into consideration, but if you're down for that. Grab a cold bottle of water, put on your walking shoes and try it out!
• French Market - Looking for souvenirs, crafts, food? Look no further than the French Market. This is perfect for walking around and looking at different vendors, trying some foods, and meeting new people. If you're a market lover like me, this is your place!