A Weekend in New Orleans, LA

Road Trip Destination

The Big Easy - New Orleans, LA

New Orleans is a fascinating city.  We all know about Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street, the parades, and the party that never ends.   And of course, we all remember the devastation of the Ninth Ward by Katrina.  But the culture, vibe, and heritage of NOLA are infinitely more interesting than these broad brush impressions.

To begin with, New Orleans, like many of our cities, was first inhabited by Native Americans.  It was gradually co-inhabited by French fur-traders in the 1600's until it eventually became the capital of French Louisiana under the name "Nouvelle-Orleans" in 1722.  France at that time had ambitions to control the vast middle of North America and box in the British colonies along the Eastern Seaboard.  In the mid 1700's it was ceded to Spanish control, then ceded back to French control just before being sold by Napolean to the USA in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.  

Only a decade later, New Orleans was the site of one of the definitive battles that secured long-term independence for America.  In the often forgotten Battle of New Orleans in the often forgotten War of 1812, Andrew Jackson and his troops routed the British, and Jackson was declared governor of the city until he handed it back over to civilian government in an America that had now twice defeated the greatest military power in the world in less than half a century.
 

In this depiction by Edward Percy Moran, Andrew Jackson leads 
his troops against the British during the Battle of New Orleans

Like other cities with a rich heritage and a vibrant modern city center, New Orleans' architecture is an amalgamation of new and old, and the European influence is apparent everywhere you look.  Historic buildings now sit next to modern skyscrapers.

 

The St. Louis Cathedral overlooks Jackson Square

 

If you can tune out the modern cars, clothing and trash cans, there are blocks where you feel as though you've been transported across an ocean and back a century or two.

But the distinctive architecture of the French Quarter and the voodoo artwork throughout the city are unique only to New Orleans.
 

Graffiti and art along Frenchmen St.

An inviting door to walk through in the French Quarter

A quiet Decatur Street early in the morning

Jackson Square

Of course, New Orleans is well known for its nightlife and jazz joints and live music bars.  But while Bourbon Street is overcrowded and a little seedy, the real gem is Frenchmen St, just across Esplanade Ave. on the other side of the Old US Mint.  Take the time to tour the mint (it's free!).  It contains US coins it minted in the early 1800's, as well as Confederate coins it minted during the Civil War until the South ran out of silver.  

 
Then take the stroll over to Frenchmen Street and find a place to grab a seat and enjoy some local talent.  Take a mid-afternoon rest with a drink and live music in the quiet courtyard at Rare Form.
  

I'm sure it's not always this quaint and quiet, but it was just what we were looking for.

  

  It's kind of sad that all the people listening to the band were staring

 down at their phones instead of relaxing and taking in the environment around them.

  

After your rest, continue along Frenchmen St. to take in more shops and restaurants.

For me, the real highlight of the city - and this region of the country - is the food.  New Orleans' food is the product of ingredients of Native American, French, Spanish, African, and eventually Italian influence that produced it (read an excellent brief summary of Cajun & Creole cooking, and differences between the two, here on Langlois restaurant's website).  

  

Mother's Restaurant boasts that it has the World's Best Baked Ham.  I can't disagree, because I didn't try it.  I did, however, have the Crawfish Etouffee with red beans and collared greens.  The food was out of this world, and while eating we learned the interesting story of Hurricane Katrina's impact on this landmark restaurant.  You can read how the lives of the workers and customers of Mother's were affected here.

  

Across the street from our hotel, in a quiet alley, was Bon Ton Cafe.  Only open limited hours Monday - Friday and not at all on the weekends, Bon Ton is a small family-owned restaurant boasting can't-beat local fare.  Having not fully satiated my desire for etouffee at Mother's, I had the Shrimp and Crap Etouffee at Bon Ton.  Mmm, mmm, mmm.

There are candy shops and coffee shops galore in New Orleans, but two in particular took the cake for us.  The well known Cafe Du Monde is constantly swamped with tourists, but don't let the long lines deter you.  The line moves quickly, and this open air restaurant is famous for its Cafe Au Lait (coffee with milk) and beignets (think French funnel cake loaded up with powdered sugar).

We were definitely the only people drawing and blogging at
Cafe du Monde.  Notice the evidence of the jazz band
providing entertainment out on the street as people wait
in line for a table and beignets

My wife drawing while we ate at Cafe du Monde

The supply of pralines in New Orleans is in no danger of running low.  On nearly every street, there is a candy shop with pralines as its headliner.  At Laura's Candies, there certainly are pralines (tasty ones too), but their highlight is Mississippi Mud.  You gotta try it.

Of course we couldn't pass up a candy shop called Laura's!

This stuff is amazing.

And it can be purchased online...

No Road Trip to New Orleans is complete without crossing Lake Pontchartrain on the Causeway Bridge, the world's longest bridge over a body of water. 

 The bridge is over 22 miles long!

A great seafood restaurant, Middendorf's, awaits you on the Pontchartrain's western shore in Akers, LA.  In addition to a "beachfront" location, neat decor, and a sign on the building showing the waterline from Hurricane Isaac, Middendorf's has great seafood gumbo and is famous for its thin-fried Catfish.

Middendorf's capped off a great "food tour" of the Bayou, though I will have to return as I did not try many of the highlights of the region's food, including Jambalaya, crawfish pie, muffalettas, and local oysters. 

 

Accommodation Recommendation

The St. James Hotel

We loved our hotel, which was located on a quiet street in the business district just a few blocks from the heart of New Orleans.  We were close enough to the action to leave the car for two full days and explore the city on foot, but far enough away that we were able to leave the noise and activity of the French Quarter behind us each evening.  Each morning, a European style breakfast is brought to guests in their rooms: warm croissants and jam and fresh juice or coffee.  For us, this was really just a pre-breakfast snack before digging in at a local restaurant, but it stood out since this was the only hotel where we stayed on this entire trip that offered this service.

The charming St. James Hotel on Magazine Street

Here's a map of all the locations we mentioned in this post:

Our next post will feature the drive from New Orleans to San Antonio through Baton Rouge, LA, and Galveston, Houston, and Austin, TX. 

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