What to do in Crescent City
I recently checked a visit to NOLA off my bucket list and was impressed with all the city had to offer. A diverse mix of locals and tourists, music everywhere and an interesting art scene, our five days in New Orleans were well spent.
Exploring the French Quarter
Now I know that most people will tell you not to spend your trip trapped in the French Quarter, but man, there is just so much to see and do there. Odds and ends shops, tantalizing food and of course, booze, the French Quarter is jam-packed with excitement every which way you look. So, like the tourists that we were, we went against the abovementioned advice and spent a good chunk of our time exploring it and I'm glad to report that we didn't feel it was time wasted.
Once the home of early European settlements, the French Quarter has plenty of interesting history to explore including the intricate iron-detailed buildings that line the streets. Tiered and colorful, the architecture of this area is if nothing else, iconic. I found these Insta-perfect buildings paired with the colorful residential housing to be quite lovely and far different than anything we have here in Milwaukee.
The architecture in NOLA is great and so are the shops. Voodoo stores, crystals, quirky art, (sometimes tacky) souvenirs, and high-end shopping, it's easy to spend an afternoon weaving in and out of various storefronts. I didn't purchase any goodies to take back home myself, but some of the more "woo-woo" selections were right up my alley. One place I particularly enjoyed was the Red Truck Gallery on Royal Street. I caught a glimpse of a giant rainbow Oijuia board in the window the night of our ghost tour and knew I had to go back to see it up close the following day.
Once in the Quarter, there are so many must-see stops and attractions. I recommend doing a little research beforehand to get a general gist of the place, but once you arrive don't be surprised if you find yourself deviating from the plan.
As an enthusiast of all things spooky, you know I had to scope-out New Orlean's haunted history scene. In fact, New Orleans is rumored to be the most haunted city in the entire nation, which to be honest, was one of its main appeals to me.
Wanting to see the legendary Marie Laveau's tomb, a trip to St. Louis Cemetary No 1. was on my list. The cemetery is off-limits to visitors outside of a tour group due to a number of complicated reasons so we bought tickets with French Quarter Phantoms to embark on this ghostly endeavor. On the tour, we learned tons of interesting facts about the city's history and about the city's complicated relationship with burying its dead. Long story short, thanks to a high water table the ground isn't good for holding caskets.
The tour was great and as an added bonus, we got a front-row view of the future resting place of America's national treasure, actor Nic Cage. I have a funny feeling that he took some inspiration from the film while choosing his tomb pictured below...
We loved our cemetery tour with French Quarter Phantoms so much that we returned that same night to join them on a walking ghost and vampire tour. We arrived at the lobby on Rampart St around 6 p.m. and waited at the onsite bar, the Voodoo Lounger, with Hurricanes in-hand. Shortly after our group departed and we oohed and ahhed as our guide told us a handful of gruesome true-crime stories. We learned about the Cruel Mistress of the Haunted House, Delphine LaLaurie, real-life vampires, the Carter Brothers, and the Sultan Massacre.
Jackson Square Park
Our trip to the Big Easy was pretty laid back. We didn't get trashed on Bourbon Street, but we did enjoy a surplus of beignets and some Voodoo Juice that we enjoyed in Jackson Square Park. Peaceful and lush, spending time in this bright green space was one of the highlights of our trip. Thanks to the crowds of tourists and colorful locals this park in the Quarter makes for some fabulous people watching.
Armstrong Park
Speaking of awesome NOLA parks, we also enjoyed an afternoon in Armstrong Park. Northwest of Rampart Street, Armstrong Park is another relaxing open space just outside of the French Quarter.
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