NOLA Bucket List: What I Actually Did
I’ll tell anyone who will listen that my trip to New Orleans was way too short, that I spent too long waiting for public transit that was never going to arrive, or that I wish I hadn’t been afraid to go off an explore by myself.And those are all things I’ll keep in mind for my next trip there.But today, I want to talk about all the things I actually did while I was there.If you’re heading to The Big Easy anytime soon, here are some must-dos for your NOLA Bucket List!
The whole city was so colorful and vibrant...
Frenchmen Street
I waited until my last night in the city to explore Frenchmen Street and it’s one of my biggest regrets. For those who don’t know what the heck I’m talking about, it’s the jazz capital of New Orleans (which is also known as the jazz capital of the world). After multiple locals told me to check out The Spotted Cat, I figured they couldn’t be wrong.You guys, my life was changed in that bar. It's the jazz capital bar of the jazz capital street of the jazz capital city of the world. No, that doesn't make grammatical sense. But anyone who's been there will know what I mean.I was lucky enough to catch the end of one band’s set and the beginning of another’s. To summarize that experience, I actually want to share with you - verbatim - what I wrote in my notes that night…“I thought I knew what it was, but iTunes doesn’t capture the ENERGY of being in that room. I had a ‘come to Jesus’ in New Orleans, and He loves jazz.”Need I say more?
Cafe Du Monde
My expectations were low. I thought it was going to be a tourist trap with mediocre beignets that everyone hyped up for no reason.I’ve never been so thankful to be wrong.I’ve also never been so thankful that there’s another location in the airport so I could get one last fix (and a mug) before my flight home to Boston.
Swamp Tour
I went down for one of my friend’s birthdays and one of the things she really wanted to do was go on a swamp tour.Now I don’t know much about swamps but I was pretty sure that alligators weren’t very friendly or cuddly when you just barge into their house.So I did some research.Turns out, Liberty Travel has a partnership with one of the companies down there. So not only did I get a discount on the tour, I also got the peace of mind of knowing that the tour company had been vetted by us. We got a history lesson, we got a fast boat, we got a super funny tour guide.WE GOT TO SEE AN ALLIGATOR.And guess what? He was super cuddly.
Look how cute. Don't you wanna just go hug him?
Walk
The city is so walkable. On my first morning, I was up and out the door by 8:00 to walk around the Garden District. The streets were quiet, the people were kind, and the architecture was amazing.There is so much history on Prytania street alone that I spent the better part of an hour taking it all in.The houses were so beautifully decorated for Mardi Gras in every part of the city. From the French Quarter to the Bywater District to Frenchmen Street, it’s impossible to ignore the spirit of the city as you walk through its streets.
Uber and Lyft
Lauren, why the hell should I include this in my NOLA Bucket List?Hear me out.A ton of drivers in that area are locals and they love to talk about the city. Those recommendations I talked about getting earlier for The Spotted Cat? They came from two different Uber drivers I had. The people in New Orleans are so kind and open to newcomers.Just don’t tell anyone you’re a Patriots fan.