New Orleans – November 2024

November 23 – 26, 2024

We spent a long weekend in New Orleans, immersing ourselves in local flavors and iconic sights. Staying at Bienville House, just three blocks from Bourbon Street, gave us a perfect base to explore NOLA sights.

Link to Trip Photos

Saturday Evening: Bourbon Street & Beignets

Arrival: Flew into New Orleans and checked into Bienville House, a charming older hotel with an excellent location in the French Quarter.
Evening Stroll: Walked through the bustling French Quarter to soak up the Saturday night energy.
Pat O’Brien’s: We enjoyed Hurricanes at the iconic piano bar. This local libation was created with rum at Pat O’Brien’s bar during World War II when whiskey was hard to come by. The name for the drink came from the glass it’s served in that resembles a hurricane lamp.
Café du Monde: Ended the night with powdered-sugar-covered beignets and chicory coffee. Pro tip: there’s no line late in the evening!

Sunday: French Quarter Adventures & Jazz

Breakfast: Started the day with breakfast and matcha at Fourth Wall Coffee.
Streetcar Ride: Took the streetcar to the French Market station using the Le Pass app and a 3-day Jazzy Pass for easy navigation.
French Quarter Walking Tour:
- Wandered Royal Street, filled with galleries, antique shops, and street performers.
- Snacked on pralines and turtles from Southern Candymakers.
- Toured the Sazerac House, learning the history of this classic New Orleans cocktail. Bonus, it’s a free tour with samples!
Riverfront Walk: Strolled along the Mississippi, listening to the lively tunes from the riverboat, before heading back to the hotel for a nap.
Dinner at Pesche: We enjoyed a fabulous dinner with smoked tuna dip, baked drum fish with coconut sauce, sticky rice gumbo, and great service.
Frenchmen Street: Listened to live jazz at Three Muses and explored the Night Art Market.
Dessert: Ended the night with coconut ube ice cream at Thai NOLA.

Monday: Uptown & Algiers Point

St. Charles Streetcar: Rode the historic line to Uptown for breakfast at La Boulangerie.
- The avocado toast was delicious, but the cinnamon roll was the star!
Magazine Street Stroll: We burned off the cinnamon role by walking several miles along this charming street, browsing boutiques and galleries along the way, including:
- The Buckner Mansion, famous for American Horror Story: Coven.
- The Hotel St. Vincent, a chic hotel and gift shop worth visiting.
Lunch: Picked up a muffuletta from Cochon Butcher, a popular local butcher and restaurant.
Algiers Point: Took the ferry across the Mississippi to explore the small but colorful neighborhood.
- Wandered its quiet streets and stopped at an English pub for a pint.
- Caught the ferry back at sunset, enjoying stunning river views.
Evening Drinks: Ended the night with tiki cocktails at Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29, conveniently located in our hotel.

Tuesday: One Last Beignet

Farewell Breakfast: Picked up one last bag of Café du Monde beignets to enjoy at the airport before flying home. They were surprisingly priced the same as the original location, so if you miss the downtown location – this is a good back-up!