There were so many more than just five things I loved in New Orleans.
It wasn’t love at first sight when I finally ventured out to explore the French Quarter. Within the first ten minutes, I so badly wanted to return to the airport and re-rent the car I had just driven across the Gulf states to go back to the beach.
Cities really aren’t my thing, but I was determined to find out what was so great about New Orleans.
It took a solid day and going on a walking tour where I learned more about the history of the city for me to finally appreciate it.
The Food
The best way to get to know any culture is to try the food.
New Orleans is known as the home of red beans and rice, jambalaya, and beignets!
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One of the best places to get beignets in the city is at Cafe du Monde. The dough is fried and then dredged in powdered sugar. They are messy to eat, but worth every little bit of the mess.
Look at these three slices of sugar heaven.
During my many Uber trips around the city, I asked every driver where their favorite place for lunch was. A couple of them said High Hat Cafe, so I knew I had to go.
I ordered red beans and rice, something I had cooked many times the cheaters way in my rice steamer at home.
Having it cooked from scratch by people that actually knew what they were doing (unlike me) was way better than any of the premixed boxes I mixed with water. I also had a side of mac and cheese and fried chicken.
You cannot go to the south and not get mac and cheese and fried chicken!
The History
New Orleans is full of history. From the Spanish street signs adorning building corners to the more spooky and paranormal. The city has a history that will interest everyone.
If you want to get an excellent overview of the history, be it normal or paranormal, book a tour with Two Chicks Walking Tours (read some reviews on TripAdvisor)!
Read More: French Quarter Walking Tours in New Orleans
The Alcohol
One word.
Absinthe.
I tried absinthe for the first time on my last night in New Orleans. I was so very, very drunk.
The world was spinning in a way it has never spun before.
I could barely even think about getting off the bar stool because the floor was constantly moving. Thankfully, the bartender let me stay and drink water for a couple of hours before I decided I needed to make my way back to the hotel.
And in the morning I wasn’t even hungover.
The Architecture
Look at it, it’s beautiful.
I love how almost all of the buildings in the French Quarter had a lovely balcony that wrapped around the second and sometimes third story.
And the green plants everywhere!
The Friendly Locals
For the longest time, I thought people from cities were rude. That is so not the case! There were plenty of friendly people that offered to point you in the right direction if you looked a little lost.
Have you been to New Orleans? What did you love about the city?
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