New Orleans Trip Recap

New Orleans has been on my list of places to go since we moved to Alabama.  I wanted to experience the culture and see what it was all about...and of course try the beignets!  We ended up taking a quick weekend trip.  

Where we stayed:

We stayed in the Garden District in the historic Grand Victorian Bed and Breakfast.  It was built in 1893 and has been restored to an antique dream.  It sits under the drapey romantic oaks that distinguish New Orleans and was gorgeous!

Breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day and I was not disappointed.  Breakfast featured cereal, fruit, yogurt, pastries, toast and a featured hot item everyday.  The days we ere there featured quiche and waffles.  I can vouch that the waffles were delicious!!

We stayed in the Magnolia room and it was so comfortable!  It featured a beautiful walnut tester bed and a private bathroom.

There was a balcony off the side of the house that you could sit out and watch the Garden District life.  It was really peaceful and when it cools down it would be the perfect place to sit out with a cup of coffee.

What we did:

We made use of the City Sightseeing Hop on-Hop off bus system and were really pleased with how easy it was.  Our bed and breakfast was located on St. Charles Avenue and was a quick walk to the  stop to get on.  The way the bus works you buy a ticket and this allows you to ride the bus as well as access to walking tours at some of the stops.  There is a tour guide on the bus talking about each stop and things you pass along the way.  It was air conditioned and such an easy way to see the sights and learn about them. If you are looking for an easy way to see the city this is it!

One of the bus stops was the Mardi Gras museum, you can go in and tour.  The doors were up when we drove by and we got to see the floats.

Jackson Square

Mississippi River

My husband was pretty excited that we got to drive around the super dome.

Since we stayed in the Garden District it was an easy walk to Lafayette Cemetery.  It was really neat to see the tombs, some old and some only within the last year.

What we ate:

We had breakfast at our bed and breakfast Saturday and Sunday and then headed out to explore.

Of course we had to have beignets!  I was told that the iconic Cafe du Monde wasn't actually the best place to get them, we went to Cafe Beignet on good recommendation.

Guys that is a bag of powdered sugar and some dough!!

We had a coupon (you know me) for a free cafe au lait that we tried iced.

First New Orleans beignets were a success, so delicious!!  Little powdered sugar pillows.

For lunch we were in the Garden District and we stumbled upon a little bakery called Gracious.  It was such a great find, seriously delicious!  I had a ham, brie and arugula on a baguette with a side salad.  

It was crazy hot and we were really tired from exploring all day so we decided to be lame and order in.  Don't worry we still got New Orleans food.  We ordered in from Flamingo-a-go-go.  We got Rice and beans with a smoked sausage and ordered the fried havarti.  I'm not the biggest fan of creole food (it can be pretty spicy) but the flavors were really good.

What I wore:

It was crazy hot and I regretted my outfit as soon as we got off the bus, so I recommend dressing slightly cooler if you are there in the summer.

My outfit for exploring was a pair of black pants, a flowy top, my favorite target booties and my Rebecca Minkoff crossbody.

Wish we did:

It was such a quick trip and so hot that we weren't able to experience as much as we wanted to.  Some things I wish we had time to do were the WWII museum, French Market and a plantation tour, maybe next time. 

Even though it was a super short trip and crazy hot we had a great time together just getting away and spending time exploring a new place.

*Accommodations provided by Grand Victorian and Bus tickets provided by City Sightseeing, all opinions are my own*