My husband and I took a spring break trip to New Orleans from Sunday-Wednesday of this past week and had such a lovely time exploring in the dry, sunny, warm weather. While H had been before, it was my first time in New Orleans, and I loved it. We really enjoyed every experience!
We arrived in the late afternoon and checked into our wonderful hotel, The Roosevelt, which was centrally located – very near the French Quarter and also close to streetcar access. After getting checked into our room, we walked to The Carousel Bar. I had a delicious, refreshing Pimm’s Cup as we sat at the slowly, subtly rotating bar – a perfect, fun start to the trip.
After having a delicious Italian dinner at Domenica (located in our hotel), we walked to Preservation Hall where we had tickets for an incredible 40-minute jazz performance. They like to preserve the original experience from 1961, so no cell phones are allowed during the show. Every musician that we saw was amazing. Be sure to purchase tickets well in advance.
We started our first full day with a visit to the National World War II Museum, which really impressed us with its detailed and intentional storytelling. There is so much to read and learn in this museum. We spent a little over two hours there, but you could easily spend all day. We chose to purchase general admission tickets, but there are certain add-ons as well if you wish to spend more time.
From there, we hopped on the St. Charles streetcar heading toward the Garden District. It costs $1.25 in cash per ride, or you can purchase a $3 day pass. Simply wait at one of the many stops, and board for an easy, pleasant ride. We grabbed a quick lunch from Le Petit Bleu, a casual café by the famous Commander’s Palace. This is a decent option if you are in need of a simple bite; the highlight for me was the matcha latte.
After lunch, we set off to explore the Garden District and found The Rink, a little shopping center that also had a café for lunch. The center’s single restroom is convenient when exploring the area.
We set off to walk the streets of the Garden District and admire the historic homes, many of which had plaques explaining their history.
Pretty flowers – like these azaleas – were already in full bloom in New Orleans, their spring a little farther along than ours in Nashville.
Some of the homes were uniquely colored and decorated.
Strolling in the sunshine and seeing the homes and blooms was such a delight.
In the late afternoon, we took the streetcar back and rested at our hotel for a short while. I loved the rotary phone on our floor.
We soon ventured back out to have a cocktail at Jewel of the South, a bar and restaurant tucked away in the French Quarter where they have a beautiful back patio. I sipped on the Chai Cider Cobbler.
We then took a taxi to our dinner reservation that evening at N7, a dreamy secluded French restaurant in a seemingly magical garden setting. Here, I had a delicious, delicate glass of rosé and my favorite meal of the trip – plus one of the best meals I’ve had at any restaurant, ever. I ordered the two specials, a parsnip soup to start and flounder entrée, both simply exquisite.
That evening, after dinner, we stopped by Mahogany Jazz Hall to see more live jazz music, which was so cozy and fun.
We started the next day back in the Garden District for shopping and lunch. It was in the low 70s, with no humidity – just a crisp, ideal, lovely day.
We passed by more charming homes on our way to Magazine Street. I wore this breezy skirt (perfect for travel) and striped top.
We walked the stretch of Magazine Street from Washington to Napoleon Avenue, where there were so many wonderful shops to see. Zèle features the work of local artisans, and I bought some soap and an ornament. Dunn and Sonnier (pictured above) has beautiful antiques, home and garden decor, and fresh flowers. I found cute Easter decorations at Aux Belles Choses, which contains gifts and home items.
At the end of this walk was the perfectly placed La Boulangerie, a French bakery with delicious sandwiches. I ate “le parisien,” and H got “le vegetarian.”
We walked back to St. Charles Avenue to board the streetcar and rode it all the way back to Canal Street. It was the loveliest ride, with all the windows open, and a gentle breeze plus sunlight drifting in.
We walked through the French Quarter to Cafe du Monde, where we sat on their spacious patio and enjoyed their famous beignets (yum)! There was no line when we went at 3pm. After, we wandered through some nearby shops as well as the French Market.
We meandered back through the French Quarter, taking in all of the sights, and briefly popped in the Historic New Orleans Collection. The city has such character!
That evening, we had a cozy final dinner inside Compère Lapin.
The next morning, we had a bit of time before we needed to head to the airport, so we decided to walk to Audubon Aquarium. While not a must (honestly, there are better aquariums out there), it was a nice way to spend some time; I enjoyed the sea turtles and penguins.
We then said goodbye to our hotel and this fantastic trip!
It was an all-around excellent getaway, and felt to be the perfect amount of time spent here. I highly recommend visiting New Orleans; it’s a very special city with a lot of wonderful music, food, and culture.
P.S. Other spring breaks in Nashville/Greenville, Anguilla, and Miami/the Keys.
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