6 Things I Loved About New Orleans

A work conference recently brought me to New Orleans, Louisiana, for the first time in my life.  “It’s SO MUCH FUN there!” was the general consensus from any I talked to about this destination, prior to my trip.  Well, thanks for that.  But Voodoo creeps me out, I honestly have no interest in Mardi Gras culture, and I don’t drink alcohol… so, how much fun could it be?

6 Things I Loved About New Orleans

Imagine my surprise when I immediately took a liking to New Orleans.  Here are some of the highlights.

The Palm Trees

I arrived with a small amount of daylight left, so was able to see some of my surroundings as the airport shuttle took me to the Downtown / CBD / Riverfront area hotel.  This New Orleans airport shuttle, by the way, is a well established, flexible, and affordable transportation option ($38 round trip) to and from the airport.

I was a bit gun shy on the whole “staying downtown for a week” thing, after my last urban work trip to LA *shudders*.  (You can read about that here: My Week In LA, Without Getting Shot At).  So granted, the bar was set rather low for me.

And there they were.  Palm trees!  Green everywhere!  And palm trees!

I’ve never seen an urban area so lush.  It was fantastic.

 

Even some of the wider, busy CBD (Central Business District, includes the New Orleans French Quarter vicinity) streets sported a boulevard down the center with palm trees.  They were beautiful.

 

Hey, I see a palm tree… I feel like I’m on vacation.   I truly wasn’t expecting New Orleans to be so pretty.  Which leads me to the next thing I loved…

Architecture & Historical Hotels

People stay in New Orleans and just walk around on foot taking in the sights, and with good reason.  The history and elaborate metal scroll work the French Quarter is known for are certainly something to be seen.

Where I come from in the Wild West, you just don’t find the antiquity and European influence reflected in things like our foods and architecture.  So I am fascinated when I get a chance to see buildings so rich in history.

(Ok, so if you’ve been to Disneyland’s New Orleans Square, or Disney World’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter… you’ll understand why I felt excited and was relating some of these French Quarter sights to being there. Ha! No, this is REAL LIFE, as in the REAL DEAL, Tami.  Eeessshh… I’m Disney-brainwashed.  🙂  )

And the interesting and beautiful architecture extend beyond just the French Quarter boundaries.  Resisting the inclination to make reservations at a chain hotel, I selected a charming historical hotel called Le Pavillon for my stay.  I’m so glad I did.

Built in 1907, the unique details did not disappoint.  First doorbell I’ve ever had on my hotel room!  Loved the PB&J making station (and milk, and luscious hot chocolate), free every night in the lobby at 10 pm.  So cool.  And if you stay there, you have to eat at their restaurant:  the Crystal Room.  Honestly, it was best meal I had the entire trip (ordered the redfish fresh catch of the day), and the dining room will knock your socks off.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed staying in this area, and walking these streets daily to and from the convention center.  Then in the evenings, two of my colleagues and I would go on a quest for some of New Orleans’ famous, delectable foods.  We had some great insider tips from my “Former NOLA Firefighter turned Cookbook Author” friend, Robert Medina.  (Thanks again, Robert!)

Wait… did somebody say gumbo?

Gumbo, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Beignets

Aaahhh… the food in NOLA.  Where does one begin?  As entire books are written on the subject, I’ll just say that I was able to try a few things I’d never had before.  Like *real* red beans and rice, gumbo, fried green tomatoes (anything’s good when breaded, fried, and served with tasty sauce… these were no exception), and alligator.  Borrowing the polite wording of my 4 year old, I didn’t love alligator.  Actually I didn’t mind the taste, but every other bite was so tough and chewy it felt like gnawing on a rubber band.

And although I thought I’d had beignets before… oh, no.   I hadn’t really had beignets before!   For any beignet newbies – they are French donuts, served under piles of powdered sugar.

And I’m convinced the best place in the world to get them is Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans (more on that below).  I ate them every single day I was there, for a week straight.  And I miss them desperately!

Random Parades With Bead-Throwing

Even though Mardi Gras had concluded a couple of weeks prior to my arrival, early on the first day I spotted this.

It’s true!  It’s true!  There really ARE beads in the streets in New Orleans!  But where do they come from, you might ask?

A coworker also attending the conference shared that he heard you can have parades in New Orleans at any time, for any reason.  Alas, we spotted signage throughout the area which supported this urban legend.

Although we do not know the details involved in the process, sure as shootin’ we experienced its truthfulness, when a random parade rolled by us at around 6:30pm on a Tuesday!

Lead by a high school band, the floats had a bizarre mixture of a Mardi Gras-and-Disney theme going on.  Float riders were of assorted ages, dressed in business casual attire.  And since almost no one was watching the parade (we stopped in the center boulevard divider, to watch them go by)… they threw beads at us.  Lots, and lots, and LOTS of beads.

The beads henceforth became my souvenir to bring back to my children.  They now run around the house, all beaded up, looking like Mardi Gras hooligans.  It’s pretty funny.

Watching the Mississippi Float By

How can you not be slightly enthralled with strolling next to the Mississippi River?  Granted, it was a little more industrial than I anticipated.  For one thing, everything is flat here.  I mean – FLAT – flat.  So all you really see on the other shore are the docks and working barges and ships coming and going.  There’s definitely work taking place along this stretch.  But it’s still awesome to be able to stroll over from the convention center during a break, grab a snack, and sit outside watching THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

What can I say?  I’m a River Girl.  Raised on the Missouri River, I have a healthy appreciation for rivers being the lifeblood of the land-locked portions of this country.

Plus, I know how to spell it.  MI-SS-I-SS-I-PP-I!  🙂

Cafe Du Monde

Oh, my.  And this was my favorite thing about New Orleans.  This one needed its own category.

Even the rare person who dislikes New Orleans (like the hater who commented on one of my#NOLA instagram photos while I was there) will tell you they love Cafe Du Monde.  We sought out and found this original location.  They serve two things, and two things only:   a special blend of chicory coffee, and beignets!  You can get your coffee with milk, ala “cafe au lait”.  Everything is cheap and fresh.  That plate of beignets shown in the photo above came 3 beignets for like $2.69.  Awesome.  So incredibly delicious!

Overall, I enjoyed the entire New Orleans experience much more than I expected to.  It really IS a fun place!

*o*    *o*    *o*

Have you been to New Orleans?  What was your favorite part?