The French Quarter’s New Orleans Hotel Collection

When traveling to New Orleans, or “The Big Easy,” the best way to be part of all the action is to stay right in the middle of it all, in the French Quarter.  The New Orleans Hotel Collection has five French Quarter hotels from which to choose, all having their own unique vibe.  Whether guests are looking for old world elegance, funky modern, luxury, or secluded quiet, the New Orleans Hotel Collection has the perfect accommodations.

10 Top Restaurants in New Orleans

An important part of travel to New Orleans is the food.  New Orleans has some of the best food in the entire United States.  New Orleans has stayed true to its roots with some of the oldest restaurants in the country and restaurants serving traditional New Orleans food.  However, New Orleans has also remained relevant with new restaurants serving modern cuisine which complement the classic restaurants of New Orleans.  During our one week visit to New Orleans, we dined at these top restaurants in New Orleans.

5 Reasons to Celebrate the Holidays in New Orleans

On a whim last year we decided to head to New Orleans to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve.  It turned out to be one of the best holiday season vacations ever.  New Orleans is a fantastic city in which to celebrate the holidays.  New Orleans is always looking for an excuse to celebrate, and the holiday season is no exception.  Christmas in New Orleans is not only festive, it also lasts longer in New Orleans than other holiday destinations.  New Orleans’ New Year’s Eve is perfect for travelers who want to experience one of the country’s biggest New Year’s Eve celebrations without being packed like sardines in the crowds of New York City’s Times Square.  

Spooky New Orleans: Cemetery Tours

I love cemeteries and whenever we see cemeteries when we travel, we always stop to explore.  New Orleans’ cemeteries are famous for their history, beauty, and uniqueness.  We joined two New Orleans cemetery tours to learn why New Orleans’ cemeteries are so unique.

Top 20 Things to Do in New Orleans

New Orleans is a popular weekend getaway destination, but there are so many things to do in New Orleans you can easily spend a week or more in the city.  New Orleans is the city of music, food, and cocktails, but there are also museums, churches, cemeteries, swamps, and plantations.  Here are 20 of the top things to do in New Orleans for planning your next trip to NOLA.

Shooting for Birdies at New Orleans’ Audubon Park Golf Course

The streetcar conductor will call out “Audubon Park!” and may mention the Zoo when you get to the stop. The St. Charles Streetcar will have taken you through the New Orleans neighborhoods of the Garden District and Uptown via the streetcar, which picks you up just off Canal Street conveniently right outside the French Quarter.  There’s a shuttle van that takes folks to the Audubon Zoo from that stop. If you’re lucky and look lost, the nice lady driving the van will take you directly to the Audubon Park Golf Course clubhouse if she’s got the time.  Otherwise, it would have been just a short walk from the stop, made especially easy since I had again opted to leave my golf clubs at home, knowing I would be renting (they have great clubs in all brands and flexes). I brought only my shoes, glove and a few balls in my backpack. 

Alligator Hunting on a New Orleans Swamp Tour

We got to hold a juvenile alligator during our swamp tour.

First let me set your mind at ease, we were only hunting alligators with our eyes and our cameras (though we did eat some alligator bisque while in New Orleans).  While most activities in New Orleans center on history, culture, and cuisine, the city provides a unique opportunity for travelers to experience nature as well on a New Orleans swamp tour.  The Louisiana swamps and bayous, just a short drive from New Orleans, give visitors the chance to take a boat ride and see swamp animals and plants in the great outdoors.

The Walking Tours of New Orleans

A French Quarter courtyard discovered during our French Quarter walking tour.

New Orleans is a city of history and stories and locals who want to share those stories with visitors.  One of our walking tour guides said it could take months, if not years, for her to share everything we would need to know to understand New Orleans.  While travelers can certainly soak up New Orleans’ historic architecture, friendly people, mouthwatering food, tasty cocktails, and soul-stirring music while walking the streets of New Orleans on their own, they might miss the history and stories that define New Orleans.  Taking one or more of New Orleans’ walking tours will acquaint visitors with the pieces of past and present that make New Orleans the city it is today.  Here are some of the best walking tours of New Orleans and just a few highlights of what you can learn from them. 

15 Traditional New Orleans Foods

Fried oyster po'boy at Parkway Bakery.

New Orleans is one of America’s food meccas.  The food isn’t just good, it’s historic.  Many of New Orleans’ recipes have been around for 100 years or more.  Travelers will want to eat the best and most traditional cuisine New Orleans has to offer.  We made it our mission to discover and taste the best of New Orleans’ food as part of our list of things to do in New Orleans.

Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans Music

Bean & The Boys featuring Kathleen Moore at The 21st Amendment La Louisiane.

New Orleans is like no place in the world I have ever been when it comes to music.  Chris McIntyre of 21st Amendment told us New Orleans does three things well, cocktails, food, and music, and nothing could be truer.  No matter the time of day, the music of New Orleans can be heard somewhere in the French Quarter.  It calls to you like the Sirens’ song, plaintive melodies drifting down the streets, beckoning for you to follow.  And follow you should. 

An Outsider’s Guide to Mardi Gras in New Orleans

Before we traveled to New Orleans I didn’t know much about Mardi Gras.  I knew there were crowds, beads, and flashing.  I had seen clips on television of costumes and masks and floats.  I had heard from one or two people that visitors could still get a feel for Mardi Gras without going on the actual day, but rather going in the days before, and that it was a lot less crowded then, but I didn’t really understand what that meant.  Now that I’ve been to New Orleans, I have a much better understanding of what Mardi Gras means, and it is so much more than one day of drunken revelry.  Even when it’s not Mardi Gras, Mardi Gras is part of New Orleans year-round in the museums, restaurants, and stories of the people who live there and know that Mardi Gras is the greatest time of year.