New Orleans, LA

We couldn’t imagine driving past New Orleans without stopping. We had visited before for our friend’s wedding and wanted to experience it again.

There are two state parks within easy commuting distance of the French Quarter, Bayou Segnette and St. Bernard. We chose St. Bernard because, although a little farther away, we were able to reserve a full hookup site.

Even though we were only 30 minutes from the French Quarter, the area felt pretty remote. We didn’t find much to do during the week.

We went to New Orleans twice during our week-long stay.

While looking for a place to listen to some of the city’s live music, I came across the Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone. Not only did it have nightly performances but also the opportunity to get seats that make leisurely 15-minute revolutions around a bar. Perfect!

After all that excitement, we walked around the French Quarter before getting beignets at the city’s biggest tourist attraction, Cafe Du Monde.

Even if you don’t really like fried dough with a pound of powdered sugar, this is an essential thing to do.

The next morning we decided to check out City Park, which we didn’t see on our previous visit. We were prepared to be underwhelmed but it was beautiful. Before walking around we got more coffee and beignets at the Cafe Du Monde location inside the park and they were better than the ones we’d had in the Quarter the night before. We enjoyed live music, plentiful blooming flowers, and walking around the free sculpture park.

Next, we headed back to the French Quarter to spend the rest of the day. We went inside the St. Louis Cathedral and watched the artists and performers around Jackson Square.

The French Quarter has to be one of the most lively and unique neighborhoods in the country.

We wanted to listen to more music and found some outdoor tables across from a music festival taking place at the New Orlean Jazz Museum. It was a perfect spot to spend the rest of the afternoon.

I think New Orleans is a city we could visit over and over and not get tired of.

Next up are first-time visits to Austin and San Antonio!