New Orleans: The French Quarter and Beyond

 We recently spent a few days in New Orleans with family to celebrate a friend's wedding! We spent five days exploring the French Quarter, eating delicious Cajun and Creole food, and celebrating love!

We arrived on a Thursday evening and, after a short rest at our hotel, went out to explore the city. We had to have dessert first--we were on vacation! So our first stop was Drip Affogato Bar for a delicious treat! This dessert and cocktail lounge offers amazing desserts and specialty cocktails. I opted for the 84 World's Fair--a tiramisu gelato--with the a pairing of cold brew liquor. This fun and unique lounge was a sweet way to start our trip!

Once the rest of the family arrived, we spent the night on Canal Street. Even at night, there are still so many people out and about in this city.

On a rainy Friday morning, we made our first beignet stop at the Canal Street location of Cafe Beignet. We waited in a bit of a line to order some beignets and shrimp and grits along with New Orleans' famous chicory coffee. Despite the rain, it was a great way to start the day!

After breakfast, we took a streetcar to the Riverwalk Outlets for some shopping. We found some souvenirs and a Kate Spade bag that I couldn't resist. We also took a coffee break at the Cafe du Monde located inside the outlet mall.

Once we were done with our shopping, we made our way to the French Quarter and explored this historic area. I just loved these old buildings and walking down past them on these busy streets. We walked through the famous streets of the French Quarter, including Bourbon Street, which we decided to return to later that night for some entertainment. We also had dinner here at Napoleon House for alligator sausage, gumbo, and jambalaya.

Bourbon Street is bustling late into the night! There is so much excitement that spills out onto the blocked-off street. We found an absinthe bar, then enjoyed some chicken and catfish at a brightly-lit restaurant. There's a place to dance or enjoy a drink at every step on this street!

For breakfast the next morning, we made our way to Cafe du Monde for some beignets and iced chicory coffee. We sat down at the busy cafe and someone took our order from the table at this cash-only establishment. They also have a to-go window for some food on-the-go.

Once we were done, it was almost time to pick up the car we'd rented from Turo. The city is easily walkable and has public transportation, but we rented a car for a day to get to the wedding for that evening. We had some time, so took a leisurely stroll through Jackson Square and the French Quarter to get to the pickup location.

After picking up the car, we decided to drive down to the Audobon Zoo to visit some animals! The zoo was a pretty good size and had a lot of unique animal exhibits. We were able to see alligators and black bears along with the elephants, tigers, and flamingos. We even saw a white alligator! It was a hot day, but we were able to get the most out of our trip and see a lot of great animal exhibits before going back to the hotel to get ready for the wedding.

We spent the evening about 45 minutes out of New Orleans to celebrate our friend's wedding. We ate, we danced, and we had a good time with family!

Sunday morning, after a quick breakfast at Cafe Bon Ami, we returned our rental car and went to mass at a nearby church. The Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church was just a short walk from our hotel.

We then decided to have lunch at Louisiana Purchase Kitchen. This buffet was reasonably priced and included delicious Louisiana staples like jambalaya and gumbo. Their fried chicken and fried fish were also amazing! The restaurant is just outside of New Orleans and worth the trip to get out there!

We went out to walk off our meal at the Audobon Aquarium. They have fun exhibits including a stingray tank that allows you to touch the stingrays. We also watched the penguins getting fed and eating while they swam in the water. We also watched this sea turtle as it swam around other fish in this humungous tank.

After some much-needed rest back at the hotel, we went out to enjoy the city for one last night. We also stopped and ate at Olde NOLA Cookery for some seafood, which included some delicious gator tail bites!

Our last meal of the trip on Monday was brunch at Ruby Slipper Cafe on Magazine Street. It was a bit of a wait at this popular restaurant, but our table at the outdoor patio area was shaded and cool. We enjoyed one last order of beignets in New Orleans as our appetizer. For my meal, I enjoyed chicken and French toast bites. The syrup was sweet and slightly spicy, and the strawberries added a little bit of extra sweetness to the meal.

After brunch, we headed straight to the hotel before going back to the airport and ending our trip. There is so much to do in New Orleans that one trip definitely isn't enough!