What To Do In New Orleans, Louisiana

[Travel Guru]

There is so much to do in New Orleans, Louisiana that it can be overwhelming. Of course it depends on the time of year, what you enjoy, the weather, and your travel budget. Let's talk briefly about some of my favorite things so you know what to do in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Mardi Gras- You have to get to New Orleans some day for the Mardi Gras parades. City governments are not involved in coordinating Mardi Gras parades. The governments issue parade permits, but that is the extent of their involvement. Krewes independently schedule and coordinate their own parades. The first Mardi Gras parade was held in New Orleans on February 24, 1857 by the Krewe of Comus. They began the tradition of presenting a parade with floats and following it with a ball for the krewe and their guests. Balls are private affairs thrown by the krewes for members and invited guests and require formal dress (tuxedos and ball gowns.) They are typically held in the Municipal Auditorium or in hotel ballrooms. Some of the larger krewes, however, have started to hold bigger extravaganzas at the Convention Center and the Superdome.

Cafe Du Monde- We love Cafe Du Monde! The Original Cafe Du Monde is a traditional coffee shop. Its menu consists of dark roasted Coffee and Chicory, Beignets, White and Chocolate Milk, and fresh squeezed Orange Juice. The coffee is served Black or Au Lait. Au Lait means that it is mixed half and half with hot milk. Beignets are square French -style doughnuts, lavishly covered with powdered sugar. In 1988 Iced Coffee was introduced to the cafe. Soft drinks also made their debut that year. The beignets that they serve at Cafe Du Monde today are the same, and they are so dang good!

French Quarter- Looking for Dixieland jazz? Got it. Want to hear Cajun and zydeco rhythms? They come direct from the bayous to Bourbon Street nightly. Maybe you can’t make up your mind between rocking out at a club or cooling down with an intimate acoustic set. Don’t choose – you can easily walk from one venue to another to enjoy a variety of music in one evening.
The French Period legacy endures in the town plan and central square, church of St. Louis, Ursuline Convent and women's education, ancien regime street names such as Bourbon and Royal, the charity hospital, and a mixed legacy of Creole culture, Mardi Gras, and the important effects of African enslavement combined with a tolerant approach to free persons of color. Founded as a military-style grid of seventy squares in 1718 by French Canadian naval officer Jean Baptiste Bienville, the French Quarter of New Orleans has charted a course of urbanism for parts of four centuries. Bienville served as governor for financier John Law's Company of the Indies, which in naming the city for the Regent Duc d'Orleans sought to curry Court favor before failing spectacularly in the "Great Mississippi Bubble."

Riverwalk- The Riverwalk is a great place to visit in New Orleans, Louisiana. Riverwalk Marketplace is the premier festival marketplace in New Orleans, filled with shopping, dining and entertainment under one roof. The center is constructed on the site of the 1984 World’s Fair along the Mississippi River, within walking distance of the French Quarter, Downtown and major hotels. Riverwalk lies adjacent to the Convention Center and Aquarium of the Americas. Riverwalk is a half-mile of fun located between the Convention Center and the Aquarium of the Americas, right alongside the Mississippi River front. Easily accessible from several points in downtown New Orleans, Riverwalk is a short walk from most major hotels.

There are a lot of other things to do in New Orleans, but these are some of our favorites. Have fun!