We Love New Orleans!

While we absolutely adore traveling outside the United States, sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Work commitments can get in the way, and finances can be an issue, as well. Plus, we can’t always find someone to care for our dog, Halo. In times when we just absolutely have to get away, we’re lucky because there are so many great places right here in the USA to explore.

One of our favorite cities in the world is New Orleans in the state of Louisiana. We recently spent four days there, and the place is amiss already. We were a cheap flight away from getting one of the greatest Massages in Austin, Texas so we finished off our trip with a spa treatment at the end of our trip around The Big Easy. Well worth the effort and the page directory at Groupon provided us with invaluable information for our swift visit.

New Orleans by Jason Persse

The Food

OMG! I’m seriously drooling just thinking about the delicious food in New Orleans. Crawfish, po’boy sandwiches, boiled shrimp, blue crabs, and so much more are on offer around every corner in New Orleans. It’s really hard to pick my favorite restaurant, because it’s almost impossible to get a bad meal there. If I were forced to choose, I’d have to say that the rabbit and oyster gumbo at Coop’s Place is probably the best thing I’ve ever eaten. Ever. You might be thinking, “Rabbit? I don’t eat rabbit!” Yeah, I thought that too, but this gumbo is so rich and delicious that the thought of eating Thumper will be the furthest thing from your mind.

The Cemeteries

Yes, cemeteries! They’re not just for Goth kids anymore! New Orleans’ cemeteries are unique because of the way they’re designed. The water table is so high, and most of the city itself is below sea level, so people must be interred above ground. This has led to the design of elaborate mausoleums, and sometimes several generations are placed in the same mausoleum. The cemeteries are eerie and beautiful at the same time. Sign up for one of the many tours that visit the cemeteries and you won’t be disappointed! See if you recognize some of them from your favorite movies!

Festivals

People usually always think of Mardi Gras when they think of New Orleans, but the city has many more reasons to party than just that one! There’s Jazz Fest, St Patrick’s Day, French Quarter Fest, Southern Decadence, and many more. We visited during French Quarter Fest and had a blast! It’s more geared toward the locals, and all over the French Quarter there’s music and food and so much beer! We had an amazing time just hanging out and taking it all in, even if we did drink just a bit too much!

Take a Spooky Ghost Tour

Even if you absolutely, positively don’t believe in ghosts, you’ll still enjoy taking a haunted history tour. With a city as old as New Orleans, it’s just jam packed with history and the tour leaders really know their stuff. They’ll take you into haunted buildings and give you the low down on all of the crazy things that have happened over the last few hundred years. The tours run day and night, but I think it’s better at night!

So there you have it! Obviously there’s so much more to do in the Crescent City, so why don’t you go and see for yourself?