I think John Goodman said it best when he said “Someone suggested that there’s an incomplete part of our chromosomes that gets repaired or found when we hit New Orleans. Some of us just belong here.”
I fully believe that New Orleans is in my soul. My family is from all over Louisiana, I have family in New Orleans, and I can trace my ancestors on both sides back to this infamous city. It's part of me, I might not live there, but I make multiple trips a year to the city I love so much.
The very first New Orleans Mardi Gras I went to was 10 years ago. I've been hooked ever since! Whether you are going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras or just because, its a great place to visit and I thought I would share my tips with ya'll.
Mardi Gras is always on a Tuesday. Depending on the year you go, you can check what day Mardi Gras falls on by going here.
Disclaimer - Before you read any further, I want to slap a big DISCLAIMER on this entire post. Bourbon street and what goes on there IS NOT Mardi Gras. If you try to do any of the things you see on Bourbon street during the parades you will get arrested. Each parade starts off with a police bus at the front and the back to detain any would be wrong dooer's and there is a plethora of police walking each parade. I have been to Mardi Gras for 10 years, and I have never, NEVER seen ANYONE flash their body parts for beads. Despite what you see on tv, it's just not done. Mardi Gras is a family affair. You will see all ages, from the elderly all the way down to newborns at parades. Parade Krewe's throw toys and other children's items. It is a friendly, happy environment. If you feel the need to get sloppy and expose yourself, please don't do it there. Save that for Bourbon Street.
How to get around
If you fly in, Uber and Lyft are cheap ways to get around once you are in New Orleans proper. However, I wouldn't take one of them from the airport to where you are staying. A yellow cab has a flat rate of $36 from the airport to your hotel and vice versa. So check the Uber/Lyft rates at the time you arrive before you book one!
Street Car
The street car is $1.25 each way, and you have to use exact change as they DO NOT give change. You can also purchase passes on the Jazzy Pass app which is faster if you don’t have change. This is a great way to see the city. The St. Charles line picks up on Canal Street and runs the length of St. Charles Avenue and back again, it's a fun way to see the architecture of the Garden District.
There are also car's that run along Canal, Rampart, and Riverfront. For pick up locations and times, please check out the NORTA site.
Where to stay
First things first, if your going to plan a Mardi Gras trip, start EARLY. As in plan to book a place by September. Most places fill up quickly, so be smart about where you stay. Many locations raise their rates during Mardi Gras because they know people will pay it! If you want to save money, don’t stay in the French Quarter, that being said, there are several affordable hotels between Poydras and Canal.
Another option is an AirBnB. We always try to stay at a house we find through AirBnb as it offers a kitchen and washer/dryer. Not to mention it's a great way to check out the famous New Orleans architecture! For our group of 5, it came out cheaper than a hotel. If you go that option, stay in one of the lower areas: Irish Channel, Garden District, and Touro are all near parade routes and will be half the price of French Quarter locations.
Parades Speaking of parades, the Friday-Tuesday of Mardi Gras are going to be the most packed and crazy. Parades start in January, but usually ramp up the 2 weeks prior to Mardi Gras. You can check the parade schedule here. Parade Krewe's throw all manners of items, not just beads. Muses throws decorated shoes, Nyx has decorated purses, some throw out decorated coconuts and plungers. Other items to watch out for are decks of cards, doubloons, toys, scrunchies, decorated pins, and lots of reusable shopping bags. Krewes are notorious for adding "Reusable" throws to their inventory each year!
If you go, make sure you download the WDSU parade tracker app! It will let you know the route for each parade, when it roll's (aka when it starts), and how far along it is in it’s pathway. It’s a great tool to know if the parades are delayed as well.
There are also parades called "2nd lines" which are walking groups, there are no floats. They typically meander through the French Quarter down Royal Street (most 2nd lines steer clear of Bourbon St). I wish I could provide you with a link to their schedule, but unfortunately I can't find a reliable one. Your best bet is to be in the Quarter on Fridays and Saturdays around noon to catch them. They also have some unusual throw like decorated bra's and fans!
As with where to stand for the parades, get on the other side of the Expressway (90) and Lee Circle (so away from the French Quarter). On the French Quarter side of the expressway the streets are blocked off with barricades and you are usually 5 people deep from the front of the barricade.
Site Seeing
There is so much to do in New Orleans. I could spend a life time there and never run out of things to do. I have my favorites or course, but I also make myself try new things every time I go. Here are a few that I have come across.
Cemetery tour - From St. Louis #1, to the Lafayfette Cemeteries, there is a lot to see! From Nicolas Cage's pyramid crypt to the supposed final resting place of the Queen of Voodoo herself, Marie Laveau you can visit them all. Due to vandalism, all cemetery's are closed to the public unless you are with a tour company. There are many to choose from, just make sure you find a certified tour company to take.
Frenchmen Street - If you are looking for jazz clubs, an art market, or neighborhood bookstores, this is the place for you! The Frenchmen Art market is open again after a short hiatus. It is surrounded by the Spotted Cat and Blue Nile, two famous New Orleans jazz clubs. If you get hungry, don't forget to check out Adolfo's Southern Italian food. It's a small restaurant housed in the 2nd story and only has 11 tables. But the food is outstanding. A personal favorite is the pasta with "Ocean Sauce" which is a mixture of crab, crawfish, lobster, and other seafood favorites!
Distilleries - Due to its proximity to the Mississippi River, New Orleans has always been an ideal place to ship goods and services. Small batch distilleries are making use of this waterway to ship in fresh sugar cane. Old New Orleans Rum House which has been open since 1995, is the oldest, still operating craft rum distillery in the United States. Tours run 7 days a week. Seven Three Distillery is another one to check out. "Spirits with a sense of place" they are named thus because of the 73 neighborhoods in New Orleans. They distill rum, gin, moonshine, vodka, cucumber vodka, bourbon, and whiskey. Each one is named after a different neighborhood. The factory is small and tours are quick and interesting, giving you the opportunity to taste test each of their spirits. If you book a tour in the near future, use promocode SEVEN3 for 2 for 1 pricing on tickets!
My final booze tour suggestion would be Sazerac house, this recently opened local treats you to the methods used to make Sazerac Rye. Tours are complimentary, running from Tuesday – Saturday 12:00pm to 6:00pm, the last tour begins at 4:20pm. The building is absolutely gorgeous and worth a peek even if you don't have time for the tour.
French Quarter - Despite my comments about Bourbon street, the French Quarter is a wonderful place to explore. Cafe Du Monde, Royal Street, Jackson Square, you really can't go wrong with wondering down any of the streets. Royal Street is my personal favorite. It houses locally owned clothing boutiques, art galleries, antique stores, and souvenir shops. I can always find something to buy in any price range along it's storefronts.
Take a Swamp Tour - A swamp tour is worth a visit if you have the time. Visitors are taken around the swamps on air boats. You will get the chance to see alligators, birds and other swamp critters!
Plantation tours - the best way to get to all of the plantations is to drive, however many tour operators offer packages with pick up and drop off to local hotels. Oak Alley Plantation with is sprawling landscape, large oak trees, and picturesque front walk is the most famous of the Plantations, but don't pass up a chance to see the Whitney or Laura Plantations. Tour packages found here give you the ability to build the perfect tour!
Shopping
Magazine Street has many amazing restaurants, bars, boutiques, antique shops, and curiosity shops. The first few times I went to New Orleans, I skipped Magazine street. When I finally found it….I was in HEAVEN. Seriously, don’t skip it.
One of my favorite boutiques to hit up every time I'm in New Orleans, is Trashy Diva. Despite the name, the store offers unique clothing reminiscent of the 50's and 60's era. All clothing is designed by local fashion icon Candace Gwen who's eye for flattering cuts and interesting prints is off the charts! They have a clothing, shoe, and lingerie store.
The French Market started out as a farmers market, and has gradually turned into a place to buy mass produced souvenir items. While it is interesting to visit if you have never been, there are more unique and inserting shops in the surrounding area if you are looking for locally made items. It also offers a quick place to grab a bite to eat. They typically have stalls selling king cakes and creole food items. We stopped by J's seafood stall the last time we went. He had some of the largest, freshest, best priced oysters I have seen in a long time.
Voodoo Authentica
No trip to New Orleans is complete without a stop at Voodoo Authentica. Local practitioners are on site to explain the practice behind Voodoo and each item for sale has a description as to it's intended uses.
Food
Cafe Du Monde is also located in the French Quarter, right near Jackson Square. Their bignets are to. die. for. Make sure you bring cash with you when you go as this location only accepts cash. The offer a whole list of drinks to go along with your bignets, my personal favorite is the Cafe au lait (and then I mix a little of the bignet powdered sugar in with it).
The line to get a table can be long, especially during peak tourist times. My advice would be to get up and go early in the morning. They also have a togo order line on the back side of the building if you want to get them and go!
Royal House and Pierre Maspero's are owned by the same company, with both locations at different places in the French Quarter. Royal House restaurant is on Royal Street, and Pierre Maspero's is on Chartres St. Make sure you try the fried or blackened Alligator appetizers, and the Bread Pudding for desert. Despite the name, it's not actually pudding. I always love ordering the New Orleans sampler. It has Gumbo, Crawfish Étouffée, and Jambalaya. They also have Po'boys on fresh french bread which are big enough for 2 people to split.
Ruby Slipper is a great place to go for breakfast. They have multiple locations, one just outside of the French Quarter, and another on Magazine Street. The Mag Street location is bigger and less crowded, but the FQ location is in a really cool old building. Make sure to order their biscuits, and a side of pig candy bacon! Last time we went, I got some biscuits to take home (they survived the plane ride home and were just as good hours later). Like every restaurant on this list, all of their food is great!
Rum House has a great selection of taco's, as well as other foods with a Caribbean flavor. Their drink menu is extensive and wait staff is very friendly! I love to order the taco flight and try out new taco's every time we go. If you aren't from the south and used to chips and queso, Rum House is a great place to try it out! Their chips and queso are up to par.
District Donuts Sliders and Brew has different themed donuts each day. During Mardi Gras, their donuts are designed and named after the parades that are rolling. The day we went, they had Muses and Nyx donuts. When you go, get a mixture. Try a donut and get some of their sliders, the fries are on point (and I'm a fry snob)!
Couchon was where we had our final meal this time around. It's located right outside of the French Quarter and offers southern cooking with a creole theme. We had Rabbit and Dumplings, grilled Gulf Fish, Braised Short Ribs, Crawfish Pie, Woodfired shrimp, and Mac and Cheese Casserole. The menu changes frequently and the chef does an outstanding job on everything!
Basin Seafood located on Magazine Street, and has a quiet nice atmosphere. Like Couchon they offer southern food with a Creole flavor. Crawfish Bignets, Charbroiled Oysters, Crawfish Mac and Cheese, and Southern Red Shrimp!
Has a bar atmosphere with good, cheap food. When we were there they were had crawfish and oysters. They also have traditional southern food: fried green tomatoes, okra, Po'Boys, Muffalatas and more!
Drinks
May Baily's is in the French Quarter and if you didn't know it was there, you would miss it. Listed as one of the first and most notorious bordello's in Storyville's red light district, May Baily was it's Madam. It is said that one of the working girls still haunts the location. Pictures of some of the working girls, and a copy of the operating license for "Lewd and Abandon Women" line the walls. Their drinks are top notch and their bathroom is very clean if you need to make a pit stop before venturing further into the French Quarter.
Jean Lafitte's according to legend, Jean Lafitte was a privateer (fancy word for pirate) who is seen as the hero of New Orleans. He was the go to man for items that were hard to procure. In 1814 as the British lay siege at the mouth of the Mississippi, Lafitte smuggled supplies and troops to General Jackson at Chalmette. According to legend, the British were attacked under the cover of a dense fog and defeated. His blacksmith shop was one of the oldest operating in New Orleans without electricity. Up until a few years ago only generators powered the electricity in the shop.
Hotel Monteleon is my last recommendation! They are famous for the Carousel bar. Sit down, have a drink and take a spin around the room!
That's all I have for you today!
Until the next adventure!