Day 1

The first day we struck out to the French Quarter to walk Bourbon Street. The interior of most buildings on Bourbon Street host bars, fast food and industrial sized operations for making frozen drinks and hurricanes. The exteriors boast bright Caribbean colors and Spanish balconies with complex ironwork that are hallmarks of 18th and 19th century architecture for which the French Quarter is known. For lunch we found ourselves at the Acme Oyster House for po-boys, hush puppies and grilled oysters. We took two hurricanes to go (there are no open container laws in New Orleans – take advantage!) and walked down to Jackson Square – a picturesque, European feeling park in the shadow of the famed St Louis Cathedral. We beelined through the park, across the street to Café du Monde. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Café du Monde is famous for their chicory coffee and beignets. And boy do those beignets live up to their hype! Each serving comes with several fluffy pastries warm, light and dusted copiously with powdered sugar. In a state of food coma bliss, my mother and I made our way back to the trolley ensuring we stopped at Faulkner House Books on the way back to the hotel.

Day 2

We decided to take advantage of the sunshine and walk around the Garden District. We strolled down Prytania street ogling at the grandeur of each home and reading the detailed historical plaques dotted around the neighborhood. Be warned, the sidewalks in the Garden District look like they have lived through multiple earthquakes or nuclear wars (or both), so I recommend sensible shoes and a keen eye on the ground for this walk. The must-see highlights include the Briggs-Staubs House, George Washington Cable House, the Women Opera Guild and Colonel Short’s Villa. After our walk, we rested our weary feet by the Chloe’s sunny poolside and prepared for the night ahead.

We started our evening at the St. Vincent Hotel, a former orphanage run by nuns, which has been elegantly converted to a mixed art deco style hotel. At one of St Vincent’s two bars, we ordered a Pimm’s cup, a traditional sweet Southern cocktail, and a specialty Bergamotto Martini. From St. Vincent, we headed to Bacchanal Wine and Spirits, a wine shop and outdoor music venue in Bywater. Arriving at Bacchanal you feel like you’ve stumbled upon a local’s spot. The backyard gives a congenial feel of a neighborhood barbeque with excellent live jazz and even better wine and cheese. After watching mouth-watering cheese plates drift by for an hour or so, my mother and I ended our night at Shaya, a Mediterranean restaurant on Magazine Street known for their silky hummus and pillow soft pita.

Day 3

The highlight of our third day in town was a long walk down Magazine Street – a six-mile stretch of quirky shops, thrift stores, antiques and art galleries. We enjoyed grabbing a quick pastry at La Boulangerie and exploring Century Girl Vintage and Trashy Diva Clothing Boutique. For nighttime entertainment, we headed to the groovy Oak Street area to eat at Jacques-Imos, an eclectic and lively dive bar with excellent cornbread and southern bites. Afterward, we headed next door to the famed Maple Leaf Bar. Maple Leaf has been in operation since 1974 and boasts live music 7 days a week from a myriad of talented acts ranging from local legends and up and comers to Grammy award winning artists. The space is bare bones, the focus here is the music.