The joys (and dangers) of having a Pinterest account is the wide variety of information it gives for things to do and places to see when traveling to new places (or returning to some favorite places). When my mom, bowling team and I travel to Louisiana, we only have two nights in New Orleans which brings up the saying, “So much to do, so little time”. Pinterest, as well as the internet, has helped us determine our top choices for sight seeing.
New Orleans is a great city for a history nut. The Jackson Square, pictured above and named after the famous President Andrew Jackson, is home to an open air balcony where artists tend to show (and potentially sell) their artwork, and the square is also the location of the oldest cathedral in the United States: St. Louis Cathedral. Their website provides information on the history, mass times, and the opportunity to hold a wedding. An open balcony provides the chance for artist to show off their artwork and visitors a chance to appreciate/buy it.
Plantation tours are also a rich history experience, and no tour should be the same. The Top Ten Plantation Tours website briefly describes 10 plantation tours available in or around the city, then provides a link for further information. Bocage Plantation website states this plantation is closed until further notice. Upon further research, I found out the home and land were sold at an auction in 2012 with no information on it reopening. The Oak Alley Plantation (pictured above) dates back before the Civil War with historical structures from that time period still intact and open for the tour. A tour at this location costs $20 and gives a visitor access to the house that still houses some belongings from the original owners, other structures on the property and the gift shop. For a traveler who wants to peek into centuries worth of history, a plantation tour is one of the best ways to go.
The main thing I want to experience is MUSIC. If we go to New Orleans and don’t experience that, then we haven’t traveled in my opinion. Piano bars, street corners, jazz bands, House of Blues, the possibilities are endless. The House of Blues website provides information on upcoming concerts as well as a full menu. Seafood, cajun, “Jambalaya Bayou Bowl”.. when in the gulf, you might as well eat their food! Bourbon Street is a famous attraction filled with tourists and bands during the day and an interesting side of tourists at night. Some of my friends and coworkers that have already traveled to the city have stated that Bourbon Street has a smell mixed of “pee, puke and alcohol”. As long as we stay in a large group and alert of our surroundings, I don’t see any problem with traveling to Bourbon Street.
No matter what we do or see, I know New Orleans will be a great time, and I can’t wait for June!
Until next time… “the world is a book and those who do not meet only read a page.”