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The first part of Thanksgiving week, my wife and I spent three days in the French Quarter. Although I had been once before as a teenager, it almost felt like my first time since the memories, although great, were few and faint. If you’ve ever considered visiting this unique and culturally diverse city, keep reading as I share my recent experience along with a few insights.

Upon arrival at the New Orleans International Airport, we were faced with an awkward situation about the shuttle service to our hotel. The person at the help desk claimed that none of the hotels offered complimentary shuttles. But I had booked our hotel because of 3 factors: they had a special discount that week, the guest reviews raved about the location, and it offered shuttle service to and from the airport. After talking with another person who calls the shuttle for you, we ended up going with a taxi as it was less expensive than a shuttle. After our trip, I logged back online to investigate the hotel info. Somehow when my curser accidentally hovered above the “airport shuttle service” feature, a small window popped up stating it’s only available for an additional fee. How was I to know where to hover my curser the first time when I made the booking???

Fortunately, things got better. The taxi driver and hotel personnel were all so friendly and seemed so happy. It kept reminding me of that movie scene where the 7 dwarfs were singing “Whistle While You Work”. After checking in at the Omni Royal, we began exploring the sites. Next door was the Napoleon House Restaurant where we would eat later. After walking a few blocks, we realized we were at Decatur Street. It’s a popular strip of shops and restaurants right across from the Mississippi River. Just on the other side of Decatur Street is the Moonwalk pedestrian path where you can stroll along the river and see various monuments and the famous Natchez River Boat. Later that night, we explored the Jackson Square with its street artists and musicians which was lit up with Christmas lights and then club hopped sampling live music on streets like Bourbon and Royal. Most venues didn’t even require a cover charge. One of our favorites was the Jazz Legends Park on Bourbon street with its family atmosphere, Café Beignet, and a small jazz combo.

The second day, we ate breakfast at the hotel and went to the National WWII Museum. We were lucky enough to arrive just in time for a guided tour of 15 people. The museum has several buildings and it is a “must see” if you’re in New Orleans. In the afternoon, we enjoyed another guided tour around the French Quarter. It was provided by New Orleans Music Tours and our musician guide gave a wealth of info and recorded music samples of the rich history of New Orleans as the birth place of jazz. If you love jazz and history, I recommend taking the tour. After resting up at the hotel, we proceeded to a dinner cruise on the Natchez River Boat. The buffet and views of the city night lights were great and the live music by the Grammy nominated group Dukes Of Dixieland was outstanding. To cap the night off, we then made our way to Frenchman Street. It’s noted for live music which has more progressive jazz and we discovered a quaint brightly lit area of local art vendors.

For the third day, we started with a big breakfast at the hotel again and headed to the St. Charles street car. We didn’t realize you need exact change, but some kind folks gave us coins so we wouldn’t have to find an ATM.  Before making the complete circle via the street car route, we hopped off at the Garden District with its beautiful Victorian homes. We did a self-guided tour and fortunately there was a bookstore café where we were able to relax with cokes and use the restroom before and after our walk. Some of the homes were owned by celebrities and some have been used in movies. After taking the street car back to the French Quarter, we took one last visit to Jackson Square where we took in the sights, listened to live street musicians, watched street artists, and enjoyed the final meal of our stay at a Cajun café. That evening, as we departed for the airport, our very talkative New Orleans native taxi driver shared a lot of interesting info about his life through the years in that area.  

In conclusion, we had a blast and would like to revisit NOLA again sometime. It seems that our getaway timing, Monday thru Wednesday, was great because although the city was plenty active and exciting, we avoided the huge crowds from sporting events and weekend groups. Also, the hotel rates are generally better early in the week. My first trip to the French Quarter was during March on a weekend when they had their St. Patty’s parade. And on both trips, I went to hear live music at the legendary Preservation Hall which I highly recommend. Also, if you like to cook, there’s several Cajun food shops which offer a morning or afternoon Cajun cooking class. Hopefully, this blog post will aid in your curiosity or plans in visiting the French Quarter.  If you’ve ever been, feel free to share your thoughts and experiences!