YOLO in NOLA

New Orleans is a fantastic city to visit! Mike had never been and I had been twice with the girls but any trip you take, no matter how many times you go, there are always new experiences waiting!

   

    

When we arrived 9:30AM and checked into our hotel, then it started raining, almost immediately. But that didn't stop us from grabbing our umbrellas and investigating our home for the weekend. The great thing about NOLA is even when it rains you don't get too wet because of the balconies! We went to "Cafe Beignet" for breakfast. What drew us to this place was despite the rain, the temperature outside was actually nice. "Cafe Beignet" (on Bourbon Street, there are 3 locaitons) had an outdoor courtyard that was sheltered. They also had a live band playing (because it's NOLA) and just had a welcoming vibe. I have been to some of the other restaurant's famous for Beignet's but this one was by far my favorite. I ordered the Crawfish Omelette (which is making me hungry just thinking about) and an order of the Beignet's (they come in 3's). By the time we finished breakfast, listened to the band and I finished my coffee it was almost finished raining and the sun was starting to come out. I had read about a local shop that I mentioned on my Facebook Page before we left called "Lost and Found." I highly recommend this shop, the lady who was working that morning was super friendly (like everyone in NOLA). She was super helpful and told me as they don't have a website to order directly from, they post a lot on their Facebook page (which is how I found them) and any questions you have they are happy to help with; sizing, items in the store, etc. I had seen on their page a clear (with black polka dots) raincoat and they had it! I am so glad I bought it bc the whole week we were there it rained at least once during the day; I had so many compliments on the raincoat and people asking where I got it, I wonder if they sold out of it?! Definitely plan on checking this place out if you visit!

      

     

       

We walked around the French Market which is an outdoor market selling all kinds of trinkets and treasures. I love going there and seeing and sampling all of their food and drinks. We made our way back towards the hotel to unload our goods and our umbrellas but on the way we passed the "Cornet" restaurant. The host was friendly and asked if we wanted to sit on the upper balcony and have a drink or an appetizer. We actually weren't that hungry but a drink on the balcony overlooking Bourbon Street (and people watching) sounded like a good start to the afternoon. So we went up, took a seat and ordered. We hung out there for about an hour, during which time we ordered Boudin Balls which are made of pork, rice and sausage; very good mini appetizer/lunch. We got our check but before we left asked the waiter where a good local cigar place was.

"When in doubt ask a local."

He told us he was from NOLA and road his bike to work, he passed one everyday where you can watch the workers rolling the tobacco. He couldn't remember the name but told us it was 2 blocks up and 3 over. He actually stood there while I looked it up rather than most people would wish you luck and send you on your way. He also recommended "Johnnys Po Boys" for breakfast; we didn't get a chance to go but he said it's where all the locals go, it's cheap and quick and he eats there at least 3 times a week. "The Cigar Factory" was a short walk, near to the water and again very friendly people. There is no bathroom, however they directed us to the frozen drink shop 2 doors down and told us if we wanted to have a cigar we could get a drink and bring it back and sit; so that's what we did.

     

We hung out there for a while and just watched them roll cigars, had a few drinks then decided it was dinner time. "Dominica" was recommended for their Chef's Charcuterie so off we went. We like to eat small bites when we travel so we can try a lot of different things. It was so delicious I wish we had gone back again before we left. We ordered wine and the charcuterie board and a pizza. So about what I said earlier with eating lite bites, oops, the charcuterie alone was a ton of food! We took half of that and the pizza home! But it was not that expensive and the atmosphere was fantastic! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

   

 

  

I loved our pool at the hotel bc it was right on Boubon Street so you could hear the music from the pool. I am not a fan of my goofy expressions in these pictures but my cover-up is from StitchFix and bikini from RonJon. (Mostly I wanted to show you the rooftop pool!)

    

Friday we went to the WW2 Museum which if you are in the area is truly amazing, especially on a rainy day. When you buy your tickets they assign you a soldier to follow. You can save things to the "dog tag" card you get and re-read them later through their website. We walked around for about 4 hours and saw everything. That night we attended the Saints/Cardinals pre-season game at the Superdome; hopefully one day we'll get to go back bc their stadium is amazing and the fans are so much fun! Champion Square is where most people were tailgating. The fans were all having fun with their families, kids dancing to the live performers on stage. Food and drinks being sold all over, the bathrooms were clean and plenty of them. Sadly the Saints did not win (15-20) but it was very enjoyable!

  

  

   

    

On our walk back to Bourbon Street we saw a rooftop bar above the Hilton Troubadour called "Monkey Board" We stopped in for a drink and the live jazz kept us there for hours; funny how the live music in NOLA does that.

 

Saturday we just walked around and took in the sites since we had to leave early the next morning. I found a great Micro-derm cream (I don't use anything other than lotion for my skin, oops, and I never get sucked in to those places trying to sell creams etc.) but this place has a great product! I actually found it Thursday, when we went to the cigar bar. It was a few shops down (if you turn right out of the cigar shop). They were giving away soap samples and she offered a Botox firming cream then immediately said "I wish I could sell you this but you honestly don't need it. I tried the Micro cream and loved the results and couldn't stop thinking about it so I had to go back. If you want to check it out it's from www.RajeunirBlackCaviar.com and from someone who went from using nothing to falling in love with something that quick, trust me the results are there.

                  

   

    

    

Some recommendations I have of local "hidden gems" from our walk Saturday is:
"Beer Fest" bar- local, not crowded, great throwback music.
"Vault 504"- local boutique (they sell Lego jewelry), fun friendly staff who recommended the next place
"Turtle Bay"- steak dinner for $10! (and it's good). Also, they put the Bengals game on the tv for us!
"Court of Two Sisters"- wine bar, go at night and enjoy the courtyard under the vines and lights.
"Ociana"- late night oysters (bc everyone else stops serving them at midnight), they sell til 1am

Lastly take a PediCab. The drivers will get you anywhere fast, it's a great way to catch a breeze when it's hot out and they love to give recommendations and chat with you while they weave and speed through the stopped car traffic. Much cheaper than a cab and WAY more fun!

     

As you might have noticed I posted a lot of pictures in the polka dot 2 piece outfit...that's because it was so nice I wore it twice (from SheIn). I might need to order it in more colors bc not only was it easy to pack, bc of the thin material, it dried fast in the rain, kept me cool in the heat and has pockets; which was great when I wore my raincoat not to have a purse bulging underneath.

  

I think the easiest way to pack is to have at least 2 two piece outfits, that way you essentially have 4 outfits! Pack less then you can bring more home! (This was one of the other outfits I packed but changed into the polka dots later that night).

  

Also, I did try the new Starbucks Protein Blended Cold Brew (Cacao) and it was delicious! Gave me plenty of energy on the go and I felt like I had my breakfast and coffee in one quick easy blend!

I hope you enjoyed my trip tips and I hope you go enjoy this fantastic city! There is so much to see and do and if you love people watching you will be in heaven! And remember pack less bc their boutiques are so unique!