What to do in New Orleans, Louisiana
What’s there to do in New Orleans? Is it as dangerous as some say? What about all the hype - and is it horribly crowded? These were all questions we had before we visited so we hope we can share the answers we found here. In addition to some tips for places to go and see, we also have ideas of where you can camp near New Orleans that’s close and very affordable.
General tips for visiting New Orleans
In many cases, it’s just good to have cash. Having small bills is another thing that I found was very, very helpful. I liked a lot of the bands, for example, but not didn’t want to drop $20 in their tip jar, although I’m sure that would have been very much appreciated.
Former orphanage turned hotel in the Garden District of New Orleans
I also tend not to keep the cash and my wallet in the same place. I can reach into my pocket and pull out a few $1 bills for a tip without having to fumble through a wallet and be distracted.
Safety
Before we went to New Orleans we heard repeated horror stories about how unsafe it was. Frankly, we never once felt threatened even when we were out at night. Perhaps that’s because of where we were, or just how people perceive things.
Check out our articles and podcasts about safety on the road.
Like in every large city, unfortunately, there is a huge homeless situation. This does affect your visit in that there are plenty of people who want your money. For example, one of the most common scams we’ve come across is one that starts with “I know where you got your shoes.”
There are also people who distract you by giving you bracelets and other worthless stuff. And there are plenty of organizations that send people out to share that organization’s message.
What I like to do is wear sunglasses wherever possible and just focus my attention on what’s ahead without losing sight of what’s in my immediate vicinity. I try to send a clear message with my posture and attitude that I am not going to talk to the panhandlers and scammers.
You just have to practice completely ignoring these beggars and come across as a bit aloof and confident. Don’t be staring at your phone while walking around. I like cargo pants, even if they aren’t the coolest thing, only because there are pockets in the front that have snaps or Velcro. My wallet isn’t an easy thing to find.
This isn’t unusual or specific to New Orleans, frankly. I practice this anywhere I’m around a large number of people.
Also, I don’t like to leave things visible in my truck. Many crimes anywhere are crimes of opportunity where someone who might be otherwise honest sees something they want. If there’s something that looks valuable in an unattended vehicle, it may change ownership unexpectedly.
Mule-drawn wagons at Jackson Square
Parking
New Orleans is an old city that was built before cars were even a dream. Parking is generally tight and the more crowded the city becomes, the more constrained parking becomes.
Still, there are a lot of public lots all over the place that have automated parking systems. Again, having small bills is a good idea as these systems don’t give change.
I also found that a number of these automated kiosks were broken. In that case, we used an app on our phone to pay for parking.
During the day the best parking experience we had was at the Basin Street Station where we caught the bus tours. That parking was just $5 all day and there was plenty of it. We then took the bus to the places we wanted to go.
At night we found lots and even the occasional street parking. The lots and the street parking utilize the same automated system so you might as well download the app, it’s going to be quite helpful.
Getting around
As mentioned, the hop on/hop off bus was our favorite.
New Orleans also has a streetcar system that will take you to a number of places. This, too, has an app that gives you up-to-the-minute status of the streetcars.
There are also mule-drawn buggies in the French Quarter that incorporate a tour component. Lastly, there are a lot of pedi cabs. These can be fun but we didn’t avail ourselves of this option. I would feel bad for whoever has to pedal our chunky selves around.
Of course there are the ride share services as well and we didn’t try these, either, but I’ve been told they can be tough to get at the more popular times. Again, not an unusual situation in any large gathering of humans.
Like many older cities, New Orleans is a smaller place so your feet might be the best way to get where you want to be.
Smoking
As many of you know we initially came from California where smoking of any kind is prohibited in almost any place where humans can gather. Smoking seems much more common here with some folks smoking cigars in open-air restaurants, at breweries and that sort of thing.
I also noticed a lot of people smoking other things on the street. No biggie to me, but just took a moment to get used to. Oh, yeah, it is illegal in many of these places but that doesn’t seem to matter. Expect to smell some sort of smoke in a lot of places.
Jackson Square
Jackson Square is smack dab in the middle of the French Quarter (or so it seems) and local artists have lined the large square with some incredible art. Surrounding them are live musicians and then cafes and shops. The atmosphere is electric, the art is beautiful and it’s just a great place to enjoy being alive.
The Garden District
One of the tour guides told us that the Garden District is where there are more locally-owned shops. We walked several blocks of this area and found lots of locally-made clothing and such.
The Garden District is named such because the land was divided into larger plots and the land owners tended to put gardens around their property. Reportedly this was done to keep the more affluent residents in the area.
Walking the streets of the Garden District is a great way to see the lovely old architecture that tells a part of the story of this special place. But, like in much of New Orleans, the sidewalks are very uneven owing to the soft ground underneath them so be careful not to trip.
There are bars, coffee shops and restaurants here, too, and they’re slightly more affordable than in the French Quarter. We also found the area to be less bustling with activity if that’s your thing.
Eating New Orleans
New Orleans is a food town. But while many towns that have great food have great expensive food, that’s not as true of New Orleans. In fact there are so very many ways to eat well without spending a lot you’ll want to bring the next size up for your clothes. You’ll need them.
There are a number of things that the town is known for and it’s located right along the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Pontchartrain so seafood is a given. The blending of Spanish and French culture makes for interesting flavors.
With those cultural backgrounds spice is also in plentiful supply but the food here isn’t necessarily spicy, just well seasoned.
There are also certain places that have established such a reputation that most tourists go there just because they’re so well known.
A word of warning
If you’re going to eat in the French Quarter, you’re going to pay for the privilege. This is not the place to go for a bargain or discount. I wouldn’t call the prices ridiculous, but they ain’t cheap.
Since this is a tourism destination and it’s a hoppin’ place, prices reflect this. But you will also find that there are no small portions here so I don’t feel like I was ripped off at all. Like my belt line, my credit card certainly felt the pinch of being here. But I wouldn’t hesitate to go back.
Another thing to know is that you’ll be in a land where bread is king. If something isn’t on bread, it’s served with bread. It may also be deep-fried and breaded. I’m sure there are plenty of choices for those who have gluten issues or are trying to watch what they eat, that’s just not at all what this article is about. Sorry, not sorry.
Start with dessert
Life’s short - eat dessert first! That could almost be the motto of the Big Easy but it’s not. Though it’s also not a bad way to take things.
New Orleans is famous for beignets and the beignets that are probably the best known are the ones from Cafe Du Monde. Perhaps that’s because Cafe Du Monde opened their doors in 1862 so they’ve been around a while. The menu at the location in the French Market, which is in the heart of the French Quarter of New Orleans, is pretty simple.
Beignets, coffee, cafe au let and soft drinks. Period. Oh, and it’s cash only.
Beignets are small, square donuts and they are served three to an order under a literal mountain of powdered sugar. I think their wait staff’s biggest challenge is cleaning up the powdered sugar after each guest leaves.
I would say it’s next to impossible to not wear the powdered sugar which is especially true since the cafe is open-air so even the slightest breeze will have you looking like a Hollywood executive in the 1980s.
Coffee in New Orleans is often laced with chicory simply because coffee was difficult to get in the past. It was mixed with the root to make it go further and that tradition took hold.
The locals became used to the flavor which is described as smoother than pure coffee. It’s not tremendously different but it is different. It is a strong coffee but not in terms of caffeine because chicory has no caffeine in it, and represents about a quarter of the grounds used to make a cup.
Something you’ll also find is cafe Au Lait. This is essentially half steamed milk and half coffee (remembering that that coffee is also about 20-25% chicory). So, sitting down to afternoon coffee and beignets means you won’t have the coffee jitters most likely.
Cafe Beignet
I would imagine that if you told someone you went to New Orleans and didn’t report back that you were in Cafe Du Monde, you might be sent back. But after you’ve done the obligatory beignets at Cafe Du Monde, you might also try them at Cafe Beignet. I personally liked these a little bit better but, of course, it’s subjective.
And it’s fried dough for Pete’s sake. The beignets at Cafe Beignet seemed a little more fried, if that’s a thing, although there was also a crazy amount of powdered sugar on top. The cafe also had live music when we went, which is something you’ll find all over the place.
We also enjoyed a coffee and, in this case, not Au Lait so we could get a better idea of how the chicory tasted. It’s a slightly different taste but not dramatically so, although I’m not sure I would describe it as smoother. It does have a bit more of a root flavor which makes sense since chicory is a root.
Beignet Cafe also has a lot of other choices on the menu. But, seriously, beignets and coffee.
Po’ Boy
Word is the po’ boy sandwich was invented here and the name comes from a sandwich shop that made these for the less affluent residents, and is a derivation of “poor boy.”
Peggy decided that she would make a goal of finding her favorite shrimp po’ boy sandwich and so we were now on a quest.
According to one of the guides aboard the hop on, hop off bus his favorite po’ boy came from Monty’s On The Square. So, we got one. And, yep, it was certainly good.
Po’ boy sandwiches come on thick, crusty French rolls. While Peggy was seeking her favorite shrimp po’ boy, there are certainly other things you can get and still be in the po’ boy realm.
The shrimp po’ boy sandwiches we ate all had a lot of deep-fried shrimp, lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayonnaise. A couple of times we also had the mayo on the side, not by request but that’s just how they were served there. The Monty’s variation was certainly good.
We also had one at the Market Cafe in the French Market. True to the recommendation of the tour guide, the Monty’s sandwich was better. Perhaps because it had pickles.
Though po’ boy sandwiches are a thing, a friend of ours who has since moved out of New Orleans said the thing she most misses from the area is a sandwich called muffuletta. This is described as Pompeian bun layered with sliced ham, salami, mortadella, provolone and Swiss cheese, topped with olive salad and baked.
There is a lot of lunch meat on this sandwich and it’s good. I only had one, at the Market Cafe, and I liked it. The olive tapenade is part of the magic of this sandwich but there was also Italian dressing to dip the sandwich in on the side. Shockingly none of this made it onto my shirt which may be some sort of laundry miracle.
New Orleans is a magical place, after all.
Jumpin’ Jambalaya
There were so many things we didn’t get a chance to eat only because we were only in New Orleans for a few days. We did try the Jambalaya at The Maison.
One of the tour guides said that Jambalaya is sort of like Paella but without the saffron. Whatever the origin, there’s typically andouille sausage, chicken and rice along with a sauce and seasonings. I’ve had plenty of jambalaya in my day because I really like it. The one I had at Maison wasn’t very memorable. However, the music was and that’s why I went there in the first place.
A plate of fried chicken from Gus's Fried Chicken
Fried chicken
Since I’m in the south I’m also going to seek-out fried chicken. Interestingly the Popeye’s fried chicken chain started in New Orleans so they know their chicken.
After doing a search for the best fried chicken, we went to Gus’s which has been serving up the dish since the 1950s. Gus’s is a bit outside the French Quarter but I thought it was worth the trip.
The chicken had a wee hint of spice to the breading but it was incredibly moist and very, very good. This may have been some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. Further, you can get collard greens as a side dish.
Funny story, the server let me know that the greens weren’t green beans and I was glad for that. They were collard greens and they were done right. We also got baked beans. But, oh, that chicken. It was fantastic.
I would almost say that the breading had the smallest hint of Sriracha sauce to it but not so much that it was spicy, but there was a small bit of heat. My gosh, that chicken was good.
Boudin balls
A couple of times I ate boudin balls which are a local sausage made with pork and rice. The sausage is then cut up and deep fried. I love boudin balls and the ones at Monty’s again, won out over all the others.
What we didn’t eat
Despite being on a gulf state we didn’t eat seafood other than the various shrimp po’ boy sandwiches. There are plenty of people who will admonish us for not eating oysters which can be prepared in a wide number of ways including barbecue, raw and more. But we don’t like oysters.
We also didn’t eat alligator, although it seems to be a relatively common dish. I guess I would try it, but I don’t want to place an order and then not like it.
And, we didn’t eat any catfish. I do like catfish but it just came down to decision time and po’ boys stuffed with shrimp won out.
Another thing you’ll find all over are hot dog carts and I’ve been told the hot dogs are really good. Didn’t try one, there were just too many other choices. I do love hot dogs. Although I saw someone eating one with ketchup on it. I guess anything goes.
Enjoying Tuba Skinny at The Maison on French Street
The sounds of New Orleans
New Orleans is known for the music scene and there is music everywhere. From very talented street performers to people performing in restaurants and bars, there is absolutely no shortage of music in the air. Heck, in Jackson Square there was an impromptu band that included three tubas. When was the last time you saw three tubas except in a marching band?
If you love great music you will also want to visit Frenchmen Street after dark. Frenchmen Street has performance venues and restaurants where some of the city’s really exceptional musicians go to entertain the audience. This is where you can sit down and have a meal and enjoy absolutely world-class musicians of all sorts.
But the music is such that you won’t want to sit down and so you should absolutely bring your dancing shoes. Yep, even after a day of walking around Jackson Square and the French Quarter I was still ready to shake my bones to the sound of the music.
On one night we went to The Maison on Frenchmen Street and caught a performance of Tuba Skinny, a band I have been following on YouTube for many years. I also got some Jambalaya and bread pudding and some pretty terrific beer to boot.
Music is everywhere in New Orleans and it's fantastic.
There were three bands on the night I was there, the first one being a trio that featured Giselle Anguizola. Her performance featured a lot of well-played jazz standards and she not only sang, but had a board that she tap dances on. I hadn’t seen that before and it was a neat way to be introduced to it.
As mentioned, I have followed Tuba Skinny for years thanks to an introduction to them on YouTube. I first learned about them because I wanted to watch people play washboard and they feature the instrument. But the ensemble is extraordinarily talented and quite energetic, mixing some of their own compositions with some standards.
There was no cover charge on the night we went but you could reserve a table for $20. They also wanted you to keep ordering food or drinks while you were sitting there which wasn’t an issue.
I would bring a decent amount of cash with you so you can tip the various performers you’ll encounter. There is some real talent in New Orleans and you’ll want to offer some monetary thanks for the efforts. Trust me.
Another neat thing is how the people of New Orleans celebrate. If there’s a wedding, there may be a parade and the police will simply stop traffic to let the parade of wedding revelers and their band take over. That’s also true of funeral processions which also have a band. We saw both of these.
Drinking in New Orleans
One of the interesting things about New Orleans is that you can drink right on the public streets. Have a daiquiri in Jackson Square, or a margarita in the mall. It’s all good. You could walk right up to a peace officer with a drink in hand and ask them for directions. No problem.
Oh, and those officers are exceptionally helpful as are just about everyone else here. But also know that your drink has to be in a plastic container, not glass.
As with so many places nowadays there are some great local breweries in Louisiana and many of the restaurants and eateries have local beers, but remember that plastic container factor.
There are also places right in the French Quarter that specialize in drinks to go. We got a Hurricane from a daiquiri-to-go shop right on the main drag, which was pretty high octane and we just walked around sipping it.
New Orleans is also the reputed home to the Bloody Mary and they are also available all over the place. There are some who make it a challenge to find the best Bloody Mary but, instead, I did what I always do and tried as many local beers as possible.
One of my personal favorites is Abita Brewing company’s Purple Haze which is lager style beer but with raspberries added. This adds just the right bite and works well in the warm, humid environment that is New Orleans.
I also found that a lot of the beers here have very high alcohol content - many of the choices were in the eight percent range. If I’m going to be drinking beer starting in the middle of the day I am going to favor the lower-alcohol stuff which is another reason I liked Purple Haze.
Conclusions
This is one of the longest articles on our website and yet we barely scratched the surface. There are museums, cultural destinations, tours, and sections of the city that we just didn’t have time for.
And that just means we have to go back. And you don’t have to ask me twice.
I absolutely loved visiting New Orleans. Once isn’t enough, and a lifetime might not be long enough. But know that this place is magical, especially if you happen to eat or have ears.
Boudin
One more thing - Boudin is a sausage that’s familiar to New Orleans residents. It’s basically pork, rice and seasonings but it’s a big deal We did a video review of three Boudin sausages that we think is fun.
