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When someone says “New Orleans,” what do you first think of? Most likely, it is Mardi Gras, jazz music, or Cajun food. You might be surprised to know that New Orleans is so much more than any or all of those things, even though all are thoroughly enmeshed in the city’s culture. Here are a few suggestions for your next visit to The Big Easy.
Things To Do In New Orleans
New Orleans is world-renowned for its distinctive music, Creole cuisine, unique dialects, and its annual celebrations and festivals, most notably Mardi Gras. The historic heart of the city is the French Quarter, known for its French and Spanish Creole architecture and vibrant nightlife along Bourbon Street. The city has been described as the “most unique” in the United States, owing in large part to its cross-cultural and multilingual heritage. Additionally, New Orleans has increasingly been known as “Hollywood South” due to its prominent role in the film industry and in pop culture.
Eat!
New Orleans has no shortage of restaurants. You don’t need to hit the touristy or big-name restaurants to eat well. If Cafe du Monde or Brennan’s are your style, by all means, treat yourself to their food. Just don’t neglect the lesser-known restaurants, where the locals eat. These restaurants serve excellent “authentic” New Orleans food, such as muffuletta sandwiches and dense, creamy bread pudding served with hard sauce, served alongside the Cajun and Creole food the city is famous for.
Many restaurants have dog-friendly patio dining, especially in the French Quarter. Look for restaurants that offer live music (and maybe dance lessons) for added value. If you’d like to learn to cook what you eat, sign up for some cooking lessons at The New Orleans School of Cooking.
Enjoy a Mule-Drawn Carriage Ride
If you would like to tour the city but choose not to walk, these carriages provide a pleasant alternative to a bus or van. You can find the carriages at a water trough-lined taxi stand on Decatur Street, outside of Jackson Square. The average carriage ride lasts approximately 30 to 90 minutes, depending on how much of the city you wish to see. Many of the drivers have been conducting these tours for years, are very knowledgeable about the city and its history, and can provide many interesting tidbits of information.
Explore the French Quarter
The streets of the French Quarter are narrow and nearly impossible to drive, even if you live in New Orleans. For that reason, the Quarter is best explored on foot. Bourbon Street and Jackson Square are two of the most famous attractions, but they make up only a small portion of the things to see. Street performers, musicians, and artists may be found along Royal Street much of the time, as well as in Jackson Square.
There are many little places of interest along the city streets, including tiny family-owned shops and restaurants you might not notice passing by car. Harry Anderson, of Night Court fame, has a magic shop here. And, of course, there are shops dedicated to selling local artisans’ wares, antiques, books, curios, and-naturally-the inevitable voodoo shops. If you are uncertain where to explore, or if you feel safer in a group, many walking tours that cover the French Quarter, at a relatively low cost per person.
Get your Tarot read
New Orleans is linked irrevocably with the supernatural. Every tourist knows that voodoo was practised here, and savvy people might wonder if it still is practised today. Evidence of voodoo still exists in cemeteries and in the veves scratched into sidewalks or buildings.
For a lighter-hearted side of the supernatural, however, you might want to have your tarot read. Tarot and palm readers set up shop in Jackson Square almost around the clock, working on a donation basis to tell you “what you need to know.” If you prefer to have your reading out of the elements, try getting your reading in a tea shop. Not only can you enjoy a cup of tea with your reading, these shops often have wares such as crystal balls, jewellery, and gris-gris available to purchase.
Go on a tour
There are perhaps as many tours in New Orleans as there are restaurants. A short trip to Decatur Street, or to the Visitor’s Center in Jackson Square, will help you hook up with more tour information than you can manage in a month-long visit to the city. There are tours of downtown, the historic districts, and the cemeteries. City Park alone offers two different gardens and a plantation home that you can tour and downtown offers tours to people interested in ghosts, vampires, history, architecture, and more.
Learn some history
New Orleans contains an amazing number of historical sites, despite a past fraught with catastrophes. Those sites that are gone are preserved in various museums throughout the city. The Historic New Orleans Collection, on Chartres Street, houses exhibitions, research collections, guided tours, and more. Preservation Hall and the House of Blues preserve New Orleans’s musical history; The Cabildo and the Presbytere preserve our city’s heritage. The National D-Day Museum and Confederate Civil War Museum both have exhibits of interest to those who want to learn more about our nation’s history, as well.
The city also hosts the Museum of Art, which is a short trip away on the Canal Street streetcar line. For a little fun, visit a wax museum. If you’re not a museum person, take the time to visit the many historical buildings in the area; many are open to the public for a small fee.
Ride the streetcar
No visit to New Orleans is truly complete without a ride on the streetcar. There are several streetcar lines in service now. The most famous line travels along St. Charles Avenue. Its olive-green cars travel a thirteen-mile route beginning on Canal Street, through the Garden District past the magnificent homes that line the street, and past Tulane University and Audubon Park. This famous route is 150 years old, making it the oldest street railway system to run continuously currently in existence.
The red cars of the Canal Street line only travel a five-and-one-half-mile route, from the Mississippi Riverfront at the French Market to City Park Avenue, near the historic cemeteries. The last line currently running is the nearly two-mile long Riverfront streetcar line, travelling between Esplanade Avenue and the Morial Convention Center. An exact change is required for single fares. Passes for one-day and three-day unlimited rides make repeated streetcar travel inexpensive for visitors.
Sporting Events
Sports abound in New Orleans, whether you wish to participate in them or simply want to watch. The city has two professional football teams a professional basketball team, not to mention a minor league baseball team. Tulane University teams play in New Orleans, as do a host of excellent prep school teams. For sports that are more up-close and personal, check out the fishing and boating on Lake Pontchartrain, as well as the many golf courses that are open all year round.
Take a river cruise
Jazz music, the Mississippi River, and New Orleans. What is a more natural combination? Take advantage of all of these elements by taking a jazz cruise. Travel along the river to the sound of live music, past the Chalmette Battlefield, Mardi Gras World, the Port of New Orleans, and other sights of daily river life.
If jazz music isn’t your style, take a harbour cruise on the Steamboat Natchez and listen to its Steam Calliope. Most of these tours last for around two hours and leave the docks several times each day. Dinner cruises are available at 7 p.m. daily, as well. You can also catch a seven-mile cruise between the Audubon Zoo and the Aquarium of the Americas, as part of a value package program.
Visit Audubon Park
Audubon Park is a haven of green found on St. Charles Avenue across from the Tulane University campus. The park, dominated by huge Spanish moss-covered live oak trees provides many opportunities to enjoy outdoor sports including horseback riding, nature trails, a golf course, and a bicycle- and walking path. Audubon Park is pet-friendly. For nature lovers, there is an island bird sanctuary.
A complimentary Zoo Shuttle can connect you with the Audubon Zoo (admission required). Both the Park and the Zoo host frequent special events so call or check their website before travelling to New Orleans to see if there’s anything of interest to you.
Image Credit: Depositphotos
