72 Hours: New Orleans

For my last trip of 2020, I wanted to leave Texas but also avoid any more air travel (read my New York posts for my experience traveling to another state during a pandemic) so I headed to New Orleans, Louisiana for a much needed vacation. Nola is located about 5 hours from Houston and is pretty much a straight shot on the I-10 highway. The French inspired city is filled with tons of great jazz music, fun dance spots (which we obviously didn’t experience this time around), interesting museums, and delicious food and coffee. On top of all that, one of my friends from high school recently moved to New Orleans so I was excited to reunite with her. Check out my 3 day New Orleans adventure below!

What To Do

National WWII Museum

This museum surprised me with how comprehensive it was and how huge it was! We spent about 2 hours on a rainy Sunday afternoon wandering through the exhibits of the museum and learning SO much about World War II. There is so much information in the museum that there is actually an option to pay an additional $7 to come in for an additional day. While the museum did mainly focus on the US during the war (our military experience and the experience on the home front), there are two large galleries that do provide information on the European and Asian involvement and experiences during the war. We ended up paying a bit more for the 4D movie, Beyond All Boundaries, as well, which journeys through the entire WWII and is narrated by Tom Hanks and is a moving tribute to the millions who died during the war. My favorite part of the museum, however, was that each visitor got to obtain a plastic dog tag that contained information about a participant in the War (whether it be a nurse or a soldier or a politician) and there were several interactive stations placed throughout the exhibits that allowed visitors to save interesting facts they were interested in as well as follow along their ID holder’s story. I highly recommend allocating a solid afternoon for the National WWII Museum because it is honestly one of the best historical museums I’ve ever visited!

Longue Vue House and Gardens

I love visiting old homes when traveling and learning a bit more of history through someone’s familial home. Longue Vue is not a Southern plantation home (although those do abound in the area), but instead belonged to the wealthy Stern family in the late 1800s and 1900s. Touring the house can be done by purchasing a tour ticket and entering the house with a tour guide (tours are limited capacity and the one I went on was private to only my group). The gardens are free to walk around on your own and take photos in because they are gorgeous and serene.

City Park

Ever since watching the Disney movie, Princess and the Frog, I’ve wanted to visit (and ok dance to jazz music!) City Park. While not huge like New York’s Central Park, City Park does have its own natural charm and lots of great walkways. There is also an outpost of the popular Cafe du Monde with lots of space and very little lines. So if you’re craving their fluffy beignets, but don’t want to stand in the French Quarter cafe’s long lines, this is your spot! I loved listening to children laughing and playing and street musicians playing slow jazz music.

Exploring Magazine Street

Everyone knows about Bourbon Street, but I feel like Magazine Street is often overlooked when it shouldn’t be! There are so many wonderful local shops and cafes located on the streets and not to mention, all the gorgeous homes. After grabbing donuts at District Doughnuts, we meandered through Magazine street, popping into a few boutiques here and there and really just enjoying the fresh air and the empty street. Magazine Street is a great alternative to the crowded French Quarter if you’re looking to social distance, but still be a tourist.

What To Eat

Cafe Beignet

The number 1 thing I wanted to eat in New Orleans was beignets (duh!) and nothing was going to stop me from trying as many beignets as I could so you’ll see many many photos of the treat in this post. Before I arrived, I googled top beignet destinations besides Cafe du Monde (because that one is so obvious) and found that some locals actually preferred Cafe Beignet to Cafe du Monde. So I knew I had to make a stop so I could form my own decision. But first, doesn’t Cafe Beignet’s storefront remind you of a little Parisian bakery? It’s so adorable and there is plenty of outdoor seating for social distancing! My opinion on the beignets? While they are pillowy and huge, I don’t feel like they are as fluffy as Cafe du Monde and I can see why Cafe du Monde’s beignets are famous worldwide. Still, the beignets at Cafe Beignet are DELICIOUS and worth a stop!

Cafe Du Monde

This one is a no brainer- who visits New Orleans and doesn’t stop for some of Cafe Du Monde’s famous beignets? This time around I went to the outpost within City Park to avoid the crowds and we didn’t have to wait at all! There was also plenty of seating under the green awning of the building and around the Park as well. Highly recommend coming to this location instead of the crowded French Quarter one.

New Orleans Coffee and Beignets

We stopped here on a whim when we realized that our coffee shop, Bearcat, was located within 5 minutes of these beignets. Most beignet shops sell giant beignets in groups of 3 and while New Orleans Coffee and Beignets does have that option as well, I thought I would try their beignet bites this time around to get a different experience. Although I still prefer the larger beignets, these tiny ones were so crispy and fluffy at the same time and all together yummy!

Banh Mi Boys

I can’t remember how I heard about the creative and delicious banh mi sandwiches at Banh Mi Boys, but I’m so glad I did. The classic banh mi sandwiches are served here, but there is also Cajun inspired twists on some of the sandwich options which is what makes this place special. I went for the fried cajun shrimp banh mi and had zero regrets. This place is so delicious! Banh Mi Boys is located next to a gas station and has plenty of heated outside seating.

Vivi Bubble Tea

I didn’t mention Vivi in my New York post because I knew I was going to mention it here and I didn’t want things to get repetitive. Vivi’s was my all time favorite bubble tea shop when I lived in NYC (I had been going there since I was a college senior interning in the city) and when I discovered there was actually an outpost in New Orleans I knew I had to make a stop. The bubble tea was just as delicious as I remembered and I’m so sad there isn’t a location in Houston. The New Orleans Vivi is located in the Metairie neighborhood near Banh Mi Boys.

French Truck Coffee

I’ve seen the bright yellow and blue colors of French Truck Coffee all over Instagram and was dying to try their coffees when I came to New Orleans. They have several different brick and mortar locations as well as an actual yellow truck- this is the Magazine Street location. The coffee shop sells coffee beans as well as ground coffee and serves a variety of pastries in addition to their coffee options. I went for their classic drink, the New Orleans Iced Coffee!

Bearcat CBD

There are two locations of Bearcat in New Orleans, but we heard from multiple sources that the location in Uptown on Jena Street is better than the Carondelet location. While brunch is also served inside the cafe, we stopped by for their popular chai lattes and caffeinated drinks. Iced drinks are prepackaged in cute bottles, while hot drinks are made upon ordering. My iced chai latte was one of the best ones I’ve had! Parking is a little tricky at the Jena Street location (you’ll have to park on a side street) and there may be a crowd of people waiting when you arrive, but the coffee and lattes are great.

District Doughnuts and Sliders

What better way to start your day than with unique donuts? District Doughnuts doesn’t have a wide donut flavor selection and its donuts aren’t cheap, but they are big and different! I went for the biscotti cookie butter donut and loved how rich and creamy the flavor was. District Doughnuts is located right on Magazine Street so its the perfect way to begin a sunny Saturday morning.

Willa Jean

Willa Jean’s brunch is to die for. I know that sounds very dramatic, but it’s true! Their pastries and bread are baked in house and that literally makes all the difference. My flaky key lime pop tart and fluffy egg and sausage biscuit were some of the most delicious items I ate on this trip- and that is saying a lot because I had a lot of good food in New Orleans. I was so full by the end of the meal but everything on the menu (including my friends’ avocado toasts) seemed so appetizing that I wish my stomach was bigger. Willa Jean can get crowded at times so make a reservation if you can! If you just want to sample their pastries and baked goods, there is an efficient to go line at the front of the restaurant that lets you see all the pastry options for the day. Pro tip- go early because once their bakery items sell out, they are done for the day. I almost lost out on eating the pop tart, but luckily managed to buy the last one!

I loved exploring this calmer side of New Orleans and felt that it was a great getaway from Houston. I can’t wait to explore more of Louisiana this year!