My 50 Dates in 50 States journey consist of going on dates, but it also about adventures & traveling. I’ve shared my Louisiana journey, now here is a round up of everything I did so you can try them out yourself. If you haven’t read about my Lousiana date click here.
WHAT TO DO?
Cemetery Tour
I wasn’t really intrigued about doing a cemetery tour, but I’m glad I did. I learned the about New Orleans; voodoo; the cemeteries; and some civil rights history. I took a walking tour, but if you have bad knees I would recommend buying a $20 ticket at Basin St. Station (It’s right
Airboat Ride
Doing an airboat ride can be a whole day affair. We had to take a bus to the swamp and then wait 20 minutes to before getting on the airboat. You spend time on the boat for about an hour and a half. It was cold when we went and when you ride on the boat the cold air hits your face you may go numb. So depending on the weather, I would recommend to wear a hat and gloves or maybe even bring a blanket. The swamp has a lot of history and you get a chance to see an alligator and even hold a baby one! The company that does the tours is Airboat Adventures. I bought my tickets on Groupon, which saved a couple of dollars based on my calculations. If you have a flexible schedule it may be best to talk to one of the stores in New Orleans so you can talk the price down.
Madi Gras
I came to New Orleans to celebrate Madi Gras, but we didn’t actually go out Madi Gras night. In New Orleans, it’s always a party especially leading up to Madi Gras. If you want to have the Madi Gras experience of flashing and collecting beads, you can do this a couple of days before. Trust me, I collected a majority of my beads on a Sunday night!
Try Hot Sauces
If you like spicy stuff and hot sauce check out House of Pepper. I tried one hot sauce and I didn’t want to try anymore. Some of the hot sauce names are very funny. Fun idea: Buy some hot sauces and have your own Hot Ones challenge with your friends.
Get a Drink
You’ve probably heard of the famous alcoholic drinks in New Orleans. The Hurricane from Pat O’ Brian’s and the Hand Grenade from Tropical Isle. The Hurricane is very strong, but if you like a sweeter drink I would get the Hand Grenade. There’s a Tropical Isle on almost every corner so you’ve shouldn’t have a hard time finding them. If you do have that problem, you probably shouldn’t drink anymore.
WHERE TO EAT?
Seafood Restaurants
So most of the recommended restaurant is for seafood. Whether you want crawfish, oysters, shrimp, or a poy boy all the seafood restaurants sell it. These are the ones tried out:
Dat Dog
Our lovely Airboat Ride guide recommended this restaurant to us. Definitely, my favorite place and I recommend to everyone. After eating a whole bunch of seafood, you can take a break eating a Dat Dog. Dat Dog has every hot dog option that you can possibly think of. If you want a native’s recommendation, our guide’s favorite Hot Dog is the crawfish hot dog top with etouffee.
Cafe Du Monde
If you’ve watched Disney’s Princess and the Frog and you’ve wondered how Princess Tiana’s beignets taste… Cafe Du Monde is where you try them. There was a long line to wait, but it’s worth it. My friend and I accidentally skipped the line by just walking in and sitting our selves, so if you don’t feel like waiting that’s the trick. 😉 Also don’t wear black, because all the sugar powder is going to get all over you!
Russel’s Marina Grill
Russel’s Marina Grill was recommended to me by a Lyft driver. He was one of those talkative driver, but I glad he recommended it. I went here for breakfast before my long flight back. I had almost everything. The one thing I loved was the sweet potatoe pancakes. I was a little relucntant ordering it, but apparently it was taken off the menu for a while. It’s back on there because locals protested they get back on the menu. I’m so glad they did, so defenitely check it out
