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New Orleans — or ‘Nola’ as she’s affectionately known locally — means Mardi Gras, but this city has so much more to offer travellers.
The historic French Quarter, the grand paddle-steamers that still ply the mighty Mississippi, the spicy flavours of Cajun and Creole cooking, and the macabre mystery of the city’s ‘above ground’ cemeteries are all waiting to be experienced.
Here’s a checklist of our top ten things to do in New Orleans on a first visit.
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10 Top Things to Do on a Southern USA Road Trip | Charleston, Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans
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1. Explore the French Quarter
New Orleans transcends the youth of the ‘New World’, and feels much more like the venerable European cities of Paris, Venice, and London. The French Quarter is a fascinating time capsule and there are heritage treasures to be discovered around every corner. Peel back the layers and learn of the folklore hidden in the cobble-stone streets with the help of a guide from Friends of the Cabildo. All proceeds from these walking tours go towards the work of the Louisiana State Museum.
Your guide will paint a vivid picture of the city’s dark history, including destruction by fire and outbreaks of disease. These tribulations are believed by some to have been the result of a curse cast on the colony for being built on a Native American burial site. It’s no wonder New Orleans has long inspired tales of vampires and voodoo, and continues to fuel murder mysteries, crime thrillers, and CSI incarnations!
2. Visit an above ground cemetery
Cursed ground was not the early city’s only problem. Due to settling sediment, much of New Orleans sits below sea level. To counter the issues associated with burying the dead in soggy earth, the city’s oldest cemeteries consist of rows of elaborate above ground crypts. Take a guided tour of St Louis Cemetery No. 1 and visit the final resting place of the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans herself — Marie Laveau.
3. See live jazz at Preservation Hall
New Orleans is renowned as the birthplace of jazz, so don’t miss attending a live show at atmospheric Preservation Hall. The raw energy, creativity, and soul on display nightly will captivate you — whatever your feelings about the virtues of ad lib! Jazz lovers may want to consider visiting the city during the annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The festival began back in 1970 and continues to celebrate the city’s musical heritage with gusto.
4. Revel in the magic of Mardi Gras at any time of year
If you’re able to time your visit to coincide with the annual Mardi Gras festival (which is usually held in February), you’ll witness the legendary celebration that takes over the town. It’s a heady mix of parades, parties, elaborate masks, and shiny beads (throws), which are tossed into the crowds by performers. For the rest of the year, visitors can still enjoy the magic by paying a visit to the Backstreet Cultural Museum to marvel at the flamboyant costumes on display.
5. Do a food tour
Forget the American dining cliches of hamburgers, hot dogs, and apple pie; while in Louisiana, it’s all about Creole and Cajun dishes — which share a foundation in French cooking. For a delicious introduction to the French Quarter’s culinary scene, book a guided food tour and feast on gumbo, po-boys, jambalaya, and pralines while learning more of the area’s history.
Extra tip: You can savour the flavours of New Orleans even when your visit has come to an end. Simply stock up on Cajun/Creole spices, marinades, and dressings at the Pepper Palace. There’s a store in the French Market — America’s oldest public market. Their tabasco jelly beans (yes, you read that right) pack quite a punch!
6. Tuck into slow cooked southern BBQ
Another mouth-watering dining tradition that awaits you in Nola is the southern-style, slow smoked barbeque. The Joint is located east of the French Quarter and serves up belt-busting portions of ribs, pulled pork, brisket, and all the ‘fixins’.
7. Cruise the Mississippi on a steamboat
Built as a port on the banks of the Mississippi River, New Orleans offers plenty of options for getting out on the water. No visit here would be complete without travelling like Mark Twain on the charming Steamboat Natchez. You’ll enjoy a buffet dinner and live jazz — while ‘watchin’ the tide roll away’.
8. Take an airboat ride
‘Bayous’ are a defining feature of the landscape in and around New Orleans, and consist of intertwined freshwater rivers, creeks, and wetlands. Book a half-day airboat ride to explore one of these fascinating waterworlds and feel the wind in your hair along the way. You’ll get up-close-and-personal with local wildlife such as alligators, snakes, and turtles.
9. Raise a toast at one of the city’s oldest bars
Who could resist visiting an 18th century pirates’ den for a cocktail and shanty around the piano? Not us! Head for Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar on famous Bourbon Street, which was constructed some time between 1722 and 1732. Look out for the bullet holes in the walls — a remnant of pirate Jean Lafitte’s battles with the British (and anyone else who crossed his path)!
10. Toss in a line
Fishing is a time honoured tradition in these parts, and you’re invited to join Captain Ed on a fishing charter in search of trout and bass. He’ll even arrange for your fish to be cooked at a local restaurant as you watch the sun set after another amazing day in ‘The Big Easy’.
For more travel inspiration, visit www.neworleans.com.
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Additional images: Bigstock
About the writer
Barry Johnson is a freelance travel writer living in Sydney, but with previous homes in Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East. His love of adventure led to getting lost in a Californian forest a week after The Blair Witch Project went viral, building a giant Buddha on a Cambodian mountain, camel racing in an Egyptian desert, and teaching English to Peruvian children as they taught him Quechuan — the language of the Incas.
About the writer
Adam Ford is editor of Top Oz Tours & Travel Ideas, and a travel TV presenter, writer, blogger, and photographer. He has travelled extensively through Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, and the Middle East. Adam worked as a travel consultant for a number of years with Flight Centre before taking up the opportunity to travel the world himself as host of the TV series Tour the World on Network Ten. He loves to experience everything a new destination has to offer and is equally at home in a five-star Palazzo in Pisa or a home-stay in Hanoi.
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