New Orleans, Louisiana: A Road Trip to the Big Easy

Pack your bags and hit the road with a picturesque adventure in one of the top cultural destinations in the United States. There are so many fun activities and unique attractions to keep you busy in New Orleans. Antebellum plantations with towering oaks, flavorful bites of Creole cuisine, live jazz venues, paranormal tales, energetic nightlife, and bayou boat rides with hungry alligators await in this Southern gem!

Brad and I made the most out of our Memorial Day weekend by planning a road trip from our place in Austin, Texas, to the Big Easy. We added a few pit stops during the eight-hour drive each way including a night of gambling at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Below I highlight several tasty restaurants and things to do to help you craft a diverse itinerary.

Oak Alley Plantation

Step back in time with a tour of Oak Alley Plantation, a historical sugarcane plantation on the west bank of the Mississippi River. Built in 1839, the Greek Revival architecture of the two-story mansion features a colonnade of 28 Doric columns, which is also the number of massive oaks lining the two main pathways. Peek inside the grand rooms decorated with antebellum period furnishings, art, and clothing displays. Sip a refreshing mint julep to beat the heat while exploring the manicured gardens and detailed exhibits. Opening hours are every day, 8:30 AM-4:45 PM, and tickets cost $33 USD per person.

French Quarter

Feel the jovial energy in the French Quarter, an area with blocks upon blocks of whimsical brick architecture bursting with wrought-iron details, gas lamps, and lush hanging baskets. Many cafés, restaurants, and bars have bistro seating on balconies, which are the ideal vantage point for people-watching. This popular tourist zone also has plenty of boutiques, galleries, hotels, museums, jazz clubs, and landmarks.

Jumpstart your day with a treasured New Orleans treat and caffeine fix! The legendary Cafe Du Monde has been serving pillowy beignets (fried pastry dough covered in powdered sugar) and chicory coffee since 1862. Brad and I instantly fell in love with our plates of melt-in-your-mouth beignets. Pair the square morsels with a frozen café au lait to help combat the sticky humidity.

Nearby Jackson Square has local artists, live music, psychic readings, and street performers surrounding the equestrian bronze statue of Andrew Jackson. Switch up your perspective with an outdoor seat and cocktail at Muriel's on the corner. Pop into the St. Louis Cathedral to see marvelous ceiling frescos and impressive stained glass windows. The symmetrical white façade and elegant spires are a captivating sight!

Don't miss a two-hour voyage on one of the last authentic steamboats operating in the United States. Cruising down the Mississippi River aboard the restored Steamboat Natchez is a leisurely way to spend a morning or afternoon. An organist even pipes out jolly tunes while passengers wait to embark. The gentle breeze on the water, multiple decks, shoreline scenery, informative narration, live jazz, and cocktails are amazing. Departures run every day at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM, and tickets start at $50 USD per person.

Haunted buildings, ghost stories, cemeteries, and vampire lore await in the most supernatural city in America. Book a two-hour guided walk with Haunted History Tours to hear about devastating fires, murders, epidemics, and mysterious events. The elaborate mausoleums and engraved tombs at Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 and St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 are eerily beautiful, especially when the magnolias are in bloom.

Pick up a Voodoo doll souvenir or sign up for a psychic reading at Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo. A short visit to the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum is worthwhile to see colorful altars, understand ritual practices, and learn about the prominent Voodoo queen Marie Laveau. Bring a few coins or special items to appease the spirits. Opening hours are every day, 10:00 AM-6:00 PM, and tickets cost $12 USD per person.

Rowdy vibes meet unparalleled nightlife along Bourbon Street, a famous party destination for tourists and locals alike. Neon lights, strong cocktails, loud music, flashes of nudity, and Mardi Gras beads combine to make one heck of a wild atmosphere. My top picks for bars include Tropical Isle for its Hand Grenade (lime green frozen slush), Pat O'Brien's for its Hurricane (sweet rum drink with grenadine), and Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop for its Voodoo Blend (frozen grape concoction). Definitely expect a brutal hangover in the morning!

In the mood for something less chaotic? End your evening on a high note with a live jazz performance at Preservation Hall. The intimate and gritty room provides an acoustic stage for that classic old-school sound with up to five sets per day. If tickets are unavailable, head to Frenchmen Street for a stretch of jazz clubs with rotating nightly lineups. Luckily, you don't have to wander far beyond the French Quarter to experience this soulful music genre that originated in New Orleans.

Bayou

Flying through the bayou on a powerful airboat surrounded by cattails and swaying Spanish moss is exhilarating! Catching a glimpse of an alligator in the wild is a bucket list nature moment. Unfortunately, Brad and I didn't realize at the time that our excursion with Jean Lafitte Swamp Tours was unethical. Handling baby alligators and using marshmallows as bait are irresponsible practices. Learn from our mistake and find an eco-friendly company instead.

Another way to explore the bayou is along the peaceful boardwalk trails within the Barataria Preserve. Look for alligators hiding beneath pockets of duckweed, exquisite purple irises, nimble lizards darting between tree branches, and stoic white egrets hunting for prey. A major restoration project to fix damage caused by Hurricane Ida is currently underway and expected to finish in 2028. Check the official National Park Service website for trail updates and openings.

Restaurants

The cuisine of New Orleans is a collision of Spanish passion, French technique, Caribbean heat, and African tradition. Rich flavors, fresh seafood, smoked meats, and bold spices fuse together to make complex, yet comforting, Creole and Cajun staples. Favorites include crawfish étouffée, gumbo, jambalaya, muffuletta, and andouille sausage. The city is a sensory playground with hearty portions and savory ingredients that your taste buds won't soon forget!

• Lunch - Relax in the romantic courtyard at Café Amelie while sharing a few tantalizing plates of andouille gumbo with rice, shrimp and grits, and Cajun poutine. The succulent BBQ shrimp with jalapeño cheddar grits at Restaurant des Families was my favorite dish of the trip. I also highly recommend the boudin balls (fried mixture of pork, rice, and spices) for an appetizer.

• Dinner - Devour a classic po' boy and tangy shrimp remoulade salad at R&O's Restaurant, a local place with a no-frills vibe. The tender roast beef sandwich with Swiss cheese and ham is a popular choice. A New Orleans institution since 1840, Antoine's Restaurant remains a beacon of Creole fine dining with impeccable service and refined seafood classics. We were blown away by the grilled Pompano filet with butter poached lump crabmeat and grilled Gulf fish with sautéed crawfish tails in a white wine tomato sauce. The oldest restaurant in the city is worth every penny!

Overall Experience

New Orleans is sure to cast a hypnotic spell on anyone who visits. You can taste love in the food, see history in the architecture, and hear revelry in the jazz melodies. The veil between life and death also feels thinner here with paranormal whispers, ancient Voodoo, and crumbling above-ground tombs. Tradition stands firm despite the continuous knocking of the modern world. No matter how you plan to discover this one-of-a-kind city, be sure to let the good times roll and follow the local motto: Laissez les bons temps rouler!