New Orleans: Two Girls, Three Days

The Big Easy!  When I think of New Orleans, scenes from the movie with Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin pop to mind first. For you, perhaps it’s all about Mardi Gras, parades, jazz and Bourbon Street. Regardless of whether the nickname you like best is, Crescent City, Paris of the South, NOLA, the Birthplace of Jazz, New Orleans is as colorful as any drag queen’s Easter dress.

But why exactly is New Orleans called the Big Easy?

Apparently, there was an early 20^th century dance hall known as the Big Easy, but the tagline didn’t become common until the 1970s when a columnist compared life in the Big Apple to how easy life was in New Orleans.

Later it was the title of a 1980s novel and that was adapted into the movie. The deeper question is why is it know as the Big Easy?

Some have referenced the ease that musicians have in the city where they can book gigs while honing their craft. Or perhaps the term refers to the laid-back sense of life that seems to ebb and flow along the streets dotted with Creole style homes, historical plaques, music emitting from open doors and the friendliness of the people.

Other resources have mentioned the ease of obtaining alcohol during our country’s prohibition period.  It seems local officials looked the other way which is reflected still today, with walk-up bars and drink holders on bikes and in bathroom stalls.

3 Days in New Orleans

If you only have 3 days to explore the city, New Orleans certainly offers a little bit of everything from architectural design, dining, voodoo and magic, music, swamp experiences and oh so much more.

 Our stay started with an Airbnb located in the Marigny neighborhood. The area can best be described as an artsy and eclectic.  If you desire a bit more authentic, gritty and colorful check out this hip area. It is best known for the live music district on Frenchmen Street. It offers any number of neighborhood cafes, businesses and loads of historic Creole and Spanish architecture.

 I found a local coffee shop known as Flora Favs. The customers were as colorful as the interior of the café. The walls and ceiling were peeling layers of paper decorated by flyers promoting everything from an 8-week course in meditation and stress reduction to voice lessons, roller skating classes and a burlesque peep show called Basketcase with performers dressed as bunnies (performed on Palm Sunday)

The café offers burritos, pastries and all the coffee drinks. I highly recommend one of the bowls.  I tried the black bean with potato, cheese and salsa along with a large cappuccino. They offer free Wi-Fi and outdoor seating. You can soak in the ease of life while sipping your coffee, or choose one of the many books or games sitting around.

Attend a Festival

Personally, I steer clear of Mardi Gras, but there are 130 festivals throughout the year, which means a celebration every 3 days. It’d sorta be hard to not hit at least one. Almost every festival offers music, food and plenty of drinks and the year-round mild weather makes it easy to enjoy no matter when you visit.

Our destination, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Held Thursday – Sunday the last weekend of April/first weekend of May, it is attended annually by quarter of a million people. Artists perform at different venues all over the city and cover the range of musical taste and ticket prices. Or you could do what we did and let your feet take you in the direction of the music.  We never bought a ticket, but opted to stand with drinks in hand, listening and people watching.

If you are thinking jazz is all you’ll hear, you are in for a great surprise.  Performers over the 50-year history include Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, BB King, Fats Domino, James Brown, Etta James, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and so many more.

More recently performers run the gamut from Dave Matthews Band, Lenny Kravitz, John Mayer, Bruce Springsteen, ZZ Top, Black Crows, Billy Joel, Pearl Jam, Fleetwood Mac, Christina Aguilera, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Pitbull, Usher and the list goes on.

Can’t decide? Check out some of the more popular festivals. Or if you want to see the exhaustive list, this calendar lets you search by dates.

Book a Tour

Where to begin?  There are any number of ways to “take” a tour.  Walking, tour bus, carriage ride, street car, Segway and boat are some of the options to choose from.  What are your interests? Are you a bit of a history buff?  Do you enjoy culinary experiences?  Is a nature tour more your style? What about ghosts, cemeteries or a haunted tour? My favorites are the neighborhood tours, but if you like something a bit out of the ordinary, you could try a drunken tour.

 Plenty of websites exist so you can pre-schedule your tour. However, you can walk into tour operator offices offering discounts on almost every street corner. We chose a walking tour of the St. Louis Cemetery No 1.  It is New Orleans oldest and most popular of cemeteries. An hour was enough time to see the grave site that attracted me, voodoo princess, Marie Laveau. At only $10, it was well worth the price. Plus we got to see Nicolas Cage’s pyramid shaped vault and learned all about the city’s above-ground burial practices including reusing burial vaults. Hey, in a city that floods, above-ground burial is mandatory and space is limited.

Learn more about the many tours here.

If you are more of the spontaneous type, then you can walk up to any of the carriages waiting alongside Jackson Square. Located in the French Quarter, it is home to St. Louis Cathedral and is often filled with locals and tourists who come to catch street performers in action, check out art by the locals or have their palms read.

I noticed that the carriages were pulled by mules. Yeah, I’m a farm-girl so I notice those kinds of things, but didn’t realize there is a story behind why.  Apparently, mules are heartier and more sure-footed than horses and more heat resistant. For you animals’ lovers, not to worry, there are strict rules about work hours and treatment of the mules.

 The cost was $30 if we shared the carriage, so we had to wait until others joined us. It was great way to explore the French Quarter at a leisurely pace. Our guide was informative, funny and full of local folklore and history. The hour tour led us past several points of interest we had walked past several times during our stay, but now we had renewed interest after learning the stories behind the buildings.

 Trip advisor rates the top five carriage tour operators in New Orleans.

Explore, Eat and Drink

A tour is nice and it’s great to get inside advice and information, but one of my favorite ways to learn about a place is to wander.

Hop on any one of the street cars and ride the historic rail cars for only $1.25 or $3 for a day pass. Be sure to check out the French Market. It’s a combination flea market, food fair, fresh produce, shopping extravaganza. Stock up on souvenirs for friends and family. Buy something to remember your time in NOLA. Stop in on some of the art galleries along the street side of the market. Sample fresh oysters shucked on the spot or other specialties like Po’Boys or other cajun offerings. Our destination was Central Grocery for a muffuletta. The place where this sandwich was created by Sicilian immigrants who loaded bread with olive salad, and selections of Italian meats and cheeses.

Of course, no trip to New Orleans would be complete without a stop at Café Du Monde for a cup of delicious coffee flavored with chicory and a beignet or two or five. If you are hooked, you can always stop by their gift shop for a bag of beignet mix or coffee to take home.

On my very first visit to New Orleans my perception of what the city had to offer in the culinary department changed dramatically. The flavors of New Orleans bring in all of this colorful city’s history from Cajun and creole to French, Spanish, soul food, southern and more.

Ask anyone who has ever been to NOLA, they will have plenty of suggestions of where to eat. My personal favorite oyster place is not the famed Acme Oyster House, but instead, I can’t get enough of the charbroiled oysters at Royal House. I felt like I had stepped back in time as I was led upstairs to the balcony overlooking Royal Street. Take my word for it, avoid the lines and visit Royal House.

If you want to go with the traditional and well-known restaurants there is long list, but to name a few, Antoine’s Galatoire’s, Mother’s, Brennan’s and Commander’s Palace. One of my favorite’s is the jazz brunch at The Court of Two Sisters. If nothing else, go there for the history of this place. A couple of places to stop by for a drink is famed Pat O’Brien’s, the home of the hurricane where the servers all wear green jackets. And for a more upscale experience, stop by the rotating carousel bar located inside the Hotel Monteleone. While you sit atop one of the 25 stools decorated in circus themes, try one of the drinks developed in New Orleans like Pimm’s Cup or a Sazerac. In 2008, the Saz was named the official cocktail of New Orleans, so you must try it while you’re there.

Oh, I forgot to mention Bourbon Street. To be honest, I would suggest walking it during the day to say you’ve been there, but I prefer the less touristy, drunken streets like Royal or Magazine Street.

Each time I visit New Orleans, my fascination with the city is renewed. It is one of those places that gets in your blood and beckons you back.

If you haven’t been to New Orleans yet, do yourself a favor and try it for just three days. I’m sure you’ll return. But don’t take my word for it……..”I’ve been all over the world. I love New York, I love Paris, San Francisco, so many places. But there’s no place like New Orleans. It’s got the best food. It’s got the best music. It’s got the best people. It’s got the most fun stuff to do.”

Harry Connick, Jr.