NOLA for Spring Break

For the past four years, I’ve always wanted the highly-coveted, Instagram-worthy college spring break experience. During my first year, I had a trip to Disney World planned, but a family emergency came up and the trip was put off. I knew I would have to self-fund my spring break trips, so my second and third years were spent saving money and eventually deciding to go home and visit family for a week. I am so glad I held out for a senior year trip, because going to New Orleans for the first time with a group of eight women was one of my favorite undergraduate experiences. Here are some of the highlights and suggestions from my trip to NOLA in case you ever find yourself in The Big Easy:

I'll start with our Airbnb

The house we booked through Airbnb was a really lovely, newly-renovated duplex on Bienville Street, just outside of the heart of the city. Because eight of us were splitting the accommodation expenses for the week, the price was really reasonable (about $180 total for six nights). It was also a short walk from a streetcar stop that took us into town for either $5 per day or $1.25 per ride. I feel like it’s important to note that, by staying here, my friends and I (unknowingly, when we booked it) contributed to the city's gentrification, which is rampant throughout post-Katrina New Orleans.

Café Beignet

We wasted no time before getting beignets, one of New Orleans worst-kept secrets, but best delicacies. We didn’t want to wait in the ridiculously long line at Café Du Monde, so we went to Café Beignet and only waited for about five minutes before placing our order. When we did, it was only $5 for three large, freshly-baked beignets. They were served to our table very quickly and were absolutely delicious. You can’t leave NOLA without trying one of these tasty treats, but you don’t have to waste a few hours waiting in line at Café Du Monde to get one! There are plenty of lovely, small bakeries around the city that will serve you delicious beignets at a fraction of the waiting time. Besides, who doesn’t like to root for the underdog?

Preservation Hall

Being a jazz music fan, attending a live jazz performance at Preservation Hall on Bourbon Street was the highlight of my entire trip. Upon entering the space, it is clear that Preservation Hall was built in 1961 and hasn’t changed much (if at all) since. We got out of dinner a bit late, so there was standing room only when we arrived, but I didn’t mind at all because the show flew by. However, if you’re unable to stand that long (or just wearing some REALLY uncomfortable shoes), make sure to get in line at least 30 minutes early and possibly shell out some extra money to secure a seat at the front of the hall. The band played a few songs of their choosing for us and took paid requests, which was essentially just audience members informally shouting out their favorite jazz tunes and passing up cash. The music and atmosphere were phenomenal, and the experience was worth every bit of the $20 ticket price. My only complaint, if I had to name one, would be that I could have stayed and watched the performers for at least double the amount of time. One hour just didn’t feel like enough for me.

A Hurricane. With one part of light rum, lemon juice, half part of over-proofed rum, passion fruit syrup and one part of dark rum, this drink packs a punch.

Bourbon Street

To say that Bourbon Street was a sight to see would be an enormous understatement. While I’ve been to places (all European) that permitted carrying and consuming open containers of alcohol, I’ve never experienced a place quite like Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Going out on Bourbon on a Friday/Saturday night was a truly wild experience. With bars and clubs that stay open all day and all night, it was even more intense than I expected. We observed women flashing bar-hoppers and receiving strands of green, gold and purple beads in return. We watched middle-aged white women belt Cindy Lauper songs at karaoke bars. We saw (and smelled) vomit on the sidewalk and the interior of Pat O’Briens. It’s not a place for the faint of heart, but a great thing to check off of the bucket list. Regardless, grab your nearest Hurricane (but maybe just stick to one or two) and have a great time.

My brunch order, the "House Omelet."

Brunch

My friends and I absolutely love to brunch, so we took our time researching the best brunch spots in the city. Most of them are in the French Quarter (surprise, surprise). We found one that I can’t recommend enough called Feelings Marigny Café, located in a really charming NOLA neighborhood. If you’re willing to spend a little bit extra, they have delicious mimosas and bellinis to complement their fairly-stocked brunch menu. The space even includes a gorgeous outdoor courtyard and a Movie Room Bar upstairs that pays homage to the city’s contributions to American cinema. I ordered the house omelet (pictured above), which includes a three-egg omelet topped with smoked salmon and deliciously melty brie and served alongside roasted potatoes. It was incredible, but I highly doubt you can make a wrong choice on this charming café’s recently revamped menu.

Swamp Tour

My friends and I went on a Jean Lafitte Swamp Tour and, although I thought it would be cheesy, it was pretty informative and fun. We learned all about what makes a bayou a bayou, the difference between marshes and swamps and even some of the intricacies of the swamp ecosystem. It was a nice way to cool off during the day and was much less bug-gy than I thought it would be (although we went in mid-March, which is not quite mosquito season). After seeing lots of unique birds, several turtles and five or so alligators, our tour guide brought out a baby alligator the company is protecting (and will release when he is old enough). It was really neat being able to hold a live alligator but, I won’t lie, I felt somewhat guilty about it afterward. That detail aside, I would highly recommend going on a swamp tour, especially if you’ve never seen one before. It was a beautiful and peaceful experience, and a welcome break from the busy, loud city.

I had such a great time on our 6-day trip to New Orleans, and have no regrets about choosing to go to NOLA over Miami, The Bahamas or another highly-frequented college spring break destination. However, I will say that I feel like we could have packed all of our fun into a long weekend if we wanted to…but it was nice to be able to relax when we wanted. Have you ever been to New Orleans? Comment below with your favorite spots and eateries around The Big Easy!

*Note that all photos included in this post were taken by me (or by a friend, of me) using an iPhone 8 Plus.