What does a visit to New Orleans look like to you? From jazz, Frenchmen Street, Bourbon Street, or the Garden District, New Orleans has lots to do.
Many of you are familiar with Bourbon Street and the French Quarter, but there is so much more New Orleans has to offer. From Creole cuisine to Pralines. Riverboats to plantations. Bayous to architecture, New Orleans is a gem.
Here we go!
I am going to start with my favorite New Orleans activity.
Jazz. There is more than one reason this post has a jazzy name. And of course, there is a story behind the story.
It all started one cold December day… Just kidding – almost.
Papa Joe wanted to head south to warm weather during New Year’s. We decided New Orleans was our preferred destination. To get there, we took a minor road trip through Nashville with a quick stop in Memphis. What did we get? A magical triad of musical history – America’s so-called “Music Cities”.
That will be another story somewhere in the near future, but for now, back to New Orleans.
Why is New Orleans considered the birthplace of Jazz?
That brings me to the piece of New Orleans I enjoyed the most. Music.
Visitors can certainly enjoy live music along Bourbon Street – and we did. But I preferred our visit to Frenchmen Street for the musical experience.
I might just be a traditionalist, but our experiences on Frenchmen Street were really special.
First, why is Frenchmen Street important to Jazz and New Orleans?
I could tell you, but FrenchQuarter.com has done a much better job than I ever could.
New Orleans was home to the largest population of free people of color during the slavery era. Many of these people had access to the European musical traditions, and in some cases formed the bands that played at the city’s balls and concerts. To this cauldron, the waves of history added spiritual music from the church, the blues carried into town by rural guitar slingers, the minstrel shows inspired by plantation life, the beat and cadence of military marching bands and finally the syncopation of the ragtime piano, America’s most popular music for a time in the early 20th century. Sampling from and experimenting with all of these diverse influences, New Orleans musicians added the touchstone ingredient of improvisation to produce something completely new.
Jazz defied the then-dominant Western musical tradition of following a composer’s music precisely and replaced it with a dedication only to following a feeling or emotion in music.
FrenchQuarter.com
Music is visceral.
There is something about music that speaks to many of us, and the slave and Creole populations were no different. When you combine access to musical instruments, the desire to gather, celebrate, and mourn.
Well, the birth of a unique form of music should have been a foregone conclusion.
And it was. Welcome to the birth of jazz.
The history of jazz is so significant, the National Park Service has a website dedicated to the topic. You should check it out if you are a jazz aficionado.
Frenchmen Street and oh my soul – Live Jazz!
Our experience on Frenchmen Street, with impromptu street performances and a glittery visit to the Palace Market – well that tour was the highlight of my visit to New Orleans.
Living up to the region’s origins, Frenchman’s Street is a haven to the city’s musicians. Here are a few we enjoyed on our New Orleans Live Music Pub Crawl with Quay.
Quay is a fantastic tour guide – so good in fact we finished the night at a local jazz joint listening to his band.
The music track for this story’s video – well, you just may hear Quay in the background.
New Orleans, French Quarter, and Bourbon Street.
When people think of the French Quarter, their first thought is usually Bourbon Street. While Bourbon Street is a very recognizable part of the French Quarter, there is much more to enjoy in New Orleans.
French Quarter architecture.
Can you believe French Quarter dates back as far as 1718? There are few original buildings that remain. History buffs are able to trace a few that date back to the mid 19th century.
Architecture lovers will see French and Spanish influence, along with Creole and early American styles.
One of the more easily recognized buildings in New Orleans is the St. Louis Cathedral. Did you know, this cathedral, located in Jackson Square is the oldest continuously used cathedral in the US?
This monument of Andrew Jackson in Jackson Square is the world’s first equestrian statue where the horse has more than one foot off the base.
Well, now you know. But there is so much more!
New Orleans is known for its bustling entertainment on Bourbon Street. But the city has a charming side.
For example, these riverboats depart along the French Quarter, and delight both those passing by and passengers.
Ah, the French Quarter.
Here are a few French Quarter facts for you. Did you know…
- The area the French Quarter occupies is the same 6×13 block area laid out in 1722 for the original City of New Orleans.
- The original streets of the city’s French Quarter are all named after French royalty and nobility.
- Bourbon Street wasn’t named after whiskey. It was named after France’s Bourbon dynasty.
I love the buildings in the French Quarter.
I must be partial to the Spanish style many of these are based on. It certainly doesn’t hurt that so many of them have these beautiful porches filled with plants and vibrant flowers.
Historians say that these porches aren’t original to many of these historic buildings, but they certainly add to their charm.
While we didn’t get the full “Mardi Gras” effect of the French Quarter over New Year’s Eve, our experience was still remarkable.
For example, Dick Clarks Rockin New Year’s Eve live broadcast is held each year in Jackson Square. Featuring live musical performances by Usher and Sheryl Crow, it was a great surprise for our visit.
Now, I can’t tell you the “good stuff” without sharing the seedier side of the French Quarter. New Year’s Eve was busy, and the party was on. In a district with open-carry laws for alcohol, it wasn’t a surprise to see partiers staggering in the streets by 10 PM.
We watched one such partier circle himself as a dog would chase his tail, and fall face-first in the middle of a flooded street.
Not quite the type of fun for me. From what I understand, this is somewhat typical of celebrated French Quarter and Bourbon Street events.
A couple of last words about French Quarter and Bourbon Street.
Cafe du Monde claims to be the original french market coffee stand. In business since 1862, it certainly holds the claim to fame for New Orleans beignets.
Be prepared to wait in lines for beignets and coffee or for indoor seating.
There are other places in the French Quarter to get beignets, but they just can’t be the same as Cafe du Monde.
All I can say is we waited until late evening on a less busy night, and there was still around a 45-minute wait. Be prepared to be coated in powdered sugar while eating your beignet. Messy, but oh, so worth it!
New Orleans has numerous historic districts to visit, 20 in fact. The French Quarter is certainly a very popular historic district to visit. Another popular district is the Garden District.
New Orleans Garden District.
The Garden District was originally laid out in 1833, some of the more impressive mansions date back to that time.
In the Garden District, you can take a self-guided walking tour, visit with a guide, or take the #11 city bus along Magazine Street if you are interested in the Garden District’s shopping and dining.
Visit the district’s famous cemeteries, take a haunted-house tour – there are lots of those, or just enjoy these historic buildings.
I’m kind of an architecture buff, so the Garden District was fun for me.
The Goldsmith-Godchaux House was designed in 1859 by noted architect Henry Howard. The mansion is seldom open to the public, but the owners make exceptions for special occasions.
Known for its interior design, this is a must-see if you get an opportunity to see the interior and the renovated gardens.
Now, unfortunately for you, or maybe, fortunately, we were only able to visit at dusk.
Our photos may be a little unique because of the lighting, but I wish they were better.
I guess that gives me a great reason to return to New Orleans!
We didn’t have time to take this tour, but Free Tours By Foot has great information. They provide self-guided walking tour resources, as well as tours with guides. This sounds like a great opportunity – let me know what you think!
What else is there to do when visiting New Orleans?
I don’t think you can visit the area without getting out to the swamp – the bayou. Whether you visit by airboat or swamp boat, I don’t think you can fully appreciate the soul of New Orleans without a Cajun guide into the swamp.
The bayou is chilly in December so an airboat ride was out of the question. We did enjoy getting into the bayou on a slower-moving swamp boat.
One word of advice. If you want to see gators, you probably shouldn’t visit in December. It was a little cool outside for these warm-blooded creatures. Me too.
Plantation tours are a must-do activity for history buffs.
We rounded out our visit to New Orleans with a stop at Laura Plantation and touring the Oak Alley Plantation.
Our visit to Oak Alley Plantation provided a stark contrast to our visit to the vibrant cultural experiences in the French Quarter, Garden District, and Frenchman’s Street.
In contrast to the breathtakingly beautiful setting, the caretakers of this historic plantation have provided glimpses into the brutal treatments of the slaves who build these immensely rich plantations.
I found myself emotionally moved by touring the slave quarters. And when I say moved, I mean the experience was comparable to my visit to Dachau. There is an atmosphere that is palpable in these places.
If you don’t know what I mean, you need to visit.
Last note on New Orleans. Unfortunately, we had awful weather. It rained much of the time we were there, and our time was limited.
Our current plans are to return in the fall of 2020. I hope to have new footage for you after that visit.
Should you visit New Orleans?
New Orleans has always been a bucket list item for me. I know folks that have gone and say they will never return again. When questioned, their visit usually focused on the French Quarter.
If the French Quarter is all I had experienced in New Orleans, I would have no reason to return. I understand why the Bourbon Street environment turns some visitors away.
To those travelers though, I say this. Look at New Orleans in a more broad perspective. You don’t like Bourbon Street? Get out into the swamp. You don’t like city life in general? Visit Plantation Row.
There is something here for everyone. I think my big takeaway from New Orleans is how significant this city has been to US history. We purchased the city as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Located at the mouth of the Mississippi River, New Orleans is a huge shipping port.
Blending US, Haitian, French, Spanish, and African-American cultures, this city is a haven for foodies and musicians.
That is my long answer to the question. My short answer is – go. Do a little groundwork and find out which aspect of New Orleans appeals to you and visit!
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