The challenge of a trip to New Orleans is finding enough time to explore all the many offerings of this vibrant, unique city, where music seems to pour from every corner and a variety of mouth-watering foods pose a delectable quandary for diners.
A bus tour is a good way to get an overview of the Crescent City, and companies that offer hop-on, hop-off trips allow you to see it at your own pace with visits to places like the World War II Museum, Harrah's New Orleans Casino and Mardi Gras World. There is a wealth of themed options as well, such as a cooking class that is followed by a cocktail tour; voodoo, ghost and cemetery tours; a bayou and swamp tour; and biking and walking tours of the Garden District and French Quarter.
New Orleans is all about music, and an iconic stop is Preservation Hall, which will celebrate its 60th anniversary on June 10. It's a small venue with limited, bench-style seating for its 45-minute nightly concerts. Reservations must be made online.
Even though SHRM22 takes place after Mardi Gras, you might still catch a parade. Impromptu parades are likely to pop up and you may even see a second line—a jazzy funeral or wedding observance—marked by a brass band and twirling parasols.
Eat Your Way Through the City
The Big Easy offers a lot of great choices of eateries. There are many casual places like Central Grocery & Deli on Decatur Street, home of the original muffuletta sandwich, and 84-year-old Mother's Restaurant on Poydras Street, where the menu includes "debris"—shavings of freshly carved roast beef moistened with pan drippings or simmered extra long to absorb gravy and seasoning.
Many well-known, upscale restaurants include Antoine's on St. Louis Street, near Preservation Hall; Brennan's, home of the dessert bananas Foster, on Royal Street; and Commander's Palace in the Garden District, known for its haute cuisine. About one block from the convention center is Mulate's, where over dinner you can enjoy watching locals two-step to live Cajun music. If you're feeling daring, order some alligator bites with house-made remoulade sauce.
The Court of Two Sisters is known for its legendary live jazz brunch and row upon row of tables laden with food. If you're looking to be on the water, dinner cruises are available on the Steamboat Natchez and the Paddlewheel Creole Queen.
Sites to See
Looking for an unusual memento from your visit? Consider a stop at Bourbon Street Parfums in the heart of the French Quarter, where you can get a body chemistry analysis, personality profile and assessment of basic scents you like and dislike to use in blending a custom perfume. Or maybe you'd rather pick up some Voodoo Love, a recreation of the special potion whipped up by the late Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau. Continue the theme with a trip to the Voodoo Museum in the French Quarter on Dumaine Street.
For a different kind of museum experience, head over to the La Galerie de l'Absinthe inside the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in the city's Central Business District. There is an extensive collection of items associated with the once-banned drink.
Other interesting sites include the:
- New Orleans Jazz Museum housed in the old U.S. Mint on Esplanade Avenue, a short walk from the French Market.
- Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, which includes the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium and is accessible by the Riverfront streetcar.
- New Orleans Museum of Art, accessible by the St. Charles streetcar.
Cocktail, Anyone?
End the day with a trip to the Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone, where a revolving bar has been in operation since its installation in 1949. You don't have to be a hotel guest to stop in.
The hurricane is one of the drinks the city is known for, and visitors often head to Pat O'Brien's to imbibe. Don't forget about some of the other famous New Orleans drinks, such as brandy milk punch—available at Brennan's restaurant—and café brulot, which contains cognac or brandy, cinnamon, cloves, orange and lemon peels, and coffee and can be found at Antoine's restaurant.
The grasshopper, a minty after-dinner drink, is said to have been invented at Tujague's. The 165-year-old restaurant is on Decatur Street in the French Quarter.
Make sure you check ahead for COVID-19-related precautions. Entering the Carousel Bar or Hotel Monteleone, for example, currently requires showing proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 test within the past 72 hours.
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