New Orleans – Weekend in the Bayou

Cold Northeast winters mean that I am always looking for weekend getaways to warmer weather. I had never been to New Orleans, so I booked a flight for mid-February (and happened to miss Marti Gras by a few days).

I flew in on a Thursday night and back out Monday morning. My first full day there I worked remotely in the morning and then had an afternoon of sightseeing. During my next two full days in the city, I squeezed in a few fun activities, including a jogging tour, a cooking class and a swamp kayaking tour.

DAY 2: EXPLORING NEW ORLEANS

Mid-Morning Snack at Cafe du Monde

I worked remotely for part of the day, so I took it easy on the sightseeing. Around 10:45 AM I took a break to see part of the French Quarter. I first stopped at Cafe du Monde for their famous beignets.

Beignets from Cafe du Monde

Note: I was able to avoid the infamous long lines for Cafe du Monde’s take out and outdoor seating by walking inside and getting an indoor table.

Exploring the French Quarter

After beignets and coffee I wandered down Decatur St and stopped by Jackson Square. Before heading back to the hotel, I picked up lunch from Meals from the Heart Cafe. Their walnut feta salad with their passion crab cake was delicious! I took my time going back to the hotel and then worked for the rest of the afternoon.

DAY 3: EXPLORING NEW ORLEANS

New Orleans Jogging Tour

I started off the day with a New Orleans Jogging Tour ($30), which was a great way to see different parts of the city, get a history lesson and preemptively work off the heavy southern food. The tour met in the French Quarter at 9 AM. It was a small tour of only 7 people. We ran a total of about 5 miles (plus another 1-2 miles of walking) with picture and history stops along the way. It was foggy in the morning as we ran through the French Quarter and along the river. However, it started to clear up as we then ran out to the Garden District on the cable car tracks where there were a lot of beautiful, old homes. We ran past the business district and then ended the tour close to the Sheraton.

New Orleans Jogging Tour

Brunch at Willa Jean

After the run I headed over to Willa Jean for brunch, which was delicious and needed after a long run. Their eggs benedict with crab was quite yummy. Following brunch, I rested after an active morning.

Exploring the French Quarter, Part 2

In the late afternoon I set out for the French Quarter again. I passed by the infamous Bourbon Street. However, I quickly hurried on my way and went to explore New Orlean’s used bookstore scene. I headed to Daulphine Street Books, which was full of charm. After browsing and making a few purchases, I headed to the Pelican Club for a delicious upscale dinner.

New Orleans Ghost Tour

Following dinner I had time to run back to the hotel and drop off my books before heading back to the French Quarter for a ghost and vampire tour (~$16) with French Quarter Phantoms. Given that ghost tours are very popular in New Orleans, there were 5 groups of 20 leaving at the same time (and that was just this company) with most people having drinks in hand (did I mention this is a party city?). Our tour guide was very engaging and took us on a 2 hour tour (with a 15 min bar break in the middle). She stopped and told us 7-8 ghost stories in various parts of the French Quarter.

New Orleans Ghost Tour

DAY 3: KAYAKING IN THE BAYOU

Swamp Kayaking Tour

I slept in and relaxed before heading to the French Quarter to meet at 11:30 for the swamp kayaking tour (~$85). The company had an option for pickup from the city. However, some people chose to drive themselves. The tour was limited to 12 people.

We spent a few hours wandering around the swamp, which was very peaceful and a nice change of scenery from the city. On our way back to the shore we passed by several Cajun houseboats. I was dropped back off in New Orleans at 3:30.

Swamp Kayaking Tour

Cooking Class at the New Orleans School of Cooking

I headed straight from the kayaking tour to the New Orleans School of Cooking for the cooking lesson (~$140). There were 9 of us in the class (not counting our wonderful teacher). We made traditional Louisiana dishes, including crawfish pie, ratatouille, veal and pecan pie. It was delicious but very filling! It was a great way to end a wonderful weekend in the south.