New Orleans

February 8-11, 2019 + August 22-25, 2019 + October 20-23, 2019

TL;DR: A big perk of living in Pensacola is its proximity to New Orleans. One of our first trips was with our friends Erin and David, who also decided to escape San Francisco in an RV; we also went with Craig and Hil, and some college friends in the fall. Every time we went, we enjoyed a lot of food, drinks, and jazz.

The sights

Preservation Hall

Technically we did not go to Preservation Hall on our first trip, but we made a point to go every time after that. If you arrive about 30 minutes before the early shows, you might be intimidated by the line, but every time we went, we got in (and sat in the front row). If you have someone save your spot in line, you can grab a round of tall boys at Rouses Market, then wait for the doors to open. The front row is a line of cushions mere inches from The Preservation Hall Jazz Band. It is uniquely New Orleans.

Note: This is a no-frills BYOB kind of place. There are no cameras allowed, no bathrooms, and no bar. You sit down, soak up an hour of exceptional music, then get on your way.

French Quarter

Got all four Killer Po’Boys at Erin Rose which were delicious (favorite: Korean-style pork belly). Kept coming back to the bar for the frozen Irish coffee sprinkled with coffee grounds.

Walked around Bourbon Street a bit. There was a parade for Krewe of Thoph, who were founded to bring the Mardi Gras parade to those who were disabled or unable to visit themselves.

Went to Chart Bar and sat outside to watch the waves of humans.

Fritzel’s European Jazz Pub was a pretty sweet spot on Bourbon to listen to music. Sometimes they have a full band, sometimes just a pianist. We got some kind of Jaeger shot here that we do not recommend.

Garden District

Marveled at all the cool old houses.

Took a quick self-guided tour through Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.

Magazine Street

Stopped at French Truck and had a coffee. Caught the bus on Magazine at the last second (phew).

Casamento’s has terrifyingly huge oysters. Good gumbo. Servers were a little “cold” according to Bri. Jess thinks they were just all business.

Frenchmen Street

Our Lyft driver was a local and told us some history about Mardi Gras and how people have been collecting doubloons during parades since forever. Recommended Blue Nile, Spotted Cat, and Snug Harbor on Frenchmen.

Ran into the Chewbacchus parade, which was, unsurprisingly, Star Wars themed.

We managed to fight our way to DBA’s.

Great music (all men + a lady trumpeter). Ended up staying there for quite a bit, then made our way home, with a quick pit stop for Chex Mix and Rolaids. #adults

Crescent Park

Cannot wait to come back and rollerblade here. The view of the city was shrouded in a pretty neat fog blanket, and we watched one of the barges come in.

Jackson Square

Went to The Presbytere to see a Katrina / Rita exhibit which was well done and had a nice flow. Insane to think that after the 1965 hurricane they started thinking about how they weren’t prepared, and by 2005 when Katrina hit, they still didn’t have anything ready.

Also saw a Mardi Gras exhibit upstairs which was really cool. Tons of old float plans and costume drawings and costumes.

Bacchanal

Loved all the houses in Bywater, and especially Bacchanal (see Roadfood). Shout-out to Tom, the world’s cutest, most charming, and very talented bartender who often mans the upstairs bar.

Parleaux Lab

This little brewery is a cute spot just around the corner from Bacchanal if you need a quick stop before or after. Nice patio area outside, slushie beers during summer months, and all the board games you could ever want. A block west, The Joint BBQ serves slow-smoked barbecue and slightly-too-sweet margs.

St. Roch Market

Cute little food hall with great pho and iced coffee stands, among other things.

Ghost Tour

Our guide, Steve, was a great storyteller and firm believer in spirits and vampires. Heard some pretty insane stories .

Sultan’s palace, where the Sultan was buried alive next to a pile of bodies (pic below).
Mary’s pub, where Mary the bartender was waiting in vain for her love to come back from the wars. She hanged herself in the back courtyard.
Muriel’s, where Claude Trepagnier gambled his house away and couldn’t take the shame, so hanged himself. They set a table for him with wine every night (Jess has eaten here before!)
The church with the vampires …
The Dauphine LaLaurie mansion. Here, Mrs. LaLaurie was a socialite and serial killer who tortured and murdered slaves. Apparently Nicholas Cage also owned it. Because, of course. Steve wouldn’t even walk anywhere near, and especially not under, the gallery.

Details, details, details

We bought the all-day jazzy pass for the streetcar to get through the Garden District. Was real crowded, and had an extreme lack of handles for those standing in the middle. But got us around pretty efficiently.

We hit 20,000 miles on the odometer when we went in February!

And then this happened…

Pretty easy drive from Pensacola to Nola, except having to go around Mobile because of the tunnel and no hazardous materials sign. Added about 30 minutes.

Road food

Fresh orange juice and kettle-boiled bagels topped with crunchy garlic and sea salt at Humble Bagel.

Everything at Paloma was downright delicious, from golden tostadas to tres leches French toast with crystallized pecans. **Update that this has sadly closed for now (as of December 2019); but they allegedly plan to reopen a some point… so double check!

At a quiet corner of Bywater, Bacchanal draws easygoing crowds hungry for good food, live music, and camaraderie.

Where we stayed

February: Pontchartrain RV Park

The road leading up to Pontchartrain, France Road, was pretty bad, probably because of all the RVs and trucks. Kind of a weird, industrial wasteland type place. But a quick Lyft into the city and a great spot for Dolores and Layla to meet!

August: Bywater Airbnb

Went with a big group and stayed at a house in Bywater. Played flip cup to determine rooms and thankfully neither of us choked. Was fun to be able to walk to Bacchanal and stroll around to see all the houses.

October: The Saint Hotel

We were in town with Craig and Hil a few days after the Hard Rock Hotel construction site on Canal Street collapsed and stayed about a block away (!). Rooms were small but good. Didn’t spend too much time here, but did make a stop at this large chair.