(Read my full story on the You Must Be Trippin’ blog)
We make the trip to New Orleans – the Big Easy or the Crescent City – at least once a year because it is one of those places where you can’t help but to have a great time. The city is over 300 years old and boasts an eclectic mixture of both new and old architecture, culture, and food. This is my latest article as a contributor to the Best Western blog You Must Be Trippin’. Please click the link to read the full story.
You can do a lot of things in New Orleans. The one thing that will take some effort on your part is not having a good time in the Big Easy. Especially around Mardi Gras season. As the locals will say, laissez les bons temp rouler. Let the good times roll!
We were in the Crescent City just a few weeks ago, right before all the official Mardi Gras festivities began. Although, in truth, sometimes it is hard to tell when Mardi Gras is happening or not in New Orleans. I mean when we were there we went to at least four different parades and observed and heard at least another half dozen taking place around us. I think my favorite was the Mardi Gras parade dedicated entirely to pets. Yeah, as in perros y gatos decked out in Mardi Gras garb and riding floats along one of the main roads of the city with their owners tossing beads to onlookers.
It was a quintessential NOLA moment. A few blocks away, we came across another walking and dancing procession of women wearing tutus, tiaras and heels. They were having so much fun it was impossible not to stop and dance along with them. At almost every turn another group of revelers or musicians awaited passersby to entertain them and to make everyone around them smile. That’s what New Orleans is all about – having fun and making the most of every single moment, whether it is Mardi Gras season or not.
It also helps that the food in N’Awlins is pretty darn amazing too.
We were there for a conference and stayed at the very urban chic Best Western Plus St. Christopher Hotel in downtown NOLA. Think floor to ceiling windows, brick walls, expansive views of the city, and wood flooring throughout. It was a very modern and open space. So much so that our son almost didn’t want to leave the room the whole time we were there. The fact that he had his gaming station with him might have had something to do with that too.
This year, New Orleans is celebrating its 300th anniversary – 2018 also marks 13 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the area, leading to a massive reconstruction of large parts of the city. You can feel the spirit of both the old and the new almost everywhere. One of our favorite places is the French Quarter. The architecture takes you back through the rich history of the city, while the shops and restaurants along the way offer you an eclectic mixture of modern and classic fare, from beignets at Café Du Monde to King Cake macaroons at one of the newer shops in the quarter.
Continue reading my full story on the You Must Be Trippin’ blog.