Weekend in New Orleans

I am FINALLY getting around to recapping the trip to New Orleans!
(and am linking up with Sami, Leeann, and Meg in the process!!)

OK I also wrote about it on Cassie's blog, so really her deadline motivated me!

.................

This was my first trip to New Orleans and it certainly exceeded any expectations!

(I wrote about the wedding we attended for my Wedding Wednesday post, so check out that post if you're interested!)

First of all, the drinks in New Orleans are incredible!

The frozen daquiris call your name as you walk along Bourbon Street. 

And if you have more than one Hurricane in one sitting...good luck to you!

Oh and if when you get one or more Hurricanes, be sure to get them from Pat O'Brien's, where this legend began!

Second, the music is unreal!!!!!

We were there Saturday through Tuesday, and heard live music every day - and everywhere! Every group and soloist we heard on the streets in the French Quarter were so talented. It really was quite an experience!

There are two places I encourage anyone to go when you're in Nola: Preservation Hall and bars along Frenchmen Street. Apparently Frenchmen Street is where the locals go. We went to The Spotted Cat and loved it, but as beautiful music poured out of every bar I knew that you can't go wrong with any place you go along that street!

Preservation Hall is rich with history and is incredibly unique. The music is so fun and mesmerizing! 

Any description that I could write about this place would not do it justice. Just please go.

Third, the foooooood. Wowsah. I ate like a queen. A fat and happy queen.

We had crazy good paella at Lola's on Sunday night. Meat, seafood, you name it, it was good.

We had fried chicken with red beans and rice on Monday from Coop's Place. YUM. Best Fried Chicken I've ever had.

I tried my new favorite hot sauce on the delicious fare at Coulis in the Garden District. I love love love the servers there. Hilarious.

I don't know how I've lived this long without ever having beignets. I made up for it by going to Cafe du Monde two days in a row and another coffee shop on Sunday. Yep. Three days of beignets. 

My taste buds were happy (however, my butt? Not so much).

Finally, the atmosphere in New Orleans is simply unlike anywhere I've been in the U.S.

Sunday night we happened upon a night art market. On a Sunday! 

The street cars are so stinking charming I couldn't handle it.

And Bourbon Street is glorious. I can't even imagine it during Mardi Gras.

Well that's all of the pictures, but there's so much more to chat about!

We saw old friends and really enjoyed catching up with them! We also loved family time during the wedding!

The best part was just walking around the French Quarter. We loved strolling without a plan or structure to the day. 

The antique stores are so sweet and are full of cool junk you don't need. The owners are awesome and love to chat. Same goes for the art galleries. So freaking cool. 

The hotels are wonderful as well. We stayed at Hotel Indigo on Saturday night in the Garden District and we couldn't believe how sweet our room was. On Sunday and Monday nights we stayed in the French Quarter at the Hyatt. That place was niiiiice. Both were affordable with great staffs. The next time we go we absolutely want to stay at a Bed & Breakfast or one of the little boutique hotels in the French Quarter. They're so charming!

Have you been to any of these places in New Orleans? Where would you suggest to go?

Do you love beignets as much as I do??