Our First Vacation: New Orleans
Perfect for a longer weekend trip, New Orleans offers some of the most historic, diverse, and colorful landmarks in the country.
In December of 2013, we spent 5 days celebrating Derek’s birthday in New Orleans. I felt steeped in history and information even with the light sightseeing we did ourselves. All with constant cocktails... such a fun trip and city! Our hotel had that charming French Quarter vibe, but never felt noisy. We were very charmed by the interior garden courtyard that summoned all the old-time feels. I will always cherish the memories of this trip, and am so grateful for the opportunity to see different parts of our world.
There was gorgeous greenery all over the buildings that enhanced the architecture. I remember this inspiring me to bring more plants into the house and find a way to work it into the space naturally. I love all the wrought iron too!
Where to stay. What to do.
This was our first visit to NOLA (and a short one at that), but we had an amazing time at each spot, and highly recommend doing a little research beforehand to narrow down what is most interesting to you and yours. And if you really just feel like drinking, there are pieces of history all over the city, so keep your eyes open and explore as you imbibe!
Jackson Square in the French Quarter is really a do-it-all destination. The French Quarter is overall very touristy, but this square still manages to feel authentic. From here you can easily visit the St. Louis Cathedral, Cafe du Monde, and the Mississippi riverfront.
We ventured to Lafayette Cemetery, since it was closer and smaller than the more popular St. Louis Cemetery. We realized that we were lucky there were so many tours there that day, and we got to overhear a ton of interesting info that really added to the visuals. Honestly, we weren’t sure what to expect, so we chose not to book a tour in advance. Next time we will be doing that for sure!
I highly recommend visiting the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum in the French Quarter. It isn’t free, but if you find voodoo, witchcraft, or creole occultism interesting, it is worth every penny.
So much of this trip (and travel in general really!) was processing new and different aesthetics. The culture and history of New Orleans is an experience in itself. There was gorgeous greenery all over the buildings that enhanced the architecture. I remember this inspiring me to bring more plants into the house and find a way to work it into the space naturally. I was able to find a ledge in my house near my office that was in desperate need of decor... and right under a sunlight. Suddenly it all made sense.
The first photo is of the ledge before. It had been an original corner of the house when built in the 1940’s, but then this extra room was built on later. The second picture is from the first time I hung my first plants. The last photo is of my current situation!
Peek at the pictures below, and maybe look for a perfect plant spot in your space too!
