Escape the Winter | New Orleans Travel Guide

If there’s one place in the US that feels the least like the US, it has to be NOLA! 🌼 Downtown Attractions Guide 📍 French Quarter, Bourbon Street, Mississippi Riverwalk, The Sazerac House (cocktail museum), Streetcar (trolley), The National WWII Museum, Audubon Aquarium 🌼 Outdoor Activities Guide 📍 Cajun Encounter Swamp Trip: 5-hour tour with hotel pick-up and drop-off (self-driving is also an option). 📍 Oak Alley Plantation Tour (12:30 PM - 6 PM) 📍 Zip NOLA: Glide on a zipline with views of the Maurepas Swamp and New Orleans skyline! 📍 Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 🌼 Jazz Halls 🎺 The Spotted Cat Music Club: $5 entry fee. 🎺 Preservation Hall: Book evening shows at least one week in advance during holidays. 🎺 Mahogany Jazz Hall: Enjoy jazz while sipping cocktails—no cover charge required. 🌼 Food Exploration 😋 Cafe Beignets: Their beignets are incredibly fragrant—like fried dough sticks coated in powdered sugar, but less greasy. Dipping them in chocolate sauce is chef’s kiss! 😋 Bearcat CBD: A must-try is the “Lobster Daddy” (fried whole lobster + crawfish). Expect a 30-minute to 1-hour wait. 😋 Big Ez: Their crawfish tastes surprisingly similar to the “thirteen-spice crawfish” from back home! 😋 Thaihey (located in the French Quarter): Delicious dishes include crab meat fried rice, tom yum soup, fried soft-shell crab, and roasted lamb leg. 😋 ACME Oyster House: Don’t miss the Seafood Gumbo (topped with crawfish), Fried Alligator, and sweet potato fries. 😋 Luke: Happy hour is 3 PM - 6 PM—oysters are just $1.25 each! The Escargot and Bone Marrow is rich (the bone marrow is fatty, but the snails on top are super flavorful). Skip the duck breast, though. 😋 Emeril‘s: Go if you get the chance!! The salon menu is cheaper than the dining hall menu and offers more options. 😋 Commander‘s Palace: Features vintage, retro decor. 😋 Popeye’s and Willie Mae’s Scotch House: Their fried chicken is a local specialty—give it a try! #InternationalStudents #WinterBreakTravel #TravelAroundTheWorld