New Orleans Guide 🎭｜Ate a Year's Worth of Oysters in One Trip

Looking through my photos and missing that warm NOLA air... 🍽️ Food First — the seafood here is incredible. Truly one of America’s best food cities! 🦪 Luke – Huge, fresh raw oysters (Happy Hour = $1.50 each!) 🦪 Drago’s – Famous for char-grilled oysters — so fragrant! 🦪 Antoine’s – Classic Creole fine dining 🦪 Hot N Cajun Boil House – Spicy, messy, delicious boils 🦪 ThaiHey – Great Thai spot when you need a break from Cajun 🦪 Acme Oyster House – Tried fried alligator (not my thing, but worth a try!) 🍩 Cafe Du Monde The iconic beignets — good but not life-changing. Ate them at Jackson Square — powdered sugar went everywhere in the wind 😂. 🎷 Jazz Everywhere Birthplace of jazz — couldn’t get into Preservation Hall, but live music spills into every street. 🎟️ Mahogany Jazz Hall – Cozy, crowded, great vibe 🎟️ The Spotted Cat Music Club (on Frenchmen St) – Standing room only, but fun for a bit 🍸 Bourbon St – Packed! Tried the neon green Hand Grenade (tastes like energy drink, hits like a truck — it's "NOLA's most powerful drink"!). 📍 The Labranche House – Gorgeous iron-lace balcony 📍 WWII Museum – Comprehensive, American-centered narrative (all walkable from the Quarter) 📍 Oak Alley Plantation The oak tunnel is pretty but not quite as grand as photos. Still, feels like stepping into Gone With the Wind. 🚗 Book a tour or rent a car — otherwise you might end up like us, calling random local drivers from a phone book after closing 😅. We lucked out with a guide who shared deep insights into colonial history — a meaningful 📍 Swamp Tour Highly recommend! Saw alligators, raccoons, and lingering scars from Hurricane Katrina. 🧛‍♀️ Voodoo Culture Voodoo shops on every corner. Most "voodoo dolls" sold today are actually used for healing and blessing . 🎭 Visited just after Mardi Gras — beads still draped on balconies and trees everywhere. Parades and "krewes" are a huge deal — one of my professors even served as a Mardi Gras king once! #NewOrleans #TravelGuide #NOLA #FoodHeaven #JazzCity 🦪🎺🌿