New Orleans Has No Buffalo Wings, But It Has... 🇺🇸🎷

Over the President's Day long weekend, I traveled to New Orleans with my girlfriend. She had low expectations before the trip but ended up having even more fun than I did! Highly recommended—it’s one of the most entertaining tourist cities in the US. If you haven’t made spring break plans yet and can’t travel abroad, here’s a detailed guide I put together just for you! 💖 🗓 Thursday: Left work early and took an afternoon flight from LAX to MSY (the airport is new and left a great first impression!). Our hotel was in the French Quarter, just 25 minutes from the airport. Although most hotels in the French Quarter are a bit older, the atmosphere makes it totally worth it! 🗓 Friday: Since I had two meetings in the morning, we booked an afternoon airboat swamp tour at 1 PM. There are many options on Viator/Airbnb—I chose a small group tour. It was a great experience! The guide interacted more with everyone (sharing fun facts about the swamp ecosystem), and the smaller boat allowed us to enter shallower areas for up-close views of alligators 🐊 (Pic 2). The airboat gets very windy, so dress warmly if you’re sensitive to the cold! 🗓 Saturday: We managed to get breakfast at Brennan’s (Pic 3)—one of the most famous restaurants in New Orleans. Make sure to book in advance! The restaurant makes you feel like you’ve been transported to France. We tried Gumbo, Oysters, and other Southern delicacies. After breakfast, we visited the WWII Museum. If you’re interested in war history, you could easily spend two days here! In the afternoon, we attended a jazz performance at Preservation Hall (Pic 4). The 45-minute show was absolutely mesmerizing! Again, remember to book tickets early (opt for seated tickets instead of general admission!). 🗓 Sunday: We rented a car and drove about an hour to Whitney Plantation. We had booked a guided tour in advance, and it turned out to be my favorite part of the trip (Pic 5). It gave me a deeper understanding of American history and left me with profound reflections on humanity. 🗓 Monday: We enjoyed one last hearty Southern meal (Pic 6) before catching our noon flight back to LA. 🛫 Finally, a note about Mardi Gras: If you love crowds and festivities, it’s a great time to visit. However, the French Quarter gets extremely packed and inconvenient. Interestingly, parade weekends start two months before Mardi Gras, and we stumbled upon one (Pics 7-8)—a truly unique experience! 🎭 All in all, New Orleans is a perfect blend of nature, American history, jazz, and romance. Five-star rating! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ #NewOrleans #SpringBreak #SouthernUSA #WWIIMuseum #StateCollege #PennState #Altoona #Pennsylvania #PSU