About 2 weeks ago I had a work trip to New Orleans, Louisiana otherwise known as NOLA, the Big Easy and the Crescent City.  Usually I tend to think of this place as a southern dream because I think of beautiful old plantation homes, trees dripping with vibrant moss, foggy swamps and little cabins scattered about.   However, I think I have fabricated this in my head because I’ve been to New Orleans before and this is not necessarily the case.

I mean, I am sure that all of this exists somewhere out there but I just haven’t had the luxury of finding it yet.  Prior to this work trip, I thought I hated New Orleans.  On my last trip I flew solo and only had one night in the town so I didn’t plan and really didn’t know what to do.  I took a stroll down Bourbon Street not knowing that it was named Bourbon Street for all the bars and craziness that goes on there.  Also, there’s all these little shops that all sell questionable voodoo arts and crafts so needless to say that was not my cup of tea!!!  The only thing I enjoyed on that trip was the gumbo and beignets from Café Du Monde.  I wasn’t impressed at all and really didn’t care to go back.

However, as life would have it, work would land me back in the Big Easy and this time around I loved it.  I went with a group of coworkers that had been many times before and it seemed as though it was a totally different place.  The party vibe was still alive and present on Bourbon Street but if you steer clear of it, there’s so much more to this place.

On our first night we stayed at the Royal Sonesta Hotel.  Ironically this was right on Bourbon Street but the supplier who invited us was paying for the hotel so no complaints on my part.  The hotel was beautiful and very quiet which surprised me due to its location.  The outside of this hotel had that French Quarter look to it and inside, the lobby had somewhat of that old school charm.  The rooms however, were very nice and modern so I definitely loved it.

 

 

That night we took a drive around town and it was so interesting to hear about everything that had been under water during Katrina.  It seems most homes and businesses had rebuilt or recuperated but you could stills see some of the damage left behind.  After our drive we headed to the Red Fish Grill for dinner.  It was okay, nothing special about it and service was a bit slow.  We had to get up really early for work the next morning so we headed back to our hotel early.

The next morning we drove out about an hour and crossed the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway which is this 8 mile or so bridge that crosses over the lake and what seemed like some swamp lands.  It was pretty neat to see.  We took care of work that morning and then we were treated to the best crawfish boil I have ever had, no joke!  It was super delicious and full of flavor.

 

After our delicious lunch we headed back to our hotel, just to be caught in the middle of that 8 mile bridge right as tornado sirens were going off everywhere.  There were severe storms in the area which limited visibility and apparently not long after we crossed, there was a huge water spout with two smaller twin water spouts circling around the big one.  Later that evening we would learn that one eventually made landfall, turned into a tornado and destroyed some of the homes in the area.  Unfortunately one of the ladies we had just been with had her home torn apart but luckily her and her kids were unharmed.

After the whole bridge ordeal, we finally made it to the hotel and the rain had subsided so we decided to go out and enjoy the afternoon.  The first thing we did or actually stumbled upon was the cutest beignet shop, which I would dare say gives Café Du Monde a run for their money.  The beignets were light yet more substantial than Café Du Monde’s.  Also, they had a little less powdered sugar which I enjoyed.  If you wanted extra they had more on the tables so that was perfect.

Then, the ladies took me around the twists and turns of the French Quarter to the cutest shops and boutiques that I had no idea existed.

We also found a million praline shops and fleur de lis everything.  It was a perfect afternoon.

For dinner, we were invited to Revolution.  It is an upscale seafood restaurant in the Royal Sonesta Hotel.  Dinner was great and the company raved about it being their best meal ever.  I agree it was pretty good but having a background in fine dining makes you a bit more critical I guess.

After dinner, I felt like I had to be rolled out of the place, I was so full.  The team decided to take a walk down Bourbon Street just to walk off the pain a bit.  It was a Tuesday night and it was crazy…. I can’t imagine the weekends.  We walked up just a few blocks and then turned back.  This wasn’t really my vibe so I decided to head back in with my boss and the rest of the gang stayed.  They went to this Jazz bar to listen to live music but I am glad I headed back early.

The next morning we decided to go to Café Du Monde as my boss had never been and she had been in New Orleans many times before.  I do have to say, that the beignets and chickory coffee were delicious.  Hit the spot for breakfast!  We then shopped in the little shops around the café and on the way back to the hotel.  I did get a few small souvenirs but word of caution, be careful what you do get because so much stuff in NOLA is laden with references to voodoo or black magic.  I know some people think nothing of it but I believe it is best to keep away from these kinds of things as I have heard many stories of people casting spells and enchantments on objects and when you’re a Christian you know this can be all too real.

The time came to say goodbye to New Orleans and although I seemed to love it this time around I was happy to get back home.  However, I can now say that I wouldn’t mind going back but I would definitely like to explore further than just New Orleans.  Next time I’m in Louisiana, I will definitely be doing a plantation or swamp tour.  Happy Travels!

Lacey Magnolia