New Orleans is well known for Mardi Gras, a festival vibe, The French Quarter, Crawfish, Swap Tours, Jazz Music, Beignets and everything in-between. And don’t get me wrong, I was excited for all of these things… But the main reason James and I were heading to the Big Easy?? WRESTLEMANIA!


Now, I haven’t ever really spoken about WWE on my blog. I have never really had the opportunity or the need to bring it up. However, over the last four years, I have become a bit of a wrestling fan. My brother has always followed wrestling, especially WWE, and a few years ago, he and James bonded over it, and by default I ended up watching it – and enjoying it! 

James and I have been dreaming of this six week trip around the states for years, and when we worked out that we could fit it around WrestleMania week, we leapt at the chance to go and watch it live! Annndddd, we were excited that it was being hosted by New Orleans as well – winning!!!


WHERE TO STAY


Canal Street – we ended up staying in one of the most central locations that was within walking distance of pretty much everything! Canal Street is just a couple of minutes walk away from the French Quarter and we really felt like we were right in the middle of things.

Air BnB – We had a bit of a cock up when it came to our New Orleans accommodation. The Air BnB owner of our original stay ended up cancelling with less than 24 hours notice. And although we had to fork out a fairly big chunk of money for another place, we ended up getting something so much nicer and much more central. We had a beautiful apartment with a full kitchen, bathroom, living room and access to a rooftop pool.


WHAT TO EAT



By the time we got to New Orleans we had eaten a fair amount of pizzas, doughnuts and fast food. We knew that we were staying in the city for a week, so on our first night we took a trip to Wal-Mart and stocked up on food. As we had a full kitchen we ended up eating in quite a bit, had cereal for breakfast and took snacks for our lunch.  

Beignets – We did however have some of these amazing French doughnuts. They are a bit thicker and heavier than regular doughnuts, served warm and covered in icing sugar. They tasted so heavenly and went perfectly alongside an iced coffee! 

Domenica – One afternoon we went on a mission to find some Italian food. Not exactly the most typical cuisine to eat in New Orleans but if you are in the mood for pizza, the ones here were incredible. It felt like a very traditional recipe and the fact that there was a half price happy hour on whilst we were there was all the better. 

WHAT TO DO 


Hop-On-Hop-Off City Tour – The tour was around $30 each for a day pass, however for an extra $10 the pass will be valid for 3 days and a walking tour is thrown in for free. The tour in total lasts around two hours and there is a commentator constantly explaining what we drove past, providing lots of historical information. The tour went right around the city and gave us a great overview of everything New Orleans had to offer. 

The Museum Of Death – Now I know that this doesn’t sound like the most exciting activity to do, but we actually found it really interesting. I love watching anything from Criminal Minds, to Making A Murderer, to Lock Up. The Museum Of Death offered a history of autopsies and doctors tool kits, to serial killer profiles and how different cultures deal with the notion of death. It was a bit of a Horrible Histories kind of vibe, but for adults.



See What Events Are On – There is always something going on in this bright bubbly city, and it has become well known as a great place for various different events. Whilst I was visiting, WrestleMania was taking place, but we were also able to get tickets for the WWE Hall Of Fame Ceremony, an induction of retired and incredible athletes that have contributed to the industry. It’s well worth looking ahead if you are planning to visit, to see what’s on whilst you’re there! 

Walk Down Bourbon Street – This is where the main strip of bars, clubs and eateries are located in The French Quarter. It was filled with people having a good time and we had so much fun wondering down on a night. It is legal to drink on the streets in New Orleans so James and I would buy a can or two and just soak up the atmosphere of the street, without having to pay the major price tag in the bars.  

Explore The French Quarter, On foot! – We were staying just a few minutes walk away from this beautiful section of New Orleans and had so much fun exploring it on foot. There are so many cute little houses, cafes, shops and more to wonder around. There is also a huge market filled with everything from fresh food to clothes, crocodile foot key rings and beignets galore. 


Jackson Square – Jackson Square is located just outside of the French Quarter before you get to the docks for boat rides on the Mississippi. It is a beautiful patch of grass that has a lovely fountain. We spent an afternoon there eating beignets and drinking coffee, soaking in the sunshine – although we both got a little pink!

We had an incredible time in New Orleans and it was the perfect stop before heading over to the West Coast of America for the second half of our trip. You can also read all about our time in New York, Chicago, Nashville and Memphis, and be sure to have a watch of my Vlogs over on my YouTube channel, including this one from New Orleans…


Madolyn
xxx

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