Let the Good Times Roll in New Orleans

• Jackson Square: Jackson Square is the busting center of the French Quarter. Expect to hear buskers playing jazz and see artists displaying their work on the fence surrounding the park. There’s a really cool museum with exhibits on Hurricane Katrina and Mardi Gras in the Presbytere.

• Tour of St. Louis Cemetery 1: This iconic cemetery boasts the graves of Voodoo Queen Marie Leveau, the future crypt of Nicolas Cage and many others. The only way you can get in there is to go on a tour because people kept breaking in and defacing the tombs.

• Take a Ghost Tour: My favorite part of New Orleans is its spooky history, so a ghost tour is a must. The city's culture has been shaped by its history of death, vampires, and spirits. Any trip would feel incomplete without paying respect to those who came before.

• Bayou Boat Tour: There are about a million options for bayou tours, but this is the one we went with. You’ll have to travel a bit outside of New Orleans proper to get to the Bayou, but it’s an experience that I wouldn’t skip. Please say hi to the swamp raccoons for me.

• Stroll Bourbon Street: In my old age, I’m not really much of a drinker. However, I think it’s illegal to go to New Orleans and not at least meander down Bourbon Street. The people-watching is incredible, and you can get a yard of neon-colored daiquiri at 9 am. Everything is always inexplicably wet, so wear shoes you don’t care about.

• Go to one of the Frenchmen Street Jazz Clubs for live music. Some personal favorites are The Spotted Cat, the Three Muses and the Royal Frenchmen. Make sure to visit the night market next to the Spotted Cat as well as Frenchman Art and Books, because we love supporting local businesses.

• Ride the Garden District: Streetcar for a cheap tour of the most beautiful homes in the city. The Saint Charles Line runs in a 6-mile crescent starting at Carondelet at Canal in the business district all the way uptown to Carrolton at Claiborne Avenue. Be on the lookout for Mardi Gras beads hanging from the oak trees along the way because this is an area on the official parade route.

• Take a food tour: Food is a huge part of every trip I go on. New Orleans is famous for so many delicacies – muffaletta sandwiches, beignets, po’ boys, gumbo, etc. Why not take a tour that features a little bit of everything? There are a ton of options, so feel free to reach out for help picking one!

Breakfast/brunch options

• Cafe du Monde: The original location is right across the street from Jackson Square. It's open from early morning until around 11 pm, so there's no excuse not to stop in and cover yourself in powdered sugar. Be prepared for a long line and come with cash as they do not take credit cards.

• Willa Jean: Central Business District. The biscuits here are otherworldly, as was the Southern Coconut Cake. I would go back again and again. They don't take reservations, but you can join the virtual waitlist to save some time.

Casual options

• Mr. Oso: Central Business District. This colorful Mexican Fusion spot has some of the best tacos I've ever had (shout out to the Ques birria Short Rib tacos). It's also super Instagram-able if you're into that kind of thing.

• Smoke and Honey: Bienville. It's a little off the beaten (tourist) path, but this Jewish/Greek fusion gem is worth a pilgrimage out of the French Quarter. They offer breakfast (hello, breakfast gyro), lunch and dinner, so you can really swing by anytime you want. Plus, if you want to get some exercise, either walk or use one of the plentiful rental bicycles to take the adjacent Lafitte Greenway back downtown.

• Central Grocery: French Quarter. This is the home of the muffuletta sandwich. The shop is still fixing up after Hurricane Ida, but you can buy sandwiches next door and at other places.

Fancier options

• Herbsaint: Central Business District. Located right on the St. Charles Streetcar line, this restaurant has ambience and delicious cuisine. We loved the Baked Asiago and Gumbo, especially.

• La Petite Grocery: Garden District. I have two words for you: Crab Beignets. That's it. That's all you need to know. Go there and try them.

Cocktails

• Carousel Bar: French Quarter. This is 100% touristy, and it will almost certainly be very crowded, but it's too cool not to include in your trip. Take a seat at one of the bar stools and enjoy the ride as the bar itself rotates in a complete circle (it takes about 15 minutes). They have cocktails as well as mocktails, so you can enjoy the experience whether you're a drinker or not.