New Orleans!

When we first arrived in New Orleans, we took a taxi from the airport to our friend's place where we were staying for the weekend. I had never visited New Orleans before, but the smell of Jasmine in the air and Spanish Oak trees dripping in moss had certainly stolen my heart before I had anything to do with it.

We arrived and spent the afternoon catching up before heading down to the French Quarter for some exploring! We took the Canal Streetcar down from mid-city, which I definitely recommend if you haven't had the change to take a streetcar before in your life (I hadn't!). Riding on the streetcar, I took in the beautiful homes and old-fashioned French architecture.

Our first stop was Café du Monde on Decatur St in the French Quarter, a historic coffee stand that serves beignets, a French powdered donut that New Orleans is known for. Then we strolled around Jackson Square, where artists were set up selling their works. Next we strolled around the French Market, where local goods, arts, and food are sold.

We found some cool items and returned back to the place we were staying to drop off our shopping scores before heading down to Frenchman Street for some live music.

When we got down there, we figured we should get some food in our stomachs so we stopped in Dat Dog, a local New Orleans restaurant famous for gourmet hot dogs and sausages. They even have vegan options!

The entire street is basically bars with live music, each having a slightly different flavor. Most nights, most of the bars don't have any cover charge, so it's easy to pop in and out of venues while you find a vibe you like. Some that I personally enjoyed were DBA, the Spotted Cat Music Club, The Maison, 30/90 NOLA, and the Blue Nile.

There are lots of tourists and out of towners on this street, but a good bit of locals as well. Maybe less so now as it has become more popular, but Frenchman Street is often a less rowdy alternative to Bourbon Street where you can also find a bustling night art market, various vendors selling their wares, and street performers.