We are Ryan and Monica Hoffmann, proud parents of special needs children. It took a long time to get here, but we have been to 33 US states in the past 4 years and we are just warming up.
What are the best things to do in New Orleans if you’re only in town for a couple of days?
For openers, don’t get mugged or killed. Every visitor should beware, the penalty for missteps is higher than the norm in a poor-choice symposium like Nola.
A cursory breeze through town reveals an assortment of rough and psychotic-looking perps. In addition to human predators, the sidewalks are totally jacked, and cars make grease-spots of careless tourists.
Nola won’t suffer the careless tourist. Nola doesn’t care if you’ve had too much to drink.
This is a hell of a way to begin an article. We are the Hoffmann’s. If you’ve never read one of our articles, we enjoy being frank when it’s due. We may come off like we’re talking out both sides of our mouth, and that’s because New Orleans is a polarizing city with highlights and lowlights aplenty. We see it both ways, and think it deserves an Honest Review.
We imagine your reason for visiting is not to get beaten senseless when you stumble down the wrong street at midnight, or to break your leg tripping over a drainage grate that’s buckled six inches off the concrete because of a tree root.
Maybe you’re here to get married, or throw-down with hell-eager friends. If that is the case… Welcome to the Big Easy beatdown.
We found New Orleans to be a mixture of Key West, Savannah, and Vegas — The vibe of Key West; the historical impression of Savannah; and the broke-ass drunken milieu of modern Las Vegas.
We gave Nola two full days and the town did not disappoint. We had a lot of fun, a little fear, and the spectacle was pretty much as advertised.
Nonetheless, 48 hours is not a lot of time and New Orleans is a big town. If you only have time for a few choice things to do in New Orleans, what should they be?
This is the question we’re going to answer. At the very end will be our Honest Conclusion where we’ll answer another important question, Is New Orleans worth visiting? So you won’t want to miss that.
Many of the blurbs below have additional links (in blue) that connect to other articles we’ve written or helpful websites associated with the attraction. We hope you enjoy what you read.
In the immortal words of Monica Hoffmann, “Another boring museum?”
The New Orleans WWII Museum is not just another boring museum. It is one of the finest boring museums in the United States — A state-of-the-art experience that will educate and surprise anyone who likes to learn.
What’s wrong, Monica? Don’t you like to learn?
Anything you want to know about WWII is here. All the events that led up to the war, the US reluctance to enter the war, how the US citizenry supported the war, the European front, the Pacific front, etc., all of it is artfully illustrated and recreated at the WWII Museum.
I thought I knew a little something about our second world war — I knew practically nothing.
The experience is 2nd-to-none. The crowds are workable. The museum is in a clean part of town. I consider this the very best thing to do in New Orleans.
Plan to spend at least 4 hours if you don’t watch the movie (watch the movie). There is an incredible amount to see. You can read placards until your eyes roll back and your stomach groans in symphony with your feet.
WWII Museum Address (link): 945 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
Admission: $32.50 for adults. $7 more to include the film, Beyond All Boundaries.
After a half-day of packing your brain with knowledge, it’s time to head over to Jackson Square and the French Quarter. Here you can forget everything you’ve just learned — a couple of daiquiris and a head injury should do the trick. We joke, but… watch your friggin’ step in the French Quarter.
You’re going to want to spend some time in the popular Jackson Square. At the center of the park is the famous St. Louis Cathedral (above). This is a great place to see live music and buy a painting. The park is picturesque, but small. Grab a bench and take in the vibe.
The streets around St. Michaels and Jackson Square make for prime street performer viewing. We spent two nights in town and were fortunate to catch live music both nights. You’ll also find an assortment of vendors peddling their wares, as well as shops and restaurants galore.
When you’re ready to move on, cross directly over Decatur street to Washington Artillery Park and the Riverview Steps. Definitely worth a peep.
Related Article: The 7 Best Things to Do in Memphis, Tennessee.
Just across Decatur Street from Jackson Square is Cafe du Monde, the most popular cafe in town. Look for the green and white awning — you can’t miss it. Here you can indulge their famous beignets (a right of passage when visiting The Big Easy Beatdown). It’s about $5 for a plate of three.
Head east on Decatur and the road will split to form North Peters Street to the right. Between Decatur and North Peters you will find the French Market. Here you can buy local artwork and handmade items (as well as imported junk that appears locally made) from vendors in an outdoor setting.
The streets on both sides of the market have interesting stores and restaurants. At the end of the French Market you’ll find the New Orleans Jazz Museum, something to consider if you’re looking for the best things to do in New Orleans.
A crowd should be brewing on Royal and Bourbon Streets as the French Market is closing up at 6pm. Stroll a couple of blocks north of Decatur St. you’ll be in the heart of the French Quarter. You should have no trouble finding a wonderful place to eat. Keep in mind that many of the restaurants will be packed in the evening.
If you love to travel, we have something we would like to give you. It is our professionally designed e-book and it is FREE of charge. We think it’s pretty great, and we’re hopeful you’ll like it, too. It’s called, “Cultivating a Lifetime of Travel”. Click HERE. and we’ll send it on over!
The French Quarter is buzzing with energy, but it’s definitely not for everyone. Some folks are turned off by the dueling odors of marijuana and piss.
A). Pique our interest.
B). Hit the gage reflex.
C). Raise the hair on the back of our necks.
It’s an uncommon combination.
Don’t be shocked to see significant dereliction on the streets. We saw a few dudes who looked like they might be dead, flopped face-down like a sack of rice.
And perhaps you’re more fearless than we are, but there were nefarious-looking dudes holding up the walls. They looked like hyenas scanning for the weak to separate from the herd.
So you’re back for more, eh? We are surprised you didn’t spend half of the day sleeping off your margarita hangover.
Again, we will start the day outside of the French Quarter. This time it’s the Garden District, one of the most beautiful things to do in New Orleans.
Catch the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar at Canal and St. Charles on the West side of the French Quarter (MAP). From here you’ll head west toward the Garden District.
Here are all the details on how to ride the historic streetcar, including the route, cost, etc. You can drive here instead, but don’t walk it — too far and too sketch.
Get off the streetcar on Washington St. and head S.E. into the Garden District.
Our Best Advice: A Walking Tour of the Garden District is a great idea!
The first thing you’ll notice in the Garden District is the splendid architecture of the houses.
The Lafayette Cemetery is on the corner of Washington and Prytania, one block from St. Charles. The cemetery is locked, but still looks fantastic behind the bars. Take a walking tour with access to the cemetery to get a look inside.
The Garden District is a great place to get yourselves lost. It doesn’t really matter where you stroll, you’re going to see beautiful homes on burnt-out streets. Historic Savannah or Charleston wouldn’t be caught dead running roads of this caliber, but that’s part of Nola’s charm.
Five blocks SE of St. Charles Avenue is Magazine Street. This is a very cool street packed with galleries and eclectic stores. Plan to spend 1-2 hours on Magazine St.
You may want to ride the trolly further down the line to Tulane University and Audubon Park. Spend an hour or so wandering the Tulane campus. It is another beautiful thing to do in New Orleans.
Related Article: Complete Guide to Charleston, South Carolina
When you’ve had enough of historic homes, cemeteries, and shopping, head back to the French Quarter to take in the nightly music and mayhem.
Music and Mayhem would be the name of my Bourbon Street Bar because mayhem goes with just about everything. Allow me to illustrate my point:
Marriage and Mayhem (Las Vegas wedding chapel)
Molecules and Mayhem (science lab)
Mullets and Mayhem (band name)
Mariachis and Mayhem (Mexican restaurant serving extreme foods)
There really is something magical wandering the French Quarter streets. Flower baskets hang from the balconies above the storefronts, creating an ambience I haven’t seen anywhere else in the nation. Well, maybe a few places (Pensacola, for one, is similar).
Add in the roaming Hobo Gadget Junk Band flooding the tableau with groovy music and it’s easy to see why people like to come here. Throw a few drinks down the hatch, hit your head on the curb after tripping over an uplifted brick, and the rest is history, (this works on so many levels).
We promise to visit you in the hospital.
My mother always said if you can’t say something nice about someone, write it on the internet. I’m just kidding. She demented long before the internet took off.
We believe there’s a better vacation available than the Bourbon Street experience. Because let’s be frank…
Bourbon Street is abhorrent. We find it borderline crazy to herd one’s self into a urine-soaked tunnel of deafening music and unsavory people with questionable intentions. Stepping over half-dead junkies face down on the pavement, and looking into the malicious eyes of soul-deadened monsters, is not part of a vacation we desire. Bourbon Street makes a fraternity triad look like afternoon tea in Charleston. It is a dark and groveling party scene.
Two days is not enough time for New Orleans, as you will run yourself haggard with all the museums, streets, shops, and restaurants. If two days is all you have, then by all means, exhaust yourselves. That’s what we did and we don’t regret it.
The Garden District is several miles away. It might not seem like a priority but we strongly recommend it. It is the nicest area of New Orleans we found, and there is enough to keep you busy an entire day.
Same goes for the WWII museum. We wouldn’t miss it.
The French Quarter is mostly safe, but with a few steps into the surrounding neighborhoods things can get violent. We’re talking about broken glass and garbage on the sidewalk, the dank odor of marijuana, and people sitting in their cars watching you all the way.
We asked a police officer if it was safe to walk back to our RV park after dark — which was three blocks from the French Quarter. He cut us off mid-sentence, “No! Don’t go that way after dark! It is not safe!”
There are so many ways to be murdered in New Orleans. The statistics are real.
But I’m sure you’ll be fine. Have a great vacation! 🙂
Thank you for stopping by our website! We are the Hoffmann family, a full-time RV family that has split residence in Seattle, Washington and San Antonio, Texas. We have special needs children that we homeschool, and work travel assignments for the Veteran Affairs Hospital. If you would like to learn more about us, check out our Start Here and Biography pages. In the meantime, God bless and travel happy!
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