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This years APPA Conference was in New Orleans and I was lucky enough to get to attend with my co-workers. If you don’t know much about New Orleans (I knew nothing before going, except that it is on the TV show The Originals). NOLA is what the locals call it. It is a pretty and crazy place to visit.

It is VERY different from Utah. 

I didn’t know what to expect, all I had to go off of was Mardi Gras stories. All I can say now is that my dream of going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras is gone! Just being there on a Saturday to a Wednesday was enough for me. The streets are small and crowded, I couldn’t imagine them around Mardi Gras… No worries though, beads are still given out, I’m pretty sure year round, but not in a Mardi Gras kind of way if you know what I mean. You can flash if you want to get them from strangers on the street or the shop owners just hand them out for fun. 

But Mardi Gras stories didn’t prepare me on what to pack… Of course the first thing I did was google the weather a couple days before leaving to see what outfits I should bring. I had to pack my pencil skirts and heels for the morning meetings but the nights were free and I didn’t know what to wear! The weather forecast was similar to Florida’s forecast, hot and humid with some rain showers here and there. Good news is that it only rained one day we were there and I did pack an umbrella, which I highly recommend! It came in handy on that day. The whole time I was there I wore shorts or dresses. The humidity is real there. You sweat no matter what you are wearing, from the moment you wake up to the moment you get in the nice cool shower before bed. I made the mistake of leaving my hair down on the first night out on the town… The rest of the time it was in an updo the rest of the time.

Walking shoes are a must have! Everything is in walking distance or you can take the trolley or car taxi/bike taxi. I suggest walking as much as possible, the sites are amazing. All the buildings and side streets are worth checking out. Plus there is music EVERYWHERE, all types of music too!

The first night and pretty much a majority of our nights were spent on Bourbon Street. It is definitely the place to go at night, during the day it’s not as fun but everything is still open. You can bar hop all the way down the street, but be warned that it gets smelly pretty fast. The town is smelly as is, but at night the stench is real. I was told that before I left and was expecting to be holding my breath everywhere I went, but it wasn’t that bad! Just certain spots and every now and then you’ll get a whiff of a gross smell.

Bourbon Street is in the French Quarter, where my co-workers and I spent most of the trip. The buildings are AMAZING, the beignets are to die for (we ate them pretty much everyday for breakfast), the bars were all completely different from one another and the voodoo shops are too cool to pass up. The two streets you must walk down are Bourbon Street and Frenchmen Street. Bourbon is the party street and Frenchmen in the quiet jazz street. Two completely different feels and only a few blocks away from each other, it’s crazy to see!

The restaurants and food there are all amazing. If you know Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” then you know New Orleans is famous for it’s beignets. There are a couple places that sell them but the number one place to get beignets is Café Du Monde. They only except cash so be prepared! The number one drink there is called a Hurricane (alcoholic). Every bar sells them, yet I don’t think I had the same one twice. The people and workers there are all super friendly and nice. I didn’t feel scared at all there (by that I mean the whole “keep your wallet in your front pocket” saying didn’t seam relevant). 

Some people went on a Swamp Tour and they said the gators and swamp are definitely worth seeing. Others went on a plantation tour and said the houses were like something out of a movie. They were gorgeous and they said they would love to go on another plantation tour. There are many plantations to visit and see. I got to see the cool cemeteries they have. They are miles and miles long and they are all mausoleum type cemeteries. 

The hotel was at was right by the River Walk along the Mississippi River. The paddle boats went up and down the river and blew their horns, it is very interesting to watch them take off. A different cruise ship was docked right up the river everyday! We were definitely in the right area for tourism.

Like I said, New Orleans is nothing like Slat Lake City. They are completely different from one an other. Between the buildings and the liquor laws (in New Orleans anything in a plastic cup can be drank in public on the streets). The feel of each city was very different, New Orleans is a very friendly and loud place. Salt Lake is more quiet and not so much the party scene.

If you do plan a trip to New Orleans make sure you do the following:

1. Check the weather prior and pack an umbrella if needed!
2. Get beignets. From Café Du Monde if possible. The line gets really long, but it goes by fast.
3. Walk around the French Quarter (Bourbon Street and Frenchmen Street) – Preferably at night!
4. Take a tour of some kind –
   1. Swamp
   2. Planation
   3. River Boat
   4. Cemetery

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Keep Finding Adventure,
Sadie

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