Category: november travel

4 Nights in NOLA

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New Orleans, Louisiana…I have loved you from the start! From the many other places I wanted to visit in the States, New Orleans ranked high on the list. So as not to use up much vacation time, I opted to visit during Thanksgiving Weekend. Thankfully, I was able to find a moderately priced package deal that had airline tickets and hotel for two.

On this blog post, I wanted to share our itinerary and possibly give you some ideas for when you visit NOLA.

We flew in on Tuesday evening after a nightmare of a flight (saving that story for another time…) In time, to catch a dinner reservation at GW Fins. Definitely, had a great experience from start to finish. Food was delectable and service was stellar. Also, our hotel was nearby, so we just walked to and fro. Great way to also catch some action on Bourbon St.

The next day we took the Riverfront Line Streetcar (red one) to the Riverwalk Outlet. The reason for me to even pay this place a visit was to catch sight of the cruise ship and to sit and admire the Mississippi River. There is a Cafè Du Monde there, however, we opted to go to the stand alone 24 hour operation on 800 Decatur St. And yes, I will go there at 12 midnight to indulge in a warm beignet and a cafè au lait. Another noteworthy thing to do is to take the St. Charles Line Streetcar (green one) from Carondelet to the very end of the line. It’ll take you through mansions, the Loyola and Tulane Universities, and Audubon Gardens. On the way back, we hopped off near Magazine St and did some shopping.

On our third day, we did a Swamp Tour with Cajun Encounters that we booked through our concierge. A small bus picked us up at our hotel lobby and drove us to Slidell where we began our adventure. We saw alligators, wild boar, raccoons, snakes, owls, egrets, and more. Definitely a great way to experience the Louisiana bayou!

New Orleans is home to Louis Armstrong and Fats Domino so my visit wouldn’t be complete if I did not devote any time to listening to some good live jazz and soulful music on Frenchmen St. And, I can attest to it that Jazz music is so much better live! I might add too, if you’re anything like me, you’d spend more time on Frenchmen St than on Bourbon St. Just sayin…

I’ll be back NOLA…for your poboys, beignets, and live music! This isn’t the last of me.

 

 

 

 

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Lessons Learned in Overpacking

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My husband and I took a trip from Nov 1st to the 26th in Italy. It was my first time to travel in Europe, and I had no plan of attack when it came to my wardrobe. I packed a large 29″ suitcase full of clothes and shoes. Our adventure looked something like this: Rome-Naples-Positano-Venice-Padova-Milan-Florence-Cortona-Rome. We traveled between these cities mainly by train; we took a plane once from Naples to Venice, and a bus from Sorrento to Positano. The experience of lugging a heavy suitcase between these cities is what prompted me to write a journal entry of things I didn’t need. I now share these with you, in hopes you’ll learn a lesson or two. Happy Viewing!

Didn’t need:

  • 4 pairs of shoes. I survived mostly with my chestnut colored tall riding boots and Nike running shoes.
  • Faux leather pants. Only wore it once. We didn’t have anything on our itinerary that called for such attire.
  • Short sleeved shirts. Only wore one once and froze to death. The others were never worn.
  • So much makeup. All I needed were concealer, eyeliner, and one eyeshadow compact.
  • My Raybans. It was so cloudy the entire trip that I never once busted out the raybans.
  • 2 songbooks. My husband and I shared songbooks on all meetings.
  • Liquids. I learned from this trip to invest in clay soaps/shampoo from Lush.
  • 2 Large Luggages. I learned that less is more. Carry on suitcases are the way to go!