Last January I went to a wonderful city in USA: NOLA (New Orleans), the reason? The Special Event Show, after 3 days of full education and connection I decided to stay a couple of more days to enjoy the SAX LAND, for what I saw and visited these are my 5 MUST SEE IN NEW ORLEANS. (Are you already read: 15 reasons why an entrepreneur must travel?. CLICK HERE to do it!)

1. The French Quarter & Bourbon Street 

If you like to walk and enjoy the architecture, definitely The French Quarter is pure inspiration, the history of NOLA is truly amazing and this is the old part of the city, houses painted in different colors with a Spanish look, it’s called the French Quarter because at the very beginning that part of the city where inhabited by french people but after a huge fire; one of the regulations when the Spanish Empire were seated was to change the wooden houses for brick houses, so, the name remains buy the look of the house are 90% Spanish.

In the French Quarter there is a lot of beautiful and historic streets but on the most visited is definitely BOURBON STEET, yes, B O U R B O N, sax, alcohol and good music is the perfect combo for you to stay long time in this street, seriously not going to Bourbon Street is like not going to NOLA!

2. Cafe du Monde

Can you imagine a Cafe crowded just to eat coffee and some kind of donuts? Well, this exist just in New Orleans, Cafe du Monde is as important as Mardi Gras, it was established in 1862 in the French Market. The Cafe is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Its menu consists of dark roasted Coffee and Chicory, Beignets, White and Chocolate Milk, and fresh squeezed Orange Juice.

Yes!! Beignets are like Mexican Churros, take a look of what they are:

Beignets were also brought to Louisiana by the Acadians. These were fried fritters, sometimes filled with fruit. Today, the beignet is a square piece of dough, fried and covered with powdered sugar. They are served in orders of three. – Cafe du Monde

Make sure to not wear black clothes when you go to Cafe du Monde, you’ll figure it out why!

3. Creole Queen Paddle Wheeler

“She is an authentic paddlewheeler powered by a 24-foot diameter paddlewheel and the most modern, fuel efficient GE diesel-electric system ever installed in a boat of this class”.- CQPW 

My definition: “Is the best way to learn about NOLA history” I loved the Creole Queen, just the idea that I’m seated in a boat that were used years ago is amazing!. I loved this tour because you travel in the Mississippi River and you have the chance to see the city from a very different point of view, for example is the only way to see DOMINO’S factory (The oldest factory in the USA! yes Domino, the sugar)

4. Local Jazz

Since I knew that I was going to go to NOLA I really wanted to go to a very local JAZZ Bar, so, of course I asked all the UBER’S and taxis I stepped by. One of my favorites and that I really recommended is: SPOTTED CAT, totally local bar situated in Frenchmen Street at the French Quartet, the drinks are not expensive and you pay $5 dollars cover to enjoy a night full of SAX.

What I liked the most is, that is just visited by locals and some random tourist like me and they dance and enjoy old SAX, Louis Armstrong songs are obviously a MUST PLAY.

5. Mardi Gras

I have to be very honest with you! First of all I didn’t know that Mardi Gras (the first weekend of it) where going to take place the same Weekend that I stayed, so it was literally a WOW in my life and as always the expectations were high! Second thing I didn’t like it 🙁 , I understand is the main parade of USA and is synonymous of joy and happiness but the concept of it is difficult to understand, as a Tourism Specialist I don’t like the idea to devastated a beautiful city just to get drunk and grab a lot of necklaces.

My recommendations to survive to the Mardi Gras are:

1. Go the first weekend, is more familiar and friendly
2. Don’t pay to get seats, you’ll see the parade in every corner of the ride
3. Download the Parade Tracker (yes! this is something that I loved about the city) and app where you can check where the parades are going to take place
4. Take care of your belongings we had a bad situation about it
5. Take care of your head (literally) the necklaces are enormous and heavies
6. Go comfy you’ll walk A LOT

Definitely a beautiful destination, the people who live in NOLA are simply honest, proud of their heritage, stronger after Katrina and they will always welcome you with a big smile. Oh! Don’t forger to eat cajun food is AH- MAZING!

With love always,

Cecy Pineda