Globe Corner Blogs

Too broke and too busy to travel abroad, I instead took three small trips around the country this summer.

The subtitle of this post should be “24 hours driving, 24 hours there.” In early August I drove 24 hours, almost straight, to New Orleans, and had about the same amount of time in the city itself. The term “road trip” may suggest a fun, leisurely drive with numerous pit stops to see America’s eccentricities – the world’s largest rubber band ball, the country’s best apple pie, or the largest state fair, for example. But make no mistake, this road trip was strictly business – get to New Orleans! (I did, however, stop off in South Carolina for Chick-fil-A and Atlanta for Chipotle… yum.)

My time in New Orleans was unfairly short and I feel like I only had time to do about seven things… But, of those seven things, some stood out as winners. Here’s what I’d recommend:

1. Food: the most exciting parts of my trip were related to food. Home of Creole-style cooking, New Orleans is famous for its unique fusion-style food. I recommend trying as many new dishes as possible! I ate delicious charbroiled oysters with garlic and Parmesan, gumbo, turtle soup, and jambalaya (I had hoped to try crawfish but was told they weren’t in season and therefore not worth the bother). And, because the humidity is truly astounding, we stopped off at Plum Street Snoball for a refreshing, better-than-ice-cream treat.

2. Architecture: I stayed in the Garden District, which sits relatively high above sea level and was therefore not too damaged by Katrina. The buildings in this area are beautiful. Large porches, fifteen-foot high ceilings, grand entry halls, crown molding, salons, and winding wooden staircases abound. Walk or drive around this area and then take a streetcar downtown.

3. The French Quarter: While the architecture in the Garden District is stately and grand, the French Quarter offers a quaint and lively alternative. Buildings are brightly colored with small porches and gorgeous wrought iron balconies.

I know I barely skimmed the surface of New Orleans, and while my trip was fun and many parts of New Orleans are beautiful and historic, you don’t have to look very far to see damage from Katrina. Coming into the city from Mississippi, we drove by New Orleans East where building after building had broken windows and no electricity, some with roofs that had yet to be repaired.

Having spent just two nights there, I know I have to make a return trip; a trip that will hopefully coincide with Mardis Gras. (Despite being there in August, Mardis Gras beads still hung from trees and electrical wires along the parade route!)

Read more: Art & Architecture, Food & Wine, Louisiana, New Orleans, Travel


Jess is a GCB alum and now contributes to the travel blog as often as she can. Jess attended Middlebury College so she loves the Green Mountain State. She also studied abroad in Paris for a semester and has traveled through much of western Europe and the UK. Her most recent travels include trips to Portland, OR, Los Angeles, CA and Spain (Madrid and Andalusia). She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS