Friday, March 14th – Tuesday, March 19th, 2025
In 2025 my then-boyfriend (now fiancé!), Blair, was attempting to finish visiting all 50 states before his 30th birthday in September. The mission was accomplished and Louisiana just happened to be his 49th state. At the start of the year, we planned a trip to New Orleans for March to get to know the infamous city in all its splendor. Below is our adventure along with all of our recommendations!
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Day 1
We flew in on a Friday, mid-day, with a plan to spend the afternoon preliminarily exploring and going on a River Boat cruise. We landed at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) and arrived at our hotel, Maison Dupuy, were greeted by friendly faces and refreshing air conditioning, and the charming character of an old boutique hotel. Throughout the trip, we felt we were in the perfect location- in the French Quarter and easy walking distance to all the sights, but on the outskirts enough that we weren’t kept up at night.
The pool in the courtyard was beautiful and I enjoyed a brief nap on one of the tanning beds before our excursion. Before our cruise we went to a lovely restaurant called Evangeline that unfortunately doesn’t exist anymore. There, I have my first French 75 of the trip (a must try), alligator étouffée and fried pickles and crawfish- all gluten free and delicious. We topped it all off with some delicious Abbot’s Frozen Custard, a welcome surprise and favorite from my childhood.
It was then time for our River Boat cruise on the Steamboat Natchez, which claims to be the last authentic steamboat cruising on the Mississippi River! It was an awesome experience. From the strong cocktails, to the authentic New Orleans jazz band, to the views of the city from the river and the historic narration as we passed important landmarks, it was the perfect way to start our New Orleans experience.
Day 2
Saturday we spent the entire day exploring the French Quarter. We enjoyed the riverfront walk, the shops on Decatur Street, got our first look at Frenchman street (really quiet during the day), and took a break in Washington Square Park. The streets were steeped in history and charm. Shivers went down my spine looking at Lalaurie Mansion – only look up that ghost story if you have a strong stomach!
We quenched our thirst at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar. It dates back to 1772 and feels like it! We sat and played cards there for a while, drinking a hurricane and Lafitte’s famous “Purple Drink” or “Voodoo Daquiri”. Both were delicious, refreshing, and like most drinks we would enjoy in NOLA, strong. To balance out the alcohol, we enjoyed lunch from Bon’s New Orleans Street Food. They had…. wait for it…. GLUTEN FREE FRIED CHICKEN AND WAFFLES. Yup, you read that right. Along with gluten free beniets. My friends, I ate until I could eat no more. We walked off our very full bellies in Jackson Square and Congo Square. Congo Square was famous for being a meeting space for enslaved people on Sundays until the 1850’s, many see it as the birthplace of Jazz and Gospel music. It was an honor to take in that hallowed ground. A stroll around Louis Armstrong Park finished up our afternoon before a nap by the pool and enjoying an evening out on Frenchman Street.
If you are looking for a fun night out with mostly locals, a few tourists, and great music, look no further than Frenchman Street. It came alive after dark. We enjoyed music at the Blue Nile, 30º/90º and, perhaps most of all, enjoyed strolling down the street and listening to the music pour out of the open windows and doors of each bar. While you can’t bring a drink into a new bar, you can walk the whole row of bars with an open beverage (it’s legal, I swear!) and enjoy the lovely night air until it is time to pick another bar and refill your cup. When we got hungry we went to Dat Dog (mostly because the name was funny) and filled up on hot dogs and cheese fries (my dog was on a lovely lettuce bun, but this place is not recommended for anyone bothered by cross-contamination). We also walked through the Frenchman Art Bazaar and took in some beautiful local art.
Day 3
We wouldn’t dare go to NOLA without visiting one of the famous, haunted, and frankly, beautiful cemeteries. I found this free online walking tour and walked Blair and I through the cemetery, learning about the different types of headstones and legends in St. Louis Cemetery No. 3. When we were done, we walked across the bridge on Esplanade Ave to see the City Park. It is absolutely worth the visit, just to sit undder the Singing Oak and hear the wind chimes sing. There’s also loads of fun scultpures throughout!
Around noon we Ubered to Johnny Sanchez, a restaurant owned by one of our favorite Chopped judges, Aarón Sánchez. They had tons of gluten free options, including a crawfish queso that was so delicious, I almost cried. From there we walked to the Garden District, caught the St. Charles Street Car on Canal and Carondelet, walked in and out of quirky indi shops on Magazine Street and strolled through the neighborhood of historic mansions. I loved reading the plaques on many of the mansion’s fences, learning about all of the families that once inhabited the house.
We finished the night with dinner at Deanie’s Seafood before heading back to Frenchman Street. There was a short line to be seated and it was worth every second of the wait. Deanie’s offers gluten-free, celiac safe, separate fryer seafood. ‘Nough said.
Day 4
Happy St. Paddy’s Day! We started bright and early with our much anticipated swamp boat tour! We booked through Dr. Wagner’s Honey Island Swamp Boat Tours and were treated to a relaxing, fun, educational tour given by a local who cared deeply about the swamp he was showing us. First, they offer pick up and drop off services if you are staying in NOLA and don’t want to rent a car or pay for a long Uber. We really enjoyed this feature! The tour itself was beautiful and we enjoyed seeing alligators, “bayou bandits” (racoons), the tree that inspired Mama Odie’s tree in The Princess and The Frog and more.
Once we got back to the city, we stopped for lunch in the French Market– options GALORE. Come with an idea of what you want so you don’t get too overwhelmed. This is also a great location for souvenir shopping as there are tons of local artisans and chachki sellers up and down the market.
After some time by the pool, we got dressed and left for our St. Patrick’s Day festivities. We started at St. Pat’s Irish Coffeehouse for a delicious espresso martini, before going to the Carousel Bar on a whim. We figured there was no way there would be a seat open, but at least it would be cool to see. Thankfully, my excessive friendliness kicked in and we made friends with a pair of gentlemen just getting ready to leave. The Carousel was definitely touristy but was obviously a historic source of local pride. The cocktails were delicious and the slow rotations the bar makes keeps you feeling just a little dizzy.
After a great dinner at Pig Out NOLA Barbecue, we were ready for the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. It was a sight to behold. We got some great recommendations from the event website and this local website. The rest of the night we spent galavanting. We finally ventured out onto Bourbon Street and I can confidently say that it was unlike anything I have ever seen before. We found a great spot on a balcony overlooking the street and people watched until we were ready for bed.
Day 5
We didn’t have much time on our last day. We said goodbye to our beautiful hotel, walked around Jackson Square a bit more and took a quick, awestruck walk through the St. Louis Cathedral.
I went into our trip thinking that New Orleans was a place I would visit once and never need to return to. Thankfully, I was proven very wrong. I would go back in a heartbeat. The gluten allergy friendly food, the friendly people, amazing music, and strong drinks all made for a perfect vacation for Blair’s 49th state.
The Short Version:
- Eats
- Activities/Sights
- Bars
