Click this link to see an interactive map of our trip https://www.pampam.city/p/NGjmVwrjdZ4mAPVMXIC5

Day 1: Arrive, settle into hotel, explore, and eat dinner!

Fly into Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) and use a taxi or rideshare to get downtown. New Orleans (NO) is a walkable city if you keep your wits about you, so a rental car isn't necessary unless you have special plans. Rideshares are readily available in NO.

We ended up driving our car from Texas so we could schlep the 2 hours up to the Barn Hill Preserve in Ethel, LA (more about this later!).

I cashed in some Hilton Honors points from my business credit card in addition to a free night stay voucher to The Roosevelt New Orleans, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

Fun fact about The Roosevelt: They have very good beignets! It is an easy to walk to Bourbon Street and it is a tad less rowdy on the west side of Canal Street. If you have never been to NO, the French Quarter is a good location to start but be aware that booking in the heart of the French Quarter could possibly be noisy. It's a party city where open containers of alcohol (in plastic cups) are allowed on the street.

That being said, there are a plethora of great hotels in New Orleans.

Let me know if you want me to help you book one! There are perks to being a travel agent sometimes in the form of accessing discounted rates and/or getting my clients upgraded amenities.

After settling in and exploring the hotel nooks & crannies, we got ready for our first meal at The Commanders Palace, which was suggested to us by a friend from the area. The restaurant is beautiful and the ambiance is celebratory, upscale, and a wonderful place to explore Creole cuisine. There is a dress code and reservations are recommended.

We are originally from the Pacific Northwest so creole food was completely foreign to us before our southern travels. The Commanders Palace is a great place to try Turtle Soup, Gumbo, Shrimp & Grits, etc. We let the wait staff guide us and we had a great night. With full bellies and a few drinks in our livers, we headed back for a good nights sleep.

Day 2: Sightseeing, photography, pastries, coffee, animals, and foodie food!

We took a leisurely morning stroll through the French Quarter and as always, enjoyed looking at the creole cottages and unique architecture with those Caribbean inspired colors that NO is famous for. Photo Tip: The homes at street level make artistic backdrops for candid or posed portraits. Excuse me for keeping his face anonymous, he doesn't want to be famous.

We walked to Ayu Bakehouse on Frenchman Street for killer pastries and coffee before heading back to our car. It was king cake season (rumor has it this starts January 6th and runs through Mardi Gras' Fat Tuesday!).

Then, we journeyed the two hours via car up to Ethel, LA to do an otter swim at Barn Hill Preserve. Before the swim, we had a tour of the outdoor wildlife preserve and we met and learned about so many of the animals. We had up close encounters with the sloths as well! The otter swim was the grand finale for me. Luckily, the pool was heated, as it was January, and cold when the sun went down. There were two small clawed asian otters...and one did NOT like to swim and did NOT like when her brother swam, so the staff spent much of the time attempting to coax them into the pool. But we laughed, and watched them play before driving back to the city to shower for a night on the town!

Restaurant Rebirth was a happy discovery we made while walking down the Riverwalk to the The Warehouse Arts District. We had well made craft cocktails, a fantastic server, and another great introduction to their "farm-to-table" Cajun-Creole menu.

Day 3: Comfort brunch, sightseeing, day-drinking, and a nice meal

We ventured out a bit to Bearcat Cafe Uptown, again on the recommendation from a local. We had to wait for seats on a busy weekend, but it was a nice sunny day, and there was a camaraderie with fellow brunch goers who knew they were about to enjoy some delectable comfort food. We got seats at the breakfast bar, which in retrospect was a great experience for us non-locals because we had front row access to the cooks making our meals. They were entertaining, friendly, and gave us the best recommendations. They have a Good Cat menu with healthier options. But of course, we stayed on the Bad Cat side of the menu. We ordered way too much, tried it all, couldn't eat it all, and probably skipped lunch this day but it was well worth it. They have great coffee and made us beautiful lattes! Bearcat Cafe is officially on our list for whenever we go back to visit.

We spent the afternoon exploring the Riverwalk and the French Quarter. We went adventuring and exploring into hotels like the Ritz Carlton and Hotel Monteleone which is home to the famous Carousel Bar & Lounge. This would be a great place to grab a cocktail if you didn't over eat at brunch like we did.

Does anyone else wander through hotels on vacation? It's free, entertaining, and you can get really nice photos of patios, pool decks, gardens, restaurants, and uniquely decorated hotel bars.

When we had finally digested brunch and were ready for beer, we stopped at Brieux Carre. They have a nice relaxing patio, and a fun "beer it forward" system where you can get a free beer if you qualify or you can pass on a free beer to a person of your choosing.

The next stop was Erin Rose, my favorite neighborhood bar in The French Quarter. I highly recommend ordering a frozen irish coffee (with or without a floater depending on your mood) and enjoying it while people watching and talking up the locals.

What better way to end a day of eating and drinking than with another foodie restaurant? We chose Justine to wrap up our long weekend trip.

Day 4: Bonus Breakfast @ Alma Cafe

Had to mention this last minute find on the way out of town: Alma Cafe. This is a Honduran cafe that is open through lunch. We enjoyed coffee, aguas frescas, plaintains, and huevos rancheros, etc. Their homemade tortillas were delicious!