Last month, Scott and I headed to New Orleans to experience the holidays in New Orleans. Since moving to Florida four years ago, we always find somewhere cooler to enjoy the holiday season, since it’s so warm in Fort Lauderdale. You may remember three Christmas’s ago, we went to St. Augustine and last year we went to Savannah, GA. We loved both cities, so we were excited to see what New Orleans had to offer.
Our flight left Fort Lauderdale at 7am and we flew through Charlotte, NC as we flew on American. Arriving into New Orleans around 1pm, left us most of the day to explore. Scott has been to New Orleans many times and specifically to attend Mardi Gras. This was my first trip to NOLA and I didn’t know what to expect. There are not too many cities I visit, that I don’t like.
JW Marriott New Orleans
We stayed at the JW Marriott on Canal Street and our room did not disappoint. We had a great room and a view of Canal Street and the Mississippi River.
To see our view, be sure to watch our video on YouTube! The GM of the hotel upgraded us and also gave us access to the executive lounge. This lounge does not serve cocktails, but they do offer a light breakfast and snacks throughout the day.
New Orleans French Quarter
Soon after Scott and I checked in, we headed out to find a bite to eat for lunch. We took a wrong turn, and ended up somewhere in the French Quarter, so we grabbed a quick bite before exploring more.
After lunch, we headed to the famous St. Louis Cathedral at Jackson Square. This is a very famous landmark and can be seen miles away by it’s three steeples. St. Louis Cathedral, located in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter, is one of the oldest continuously active Roman Catholic cathedrals in the United States.
The current structure was completed in the mid-1800s and stands on the site of earlier churches dating back to 1720, reflecting the city’s French and Spanish colonial roots. Over the centuries, it has been rebuilt and restored multiple times due to fires and storms, remaining a powerful symbol of New Orleans’ faith, culture, and resilience.
Hurricane Katrina
Our next stop was The Presbytère, a historic structure that sits right next door to St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square and is part of the Louisiana State Museum. Inside, the ground floor features the powerful exhibit “Living with Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond,” which explores the storm, the aftermath, and the city’s ongoing recovery through artifacts, firsthand accounts, and multimedia displays.
Upstairs, the museum shifts to celebration with “Mardi Gras: It’s Carnival Time in Louisiana,” showcasing elaborate costumes, krewe traditions, parade history, and iconic throws that capture the spirit and spectacle of New Orleans’ most famous festival.
Bourbon Street After Dark
Knowing that it was a football weekend and New Orleans would be crowded, I made all of our dinner reservations ahead of time. Thanks to recommendations from Chat GPT and Open Table, we found three highly recommended restaurants. For our first night, we chose Bourbon House. One thing I will tell you, is be prepared to eat Cajun or Creole almost everywhere. It was difficult to find a non Cajun restaurant, so if you don’t like seafood or southern cooking, New Orleans is not for you.
Our first stop before dinner was a cocktail at the Blue Bayou Oyster Bar. We actually sat at the bar and enjoyed watching the chef grill up fresh oysters. We regretted not ordering a dozen while we were there!
Dinner at The Bourbon House was one of those classic New Orleans nights—excellent food, perfectly made cocktails, and warm hospitality that makes you want to linger.
Our server, Destiny, was absolutely amazing and made the whole experience feel special, guiding us through the menu with genuine enthusiasm and care. With its longtime reputation on Bourbon Street and deep roots in the city’s iconic Brennan-family dining legacy, the restaurant blends Old-World French Quarter charm with the kind of seafood-and-bourbon tradition New Orleans is famous for.
Unfortunately it was so dark, that all of my photos are yellow and a little blurry! We started with Charbroiled Gulf Oyters, which were amazing. For dinner Scott had Bourbon Shrimp & Grits and I had Blackened Gulf Fish, both of which were one of the best meals we’ve had since Portugal.
Bourbon Street Night Life
After dinner, we walked down Bourbon Street looking for live music and taking in the energy that makes the French Quarter feel like a celebration every night. We popped into Fat Catz mainly because we have a Fat Cats back in downtown Fort Lauderdale, and it was exactly what you would expect in the best way, a lively dive bar with great live music and plenty of character. The streets were incredibly festive and I really enjoyed the evening atmosphere, but I was also genuinely shocked to see so many very young kids, some clearly under five, out on the street playing buckets like drums for money. It was a stark reminder of the complicated realities that can exist alongside the city’s vibrant nightlife.
Surprise Ending to Our Day
When we returned to our room that evening, we were so surprised to see that the GM had sent us a bottle of Champagne, along with dessert. What a special touch and it really made us feel welcomed. This is a fantastic hotel to stay at when you visit New Orleans.
Be sure to tune in next week, as we’ll share part 2 of our New Orleans adventure and I’ll let you know how it compared to the other cities we celebrated the holidays in.
As always, thank you for following our journey! Please be sure to subscribe to both our blog and our YouTube channel (which is approaching 30k subscribers!). See video link down below.
Cheers, Scott and Ally