Vacation For Life

10 Top Restaurants in New Orleans

Commander's Palace New Orleans Restaurants

An important part of travel to New Orleans is the food. New Orleans has some of the best food in the entire United States. New Orleans has stayed true to its roots with some of the oldest restaurants in the country and restaurants serving traditional New Orleans food. However, New Orleans has also remained relevant with new restaurants serving modern cuisine which complement the classic restaurants of New Orleans. During our one week visit to New Orleans, we dined at these top restaurants in New Orleans.

Classic New Orleans Restaurants

Antoine’s Restaurant

Antoine’s Restaurant is one of New Orleans’ restaurants in the French Quarter. Antoine’s is the oldest family-run restaurant in the United States and has been serving French-Creole dishes to residents and travelers since 1840. Antoine’s has served New Orleans cuisine through the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the Great Depression.

Antoine Alciatore emigrated from Marseilles, France. He had apprenticed since the age of eight under the French chef Collinet at the Hotel de Noailles in Marseilles. At the age of 18, Antoine adopted New Orleans as his home and opened a restaurant in 1840. Antoine brought haute cuisine to New Orleans. He was the first to serve Chicken Creole, Crayfish Etouffee, and Shrimp Remoulade and invented dishes like Crayfish Cardinal and Shrimp Mariniere. Antoine’s son Jules, who took over the restaurant, invented a number of oyster dishes including the most famous Oysters Rockefeller.

To experience this classic and famous New Orleans restaurant on a budget, come in for a three martini lunch. For $20.16, you can enjoy a three-course meal and $0.25 martinis. While Antoine’s is famous for their Oysters Rockefeller, I actually preferred the charbroiled oysters that came with the lunch special.

Arnaud’s

Arnaud’s is another of New Orleans’ French Quarter restaurants that is a classic. Arnaud’s has been serving classic Creole cuisine since 1918. If you’re looking for a fancy or romantic night out, Arnaud’s is the place to go. Arnaud’s has perfected the art of elegant dining with stellar cuisine.

Arnaud Cazenave’s Philosophy of Dining states in part, “Americans are prone to forget, in the ultra-rapidity and super-activity of modern life, trying to crowd eighty seconds of toil into one minute’s time, that eating should be a pleasure, not a task to get over with in a hurry. A dinner chosen according to one’s needs, tastes and moods, well prepared and well served, is a joy to all senses and an impelling incentive to sound sleep, good health and long life. Therefore, at least once a day, preferably in the cool and quiet of the evening, one should throw all care to the winds, relax completely and dine leisurely and well.” Amen.

Our dinner at Antoine’s was one mouth-watering course after another. We started with Oysters Bienville, an Arnaud’s original made with shrimp, mushrooms, green onions, herbs, and seasonings in a white wine sauce. We also had Shrimp Arnaud, a signature dish of cold gulf shrimp marinated in tangy Creole Remoulade Sauce with horseradish. For a sample of Arnaud’s specialties, order Veal Wohl, a three-in-one extravaganza. Veal Chantal is tender tournedos of veal sautéed and served in a wild mushroom sauce. Arnaud’s crab cake is made with jumbo lump Louisiana crabmeat served with a white remoulade sauce. The Crawfish O’Connor is baked in a brandy-infused classic Creole tomato based sauce.

Commander’s Palace

Commander’s Palace is another classic and famous New Orleans restaurant, but this one is in the Garden District. Commander’s Palace was named the best New Orleans restaurant of 2015 by Gambit New Orleans. Commander’s Palace was first opened by Emile Commander in 1893 (not 1880 as had been previously believed) and is now managed by the Brennan family. Famous chefs like Emeril Lagasse have worked in the kitchen of Commander’s Palace.

Commander’s Palace concocts inventive cocktails like the Big Daddy, made with apple pie flavored moonshine with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. For dinner we had the cast iron seared gulf fish with chanterelle, yellow foot, and black trumpet mushrooms, all flambéed with Cognac, grilled Tuscan kale, roasted tomatoes, and sweet onion soubise and compressed basil. Be sure to end dinner with Commander’s Palace’s famous Creole bread pudding soufflé.

Restaurants Serving Traditional New Orleans Food

Gumbo Shop

There are certain dishes you must have while in New Orleans, and gumbo is one of them. The Gumbo Shop is a tiny restaurant in the middle of the French Quarter that serves some of the best gumbo in the city. (There will obviously be some who argue the best gumbo is served elsewhere in the city, but we chose the Gumbo Shop on the high recommendation of a local.) Don’t be intimidated by the long line coming out the door. As a couple, we were actually seated pretty quickly. We sat out in the cute little interior courtyard and ate the locals’ favorite, chicken Andouille gumbo, as well as crawfish etouffee, all washed down with a local beer.

Parkway Bakery & Tavern

Possibly my most favorite meal in New Orleans was also a simple one. Parkway Bakery & Tavern’s fried oyster po’boy, only served on Monday’s and Wednesday’s, is a thing of beauty. It’s a commitment to travel to Parkway Bakery & Tavern, as it is 15 stops away from the French Quarter via the green or red line streetcar, but it is worth both the trip and the long wait in line. The fried oysters are succulent, the freshly baked bread is perfection, and the meal goes over the top with cheese smothered fries and a bottled root beer.

Contemporary New Orleans Restaurants

Cochon Butcher

Cochon, located in the Warehouse District, is one of New Orleans’ newer restaurants, if you’re comparing to those that have been around for almost 100 years or more. Cochon is French for pig and is a favorite ingredient of chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski. Cochon is such a popular New Orleans restaurant, the owners were able to open its more casual neighbor Cochon Butcher. Cochon Butcher is a butcher shop, sandwich counter, and wine bar. You get in line, order at the counter, take a number to your table, and wait for your food to be delivered. We went to Cochon Butcher for their muffaletta. The muffaletta has been in New Orleans for a long time, as it came to New Orleans with Italian immigrants, but as a butcher shop that makes their own meats and pickled vegetables, Cochon Butcher’s muffaletta is one of the best in the city.

La Petite Grocery

La Petite Grocery is located in a century-old building in the Garden District. It has been named one of the best restaurants in New Orleans multiple times and celebrated its 10 year anniversary in 2014. La Petite Grocery’s Chef Justin Devillier, a fellow Californian, joined the team when the restaurant opened, was promoted to Executive Chef in 2007, and then bought the restaurant, along with his wife Mia, in 2010. Chef Devillier puts his spin on New Orleans classics like the Turtle Bolognese and Blue Crab Beignets. Both of these dishes are must orders. The Turtle Bolognese is spicy, the turtle has a texture similar to ground beef, and it is served with flat noodles and a deep fried egg. I’ll take a Blue Crab Beignet over a dessert beignet any day. Don’t bother with the sauce, just add a little squeeze of lemon and enjoy the creamy crab inside the light, pillowy beignet.

Coquette

Another contemporary restaurant in New Orleans is Coquette, located in the Garden District and open since 2008. Coquette serves southern cuisine made with locally sourced products. We dined at Coquette on New Year’s Eve, so only a prix fix menu was offered at the time. However, Coquette’s menu includes modern dishes with southern flair such as tempura gulf shrimp, red snapper ceviche, and smoked duck confit with okra. Coquette also features an international wine list and inventive New Orleans cocktails.

Newer but Old School Style New Orleans Restaurants

The Bombay Club & Martini Bar

Bombay Club & Martini Bar New Orleans Restaurants

The Bombay Club was a French Quarter favorite, but in 2013 the owner died, the restaurant closed, and management was transferred to Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts. The restaurant went through a renovation and reopened in December 2014, just over a week before we dined there. The Bombay Club & Martini Bar oozes old school charm. The vibe is rustic casual with dark wood, curtains, and leather seats. If you can, ask for a booth.

Bombay Club & Martini Bar Scotch Egg New Orleans Restaurants

The restaurant features a British menu with a Cajun twist with menu items like Scotch eggs with boudin and braised collard greens (the yolk of the Scotch egg is replaced by the boudin sauce which is made with the yolk). Of course, the bar makes a wide selection of martinis, served in old-style champagne glasses, which are accompanied by live music nightly.

One More Classic New Orleans Restaurant Coffee Stand

Café du Monde

I don’t really know that Café du Monde qualifies as a restaurant per se, but I feel like a list of places to eat in New Orleans would be incomplete without mentioning Café du Monde. Café du Monde is New Orleans’ original French Market coffee stand which has been serving powdered sugared cloud-like beignets and chicory coffee since 1862. You can get your beignet fix any time of day as Café du Monde is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except for Christmas Day.

New Orleans is filled with top, classic, and famous restaurants, and we didn’t get to visit them all. On our New Orleans restaurant wish list for our next trip are Mr. B’s, Galatoire’s, Drago’s, Peche, and so many more. But this list of 10 of the top restaurant’s in New Orleans will provide you with a great mix of New Orleans restaurants to get you started on your tour of the city through food.

Thank you to the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau and the New Orleans Hotel Collection for hosting our trip to New Orleans and making this post possible. As always, all opinions are my own. For updates on what is going on in New Orleans, follow the New Orleans CVB on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Winter Travel Packing List: What to Pack for Outdoor Activities

Jukkasjärvi Church Winter Travel Packing List

The thing about travel is it’s constantly taking you out of your comfort zone. Which is awesome. But it also means that sometimes you have no idea how to best prepare for a situation. For us, that moment came when we were preparing for our trip to Swedish Lapland. We live in San Diego, home of some of the most beautiful and temperate weather in the United States. What did we know about winter travel to the Arctic Circle? Not much. We were not only planning travel to freezing temperatures, but we were also planning to spend much of our time outside enjoying winter outdoor activities. What to wear? It was important to get it right so we weren’t miserable. We put together a winter travel packing list that served us well for enjoying our winter outdoor activities.

Icelandic Horseback Riding Winter Travel Packing List

The year before we went to Sweden, we took our first winter trip to Madison, Wisconsin. Because of that trip, we had a little bit of knowledge about packing for winter travel, so some of our winter travel packing list was the same. But traveling above the Arctic Circle to experience Swedish Lapland’s winter outdoor activities is a little more extreme.

The key to packing for winter travel is to pack lots of layers and as little cotton as possible. Layers are important because they provide insulation and ventilation and allow you to quickly adjust to changes in temperature and activity level by adding or removing layers. Avoiding cotton is important because cotton retains moisture and will create a chilling effect.

Reindeer Sledding Winter Travel Packing List

The first layer is the base layer, which goes against your skin. The base layer manages moisture by moving perspiration away from your body to the outdoor layers, allowing it to evaporate. Do not use cotton thermals for your base layer. Your base layer should be made out of wool or synthetic fabrics like polyester. We wore Under Armour, which is made of synthetic fabric, and a popular wool brand is SmartWool.

The middle layer provides insulation by retaining heat and trapping warm air close to your body. The middle layer should be made with wool, down, or fleece. For our tops we chose fleece, which is lightweight, breathable, and can still insulate when wet. Fleece comes in different weights depending on the weather and your needs.

For our bottoms, jeans weren’t going to cut it. I actually wore jeans one day in Kiruna, thinking it would be okay since we were just walking around and would be inside most of the time. That was a mistake and my legs were cold and slightly numb. The best purchase we made for our winter travel was of Craghoppers' lined winter pants, made with polyester and cotton and lined with fleece.

The shell or outer layer protects you from the elements like wind, rain, and snow. A good down jacket is the perfect outer layer for when you’re walking around outside in the cold and snow. Down is lightweight and can pack very small when using space saver vacuum seal bags. It also traps in warmth.

For winter outdoor activities like snowmobiling and dog sledding you’ll need more. The best item of winter clothing for winter outdoor activities is a full-body snowsuit. Luckily this isn’t something we had to pack. During our stay at the ICEHOTEL we were provided with a snowsuit which we were able to use for our entire stay. Also, every tour company provided snowsuits for guest use.

It’s also important to keep your head, hands and feet warm. Wool socks are essential, and if one pair is good, two pairs are better. We suggest wearing thin socks with very little cotton underneath your wool socks, which help wick away moisture and protect from the wool itch. Again, make sure not to wear mostly cotton socks. My favorite winter boots are my lined Ugg boots, but another good option is Sorel boots. The ICEHOTEL and tour operators provided boots, but I preferred using my own. Make sure your boots are big enough to fit your extra thick socks.

Protect your hands with really good gloves or mittens. It’s important for your gloves to be waterproof as you will most likely be touching snow multiple times. It is suggested to wear mittens because the insulation works better when all your fingers are together in the same opening. However, I really couldn’t get the hang of wearing mittens so I stuck with my gloves. Again, the ICEHOTEL and our tour operators provided leather mittens.

To keep your head warm, pack a good knit hat. My Under Armour hat worked spectacularly because it had an inner layer which trapped heat in. Also pack a wool scarf to cover your face, especially when joining in fast moving outdoor winter activities. You may even want to invest in a balaclava, especially for snowmobiling.

If you use this winter travel packing list for your next outdoor winter adventure, you’ll have a successful winter trip and be warm and toasty while outside playing in freezing temperatures.

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of the links it costs you nothing extra and we earn a small commission which goes towards our travels and helps us bring you more stories. Thank you!

Travel the World: Winter travel packing list for a vacation filled with winter outdoor activities.

3 Great Places for Outdoor Activities in Northern Virginia

Manassas National Battlefield Park Northern Virginia

During our Virginia weekend getaway in Prince William County, located in Northern Virginia less than an hour’s drive away from Washington, D.C., we spent a lot of time outdoors because it was fall and the leaves were just starting to turn color. There are a number of outdoor things to do in Northern Virginia. Since we were visiting for a long weekend, we couldn’t visit them all, but we did get to visit three great places for outdoor activities in Northern Virginia where we were able to hike, enjoy the scenery, and learn a little history as well.

Bull Run Mountains Conservancy

Chapman / Beverley Mill Historic Site Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve

The Bull Run Mountains are part of the Blue Ridge Mountains mountain range in Northern Virginia. The Bull Run Mountains are protected by the Bull Run Mountains Conservancy, which offers walking trails and educational programs. (To learn more about their public programs, visit their website.)

Chapman / Beverley Mill Historic Site Interior Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve

We love old buildings and history, so our first stop during our visit to the Bull Run Mountains was the Chapman / Beverley Mill Historic Site. This mill was built in 1742 and is believed to be the tallest stacked stone structure in the United States. After the mill was nearly destroyed by arson in 1998, after surviving for over 200 years, the Turn The Mill Around Campaign (TTMAC) has worked on preserving the mill and making it accessible to the public. Their first order of business was stabilizing the mill, which is why you will see bracing bars in the interior. The mill and surrounding area is open to the public on the weekends only.

Water Wheel Chapman / Beverley Mill Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve

The mill was built by father and son Jonathan and Nathaniel Chapman. It was enlarged in 1758 and was used to process wheat and corn. It was already a prosperous mill because of its location between the Shenandoah Valley and the city of Alexandria, but the completion of the Manassas Gap Railroad in 1852 created even more opportunity for prosperity and the Chapmans enlarged the mill yet again. During the Civil War the mill was used to store meat for the Confederates and the Confederates burned the mill and the meat after the Battle of First Manassas. After the war, the Beverley family restored the mill and took ownership and the mill passed to different owners over the next few decades. The mill is steeped in war history as it provided cornmeal and flour during seven American wars: The French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II. The mill finally ceased operations in 1946.

Beverley Mill Store Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve

In front of the mill is the Beverley Mill Store. It was used as a general store and also as a post office. While you can see the highway nearby, it used to run right in front of the general store. The Beverley Mill Store is now a registered Virginia Historic Landmark.

Broad Run River Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve

If you (carefully) scramble up the rock located southwest of the mill, you will be treated to a picturesque sight of the Broad Run river trickling over a series of short waterfalls as it winds through the trees.

Manassas Gap Railroad Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve

Behind the mill are the tracks of the still in use Manassas Gap Railroad.

Hiking Trail Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve

After visiting the Chapman / Beverley Mill, take one of the five hiking trails in the Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve, or create your own hike by following a combination of the five trails. The Green Loop trail is the longest and includes the mill, a fern hollow, and laurel thickets. The Red Loop trail passes Colonial and Civil War-era structures and a quarry trench used in the Civil War Battle of Thoroughfare Gap. The easier and shorter trails are Yellow Loop, Blue Spur, and Brown Trail.

Prince William Forest Park

Prince William Forest Park was originally created in 1936 as Chopawamsic Recreation Area, a children’s relief camp created during the Great Depression to help impoverished kids get healthcare and have the chance to play outdoors for a couple weeks. Today it is part of the National Park Service and provides 37 miles of hiking trails, 21 miles of biking trails, and lots of open spaces for nature lovers to enjoy.

To cover the most territory of Prince William Forest Park, visitors can drive the nine-mile loop scenic drive. A drive around the park passes trees, deer, bridges, boardwalks, and even a cemetery.

A popular trail for those without a lot of time to hike is the Laurel Loop Trail. This trail is 1.4 miles long and visits South Fork Quantico Creek which is crossed on a small footbridge.

Chopawamsic Recreation Area Cabin Prince William Forest Park

Prince William Forest Park has the largest number of preserved structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Some of the original camps are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors can arrange ranger-guided tours to visit some of these original cabins.

During our tour of the camps, we also came across a spooky old graveyard. If you didn’t know what you were looking for, you might not even notice it. Amongst the trees are fairly deep depressions in the ground marked only with medium stones. It is believed these are graves of Union soldiers from the Civil War.

Manassas National Battlefield Park

Manassas National Battlefield Park is the site of not just one, but two Civil War battles. First Manassas was the first major land battle of the Civil War, a one-day battle which occurred July 21, 1861. Second Manassas was a three-day battle which occurred a year later in August of 1862.

Stone Bridge Loop Trail Manassas National Battlefield Park

While the main focus of the park is Civil War history, the park is 5,100 acres and provides numerous places for nature lovers to explore while still getting some Civil War history at the same time. In fact, Manassas National Battlefield Park has over 40 miles of hiking trails, many of which are punctuated by explanatory markers. Trails include the First Manassas Trail, Stone Bridge Loop Trail, Sudley Loop Trail, Matthews Hill Loop Trail, Henry Hill Loop Trail, China Ridge Loop Trail, Stuart’s Hill Loop Trail, Brawner Farm Loop Trail, Deep Cut Loop Trail, and Unfinished Railroad Loop Trail.

Toad Unfinished Railroad Loop Trail Manassas National Battlefield Park

Manassas National Battlefield Park’s trails are popular not only with travelers, but also with the locals. We ran into a gentleman walking his dog while we were checking out the cannons and view on Matthews Hill.

Two of the trails, Henry Hill Loop Trail and Brawner Farm Loop Trail, are included in the guided walking tours offered by the park. The Henry Hill Loop Trail visits the Ricketts’ Battery of Union artillery and the Henry House. The Brawner Loop Trail visits the area touched by the Battle of Second Manassas and traverses historic farmland.

Deer Stone Bridge Loop Trail Manassas National Battlefield Park

The Stone Bridge Loop Trail is at the east end of the park. Hikers cross the post-Civil War Stone Bridge and follow a boardwalk trail along the Bull Run River. Keep your eyes open for wildlife. We spotted deer crossing the stream.

Unfinished Railroad Loop Trail Manassas National Battlefield Park

The Unfinished Railroad Loop Trail is a beautiful, forested hike along the unfinished railroad grade where the Battle of Second Manassas was fought. This hike is especially picturesque in fall when the leaves are changing color. Plaques along the trail describe the eventually unsuccessful bayonet charge by the Union brigade.

Thank you to Discover Prince William & Manassas for hosting our trip to Virginia and making this post possible. As always, all opinions are my own.

Travel the World: Three great places for outdoor activities in Prince William County, Northern Virginia, a short trip from Washington, D.C.

Kiruna: The Sinking Mine Town of Sweden's Lapland

Kiruna Church and bell tower.

Kiruna is sinking, literally. Sweden’s northernmost town located in Swedish Lapland, a remote area with a harsh climate within the Arctic Circle, came to be because of the rich iron ore being mined nearby. The same mine that brought the people and the town and the money is what is now causing the town to sink.

The situation isn’t a complete disaster, and it isn’t a surprise either. When LKAB, Kiruna’s mining company, was founded in 1890, the founder ran the calculations and knew that if the mine continued, the town would have to be moved in 125 years. That time has come and Kiruna needs to move.

You may be wondering why a mining town that is slowly sinking is a sought after tourist destination. Kiruna is a popular place to visit for people who are traveling to Swedish Lapland to enjoy outdoor winter activities like snowmobiling, dogsledding, and seeing the Northern Lights.

Kiruna City Hall.

While Kiruna is oftentimes used as a home-base for enjoying outdoor activities, the town itself has something to offer visitors to this remote part of the world. The main attraction is the mine, which travelers can visit on a guided tour. There is also Kiruna Church, a wooden church voted the most beautiful public building in Sweden, and Kiruna’s city hall, with its unusual clock tower. After the city’s big move, some of Kiruna’s attractions will still be in the same place, some will be moved, and some will no longer exist.

Kiruna's iron mine.

A visit to Kiruna should include a tour of the mine. After all, the town wouldn’t even be there if it weren’t for the mine. This isn’t your gold rush era old-timey kind of mine like we visited on Arizona’s Apache Trail. This is a modern, working, underground city kind of mine.

Entrance to Kiruna's iron mine.

The LKAB mine is the largest underground iron ore mine in the world. It can only be visited on a guided tour which is set up through the Kiruna Lapland tourism board. (For tour times and to make a reservation, visit Kiruna Lapland’s website.) A bus picks everyone up from the Tourist Office in Kiruna and drives them to the nearby mine. Once the bus enters the cave-like entrance, the bus begins winding its way down, down, down into the bowels of the earth.

Schematic of the mine's tunnels.

The roads inside the mine are called slopeways. There are 400 kilometers of slopeways within Kiruna’s mine. The levels of the mine are named after their depth. For instance, Level 540 is 540 meters down and is one of the main levels from 30 years ago. A restaurant for mine workers is 1,365 meters underground, and the deepest point of the mine is 1,545 meters.

Equipment used in Kiruna's iron mine. The tires are filled with water.

After donning hardhats, the tour starts deep in the mine with a short film about the mine and the company. The tour then walks through the level where mining equipment can be seen and the mining process is explained. You can even take home a baggie of iron ore pellets, which is the form in which most of the iron from the mine is distributed. One day of mining produces enough iron to build six Eiffel Towers.

In case you’re wondering how an entire town can afford to move, LKAB will pay for the move. LKAB is one of the most profitable companies in Sweden.

Kiruna Church.

There are a few things to do and see within the town center of Kiruna as well. One of the top things to see in Kiruna is Kiruna Church. Kiruna Church is not your standard church. It is a wooden church built in the shape of a Sami tent, or goahti. Kiruna Church was designed by Gustav Wickman and was built between 1909 and 1912. When the church was completed in 1912, it was donated to the people of Kiruna by LKAB mining company. In 2001, the church was voted Sweden’s most beautiful building.

Interior of Kiruna Church.

Kiruna Church is in the center of town. It is one of the buildings that will be saved and will actually be moved to a safer spot.

Interior of Kiruna's City Hall.

Another must see in Kiruna is Kiruna’s City Hall. This is a spacious building topped with a very unusual clock. Kiruna’s current City Hall will not survive the town’s move. Within City Hall visitors can view plans for Kiruna’s new city center, including the new city hall. The clock tower of City Hall will be saved and will be a highlight of the new town center.

Artist rendering of new city hall and city center.

While moving an entire town is an incredibly difficult and expensive endeavor, the upside is that Kiruna will be a more beautiful town with a bustling city center with shops, hotels, homes, and public spaces. Once the move has been completed, which could take 20 years, a park will be created where the old town once stood.

Camp Ripan.

If you’re planning on staying in Kiruna, we suggest Camp Ripan, a lovely hotel on the outskirts of town, but within easy walking distance, even in the winter. To learn more about Camp Ripan, its restaurant, its spa, and its Northern Lights viewability, read our article about five awesome hotels in Sweden.

Thank you to Kiruna Lapland and Camp Ripan for hosting our time in Kiruna and making this post possible. As always, all opinions are my own.

Travel the World: Things to do in Kiruna, Sweden, a mining town in Swedish Lapland above the Arctic Circle.

5 Reasons to Celebrate the Holidays in New Orleans

On a whim last year we decided to head to New Orleans to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve. It turned out to be one of the best holiday season vacations ever. New Orleans is a fantastic city in which to celebrate the holidays. New Orleans is always looking for an excuse to celebrate, and the holiday season is no exception. Christmas in New Orleans is not only festive, it also lasts longer in New Orleans than other holiday destinations. New Orleans’ New Year’s Eve is perfect for travelers who want to experience one of the country’s biggest New Year’s Eve celebrations without being packed like sardines in the crowds of New York City’s Times Square.

New Orleans is Covered in Christmas Decorations

French Quarter Decorated for Christmas New Orleans

New Orleans lights a large Christmas tree every year in the French Market, but New Orleans’ Christmas decorations don’t just stop there. The entire French Quarter is decked out in Christmas finery. New Orleans’ Christmas decorations aren’t just your run-of-the-mill wreaths and lights. Houses are decorated with Christmas crocodiles, Christmas New Orleans streetcars, voodoo-inspired decorations, and everything else you can imagine. Even the house museums and plantations of New Orleans are decorated in era-specific Christmas decorations.

Christmas in New Orleans Lasts Longer

Christmas in New Orleans doesn’t end December 25. Christmas in New Orleans lasts until January 6, the date of the epiphany, which means all those Christmas decorations can be enjoyed all the way through the first week of January. This also means you can celebrate Christmas with your family at home, then hop on a plane and celebrate Christmas in one of America’s most festive destinations, The Big Easy.

Christmas in New Orleans Has its Own Dinner Menu

New Orleans Streetcar Christmas Decorations

Restaurant menus in the city are filled with traditional New Orleans foods. Many restaurants in New Orleans follow another food tradition by offering a special dinner menu for the Christmas season. The Réveillon is an old Creole custom. Reveillon means “awakening” in French and in the early 1800s was a big meal enjoyed when the family returned from midnight mass. New Orleans revived this old tradition in the 1990s and New Orleans restaurants serve réveillon menus for a month, ending on Christmas Day.

Brandy Milk Punch and Cookies The Bombay Club Réveillon Menu New Orleans

Réveillon menus are prix fixe and can range from traditional to high-end. We chose to have our réveillon dinner at The Bombay Club, a cozy, dark, leather and wood restaurant that makes you feel like you’ve time traveled back about a hundred years. The Bombay Club’s réveillon menu consisted of three courses which ended with brandy milk punch, a traditional New Orleans cocktail, and cookies, the perfect treat to leave for Santa when he comes to New Orleans.

New Orleans Has the Best Christmas Ornaments

My favorite souvenir to purchase on any vacation is Christmas ornaments for our Christmas tree. At Christmastime, we love to hang ornaments from our travels and reminisce about all of the wonderful trips we have enjoyed together. Some of the best Christmas ornaments can be found in New Orleans in the shops along Royal Street. New Orleans Christmas ornaments include fleur de lis, mardi gras masks, streetcars, and voodoo dolls.

New Orleans’ New Year’s Eve is One of the Best in the USA

While New York City’s New Year’s Eve celebration may be the most famous in the United States, New Year’s Eve in New Orleans is also a big production. New Year’s Eve in New Orleans centers around a historic building in the French Quarter, the Jackson Brewery building, also known as Jax Brewery. Every New Year’s Eve a statue of Baby New Year appears on the rooftop of Jax Brewery. As the countdown to the New Year begins, a lit fleur de lis on the rooftop begins its drop. It lands at the stroke of midnight and the New Year ignites as fireworks burst out above the Mississippi River as well as along the entire horizon surrounding New Orleans. Even when the fireworks are over and everyone is heading back home or to the bars, New Orleans on New Year’s Eve continues to be festive with the sounds of When the Saints Come Marching In filling the streets.

We had the unique once-in-a-lifetime privilege of joining in the celebration from the top of Jax Brewery, but there are multiple places to celebrate New Year’s Eve in New Orleans. Crowds gather in Jackson Square and along Decatur Street to watch the drop of the fleur de lis. A slightly less crowded place to join the festivities is the Moon Walk, a promenade that hugs the banks of the Mississippi River behind Jax Brewery. This is a great place to both watch the fleur de lis drop and see the fireworks. We were also told by a local that another place to enjoy New Year’s Eve fireworks in New Orleans is from the Westin parking garage, though we haven’t tested this for ourselves.

If you’re looking for a memorable holiday travel destination, New Orleans is the place to be.

Travel the World: 5 reasons to celebrate Christmas and New Year's Eve in New Orleans.