My Trip to New Orleans

      Over the past holiday weekend I took my first trip to New Orleans, Louisiana. Traveling is really one of my passions and I always feel lucky to have any opportunity to explore a new place, especially with my family. I actually was the one to suggest going on this trip, because I've always been fascinated with the city's energy. I also thought this trip would be especially fun for my grandmother, because her mother's family is from here. (Fun fact: Her mom was even baptized in St. Louis Cathedral). Last Thursday (the night before I left), I was really run down and fighting a cold, but I slept it off and was so ready for my Nola experience (And beignets!!!!!).

Day 1: We got to the Hotel Monteleone and it was the nicest hotel I've ever been to. The lobby is breath taking and was extremely classy. The hotel is famous for being a literary landmark and inspiration to influential authors, it's revolving carousel bar and it's ghosts (P.S. I didn't see anything, but my dreams the first night were so bad, I swear something haunted them). For dinner, we ate in the hotel (which was quite good, but their breakfast is AMAZING). That night we went on a Haunted History Tour. Our guide was a little tipsy and I'm not sure if all of his facts were right, but a lot of the stories I knew about already, like the Axe Man and the most famous story of Madame LaLaurie's house of horrors. At night, everything looks so much different and beautiful.

Day 2: On Saturday we went on a Garden District tour that I really wish was a walking tour. The homes were luxurious and made you feel like you were in Gone With the Wind. After the tour, I got to experience three New Orlean's foods that you must try: the famous Muffuletta sandwich made at Central Grocery, beignets (pronounced bin-yay-s, not bin-aye-s) at Cafe Du Monde, and Banana's Foster at Brennans. I'm a relatively healthy person that is usually conscious of what I eat, but I let everything go and just indulged in some awesome food. My mom and I walked around that humid night and waltzed into a random art gallery. It was pretty special

Day 3: Easter! My favorite holiday! My family and I went to church at St. Louis Cathedral. The church is so beautiful, so I guess that's why we couldn't even get a seat! It was so hot and we standing in a huge crowd made it hotter. We got to see all of the southern locals in their colorful dresses and big hats, which was pretty special. After church, we went on a plantation tour which was great to see. For dinner, we went to the Court of Two Sisters, and the food was good. This was a great end to my trip.

The revolving carousel bar in my hotel.

I had a fantastic New Orleans experience. It made me feel really connected to my grandma's family who was from there. I never met them, so I enjoyed learning about their roots, and I think it made my grandma remember a lot of things from her childhood. I'm so grateful for this trip and I can't wait to be back.