Things to do in New Orleans

This is a complex answer, so please be patient. Also, please don’t judge my style of writing. I’m not a great writer and I didn’t use AI. I just wrote what I have learned from a lifetime in Louisiana and New Orleans and I'm giving my opinion.

What do you like Food, Music, Art, History, Culture?  All of the above? Have children in your group?

Let’s take the most important first.

Food! – You have picked the right city to visit if you’re a foodie. NOLA (New Orleans, LA) has it all.

The following are some of the most unique offerings we have:

• Beignets and coffee – One of the most historic places for Beignets and coffee is the Café Dumonde – They have several locations in NOLA, the busiest is across the street from Jackson square, but I recommend the City Park location. The beignets are small square fried biscuits with powdered sugar all over them, (We require our visitors to wear black when eating beignets 😉)

• I love the Coffee and chicory – I’m guessing you have tried coffee from all over the world, but unless you’ve tasted this coffee with chicory in NOLA, you just don’t know what you don’t know.  It is awesome coffee, called coffee Olé. The chicory takes out the bitter taste.

• Po-boys – There is an interesting story about this sandwich. (No time to explain here) But you must get a po-boy with Leidenheimer French bread! Yeah, I know a German baker that makes French bread, kind a crazy huh? You can get roast beef, shrimp, oyster, you name what’s in the middle but be sure to only get Leidenheimer bread. When placing your order, they may ask you if you want it dressed, that means - do you want lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and mayonnaise. (Only in New Orleans, do we dress our sandwiches! 😊Gotta love it!)

• Gumbo – IF you’re not familiar with Gumbo, it’s a type of soup. We have the best Gumbo choices in the world in NOLA. Seafood Gumbo or Chicken with Sausage Gumbo are our favorite choices.  Lots of great choices here. I like Felix’s, they have location in French Quarter and out by Lake Pontchartrain.

• Jambalaya, etouffee, and Gumbo is the Trifecta of Cajun dishes. Get them all from numerous excellent restaurants, just check their menus.

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Music – We invented jazz music here.

You can find many great music venues and musicians in NOLA. But, for pure jazz music, go to “Preservations Hall”.  Make you reservation early, as they fill up quick. These musicians are the best at Jazz. just Jazz, no bar, no food, no interruptions, just Jazz. (Just Jazz! I said that too many times huh?) A great area for multiple music venues is Frenchmen street in the Marigny neighborhood. At least 9 clubs n 4 blocks. Yes, Burbon Street has some good live bands too. We   have multiple venues in NOLA for excellent music. This also depends on your taste and pace.

History and Cultures

a.      My advice is to take a New Orleans private driving tour to hear more about our past History.

  All of the stories and history of New Orleans and Louisiana are entertaining and educational, but it takes time to explain - Private tours guides can cater to your individual pace and needs and usually have more information as well as giving you the ability to ask Who, why, When, or any question you may have. With a private tour you can ask questions anytime, But with a bus or large group that is more difficult.

Here is a sample of our diversity and history here:

We have had citizens settle here from France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Caribbean Sea Islands, Africa, England and more.  You will find out that New Orleans is one of the most diverse cities in the world. At one time in the mid 1800’s we spoke 7 different languages. We had newspapers in English, French and German. (Confusing huh?))

b.      The Creole and Cajun cultures are fascinating. I am a Cajun and have studies both cultures extensively. (I’ve done other Blogs about these topics.)

.       Battels and Wars – Private tour will usually cover - The Battle of New Orleans, the Civil War, and World War 2. (We have the largest WW2 Museum in the world in NOLA) (Now this i s an incredible story.) So much history about the people, the neighborhoods, slavery, religions, wealth, and more.

Art I will admit that this is not my strongest subject, However NOLA has numerous Art museums and Art galleries here. We also have many Muriel’s painted on buildings throughout NOLA.   (The area around the WW2 Museum has many Art galleries.) (Building Art is everywhere, another reason for a private tour, this can be customized for you, as with a bus it’s a standardized route and script.

Children If you brought along the kids, here are a few places to visit.

a.      City Park – Bring some food for the ducks, pigeons and geese. Great fun for everyone.

b.      City Park – Also has a children’s Museum. It’s called the Louisiana children’s Museum. Awesome indoor museum to bring kids of all ages. (I had fun too!)

c.        Aquarium – Called the Audubon Aquarium. I’ve been told by the COO that it’s in the top 5 A aquariums in the U.S. (Fact check this one)

d.      Insectarium – Lots of fun and not what you think. Butterfly exhibition is amazing. (You can eat a chocolate cricket here.  What fun!)

e.      Audubon Zoo – Absolutely among the best zoos in the U.S. But, plan to spend an entire day because It’s that big. We have also added a water park recently. Lazy river and more.

Now, but that’s quite a lot, right? This should keep you busy for several days. The Mississippi River via a steamship, the WW2 Museum, the food, jazz music, The Garden District, and the French Quarter are highly recommended. (Just my opinion)

One thing you won’t forget about New Orleans is our hospitality.

We are friendly and usually helpful to all of our visitors and guests.

I Love NOLA! Y’all have fun and enjoy this experience!

My name is Glen Henley - I have been a licensed tour guide here since 2012 and started Henley’s Private Tours, in 2016. Here's my contact information: henleysprivatetours.com – email is henglenley@gmail (Phone number on website)

(My nickname is the “Eagle", guess why and I'll give you a cup of coffee Olé)