Discover the Heart of New Orleans: Food, Music, Art, and History

A Foodie's Paradise Awaits

What do you like? Food, music, art, history, culture? All of the above? If you're a foodie, you've picked the right city to visit! NOLA (New Orleans, LA) has it all.

Must-Try Delicacies

Let’s dive into some of the most unique offerings we have:

• Beignets and Coffee – One of the most historic places for beignets and coffee is Café Du Monde. They have several locations in NOLA, but I recommend the City Park spot. The beignets are small, square fried biscuits dusted with powdered sugar. (We require our visitors to wear black when eating beignets 😉)

  
  

• Coffee and Chicory – I’m guessing you’ve 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’re missing. It’s called coffee Olé. The chicory takes out the bitter taste, making it a delightful experience.

  
  

• Po-boys – There’s an interesting story about this sandwich, but I can’t dive into that now. You must try a po-boy with Leidenheimer French bread! You can fill it with roast beef, shrimp, or oysters. Just be sure to get Leidenheimer bread. When placing your order, they may ask if you want it dressed. That means—do you want lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mayonnaise? (Only in New Orleans do we dress our sandwiches! 😊)

  
  

• Gumbo – If you’re not familiar with gumbo, it’s a type of soup. We have the best gumbo choices in the world right here in NOLA. Seafood gumbo or chicken with sausage gumbo are my favorite picks. I like Felix’s, which has locations in the French Quarter and by Lake Pontchartrain.

  
  

• Jambalaya, Étouffée, and Gumbo – This trio is the trifecta of Cajun dishes. You can find them all at numerous excellent restaurants, so just check their menus.

  
  

The Rhythm of New Orleans: Music

We invented jazz music here! You can find many great music venues and musicians in NOLA. For pure jazz, head to “Preservation Hall.” Make your reservation early, as they fill up quickly. These musicians are the best at jazz—just jazz, no bar, no food, no interruptions.

A great area for multiple music venues is Frenchmen Street in the Marigny neighborhood. You’ll find at least nine clubs within four blocks. Yes, Bourbon Street has some good live bands too. We have multiple venues in NOLA for excellent music, depending on your taste and pace.

Rich History and Diverse Cultures

Explore New Orleans' Past

My advice? Take a New Orleans private driving tour to hear more about our past. The stories and history of New Orleans and Louisiana are entertaining and educational, but it takes time to explain. Private tour guides can cater to your individual pace and needs, usually offering more information. You can ask questions anytime. With a bus or large group, that’s much more difficult.

Here’s a glimpse of our diversity and history:

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

The Fascinating Creole and Cajun Cultures

The Creole and Cajun cultures are captivating. As a Cajun, I’ve studied both cultures extensively. (I’ve written other blogs about these topics.)

Private tours usually cover significant events like the Battle of New Orleans, the Civil War, and World War II. Did you know we have the largest WWII Museum in the world right here in NOLA? Now, that’s an incredible story! There’s so much history to uncover about the people, neighborhoods, slavery, religions, wealth, and more.

Artistic Expressions in NOLA

I’ll admit that art isn’t my strongest subject, but NOLA has numerous art museums and galleries. We also have many murals painted on buildings throughout the city. The area around the WWII Museum has many art galleries. Building art is everywhere! This is another reason to consider a private tour. It can be customized for you, while a bus tour follows a standardized route and script.

Family-Friendly Activities

If you’ve brought along the kids, here are a few places to visit:

• City Park – Bring some food for the ducks, pigeons, and geese. It’s great fun for everyone!

  
  

• Louisiana Children’s Museum – This awesome indoor museum is perfect for kids of all ages. (I had fun too!)

  
  

• Audubon Aquarium – I’ve been told by the COO that it’s among the top five aquariums in the U.S. (Fact check this one!)

  
  

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

  
  

• Audubon Zoo – Absolutely among the best zoos in the U.S. Plan to spend an entire day because it’s that big. We’ve also added a water park recently, complete with a lazy river and more.

  
  

Wrapping Up Your New Orleans Adventure

Now, that’s quite a lot, right? This should keep you busy for several days. The Mississippi River via a steamship, the WWII 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’re 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!)