In 2019, we were searching for something to do for winter break. Rita had an idea to go to New Orleans since the weather would be more mild than New York and it looked like there were enough kid friendly activities to do. At the time, Allen was 3 and Joseph was almost 2. Rita planned the trip, but when it came time to book the tickets, it ended up being cheaper to fly to Italy, so off to Milan and Venice we went! Nevertheless, we still kept the itinerary saved knowing we would visit one day, even though relatives described it as “the den of inequity.” This year, Passover break was a full 2 weeks and we knew we wanted to try to take a trip. We decided New Orleans would be perfect for Hol Hamoed and the following weekend because of the warmer weather and fun activities. Because of the two holiday days and Shabbat, we knew we only had a couple of days to explore and thought New Orleans would be a great fit. We found a hotel with a kitchen and planned the trip. We prepared all the meals in Brooklyn, froze them and vacuum sealed them for easy traveling. There was a grocery store/restaurant called Kosher Cajun that offers takeaway food for Shabbat and holidays. Although we never ate their food, it was very helpful to be able to buy matzah and grape juice from them.
We stayed in one hotel the entire week and most of the activities that we did were local. Before the trip we had a good idea of what attractions we wanted to visit, but only a rough idea of schedule. We then adjusted our plans based on the weather, keeping in mind the limited time we had due to the holidays.
French Quarter
A trip to New Orleans starts and stops with the French Quarter. The French Quarter has a unique vibe with tons of music coming from bars, street performers, boats going down the river, and people enjoying the sites and sounds. After a quick stop at the visitors center for some NPS Junior Ranger Badges, we started our tour at Jackson Square. It was a beautiful little park with a statue of Andrew Jackson from the Battle of New Orleans in front of the main Church. Opposite that was a streetcar stop and Mississippi River Steamboat dock. We watched some jazz performers, and the park was a great place for lunch. We then walked down Bourbon Street which is as grimy and seedy as everyone makes it out to be – or even worse – even during the day. But the rest of the French quarter was really nice and we felt very comfortable with all the kids.
Cabildo Museum – Next to Jackson Square, we visited the Cabildo Museum. There, there were a bunch of exhibits on the history of Louisiana, New Orleans, and the region. We learned about the Revolutionary War period when the area was controlled by Spain, the Louisiana Purchase, and even saw Napoleon’s death mask.
Cafe du Monde – This was a must stop for some delicious (kosher) beignets, which were square fluffy fresh donuts. They are open 24/7 and extremely popular – no matter how busy – we were seated and served very quickly. We also peaked around the back of the building to see how they are made. These really hit the spot after a week of matzah!
Preservation Hall – a famous jazz spot located in the heart of NOLA’s French Quarter that offers daily concerts. Book tickets in advance, as this sells out quickly. It’s a small room with options for seating or standing for the 45 minute show. In addition to the show at Preservation Hall, we also visited the NPS Jazz Site for a concert and explanation. That was free, and also a good option.
Beyond the French quarter, we rode the St. Charles line streetcar to the Garden district, and walked around Armstrong Park.
Other New Orleans Sites & Attractions
National World War II Museum – the largest museum dedicated to the US history of WWII. We began with a 45 minute 4D movie experience that gave an overview of the war. The exhibits were well done and comprehensive, focusing on the war in Europe, the Pacific and the homefront. There are several airplanes from the war hanging from the ceiling, an interactive submarine experience, and tons of artifacts. The museum is enormous and we spent about 5-6 hours there over 2 days. (It could definitely be done in one day, but because of the rain, we ended up splitting it into 2 days.)
Jean Lafitte Swamp Tour – Jean Lafitte was a Jewish pirate of the Caribbean, who raided Spanish ships and ultimately settled in New Orleans. He and his men were very familiar with the bayous of New Orleans and played a pivotal role in the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812. His name is famous around here. We took a 90 minute boat ride tour through the swamp and were lucky to see many alligators in the water!
Oak Alley Plantation – About an hour from New Orleans, we visited this historic home and learned about its history. The site is famous for its giant oak trees that line the property. While we thought it was important to visit a former plantation, this one was pretty underwhelming, especially compared to Mount Vernon and Monticello.
Chalmette Battlefield – one of 2 NPS sites in New Orleans, the site of the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. The visitor center had an excellent background and overview of the battle. The actual site is mostly an open field with some cannons and a battle memorial.
Metairie Cemetery – because of the low sea levels and flooding risks, burials are done differently in New Orleans. The bodies are entombed for a year and a day above ground. Because of the heat, only the bones remain; they are then put into a body bag and buried above ground. Since New Orleans also lacks space, many families share a shrine with multiple people buried in one tomb. We stopped by the main office on our way in and one of the directors kindly took us around for a few minutes to point out some of the unique tombs. These included Jefferson Davis’s original burial site and the Brunswig tomb with a massive marble sphinx.
Mardi Gras World – perhaps New Orleans is most famous for its Mardi Gras parades and festivals. Here we saw some of the giant Mardi Gras floats and learned about their production and use. It’s definitely an expensive tourist trap, but it was very cool to see the floats and huge statues up close.
Mississippi Side Quest
We had originally planned to do the steamboat tour on the Mississippi River on Sunday, our final day of the trip. However, since before the trip we were toying with the possibility to drive over to Mississippi at some point. But each time we looked we decided against it. But on Saturday night, Rita insisted on checking Mississippi off her list (#33 for her). Her original idea was to take the kids an hour away for ice cream across the border, but Sam said that was too crazy, even for us. Instead, we decided to take a day trip to Biloxi on the Gulf coast. We woke up early and headed to the Biloxi Lighthouse, located in a 4 lane highway! We climbed to the top of the lighthouse for great views of the coast.
Biloxi Shrimping Trip – Next, we went on a shrimping tour in the Gulf of America, where we learned about catching shrimp and other fish. The kids – and adults! – loved being able to see and hold the different fish including blue crabs, shrimp, squid, catfish, and flounder.
Gulf Islands National Seashore – It wouldn’t be a proper Franco visit without earning a Junior Ranger Badge, so we stopped at the Gulf Islands National Seashore. With a bit more time, we would have opted to take a boat ride out to the barrier islands and Fort Massachusetts, but we felt it would be too tight with our flight that evening. Instead, we visited Davis Bayou, on the mainland. We did a quick walk along the boardwalk and spotted a gator in Alligator Pond.
Beauvoir House – Our last stop was Beauvoir House, the home and museum of Jefferson Davis, the first and only president of the Confederacy. It felt strange to see so many tributes to the Confederacy. The museum showed Jefferson Davis’s life including his role as Secretary of State of the US, and retirement on the Gulf Coast. We also saw artifacts including uniforms, guns, flags and more. They didn’t tell the story of the war at all, but it was an interesting stop nonetheless.
Before heading to the airport, we stopped back in the French Quarter for more beignets and some last minute souvenirs.
