Oh, New Orleans. There’s so much joy to be found here. There is also an unexpected serenity to be discovered when you look past the bright lights of Bourbon Street. This becomes especially evident while walking along the Bayou St. John or in the cool shade between the live oaks. The fusion of new and old, the vibrant music scene and unique culinary experiences all contribute to the city’s rich culture and lively spirit.

Last Friday, we headed down to the Big Easy to celebrate Kaitlyn, one of my lifelong best friend’s, bachelorette weekend. It was so refreshing to spend a whole weekend with girlfriends, many of whom I have known since 5th grade. We stayed at a GORGEOUS Airbnb on the residential side of the legendary Bourbon Street. Highly recommend checking this place out if you ever need a place to stay there!! It was only about $180 each for the whole weekend.

Shortly after we got settled in our place we were ready to explore. Kaitlyn had never been to New Orleans and we all loved showing her around and seeing how much she loved the city. We asked a local where we should eat lunch and she suggested The Napoleon House. Located in the historical French Quarter, the restaurant exudes a European charm. It had a distinct ambiance and the food was delicious!!! I ordered the specialty Muffuletta and it was one of the best (and biggest!) sandwiches I’ve ever had. The weathered photos upon patinated walls and an original bar speak to the many decades of business at The Napoleon House. After lunch, we wandered around and then surprised Kaitlyn by decorating our condo.

Our condo was incredible enough on its own, but we decided to make it a little more festive with some decorations from Etsy, Michael’s and Target! We all pitched in and proved that you really don’t have to spend a fortune to make a party look amazing! See the links below to see where we purchased our decorations.

Fringe Photo Backdrop // Similar Gift Bag // Table Runner // Custom Flash Tattoos // Confetti Poppers (currently not available online but only $1 at Target) // Custom Koozies // Etched Monogram Wine Glasses

When it comes to the most comical part of our trip, the drag show brunch at The Country Club takes the cake. We enjoyed a yummy brunch and bottomless mimosas all while being entertained by a group of drag queens dancing from everything to Rihanna to Tina Turner. If you are going to New Orleans for a bachelorette trip, don’t even think about it and just do it. 😉

After The Country Club, a few of us wandered around The French Quarter. This was my third trip there and I FINALLY made it to Cafe Du Monde for some beignets. We also went to The French Market and checked out the moving Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone (a must-see).

On our last night, we went to a fancy dinner at Arnaud’s, a 100-year-old restaurant in the heart of the city. We spent the rest of our night on Frenchmen Street. Known as the “local’s version of Bourbon,” Frenchmen offers a more authentic glance into the New Orleans way of life. We stumbled across an incredible big band concert at Maison and danced the night away. I’ll spare you the details of our nights out on Frenchmen and Bourbon Streets, but rest assured that we had a GREAT time.

I am especially proud of this post because I took all of the photos myself! If you have any specific questions about our trip, please reach out. My favorite part of blogging is connecting with my readers and I would love to hear from you. I would love to return again soon with Cam to dig even deeper into the culture and history of this delightful city. Until next time, Nola! Xo