Top 5 Things to do in New Orleans

I spent five days in New Orleans for the annual American Marketing Association conference and I absolutely love that city. It was my third year attending the conference and I have learned a lot about the city. For example: if someone comes up to you and tries to sell you things act like you do not speak English. It worked for me! There are many things I love about this city and the list could go on and on so for now I’m going to give you my top 5 things to do in New Orleans.

1. Café Du Monde: The world-famous beignets are worth it. This is a French coffee house that has been in the French Quarter since 1862 and they have perfected their recipe. The best part is that they are open 24 hours a day so you can always make time to grab some. Its $3.00 for a bag of three and they are so worth it. Between all the years I have gone to New Orleans I have gone to Café Du Monde five times. A bonus is they do not use peanut oil so it is safe for almost all!
2. Find a Parade: This is so easy to do in New Orleans. While they are known for Mardi Gras, they have parades daily. Almost anything calls for a parade. Every year I went I saw a wedding parade. This year was the best because we were there for St. Patrick’s Day. Un intentionally we watched a parade on Bourbon Street for over an hour and got so many beads for free. This city knows how to throw a parade.
3. Bourbon Street: Bourbon is a once in a lifetime experience. There is nothing else like it. There are bars and shops everywhere but the best part is the people. Everyone is so interesting on that street. Especially when you come from a village like Ada. The best part is everyone is friendly and there are so many police officers it is mostly safe. Just keep your wallet or purse in your hand. I walk through bourbon with my hand on the zipper of my purse.
4. French Market: This is located a few blocks farther than Jackson Square. It is a giant flee market that sells everything. My favorite part of going here is the waking because you pass some of the best restaurants in the French Quarter. This year we stopped at a place called BB King and they had a live band and our server was very engaging. My tip for when going to the French Market is take your time. Plan to spend a lot of time walking around and shopping. We started our journey at Riverwalk and went all over the French Quarter. For that day, we spent around four hours, but I wish I had more time to explore.
5. Make Friends: My last thing is to make friends. The people in New Orleans are very welcoming and they are great to get to know. Since I was in New Orleans for a conference we were with 1,400-1,500 other students and they were most friends we made. It is so easy to get in an elevator and ask “where are you all from?” and in the span of your elevator ride you made plans to hang out later. Running into other students started with our plan ride down when we were next to the Ball State Students and continues until we get back.

St. Patrick's Day Parade

Cafe Du Monde Menu

Bourbon Street at night

Jackson Square in the French Quarter

These are only my top 5. There is so much to do in that city from ghost walks to tours of Mardi Gras tours that you can go for weeks and have something new to do every day and night. Go out and have a blast experiencing this city bring a good group of friends. My last tip is being 21 years old. It is very hard to do anything at night if you are not. Even trying to listen to music is almost impossible to do. You do not have to drink, but I know this from experience.