Ever since watching the awesome show Treme, I knew I had to get to New Orleans.  So when my friend suggested NOLA or The Big Easy for the destination of her Bacheloretter Party, it didn’t take much to convince me.

Across the street from our place in Treme

Honestly, I actually avoided these types of short North American trips most of my 20s, as they tend to be very expensive on a per day basis.  A week in Hawaii just doesn’t make sense when you’re only working half the year.  But I also knew it was only a matter of time before my friends started getting married, and I’d want to be able to celebrate with them.  So by the time New Orleans came around, I was ready!

With eleven of us, it made sense to rent an entire house, which turned out to be a gorgeous Louisiana colonial home restored to perfection, situated right in the middle of Treme, the oldest black community in the United States, known for its musical and historical significance, as depicted in the show.  Within about five minutes of relaxing on the porch, we had been welcomed by multiple neighbours shouting up as they walked past.  You never know if a city with a lot of tourists will end up jaded, but we had nothing but warm interactions during our stay.

View from our French balcony

Our first night out was mostly spent orienting ourselves to the nightlife, which ended up with the knowledge that Bourbon st was basically Vegas in the south and to be avoided at all costs, and the super intimate clubs were a little too small to hold an additional eleven girls.  So then, we headed out the next night to Frenchman st, where we found a couple of larger venues that gave us room to dance to the live jazz bands the city is known for.

Nightlife on Bourbon Street

With a big night behind us, we decided to soak up our hangover with brunch and booze in the pool of the infamous Country Club, known for its optional clothing policy, until a recent lawsuit made everyone cover up.  Due to the forecast of rain, it ended up being quieter than expected, which was definitely welcome in my books, especially when the sun came out.  A few hours later we all grabbed drinks to go (drinking in public being Ok here), and headed down the railway tracks along the Mississippi to the Bywater district.

Trying to soak up the booze with beignets

We were searching for a local bar/winery we had been recommended by a local, which according to google maps, was just across the street. Unfortunately, there was a train between us that wasn’t going anywhere.  Or was it?  Here we faced the biggest decision our group had to make: turn around and walk back 20 minutes and go around the train by backtracking, climb over/under the train, or walk adjacent the train and eventually cross in front of it.  Eventually, we chose the last option, but not before the engine hissed and we got so scared we started running and dropping our phones.

Luckily, we ended up right at the winery, and soothed our nerves with a free wine tasting, delicious food and some more live jazz with a band playing right in the backyard.  A perfect way to gear up for another big night out.

We made it!