Looking back, it’s impossible for me to pinpoint when my love of New Orleans first blossomed, or what exactly drew me to it. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by the cultural, architectural, and musical aspects of the Crescent City. I just felt I had to experience that city for my 30th birthday, and luckily, my travel partner in crime, Brit, was more than game to go, too. Brit’s request was adding in a side trip to NASA, one my space-loving self was only too eager to add to the list.

Here’s a quick sneak peek of what we got up to on our trip!

We flew into New Orleans, landing bright and early, and immediately picked up a rental car to make the 5 hour trek to Houston, Texas. As Brit brought up about halfway into our drive, we never once considered landing in Houston and then taking the rental car only one way. I assume it would’ve been pricier, and my heart was already set on flying into New Orleans, playing Almost There from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog as we landed.

Our trip in Houston was short, as we only spent two nights there. Our five hour drive culminated in our hotel telling us they had accidentally over-booked and us having to scramble to find new accommodations, but that’s a story for the eventual trip recap post. Along with NASA, we also wanted to check out the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier Park. Perhaps this is childish or weird, but I was looking forward to my first carnival-style park set on a pier.

After our Houston adventures came to an end, we road tripped back to New Orleans, arriving just in time to drop our belongings at the Airbnb and return the rental car to the airport. Side note – the airport is a rather long Uber ride away from the main downtown of New Orleans, so check out city transportation for cheaper options.

Our Airbnb was nice enough, and located an easy bus ride to the main downtown area. There are a few downsides to this, but again, that’s for the recap!

Our five days in New Orleans were jam-packed with fun, sun, and cemeteries, as any good trip to New Orleans is! We took a crocodile tour through the bayou, ate beignets from legendary Cafe du Monde, toured a cemetery, explored a voodoo museum, and overall had an absolute blast. We even had time to watch Double Jeopardy, with scenes famously filmed in the cemetery we toured.

This trip was a definite highlight of my life, and having my best friend along for the ride made it all the more special. I didn’t know it at the time, but it would be the final trip I’d take before the pandemic came along and temporarily shattered travel dreams for everyone. Stay tuned for posts!

Has a city ever captured your heart long before you’ve been there?