We recently visited New Orleans as part of our road trip around the 'mojo triangle', New Orleans, Memphis, and Nashville - the birthplace of jazz, blues, rock and roll and country music.

New Orleans is known for its food, from simple Po' Boy sandwiches to classic cocktails such as the Pimms Cup and more refined Creole and Cajun cuisine. In simple terms, Creole cuisine is referred to as city food whilst Cajun is more rustic country food.

These are some of the dishes that we tried in New Orleans, and specifically what New Orleans is known for.

Beignet



A beignet is a deep-fried doughnut. Served hot with lots of powdered sugar, they are generally plain with no jam and are well known as the iconic food at Cafe Du Monde and Cafe Beignet in the French Quarter, New Orleans.

Gumbo


Gumbo is a stew that originated in southern Louisiana during the 18th century. It consists of a flavoured stock thickened with a roux, meat such as chicken or andouille sausage, onions, peppers and celery and sometimes seafood. The gumbo above was a simple dish I ate at a cafe, more luxurious dishes are eaten in one of the many restaurants.

Sazerac




A Sazerac is a cocktail invented in New Orleans containing rye whiskey, bitters, and Absinthe. This Sazerac was drunk in the Monteleone hotel, famous for it's rotating carousel bar. Served quite strong you could really taste the whiskey in this cocktail.

Muffuletta



A muffuletta is a popular sandwich made of round flattened bread, similar to focaccia and filled with salami, ham, provolone cheese, and olive salad. Traditionally served cold, although many places will toast it for you, this is a total meal in a sandwich. The one shown above was half a whole muffuletta, so you can see how big they are.

Po' Boy


A Po' Boy is a submarine-type sandwich from Lousiana, served on bread similar to French Bread and consist of roast beef, chicken, ham or fried seafood. A "dressed" Po' boy has lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayonnaise. It is said this sandwich was invented when the New Orleans streetcar drivers went on strike in 1929 as an inexpensive sandwich of bits of leftover roast beef and gravy.

Shrimp And Grits



Shrimp and grits is a traditional dish from South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Grits are made by boiling ground maize and is similar to porridge in consistency. A traditional breakfast dish grits are also served well seasoned and accompanied with shrimp as a main course for dinner in some of the finer restaurants. I had this dish in Mr. B's bistro, an excellent New Orleans restaurant known for it's refined Creole food.

Pimms Cup


A Pimms Cup, although invented in London in the 1800s, was brought to New Orleans by a restaurant and bar called the Napoleon House bar in the late 1940s. Consisting of Pimms No 1, lemonade, a lemon-lime soda such as 7 Up, lots of strawberries and topped with ice, it is very refreshing on a warm day garnished with cucumber.

For information on well-priced food when in NOLA check out this post, 10 Cheap Eats In New Orleans by 2foodtrippers and for some more recommendations Where To Eat In New Orleans Now by Lisa from LL World Tour.

These are some of the dishes we ate and drunk in New Orleans. Which would you try?

In the words of the Paul Simon song "I'm going to Graceland, Graceland in Memphis Tennessee". Well, I'm not going, I've just been, and what an interesting place for all lovers of Elvis. But you don't need to be the biggest lover of Elvis to enjoy the tour of Graceland, his former home, in Memphis, just a lover of music and celebrity culture.

Elvis bought Graceland in 1957 for 100,000 dollars after his first year of superstardom.   



He had just started working in films and Jailhouse Rock was his next big movie. He lived there with his family until his death in 1977 of heart failure.  


Graceland is now Memphis' most visited attraction and is a shrine to the 'King Of Rock 'N Roll'.  The tour of the house is the main attraction. This is self-guided tour with an IPad and is really interesting. You are taken from the main building in a bus to the Graceland mansion. As you walk around the mansion you listen to the music, his interviews and learn about his life, and his main loves - music, and his daughter Lisa Marie.
The house is large but not as large as I expected considering his wealth. Each room was decorated to a high standard, with a nod to the kitsch - such as the grass on the floor and the animals in the jungle room.  

On our recent trip to the deep south of the USA, we visited New Orleans where we chose to stay at Hotel Le Marais.

In a quiet area, but very close to Bourbon Street, Hotel Le Marais is a chic and modern boutique hotel in the heart of the action in the gorgeous French Quarter.



So often a hotel can be in muted beige and black colours, but what I loved about this hotel is the vibrant fun decor that was very unstuffy. 



Room facilities include:-

Free wi-fi
Coffee maker
Free spring water
Flat screen TV with 42in screen
Digital alarm clock with Ipod docking station
Hair dryer
Ironing board
Waffle robes

The toiletries are replenished every day and the room is made up as well. The room was exceptionally clean which is very important - don't you think? The hotel does think of the environment and this is evident by a polite suggestion to reuse towels to save them being laundered. 

Hotel facilities include: -

Vive lounge and bar offering daily drinks specials
Complimentary breakfast every day
A light menu cooked to order
Business centre
Outdoor heated pool
Gym

The bar area serves as a breakfast room in the morning and a bar at night with an excellent happy hour - 5pm-7pm Monday to Friday where beer is 3$ and cocktails from 4$.

Breakfast is served buffet style. A selection of fruit, cereals, muffins, bagels, and pastries as well as a hot selection of bacon, sausages, eggs and fried potatoes. Whilst not the widest selection I've ever had in a hotel, it was perfectly fine and the bacon was delicious - very crispy and tasty.

My husband used the gym. It was small but perfectly formed with a couple of running machines, some free weights and other exercise gear. He was also very pleased that there was free bottled water to take away after his work out.



What we liked about this hotel

This hotel is beautifully designed and very modern. Within a couple of minutes walk you are on Bourbon Street - where all human life is, and Royal Street, with classy shops, great restaurants and beautiful architecture. We ate at Mr B's Bistro on Royal Street one night and can highly recommend it. Considering where the hotel is situated it is surprisingly quiet though, and the beds were so comfortable that we slept really well throughout our stay.

There are some great touches in the room including complimentary coffee, mouth wash and free wi-fi and the breakfast is great considering it is in with the room rate. We were also given vouchers for two complimentary alcoholic drinks at the bar which was very welcome after our flight. 

If you would like to book this hotel, you get a special rate by going through this booking link here. We thought the hotel prices were excellent for the position of the hotel too.

The golden question is - would we stay again? New Orleans is a vibrant city with great architecture, incredible history and fantastic food and drink. I hope to return one day and I would definitely consider coming back to Hotel Le Marais - a little oasis in the heart of the French Quarter.

Contact

Hotel Le Marais, 717 Conti St, New Orleans, LA70130 
Tel: (504) 525-2300 
http://www.hotellemarais.com
https://www.facebook.com/HotelLeMarais
https://twitter.com/HotelLeMarais

* I was given a media rate for an honest review

San Diego is the southern most part of California and only 20 minutes from Mexico. It is a lovely city with great architecture, welcoming people and lots to see and do. We only had 48 hours to experience what San Diego has to offer so we only touched the surface but we would definitely return in the future. This is a taster of what we did.

Where To Go - Balboa Park

The people of San Diego are justifiably proud of Balboa Park, which they call a 'landscape of arts and culture'. With 17 museums, 5 gardens and the San Diego Zoo all nestling in this park, you could spend a whole week here and still have more to see.



We visited the Japanese garden, an oasis of tranquillity. Due to a water shortage in California, the gardens were not as lush and green as I expected but still beautiful. We marvelled at the Bonsais and the colourful Koi carp and walked around soaking up the atmosphere. 
We didn't have much time to visit the museums but if we had a chance to visit again I would go to the Natural History Museum, The Air And Space Museum and the world-class San Diego Zoo which houses pandas as well as other animals.

What To Experience - The Seal Tour




We took a trip on a Seal Tour of San Diego. We had already experienced a Duck Tour in Miami so knew what to expect.

This land to water vehicle took us on a tour of San Diego and then, when we visited Shelter Island it turned into a boat and we sailed on the bay.








Where To People Watch - Seaport

This beautiful marina development was perfect for people watching. The yachts moored here are amazing and the restaurants and cafes positioned perfectly for bay views.























Exploring this area more we came across the USS Midway Museum. We didn't venture in but admired one of America's longest-serving aircraft carrier from the shore. It is certainly an interesting vessel, we could see the small planes on the hull.


The Bob Hope Memorial was interesting to see as I didn't even know it existed. The statue shows the actor entertaining the troops, with Bob Hope telling jokes as the soldiers are cheering him on. There is an audio part so you can hear him, which really adds to the experience. 

There is also a lovely statue of lovers called "Unconditional Surrender". A World War II sailor kisses a nurse before venturing off to war. A very poignant and beautiful thing to see.

Where To Stay - The Marriott Courtyard, Gaslamp Quarter



This historic building was a former bank and the public areas are outstanding in its architecture. In the basement of the hotel is an old vault which you can see if you stay there. I felt like a spy from James Bond sitting in the vault!
The hotel has great service, welcoming staff and a tasty breakfast. It is also well situated in the Gaslamp Quarter, with numerous bars and restaurants close by. I would highly recommend the Marriott Courtyard San Diego for its location, service and historic setting. 

Where To Eat - The Gaslamp Quarter Or Seaport 



We ate at Seasons 52 one night at Seaport. We have been to a branch in Orlando before so knew what to expect. This upmarket chain focuses on healthy but still tasty eating and the shot glass desserts are amazing. I ate salmon for main and key lime pie for dessert. 

On the second night, we ate at Jsix. I couldn't fault the food here and I had homemade hummus and pitta with a burger for main which was well cooked and delicious.

So this is a taster of what we did in San Diego in 48 hours. If we had more time we would have visited Coronado and La Jolla. I would definitely recommend visiting San Diego and I leave you with this quote from the film Anchorman, "You stay classy San Diego!"

If you are thinking of doing a road trip on Highway 101 from Seattle to San Diego, this post by Mummy Alarm will help your planning and if you have kids read about the best things to do with kids in San Diego here

You can read more about my California and Vegas road trip below.

Top Things To Do In San Francisco
A Weekend In Napa Valley
The Best Of Las Vegas

Tell me, have you ever been to San Diego?

San Francisco is one of those places that is on almost everyone's bucket list.  A city of just over 830,000 people it has almost a village feel being made up of separate areas such as Fisherman's Wharf, Nob Hill, Chinatown and Haight Ashbury. San Francisco's population is cosmopolitan, and that reflects in the cuisine, it is a great place to visit if you are a foodie, as there are over 4000 eating establishments, from Michelin star restaurants to cafes and food trucks.

San Francisco is a city that appeals to people of all different cultures, tastes and budgets. You can spend a fortune San Fransico but also there are lots of fun, free and cheap things to do in San Francisco too.

Fisherman's Wharf


On our recent visit, we based ourselves in Fishermans' Wharf.  Fisherman's Wharf is home to Pier 39, a waterfront marketplace and one of the city's most popular attractions. From here you can see the famous sea lions that have taken up residence here, visit the San Francisco Dungeon, Ripleys Believe It Or Not and Madam Tussards as well as shop and eat in one of the many cafes and restaurants. 




We decided to visit Madam Tussauds. The last time I went was to the London branch many years ago, so I was amazed at how good the models are these days and pleasantly surprised with the interactive element - you can be a knife-wielding maniac from Psycho, jump onboard a bike with E.T or cuddle up to George Clooney on a sofa. Go late in the evening and you could have it almost to yourself like we did!

Fisherman's Wharf is a great area for food with a view. I can highly recommend Fog Harbour restaurant, which specialises in seafood. We had amazing cocktails overlooking the bay and my lobster was fabulous too.

While you are here what about trying the New England clam chowder served in a sour dough bread bowl? There are many places you can try this along Fisherman's Wharf, we ate ours at Pier Market. Doesn't it look delicious?

The tourist shops are fun and better than most in this type of area. Quality leather goods, sweet shops, T-shirts and Alcatraz souvenirs can be bought here.

Alcatraz




A visit to San Francisco is not complete without visiting Alcatraz. The notorious former prison set on an island in the middle of the bay, held some of the most famous prisoners in the area, including Al Capone and Robert Stroud - the 'Birdman of Alcatraz'. Although several tried no inmate ever made a successful escape from 'The Rock'. Closed in the 1960's it is a must do when you are in San Francisco.


To visit take the short ferry trip and while you are there do the free audio tour which is narrated by former guards and prisoners. A fantastic insight into life in this notorious prison. Whilst you are here, stop by the gift shop and get a replica key to a cell, or a copy of the inmate rules.



Chinatown




San Francisco has the largest Chinatown outside of Asia. We walked to it through a tunnel and on the other side was like a whole new world. Full of food markets, Asian shops, renowned restaurants and even a fortune cookie factory, a stop here is interesting and recommended.

Union Square



The city's shopping district, and a shoppers paradise, all your major shops are here such and it is home to Tiffany, Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy's.  We had brunch in The Cheesecake Factory on the top of Macy's and the food was tasty and well priced. The vast array of cheesecakes are a sight to behold but unfortunately, we didn't have room - maybe next time.

Cable Cars


The San Francisco cable car system is the world's last manually operated cable car system. Take a ride in a cable car up and down the steep roads. It's a fun way to visit the city. Do like the locals do and stand on the side whilst hanging on tightly! Journeys are $6 each or buy a City Pass which included other attractions and you get 7 days use of the Muni and cable car routes included. 

Lombard Street





This twisting road has to be seen to be believed. It is famous for its eight hairpin turns and is said to be the most crooked street in the World and is a must see when you visit the city. It was designed like this in the 1920s to allow traffic to descend the steep incline safely.

The Golden Gate Bridge

This iconic bridge, one of the most famous in the World, is a must-see in San Francisco. A pedestrian walkway allows you to cross on foot and a bicycle route also allows you to cross on a bike if you like. Often shrouded in fog it is said the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most photographed things on Earth.




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