Laissez les bons temps rouler in New Orleans
Updated: Feb 15, 2024
New Orleans is an iconic city with deep history and culture where you "laissez les bons temps rouler" (let the good times roll). I won’t say that it’s my favorite city to visit, but as with all travels, I do enjoy adventure and good food. My trips to New Orleans contain nothing less. This post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own.
I always thought I wanted to ride the train from Jackson, MS to New Orleans. So, when we were invited to a wedding in NO, it felt like the perfect time. Justin made my train dreams come true. Here’s the long and short of it. Just drive.
Should you decide that you would like to partake in this particular adventure here are the details. Visit Amtrak here and book your passage from Jackson, MS to New Orleans, LA. We took mid-morning train out of Jackson so were at the station by 9ish in the morning. The building is in the middle of downtown with a parking lot across the street. It’s a non-descript building that looks mostly unkempt and has very little signage. The waiting area wasn’t open we arrived, but we did have access to the building as well as the bathroom. Neither were well maintained. The check-in process was smooth and uneventful. I really felt as if the security was lacking after traveling mostly on airplanes. We didn’t have any trouble boarding the train or finding our seats. The seats were large and there was plenty of leg and storage room. If I remember correctly, there were outlets at every seating location, but the train did not have WiFi or any other onboard entertainment options. I tried to work offline on my computer, but the rocking motion of the train wasn’t conducive to that. Overall, I felt like passenger etiquette was not as well observed as when traveling via plane (and we all know that isn’t ideal either). Our tickets were checked by the conductor and there is no moving around within the coach as far as changing seats is concerned. The train made several stops between Jackson and New Orleans where people got on and off the train each time.
The dining car opened at a certain time and after that the noise level increased drastically. We did get lunch from there and bring it back to our seats. I had an Asian type salad with noodles that was pretty good, and Justin had a hamburger. Everything was prepackaged cafeteria type food. The closer we got to New Orleans the louder the crowd in the dining car. It was definitely interesting. The train station in New Orleans is right downtown so it was very quick and easy to get an Uber to our hotel from there.
I did take some cool video, and it was an interesting perspective. I did not, however, enjoy it enough to do it for the return trip. We caught a ride back with friends who also went to the wedding. Much better.
View from the train tracks as we crossed Lake Pontchartrain.
We stayed at the Residence Inn on St. Charles for this trip. The room was spacious and well appointed. I do love having a fridge and other amenities in the room. A solid choice. A stay here won’t disappoint.
Now for the fun things. We met up with some family friends and ate at The Italian Barrel. It was an excellent choice and within walking distance of the Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro where were going to next. I can’t say I’m a super fan of Jazz, but this experience was so fun! We heard the Delfeayo Marsalis Sextet with vocalist Tonya Boyd-Cannon; I was so impressed. Tonya sang the Star-Spangled Banner at the Saints game the next day, so you know she was amazing. Be sure to put this on your to-do list if you frequent New Orleans (or if you don’t). Don't be late! There are no assigned seats and this place fills up FAST! Afterward, we walked right across the street into the Frenchman Art Bazaar and enjoyed pursuing the ware of local artisans. This area has gone through a revitalization phase and feels so different from the Bourbon Street area of NO.
Delfeayo Marsalis Sextet with vocalist Tonya Boyd-Cannon at the Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro.
What’s a trip to New Orleans without a late-night trip to Café Du Monde?! After browsing through the market, we headed down the road for late night dessert. Worth every bite. If you’ve never had beignets at the original location on Decatur, it’s a must do. You CAN get beignets other places in the city and they are delicious, but there is nothing like the whole experience here. Dirty floors and all.
Justin knew about The Kolache Kitchen from when he was working in New Orleans after a hurricane. If you are looking for something quick, easy, and yummy this is your spot. My current research says that the location closest to the hotel where we stayed is temporarily closed, but there are other locations around town. There are no places to sit – you can stand next to the window – so take your brown bag out with you and find a place to enjoy. We walked the short distance back to the Residence Inn and grabbed a table. This ended up being our breakfast spot both mornings as the Ruby Slipper was absurdly full on Sunday morning. I wasn’t sad about it.
We spent Saturday the morning walking and exploring the city. It was super rainy that day so we went back to the hotel early for a nap before getting ready for an evening wedding. We knew we would be out late!
If you’ve never been to a wedding in NOLA, I HIGHLY recommend going if you are invited. The wedding reception was at the Civic Center and the band was amazing. Enjoy this clip of the bride and groom preparing for the Second Line Parade:
Second Line Parade headed out of the reception venue into the street.
If you are looking for the history behind the Second Line Parade and other New Orleans wedding traditions, check out this article that explains it all.
We had a fantastic time and enjoyed every moment. Sunday morning we grabbed breakfast again at The Kolache Kitchen before loading up and heading home.
The point here? Don’t take the train to New Orleans. Do eat at local restaurants 😉
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