So, the heat and humidity was fully upon us and it wasn't even lunchtime. Please notice my shiny greasy face above and realize that it is just as uncomfortable as it looks, and the fact that you still kind of need a jacket is just MADNESS. If you would like tips on how to keep your face flawless for applying makeup or just going bare-faced, please check out my nightly routine. When we awoke, we realized we now were obligated to try a real New Orleans mom-and-pop for breakfast so we consulted Yelp. The first place to come up was the Ruby Slipper Cafe, which really wasn't as good as the reviews claim it is. Thing to remember about reviews: So, just because someone put a restaurant in a movie and said it was the best restaurant ever, DOES NOT MEAN THAT RESTAURANT IS GOOD. Just because someone in a song says a place is the pinnacle of a city, DOES NOT MEAN THAT THAT PLACE IS WORTH TRYING. This entire trip, I was confronted with these truths, going to places because the internet says it's amazing when in actuality it's not! Trust your gut and read the BAD reviews on any 4-5 star place first... We then went to take a tour that I had purchased on Yelp for a place called "French Quarter Phantoms," sounds spooky right? Well, it was! We had a tour guide named Robert who showed us around the spookiest spots of the city, including a very famous old cemetery where Nicholas Cage actually had his own crypt built for future use! After the tour, we were let loose near Louis Armstrong park which was hosting an African diaspora event, just one of the cool things that can happen while in New Orleans. There were tables set up with awesome Kente fabric dresses, hats, and jewelry while people nearby danced to drums. If this is what goes down in NOLA regularly, I wanted to be here ALL the time! We took a walk back to Bourbon street to check out the damage from the night before, and it was as if the street was transformed. It was now a glowing and enchanting place where street performers played jazz and enticed watchers to dance and contribute whatever they could in terms of cash. I listened to some of the best singing and heard some of the best music while perusing this street. Just strolling around is an event in itself and visitors can spend many an hour enjoying good weather and great street performances (if you didn't like Zydeco before, you might change your mind by the end of the trip...). It was also on this walk that my friend and I discovered the Spice and Tea Exchange, which are all over the country, I just happened to walk into one of the NOLA locations. The Spice and Tea Exchange is the cutest spice store where they sell all sorts of goodies that they make in house. I bought a packet of Adobo seasoning for my mom after Facetiming with her at this location. She was in awe at the sheer abundance of original spices. Being a chef herself, she wouldn't let me leave until I snagged a cute baggie of seasoning for her. It was now that I had begun to get hungry, and can you blame me? Being around so much rich food and culture had me salivating in a way that I never had before back in plain-as-mayonnaise Arizona. We decided to try a restaurant nearby called Napoleon House, it is on a street corner near a lot of construction and renovation, but that didn't stop the place from still being charming. Coming to this restaurant was like walking through time. They had many different interesting food options but I was really focused on the architecture, lighting, and art. It was relatively empty and has a gorgeous courtyard for enjoying a Gouda grilled cheese sandwich with chili jelly (I'm a grilled cheese fanatic...don't get me started). Little side note about restaurants, hotels, etc. in New Orleans...they are DARK. Every restaurant seems to conduct their business in dim lighting, I personally didn't mind as it contributed more to the magic and the overall splendor of the city. If you have bad eyes or can't stand reading in the dark, please keep this in mind and have your phone flashlight handy! My friend decided to hold off on the food here at Napoleon House so she could keep an eye out for her beloved etouffee as we walked around that night. Ashamedly, I must admit that when she did find it at a random restaurant on Bourbon Street, I ate some more...and the desserts are just as delicious here as the entrees (I spend a lot of time thinking about food). It was on this night that we decided to next ask someone about where to go for partying that isn't anything like Bourbon Street. Our server indicated to us that if we wanted a good time but at a more low-key pace, we should try going to the Frenchmen Street Corridor. It was then that we decided to take this advice about exploring a jazz-filled street and see what it was all about. We chose to walk it since we had been eating so much, and it wasn't too bad, especially since I had brought cute but comfortable shoes. Frenchmen Street was really laid-back, which I anticipated, but it was still nice. This very short strip is chock-full of artistic talent and carries some serious hipster vibes, from the long-bearded man typing on a vintage blue typewriter to the tousled artist with the horn-rimmed glasses who sold me his graphic prints of NOLA nightlife. We really enjoyed the chill atmosphere and found that it was the perfect speed for us after our travels. After hamming it up at the above photo spot, we headed on in search of alcohol and good music. We bar-hopped at a couple of different locations, hearing everything from a girl singing Bill Withers to eclectic groups of old men taking on folk and country, it was a mashup of all the greatest things about NOLA. After spending some time on the strip, we decided to call it a night, heading back to the hotel feeling immensely satisfied and ready for the next day's adventure.
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