We LOVE everything about New Orleans! The food, the music, the vibes, the people…we love it all! Mrs. Traveling Honeymooner also loves music festivals and has wanted to experience Jazz Fest for a very long time. Plus, we were both really feeling the line up this year.
Our group decided to drive to NOLA from Houston this time. The drive is a straight shot on I-10 and is suppose to take about 5 1/2 hours but it took us about 7 hours because of traffic. Taking the 45 minute flight from Houston to New Orleans would have been preferable but we drove because we didn’t really want to splurge on flights. Next time, I think we will choose to fly because the traffic was kind of miserable and we would have liked to spend more time in New Orleans. Anyhow, we left Houston around 2:30 and arrived around 9:30pm.
Our original plan was to go to a late night show but by the time we were done with dinner we were all exhausted from working all day and traveling. We found our options for late night shows on http://www.jazzfestgrids.com/. Next time, we will fly and go to a late night show for sure!
Since our only full day in NOLA was Saturday, we choose to go to the festival that day. The weather was PERFECT!!! We saw Big Freedia, Irma Thomas, Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dogg, Meghan Trainor and a few other artists. It was packed so it was a bit difficult to change stages so we tried to not move around too much.
I think it is safe to say that Jazz Fest is the easiest music festival we have ever been to. There is every genre of music so there is something for everyone. Even though it was packed, it was easy to move around and the grounds were easy to get to. We were so glad we brought camel backs and snacks because the lines were long to get bottled water and drinks and they did not have many gluten free options. We were also glad we brought chairs, even though it can be annoying to carry them around it was worth it. Next time I will bring a tarp or blanket to sit on but it wasn’t that big of a deal that we didn’t have it.
Accommodations
We chose to stay at the Marriott On Canal Street and loved it! The location was great and the hotel was nice. We wanted to be close to the French Quarter and within walking distance to Harrods because Mr. Traveling Honeymooner likes to gamble, so the location was perfect for us. The Marriott also offered a shuttle to and from the festival grounds which was $30 per person and very convenient. We will definitely stay here again when we return to NOLA.
Address: 555 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Our Eats
When we arrived in NOLA we were starving and needed food fast. We wanted seafood and a casual vibe so our concierge recommended that we try Red Fish Grill on Bourbon Street which is one of Ralph Brennan’s restaurants. The margaritas were delicious! They did not have a separate gluten free menu but they had a fair amount of gluten free/paleo options.
Address: 115 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130
For brunch we tried Gallier’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar. The menu was not extensive but had good options. They did not have a gluten free menu but were very accommodating. They also had bottomless mimosas!
Address:129 Carondelet Street, Carondelet St & Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130
