experiences to be had from exploring the massive Audubon Park,
where you’ll find the zoo, to seeing all the critters in the Butterfly
Garden and Insectarium, located on Canal Street in the French
Quarter. And don’t miss the Aquarium, a few steps further down
Canal, right on the river.
SWAMP TOURS
Speaking of nature, no family trip to NOLA is complete without an up-
close encounter with an alligator or two. So a swamp tour just has to
be on your list of ways to keep kids fascinated. Many tours are close to
the city and feature low-slung boats that get you right into the swamp,
down close to where the gators live; in fact, you just might see your
captain throw some hot dogs into the water to draw out one of those
hungry reptiles. Most tour operators include transport to and from the
city in the price of the tour.
RIVERBOAT RIDES
Head over to the riverfront near Woldenberg Park in the French Quarter
to take a ride on a real riverboat, a paddlewheeler just like the ones that
moved up and down the Mississippi in olden days. Choose a tour that
has an historical bent like the Steamboat Natchez, which allows visits to
its steam engine room and has an authentic steam calliope organ that’s
sure to fascinate youngsters and adults, too.
FOOD FANATICS
NAPOLEON HOUSE
There’s so much wonderful food in NOLA that it is hard to go wrong,
no matter where you dine. But some places are extra special, like the
Napoleon House on Chartres Street in the French Quarter. It’s been
a restaurant since 1914, a landmark building since 1812, and now a
legendary place to sit out on the patio sipping their famous Pimm’s
Cup gin cocktail and dining on their much-loved Italian Muffuletta
sandwich. They do a mean Jambalaya and fantastic Red Beans & Rice,
so plan to eat hearty on your visit here.
BRENNAN’S
For authentic Creole cuisine, Brennan’s on Royal Street is the place. This
fantastic French Quarter pink-painted staple since 1946 is everything you
want a NOLA restaurant to be: elegant, hospitable and serving many
delicious dishes. It’s hard to know where to begin. But the ending at
Brennan’s should always be the Bananas Foster, that flaming dessert
invented here more than 70 years ago. It’s still to die for.
MANDINA’S
We love all the new restaurants that constantly crop up in NOLA, but
there’s a lot to be said for visiting the old favorites like Commander’s
Palace, Dooky Chase, Liuzza’s by the Track and Drago’s Seafood. One
classic that locals continue to love is Mandina’s, the Italian-Creole family
eatery on Canal Street in Mid-City. Since 1932, the Mandina family has
satisfied diners with their incredible Trout Almandine, the Turtle Soup au
Sherry and the Fried Catfish. It’s a wonderful place that makes you feel
like Nonna is in the kitchen, cooking just for you — her family.
FLYWASHINGTON.COM 32 WINTER 2018/19
FESTIVAL FANCIERS
CARNIVAL AND MARDI GRAS
Carnival — the 40-day long Catholic-based celebration that begins
on January 6 (Twelfth Night), leads up to Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday)
and concludes as Lent begins on Ash Wednesday — is a citywide
festival like none other on the globe. Celebratory parades begin to
roll early in the season and by the Wednesday leading up to Mardi
Gras Day, there are massive parades happening on the traditional
parade route through the Garden District to Canal Street as well as
smaller float-filled celebrations happening all across the greater New
Orleans area. Small children and grown men yell for beads, as the
revelers throw those and much more (think coconuts, bedazzled
shoes or purses, doubloons, toilet paper, stuffed animals, etc.) from
gaily decorated floats. The city is alive night and day with the parade
excitement, and Fat Tuesday in the French Quarter is a sight to be
seen, with the streets jammed all day and night with costumed
revelers greeting everyone with the cry of the day, “Happy Mardi
Gras!” It’s a festive time for young and old alike and should be
experienced at least once in your lifetime.
GETTING THERE
United Airlines offers 2 daily nonstop flights from Dulles International
Airport (IAD) to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
while American Airlines and Southwest Airlines both offer multiple daily
nonstop flights from Reagan National Airport (DCA) to MSY.