I've been to New Orleans and Bourbon street a few times,
but this time I wanted to show you guys what it's like. I'm starting a sister show called Land-Marks USA to celebrate everything the US has to offer. This is actually the 3rd episode in this series which started with Miami and New York. New Orleans is it's own Animal.
If you live in Atlanta, traveling to New Orleans is about a nonstop hour ride on any airline. What’s funny is if you don’t take the time-zones into consideration, you will actually be landing in MSY around the same time you leave ATL.
Out of all of the cities that I have visited in the USA, New Orleans gives me more of a New York vibe than anywhere else.
Don’t get me wrong, it is country, but the people are very original, stuck in their ways, fast paced and don’t take no shit. Their accent is from the Bayou and it sounds just like how the hotboys used to talk in interviews. The biggest attraction besides the new Super-dome is Bourbon street. It’s so popular that I recommend finding a hotel that is a few blocks away so you will be able to sleep in peace at night. When I went to New Orleans a few years ago for my birthday, I stayed right above it all and although it was fun to look out of my window and people watch, I like to sleep in quietness. SO this time we stayed at the Hyatt regency about 8 blocks away. This hotel is Luxury lodging offering cozy quarters with city views, plus entertainment, dining & a rooftop pool.This place is beautiful but it has weird elevators. -
I’m recording this video in September and New Orleans is very hot. It was about 102 degrees on our final day there. I can also say that Nawlins as many of them call it, is the drinking capitol of the world.. at least in my experiences..PS I’ve never been to Ireland yet. But Liquor is sold in every gas station, corner store, liquor store, some food stores and even cvs and Walgreen. And I'm not talking about a little sample selection, I’m talking about an entire liquor store worth of options. This is a drinkers town.
The Drinks are flowing.
You will find light drinkers, social drinkers, over drinkers and even drinkers who let alcohol take complete control of there life, when you wander beyond the tourist attraction areas, take the Trolly to get a great Louisiana experience, you will see a homeless population that in my opinion rivals Los Angeles. But during the day you can check out the popular tourist locations like cafe Du-Monde and the sailing by the levels that famously failed during the Katrina Hurricane. Everything is back to its original beauty and I'm sure precaution were taken to make sure a tragedy like that never happens again. If you are a halfway decent looking dude and not a weirdo, you will get lucky.. A lot of the women are out there for their own rendition of the “girls trip” movie. The inhibitions are way down but I would not expect anything long term from one of these encounters.
Bourbon Street
But while in the main attraction street, which starts at Bourbon street and Canal and ends at the point that crowd start to thin out, there is a non stop, crowded, jovial festival going on. Stores and restaurants are blasting music And this party, once started does not stop until the sun comes up. You will meet and see all types of people. Some will be drunk and very friendly, some will be drunk and hostile, a lot of women will be drunk and pulling their titties out and having beads tossed too them and some will be drunk on the side of the road throwing up which can sometimes make the immediate area very stink… But everyone will be drunk. Most are having a good time with their friends and the vibes are cool. There is a lot of police activity as well, cops on horses are positioned at almost every intersection and throughout the crowd. They are very good at swooping down on situations that are starting to get out of hand. With the amount of drunk people swarming bourbon street at night, they can actually be a welcomed site… when they are on bourbon street, Id hate to run into them on other avenues. All in all, I loved the vibe. It is a way to just, for a few hours, take nothing seriously and forget the troubles of the everyday world. I was told multiple times that you can pay the city officials and have an entire Parade thrown in your name for the entire day, so if you have a special event coming up, wedding, anniversary, birthday or big victory with your business, have a parade to celebrate it.
Legendary for parties...
parades and food. The restaurant we finally decided on was called Le Bayou and it looked like a hole in the wall. Its about 8 blocks down from the starting point from Canal street but it was right on the strip. When I tell you the food was amazing, I am not lying. I had a friend fish and shrimp combo and my wife had a loaded red beans and rice combo. The food was so good, that I actually ate the hush puppies. Hush puppies have always been the bane of my existence follow by regular cornbread squares but the shrimp, fish, french fries and even hush puppies were seasoned, hot on arrival and fried to perfection. If you ever find yourself strolling down Bourbon street in New Orleans, and are hungry, I highly recommend Le Bayou.
Dress comfortably with shoes that will promote a lot of walking. Most streets are blocked off by barricades and to take it all in, you are going to have to walk up and down the street. There is a lot to see.
Right up canal street is Harras Casino
For people that love to gamble, having a casino this close is very convenient, and just like every other casino in the country, the odds are stacked very high against you, but what I have learned in the past about casinos is they prey on your greed. The thrill of winning once will raise your dopamine so high that you will gamble away all of your winnings in hopes to get that rush of winning again and perhaps a larger amount. My trick to gambling is, gamble till I win… calm down and take a deep breath, imagine to myself how much of a sucker I'm going to feel like if I walk out of that casino not only loosing the amount of money I just won, but spending even more money that can have been used to enjoy my time in the city.. I then cash out with the winning line still on the machine, and walk out the door. Once the flashing lights of all of the machines are in a far distance, your dopamine levels will return to normal and you wont even know why you were so anxious to stay… plus you’ll have a pocket full of new money.
Hyatt is not too close and not too far.
The Uber ride back to my hotel was only about $6 which is not bad for peace of mind and quietness. If you have never been to New Orleans, I suggest you go now. There is a party every weekend. Sometimes bigger parties like Mardi Gras and normally just a regular weekend party. As usual stay safe and aware of your surroundings, but allow yourself to have a good time. Since that’s what you are here and looking for, don’t turn it down once it unfolds in front of you.Try something Different.
On my way home, I stopped at a store in the airport named the Praline Connection. I wanted to do something crazy so I got an Alligator Po’ Boy. I thought it would taste like a new experience but it tasted just like Pork Sausage.
Land marks is a alternative to my normal international travel videos because despite of what may happen on a daily basis, the USA has a lot of great places to visit right in our backyard, stop and take a look around to enjoy what you already have, like a king...
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