Weddingbee Blog

Our friend Margaret from the new travel site Enrout is back this week to share with us her ideas for Miss Doily’s dream honeymoon! Revisit Margaret’s great honeymoon series on Weddingbee here.

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Gumbo. Crawfish. Jazz. New Orleans is a city bursting with culture and will make a fantastic honeymoon destination for Mr. D and Miss Doily. The weather will be perfect in March after her wedding, with temperatures in the 70s. I’m really excited to share a $2000, five day tour of New Orleans with you all!

Where to Go

New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz so one must sample the jazz scene. Preservation Hall is a venue where you can experience jazz in its original form. There are also two festivals happening around Miss Doily’s honeymoon timeframe: the French Quarter Festival (April 7 - 10) featuring local musicians and the New Orleans Jazz Festival (April 27 - May 6) featuring the best of New Orleans jazz.

Since Mr. D is into history, a tour of some of New Orleans’ historical sites seems in order. They can get started with a walking tour of the Garden District, a collection of historic Southern mansions (with gardens). The Backstreet Cultural Museum has a variety of exhibits about Mardi Gras, jazz funerals, and New Orleans’ African American culture. The National World War II Museum has some fascinating exhibits about D-Day.

Mr. D and Miss Doily could also stop by some of New Orleans’ most famous locations. Jackson Square is home to the St. Louis Cathedral and many artists and street performers who gather there every day. And of course, the French Quarter has a number of “nighttime” activities including the  infamous Bourbon Street.

Source: Justin Watt

Where to Stay

If Mr. and Miss Doily want to live like locals, this historic mansion would immerse them in New Orleans culture. Plus they’ll feel at home with the house cat Bunny Boy.

This beautifully decorated house comes with antique furnishings and may fit Miss Doily’s vintage style.

Or maybe they want to go more with Mr. D’s taste with this clean, modern apartment in a convenient location.

Where to Eat

Mr. D and Miss Doily may feel like celebrating the start of their new life together with some fine dining. They can be pampered at Commander’s Palace and enjoy “the glories of New Orleans dining.” If they want to splurge, they could visit August, the restaurant of celebrity chef John Besh who is a Louisiana native.

One of my favorite places in New Orleans is Jacques-Imo’s Cafe. This place is packed, but they serve “real nawlin’ food” gems like alligator cheesecake and fried green tomatoes.

Two staples of New Orleans cuisine are jambalaya and its close cousin gumbo. I suggest trying the jambalaya at Coop’s Place and the gumbo at Gumbo Shop.

You can’t leave New Orleans without trying the world renowned beignets at Cafe Du Monde. Be generous with the powdered sugar!

Budget ($2000)

• $800 - 2 round trip tickets from Cedar Rapids, IA to New Orleans, LA
• $500 - $100 / night for 5 nights in a New Orleans vacation rental
• $100 - Public Transportation (streetcars, taxis, etc.)
• $0 - French Quarter Festival
• $100 - New Orleans Jazz Festival
• $30 - Preservation Hall
• $20 - Backstreet Cultural Museum
• $40 - Garden District Walking Tour
• $40 - National WWII Museum
• $100 - Commander’s Palace
• $40 - Jacques Imo’s Cafe
• $10 - Cafe du Monde
• $20 - Gumbo Shop
• $200 - rest of meals, drinks, miscellaneous

What’s your favorite thing to do in New Orleans?

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Margaret Wong is a co-founder of Enrout, a revolutionary website where you can discover charming lodging selections and fabulous new places off the beaten path. Enrout covers everything from charming Parisian apartments with huge windows overlooking the Eiffel Tower, to San Francisco Victorian homes complete with hardwood floors, fresh produce, and a cozy armchair for reading Hemingway at night. Margaret co-founded Project Wedding with her husband Joe.

About Me: I am a wedding and travel junkie who enjoys eating everything around the world. From strawberries and cream at Wimbledon to black and blue Texas steak, I’ve consumed it all. I have traveled everywhere with my husband Joe in past 12 years we have been together, and find that the best way to keep the romance in our lives is by seeking out new adventures together.

I’m excited about this new honeymoon series on Weddingbee to share the joining of my two loves: weddings and travel. If you’d like more ideas on how to craft a honeymoon that screams personality and style, please visit Enrout.com or drop me a note at info@enrout.com