From albino alligators to live music that blows your mind, there are plenty of must do things in New Orleans that you won’t want to miss.
While the main attraction of your visit may be the Gypsy Nurse Spring Fling, that doesn’t mean you can’t experience the big thrills the Big Easy has in store while you’re in town.
Take a look at our list:
1. Dive into a swamp tour.
Louisiana swamps are filled with history and intrigue, and you can get up close and personal with it all on an airboat adventure tour through the wetlands around the town of Jean Lafitte.
French-American pirate Lafitte was an integral player in the War of 1812, helping Americans defend New Orleans. His playground was the dark bayou waters of the Barataria Basin.
The swamplands and its surrounding fishing village are peppered with pieces of history, not to mention plenty of stealthy alligators that often saddle up to the boat for a closer peek.
MAS Medical Staffing will be sponsoring this New Orleans adventure, which means it does double duty as a networking event that lets you hang out and meet your fellow Spring Fling attendees!
Did we mention a live albino alligator exhibit is part of the swamp tour mix?
2. Revel in the French Quarter.
With more than 100 square blocks of shopping, dining, art, entertainment and architectural amazements, the French Quarter is primed to become the traveling nurse’s favorite home away from home.
Here you’ll find fabulous antiques, historic buildings and legendary restaurants that serve up traditional gumbo and other regional delights.
Jackson Square is at the heart of the French Quarter, where you’ll find a stately statue of Andrew Jackson surrounded by a smattering of fortune tellers, artists and more architectural treasures.
The French Quarter is also notorious for its sizzling nightlife, which comes complete with jazz, jazz and more jazz.
3. Lap up live music.
Speaking of jazz, live music is pretty much synonymous with New Orleans, and you can find it in pockets all over the city.
Frenchman Street has become the hub of Orleans’ music scene; it sits a short jaunt from the French Quarter in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood.
Locals and travelers alike take to the area’s restaurants and clubs, with performances from acclaimed jazz solo artists and bands.
The hottest clubs on the strip include Snug Harbor, The Blue Nile and House of Blues. Rollicking, late-night restaurants include Marigny Brasserie and The Three Muses.
Cabs are another hot commodity on the scene, making it easy to get back to your hotel after night of reveling.
4. Marvel at museums.
New Orleans features art and history around every corner, and you can also find specific collections in one of the city’s numerous museums.
The Ogden Museum of Southern Art showcases photography, ceramics and paintings created in the spirit of the South.
If Southern art isn’t your fancy, don’t despair. The celebrated New Orleans Museum of Art is also at your service.
Foodies can devour the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. History buffs can examine The National World War II Museum.
Cultural connoisseurs can delight tin the African American Museum. You’ll also find religious museums, Mardi Gras museums and museums based in private homes.
With more than 45 museums peppering the city, you’re certain to find at least one for your “Must do things in New Orleans” list.
5. Chill out in City Park.
New Orleans City Park is one of New Orleans’ natural treasures, so much so that the city came together to restore it after Hurricane Katrina left it in shambles.
The resulting cleanup resulted in a new biking and hiking paths, an immense lawn perfect for concerts or simply lounging about, and the revival of historic attractions.
A biggie is Story Land and Carousel Gardens Amusement Park, which has been an entertainment staple for children for more than 100 years. The park stretches 1,300 acres, reaching from Bayou St. John to Lake Pontchartrain.
6. Investigate the Insectarium.
The traveling nurse is by nature curious, and a host of curiosities can be found with a visit to the New Orleans’ Insectarium and butterfly garden. The place’s main claim to fame is being the largest museum in North America dedicated solely to insects and related critters.
Highlights include giant, hissing cockroaches, exotic pink katydids, and a crash course on how the mosquito played a major role in the city’s history.
Even if you’ve seen it all–you may be intrigued by the “Bug Appetit” snack bar that serves up insect-based recipes, such as Cajun spiced crickets and chocolate chirp cookies.
7. Grow fond of the Garden District.
After being indoors at the Gypsy Nurse Spring Fling, you may be itching to take it outside. And there’s no better place to do so than New Orleans’ Garden District.
This neighborhood features gargantuan oak trees, stately pillars and porches, and elaborate wrought iron detailing that bring on the aristocratic flair for which the district is known.
The 19th-century mansions also help with the flair, featuring Gothic, Greek Revival and other eye-catching styles.
Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is another Garden District highlight, well-known for its amazing and highly photogenic tombs, memorials and features.
8. Mix it up on Magazine Street.
While the French Quarter Royal Street has the antique shop market cornered, antique shopping isn’t the only game in town.
Magazine Street proves this one, with an eclectic collection of galleries and shops that stretch from the Lower Garden District to uptown Audubon Park.
The window shopping extravaganza treats you to everything from perky pottery to local T-shirts and fashion, water meter clocks to regionally inspired jewelry.
You’ll also find the preppy clothing shop of Perlis, known for its crawfish logo (the alligator, after all, was already taken).
9. Hop on a streetcar.
Even if you’re not heading out with a specific destination in mind, riding a streetcar is the epitome of a New Orleans experience.
Three major streetcar lines start downtown and snake through different parts of the city, with rides only costing $1.25 each.
As its name promises, the Riverfront Line takes you along the river, with the ultimate destination of the French Quarter French Market.
The St. Charles Line heads uptown, traveling through the medians of the city’s most majestic streets. The Canal Street Line can deliver you to historic cemeteries or City Park, with its final stop at the celebrated New Orleans Museum of Art.
When you’re not admiring art, window shopping or checking out historic landmarks and cemeteries, make sure you take a moment to enjoy the company of your fellow traveling nurses, as well as the organizations at the Gypsy Nurse Spring Fling.
MAS Medical Staffing will be on hand and we’d love to get a chance to say hello! We’ll fill you in on how we can help you enjoy jobs throughout the U.S., in areas that may be just as compelling as New Orleans.
What is one of your must do things in New Orleans?
Share with us in the comments below!
