Covering around 1,300 acres with 11 lagoons, a botanical garden, and countless paths, New Orleans’ City Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country. Millions of visitors have come here through the last 170 years to escape the bustle of Bourbon Street and feel like they’ve escaped into nature. So much of City Park’s existence is thanks to love from locals. One of the best examples is following Hurricane Katrina. With $43 million of damage and 95% under water, New Orleanians rallied support that would not only repair but improve the park for generations to come.

If you come to New Orleans, you have to try a beignet. And if you try a beignet, you have to try it at Cafe du Monde. Most would describe these sweet treats as holeless doughnuts covered generously in powdered sugar, and Cafe du Monde is practically synonymous with them. While the French Market location is the most famous (and thus the busiest); their City Park location is much more relaxing.

Here’s a must-see for any military history buffs – the National World War II Museum. While most people don’t necessarily think of New Orleans and WWII, the city actually played a critical role on D-Day. Those Higgins Boats used to storm the beaches of Normandy and in the Pacific were invented by shipbuilder Andrew Higgins to navigate the Louisiana bayous These ships were so crucial to war efforts Gthat eneral Dwight D. Eisenhower described Higgins as “the man who won the war for us.”

The museum itself was initially founded by two academics, Stephen E. Ambrose and Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller, to commemorate New Orleans’ role. It started as The National D-Day Museum in 2000 and quickly expanded to tell the full story of the American experience in World War II. Spanning seven buildings and home to over 250,000 artifacts and 9 million pages of archival material, it cannot be understated how much there is to see and do while here. I was lucky enough to explore with museum ambassador Mike Alexander and Associate VP of Collections & Exhibits Erin Clancey, who both pointed out some of their favorite exhibits.

Given New Orleans’ very southern location, your chances of seeing snow in the city are next to nothing. However, there’s one place everyone goes when they want a (literal) taste of it, and that’s Hansen’s Sno-Bliz. I met with current owner, Ashley Hansen, and learned more about how her grandparents began the shop over 80 years ago. She still keeps many of their practices today including making syrups fresh every day, using Louisiana king sugar instead of corn syrup, and soaking each layer as she goes.

Standing out in a city known for its food is a tall orde, but Café Reconcile manages to do it. Not only is all the cooking made from scratch and flavor-forward, but their impact on the local community will be felt for years to come. Their main mission? To support young people from ages 16-24 in their personal and workforce development. Operating as a non-profit, Café Reconcile interns learn skills that will allow them to thrive in whatever industry they choose to step into, and 100% of restaurant profits go towards their stipends, learning opportunities, and more. I loved meeting both the leaders and interns themselves to hear more about what the program entails.

For a little day trip from New Orleans, cross Lake Pontchartrain and head to the Northshore’s charming town of Covington. While there, I wandered into the cheerful Marianne Angeli Rodriguez Gallery and met its owner and namesake. As an abstract artist, Marianne allows colors to guide her first and pulls from her international childhood for inspiration. With parents who worked for the United Nations, she’s called everywhere from the Philippines to West Africa home and opted to settle in Covington for its tight-knit community. I love that she calls her work “joy-inducing art for the color-obsessed!”

Once upon a time, Covington was billed as the healthiest place in America. The Mission-style Southern Hotel was opened in 1907 to host visitors all year round and immediately became a town favorite. From hotel to parish courthouse to housing for FEMA, local preservationist Lisa Condrey Ward purchased it in 2011 with aim of saving the abandoned, historic property. Today it’s a beautiful hotel ,and all the interiors are nods to the community’s history. The best part? Older guests who once came to the hotel in its heyday have been able to revisit and reminisce!

To really enjoy the Northshore, head to Brooks’ Bike Shop, rent a bike, and start peddling around the 31-mile-long Tammany Trace trail. Once a corridor for the Illinois Central Railroad, the trail runs all around the Northshore and connects five communities, including the Mandeville Lakefront.

Once a corridor for the Illinois Central Railroad, the trail runs all around the Northshore and connects five communities, including Covington. Once a corridor for the Illinois Central Railroad, the trail runs all around the Northshore and connects five communities, including Covington.

One town the Tammany Trace Bike Trail connects is Abita Springs — where Louisiana’s most famous beer is brewed. Take a break from your bike ride and stop at Abita Brewing Company for a beer or two. While taking my own break, I chatted with bartender David Hensley about the secret behind their brews – water from the actual Abita springs themselves.

One sandwich you’ve got to eat in New Orleans? A po’ boy, of course! Short for “poor boy,” this sandwich is served all over the city, from fine dining establishments to gas stations. It got its start in 1922 when two brothers worked in the city as streetcar conductors and opened up the Martin Brothers Coffee Stand and Restaurant. In 1929 when railway employees went on strike, they created the po’ boy and gave them away to strikers as long as they showed their badge. You may not be able to visit Martin Brothers today, but you can visit another restaurant that started selling them at the same time – Parkway Bakery and Tavern. They, too, served po’ boys for free to strikers. I met with the current GM, Justin Kennedy, to learn more about Parkway’s resilient history – one that very much mirrors the city it’s in.

Only opened a month when we visited, Dew Drop Inn is yet another example of New Orleans’ ability to reinvent itself. Opened in 1939, this venue has seen some of the most famous names in 1950s and 1960s music pass through its doors. Think Fats Domino, Ray Charles, Little Richard, and more. Back then, Dew Drop operated as a hotel, a restaurant, a nightclub, and, heck, even a barbershop! Today you can stay in rooms where the balconies quite literally look down on a stage. I learned even more about its history from current owner Curtis Doucette Jr. and had a chance to see To Be Continued Brass Band.