Rain on a Tin Roof

Tag: family travel

3 Days in New Orleans with Kids: Day 2
Ready for a visit New Orleans but not sure it would be a family friendly trip? Not so fast – there are plenty of kid friendly activities in the Big Easy! Here’s how to fill 3 days in New Orleans with kids!

This is Day 2 of our kid friendly three days in New Orleans itinerary. If you missed Day 1 – see it here!

Is it bad that we’ve only been back from New Orleans for a couple weeks and I’m already plotting our next trip? #itsmyfavorite

I am getting a bit of a fix though reliving the trip through these posts, so thanks for allowing me to do that, y’all. 💜

Day two highlights included the one-of-a-kind cemeteries you can only see in NOLA, Mardi Gras fun and some of the most delicious Italian food I’ve ever had – yep, Italian in New Orleans!

Background information if you haven’t read the Day 1 itinerary:

We have one kid and at the time of this trip, she was seven. She’d been on multiple trips before this one and is a great little traveler. New Orleans is a walking city, so if your kid(s) isn’t up for some walking, I wouldn’t recommend this trip. Of course, if you have kids that are younger or older or have more than one kid, you can change this itinerary up to best fit your needs.

And as I also said before, this trip itinerary includes things that kids and adults will both enjoy!

What to Do in New Orleans with Kids

See Day 1 Things to Do in New Orleans with Kids HERE!

Day 2 – Cemetery Tour, Hop On/Off Bus, and Mardi Gras World

7:00 am CST
Wake up and get ready.

7:30 / 7:45am-ish
Breakfast at Cafe du Monde in the French Market.
Yes, breakfast at Cafe du Monde again. Why? Cafe du Monde. duh.

You can of course opt to go have breakfast elsewhere – I hear there are some fabulous brunch spots in NOLA, but Cafe du Monde was just always easiest and convenient for us. And beignets. We can’t get enough beignets.

8:45am CST
Head to the Gray Line Tour Lighthouse Office to take a cemetery tour!

9:00am CST
Cemetery and Voodoo Tour

Whether you’re into cemeteries, ghosts, and voodoo or not, you have to take a stroll through one of New Orleans’ Cities of Dead.

We did the Cemetery and Voodoo Tour of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 via Gray Line New Orleans.

St. Louis No. 1 is one of the oldest cemeteries in New Orleans and is actually closed to the public. You can only get in if you are with a tour group or have family buried there.

There is nothing else on earth like a New Orleans cemetery. They are fascinating, beautiful and full of history.

The cemeteries in New Orleans are one of the first things that I fell in love with there.

There are many highlights in St. Louis No. 1 to see and learn about, one among them being the tomb of Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen.

If you can only tour one cemetery while you’re here, make it this one.

I will say, the Circus wasn’t as into the cemetery tour as I thought she’d be. She liked seeing it, but it was hot and gets even hotter in the cemetery with it being enclosed by concrete walls. So that’s something to keep in mind if you want to do the cemetery tour with kids.

11am CST
Cemetery Tour Ends. Head to the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Station.

For the rest of this day, until it was time to head to dinner, our crew did the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus tour around the city. We walked to Stop #5 to get our tickets and board the bus.

I know – it’s super touristy, but if you’ve never been in New Orleans before, it is a really great way to get an overview of the city and an idea of the city layout.

Since it is a hop on – hop off style tour, you can choose to get off and on at any of the tour stops. You can opt to buy single day passes or multiple day passes. This is helpful if you want to just ride and get your bearings on the first day, then use your ticket the next day to take advantage of the hopping on and off and visiting sites along the route.

There are 19 stops along the route. You can see them all here, but below are some of our picks for family friendly stops!
- Stop #1: Jackson Square
  – Cafe du Monde
  – St. Louis Cathedral
  – The Presbytere – amazing Mardi Gras and Hurricane Katrina exhibits.
- Stop #2: French Market
  – Shopping, food vendors
- Stop #4: Treme
  – Backstreet Cultural Museum – we did not get to visit this, but it’s definitely on my list for next time. I think the kid would have loved seeing all the Mardi Gras Indian memorabilia.
- Stop #7: Riverfront
  Again, two more places we didn’t get to see, but kids would love!
  – Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium
  – Audubon Aquarium
- Stops #11 – #13: Garden District and Magazine Street
  – There are loads of fantastic little shops and places to eat along Magazine Street. There are also gorgeous houses to take in as well. We all enjoyed strolling down Magazine. A couple of our favorite shops along Magazine are Nola Couture (their candles smell divine!) and Fluerty Girl.
- Stop #16: Mardi Gras World
  Mardi Gras World is a must for kids – they will love it!
This is literally where Mardi Gras comes to life!

Mardi Gras World is where most all the floats for Mardi Gras are made. It is so cool to be up close and personal with these beauties.

The Circus loved learning about how all the floats and characters are made and then walking around and seeing them.

There are also great little photo ops as well. 😉

After leaving here, all I heard from the kid for the rest of the trip was when are we going to Mardi Gras?! One day kid, one day.

6pm CST
Dinner at Irene’s.

Oh Irene’s. We love you so! You might not think Italian when you think New Orleans food, but Irene’s will change your frame of mind! You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu and be sure to save room for their cheesecake – to die for! This is a nice restaurant, so make sure your kid(s) is up to being on their best behavior here. Reservations are also recommended.

See Day One’s Itinerary HERE!
See Day Three’s Itinerary HERE!

Feel free to add any kid friendly things to do in New Orleans in the comments!

Ready for more adventure?
Jimmy Carter Sunday school – take a trip down to Georgia and attend former President Jimmy Carter’s Sunday school service!

Disney World Tips for the Average Family – for those of us who aren’t super hardcore all things Disney. 😉

A Weekend in Nashville – the birthplace of country music and so much more!

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October 22, 2019
My Go-To Bags for Stress Free Family Travel + Packing Tips

As you all know, my little family loves to take a trip. Since the kid was a baby, we’ve always done our usual yearly and sometimes bi-yearly beach trip. As she’s gotten older though, we’ve been able to expand destinations that include a bit more exploring – there was no one happier than her mama when we went to Boston and this kid happily skipped along the Freedom Trail asking a zillion questions.

We love our week long beach trips just as much as our adventuring trips or quick 2-3 day road trips as well.

While I most definitely have not mastered the art of remembering every little thing when we go somewhere, I have learned a lot and therefore, packing for trips and exploring has gotten much less stressful. Here are my best packing tips and go-to bags that save my sanity.

This post is sponsored by Baggallini, however all opinions are 100% my own. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Traveling with Kids: Packing Tips + Essential Bags

Combine suitcases whenever possible.

Unless the kid is feeling uber-independent, I always put both her and my clothes, toiletries, etc. together in one suitcase or travel bag. Having the one piece of luggage for both of us means there’s one less thing to keep up with and carry, plus it helps to keep me from overpacking – which I’m getting better at with every trip.

Speaking of overpacking…

Don’t stress too much on clothing. You’re going on a trip to enjoy yourself, not to put on a fashion show. Choose comfortable clothing that includes a few key pieces you can easily dress up if needed.

The same is true for kids. They will be much better behaved and enjoy the trip more if they are in comfortable clothes.

For kids, and also helpful for adults, pack outfits together. I always pack the Circus’ clothes with her outfits put together, shirts on top of pants. That way when she goes to put something on, she knows what goes together.

And always always always, throw in a light jacket or cardigan. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten to the beach and while I thought I’d never need a long sleeve piece of clothing in June, I was wrong.

While I haven’t bought them yet, I have heard wonderful things about packing cubes. I’m hoping to get a set or two before our trip to New Orleans and test them out.

Always have a backup outfit on hand.

From the time Mama told her story about getting to Europe and their luggage not making it over when they did, I always try to have a spare change of clothes for both me and the kid within easy reach when traveling.

My Baggallini 3-in-1 Convertible Backpack works perfect for this. It will easily hold a change of clothes for both me and the kid as well as a toiletry bag. It also has a sleeve on the back that allows it to easily slide over your luggage handle. Since it can hold a change of clothes and toiletries, it’s also one of my go-to bags for quick overnight trips.

There are multiple interior pockets for optimal organization as well as quick access pockets on the front and room for a water bottle and umbrella on the sides.

I like to use those interior pockets to pack meds that could be needed on the trip like allergy medicine, Tylenol, etc. so they are within easy reach.

The removable wristlet that comes with the 3-in-1 Convertible Backpack is super handy as well.

It will easily hold a few cards, lip gloss and another essential or two. Its strap clips to a hook inside the bag, so no digging around for your wallet – you always know right where it’s at. The wristlet is also RFID blocking – so no one can easily steal your credit card info just by standing next to you.

Since it’s a 3-in-1 bag, it’s very versatile. It can go from tote to backpack to crossbody with a quick couple of clicks.

So when you get where you’re going, you can switch it to backpack mode, load the exploring essentials and be on your way.

The 3-in-1 Convertible Backpack is also water resistant, which makes it perfect for summer trips to water parks. We loaded it up the other day for a quick trip to the fountains at a local park.

Don’t forget snacks.

If you’re traveling with kids, you know they often end up needing a snack at the most inconvenient times. Be sure to stash some snacks in your tote and keep it within easy reach on road trips and while flying.

Keep them entertained.

Anytime we go on a trip, whether driving or flying, I always pack a new coloring or activity book and crayons for the Circus to help keep her occupied.

This is also the time to take advantage of technology. We load the iPad up with a couple movies that she can watch as well.

If you’re traveling with a baby or toddler that really isn’t into all that yet, consider buying a new small toy to take with you and surprise them with it on the plane or in the car.

Tuck away a crossbody bag.

Anytime we go somewhere, I like to throw in a great crossbody bag that can hold just the essentials while I’m out and about.

My favorite crossbody is the Baggallini Take Two Bryant Crossbody. It has two zippered pockets and two exterior pockets to hold the essentials.

This bag also has RFID blocking card slots built-in to keep your cards safe. It’s lightweight and water resistant as well.

I love having the Take Two Bryant Crossbody when I travel because it keeps my hands completely free. It’s also my go-to bag for thrift stores and yard sales so I can easily dig for those deals.

If we go out to dinner and I want it to be a bit more “fancy,” I just take the crossbody strap off and replace it with the wristlet strap.

Don’t sweat the mishaps.

Above all, have fun! There are going to be mishaps, there might even be meltdowns. Take a break, regroup and then get going again. It’s all about enjoying new places and making memories with the family.

Our next family adventure is New Orleans in the fall – where are you headed to next?

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August 12, 2019

Tag: family travel

3 Days in New Orleans with Kids: Day 2

What to Do in New Orleans with Kids

My Go-To Bags for Stress Free Family Travel + Packing Tips

Traveling with Kids: Packing Tips + Essential Bags