New Orleans with a Baby and a Budget

New Orleans has always been such a mysterious place to me. Full of Culture, Food, Voodoo and...Vampires? Okay, maybe not Vampires, trust me I did all in my power to call forth Niklaus Mikaelson but alas, he never showed up. New Orleans has so much to offer: Daddy and I got to spend my 30th birthday in the glorious French Quarter with Nico. This is our first plane trip with our baby but also our first trip just us 2 adults with a baby. While we wanted to take in the town as much as possible, we also wanted this trip to be as affordable as possible. So here are a few tips to make this trip and baby friendly and cost-effective as possible.

1. Do your research on New Orleans

Our biggest mistake, NOT CHECKING THE WEATHER.

Not only did I buy the tickets months before on impulse, but I also didn't check what the weather is like during the months of January /February. warm clothes for Nico and Daddy was smart to take a big jacket, I was not so lucky. I had to buy a sweater. My recommendation is to check the weather beforehand so you can pack enough once we got there it was freezing, luckily I packed enough clothes. Whatever you plan to pack for the baby take a little extra because they will need it, and even if you won't use it pack a warm sweater for yourself.

Another thing I recommend is making a list of all you want to do and look up the cost. Once time was getting closer we started looking at all the family-friendly things to do, which I'll mention in a bit. It turned out Bourbon street was under construction due to Mardi Gras around the corner, and the amusement park in City Park was shut down for a few months. Museums will run you $20-$30 per person, they have selected passes to see multiple museums at a reasonable place. That was not too much of issue since we have so much to look forward too. Beignets here we come!

2. Know what to pack

One thing I recommend is buying everything there. I left Lax with 2 big bags full of things for Nico to avoid a trip to the store and we still had to find a Walmart because we ran low on formula. If you choose to take stuff with you that is fine. *at one point our stroller tire went flat which caused us an extra trip and 3 hours of our time to fix that problem.

I took the following for Nico: Birth Certificate, 1 jogging stroller, shopping cart cover/high chair cover, 36 pack diaper sealed, 1 packet of wipes, 1 can formula sealed, one can of Gerber puffs, a few vials of Camilia drops (teething drops), travel shampoo/body wash, a Tupperware full of baby cereal, 1 big packet of wipes, 3 blankets, 2 toys (I tied with pacifier clips to attach in stroller), a bicycle pump for our Jogging stroller tires, diaper bags to throw diapers away (we use dog waste bags same thing cheaper price) a pacifier feeder, 2 packets of fever reducer suppository, a thermometer, sunscreen, water bottle (make sure it is empty when going through the airport), a hat and a lot of clothes.

For Daddy and myself: ID, Debit Card, One Credit Card, TSA approved Luggage lock with combination (each bag we would leave in our hotel had one), Socks, undergarments, one pair of shoes each, jean jacket and one long sleeve for mommy, 2 long sleeves and leather jacket for daddy, 2 pants each, 1 pair of pajamas each, 2 chargers, portable charges for each, face wipes for the walk, deodorant, makeup, lotion, sunscreen, shampoo, body wash, hair gel, hair ties/clips, my cheap jewelry (I would be devastated to lose my real jewelry), menstrual pads, vitamins, birth control, Advil, sun hat/baseball cap, and cash.

What I FORGOT to bring:

*a backup inner tube for the jogging stroller, plate/ cup and utensils to feed Nico, extra toys (2 weren't enough), sweaters for the adults, extra formula, sunglasses for Nico, granola/protein bars, extra undergarments, travel toilet paper, travel seat covers (the majority of the bathroom did not have any), sanitizer, gloves, beanies, and scarfs.

3. Baby on board the Plane

Our flight was at 8:55 am but since we had Nico we decided to go 2 hours early to make sure nothing went wrong.

Even though Nico did not need a ticket he still needed a boarding pass. (Southwest does not charge babies under 2 tickets since they sit on parents lap) I recommend beforehand to buy 2 birth certificates, you do not want to ruin or rip the original, you will need to take one to get a boarding pass. The security check was fast but if you have formula be prepared to get pulled to the side as well with your stroller. Once that was over we hung around and had breakfast, bring some made to save money. Be sure to check your stroller at the GATE, so you can get it as soon as you land. Southwest boards you by a group but once you're in its open seating. We were sure to go near(not at) an emergency exit and got a window seat for Nico to enjoy the view. The flight was smooth but the tricky part was ascending in the clouds and the landing on the flight. During both these times, we gave Nico cereal to chew on to prevent clogged ears. Luckily he had a great time and enjoyed the view. Coming back there was a rainstorm so it was a little scary. Take a book to entertain the little o

4. Know your surroundings

Once we landed guides were nice enough to give us maps and booklets, but let us be real who can fully understand a map..

The first thing we did was take a Lyft to our hotel so we can see where we will be staying. Once there we found a market, the local Walmart, and bus locations. You can get around everywhere on the bus. The bus was really close to our location and many landmarks have a stop nearby. I'll get more into detail in the next section. Be sure to fully know where you are going and google it, Google will most likely give you the stops you need.

5. There is no such thing as a cheap vacation.

Like I said in the first section, do your research. With all the good food and fun you will be spending a good amount of money.

The first day there we went to the local market and bought food, water, and snacks to stock in our fridge. That got us going in between meals, each meal you're looking at $20-40 per couple. Inside the quarter the restaurants were higher priced but so worth the delicious food. Willie Mae's(not to be confused with Willie's Chicken) had the best friend chicken I ever had, Pier 424 Seafood Market had the best Alligator, YES ALLIGATOR.

If you plan on buying souvenirs for loved ones know that you won't find super cheap stuff but if you go to the French Market. You will find some reasonably priced souvenirs, be sure to take home a dried alligator hand or head.

Another way we cut back on money was walking and busing everywhere. I would say the best parts on New Orleans is all within a 10-mile radius. The first day we took a lyft to many places and realized that you can walk almost anywhere. Of course, at some points it was cold and having a baby it was better to take a lyft but when Nico seemed up to it we walked a lot, of course, he didn't mind since he was cozy in his stroller. The bus offers 3 day passes for $9a person and it takes you everywhere. We walked 10+ miles a day but then again we do not mind walking, if walking is harder for you renting a car would be a better option.

6. New Orleans...Party Town?

When we first walked bourbon street pushing our stroller one thing we noticed is the whole street covered in bars and daiquiris served to go cups. Everyone was walking around with beads and cups full of alcohol going from bar to bar. Even though it looked like a big party, there are family-friendly activities to do with your children.

If you plan to drink while walking the quarter I recommend buying the beverages somewhere else. We got tall cans at Walmart and CVS which got us in the mood and saved us paying 9 bucks per drink. Night time Bourbon Street was fun to walk around but that is more of a place for adults only.

We set off to City Park early one morning and it is huge. One recommendation is if you are taking an uber or lyft, find an exact location to go to. City park is 1,300 acres and I made the mistake of just typing City park when we took a lift and it left us... well in the middle of City Park. We eventually found our way to Storyland, a small park with fairy tale character statues and play area where kids can run around. Storyland comes out to $4 a person since Nico cant walk we moved on. The park also had beautiful botanical gardens which you also pay to go in. The amusement park and train were closed but looked like it would have been fun. We also found an outdoor sculpture garden which was amazing, it was a relaxing walk.

Frenchman Market was also a great place to walk around with Nico in his stroller. There is a lot of boutiques in this area and a small farmers market. You can find anything and everything here. They also have a great variety of Alligator in a burger, fried, jerky, and different form. Frenchman Market has beautiful statues and architecture, as well as great music. Be sure to check out the HOUSE OF PEPPER, they have all the hot sauce you can think of and tasting. Beware: if you choose to try the hottest hot sauce you have to sign a waiver.

Jackson Square was a nice place to walk around. There are so many artists showing off their work, performing shows, and amazing musicians playing jazz. There is so much history there, once a place of executions now is a place of Joy. The Cabildo is where they signed the Louisiana Purchase. There is much to do here. You can have amazing beignets and coffee at Cafe Du Monde ( a must do). You can take a carriage ride around the city, but this is pricey at $40 a person!

As I mentioned previously they have a lot of museums. The Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium have a beautiful butterfly garden you can see from the outside, since Nico was too little we just let him hang out and see the butterflies. They also have The Children Museum, a Jazz Museumeum, Voodoo Museum,Museum of Death, Mardi Gras World Museum, World War II museum, The Cabildo, 1850 House, and so much more.

6. Urban Legends and TV Shows

A personal favorite for me is I am a big fan of the ORIGINALS, Vampire Diaries, Dracula 2000 and American Horror Story: COVEN. You can see so many places where they filmed these shows. I did not find any vampires but I did get to discover hauntingly beautiful places.

We went to Saint Louis Cemetery #2 which is the second oldest cemetery in New Orleans, but the tours tried charging us $20 each person to go see the Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau's tomb. After failing to try to get over the wall (damn no ab strength) we learned that the cemetery is divided by two different sections. We were able to go to the other part and view the tombs. There are still shells from the hurricane. Though we didn't go to the Lafayette Cemetery #1, where most of the originals are Filmed, we still got a taste of it.

The Infamous Lalaurie Mansion: Socialite Delphine Lalaurie was said to kill her slaves here and conduct weird experiments on them in her attic. It was said that a slave was chained to the stove before she was to be taken to the attic so she set the house on fire. When neighbors came to help and saw what was happening they formed a mob, Delphine, however, ran off to Paris never to be heard from. We got to see the infamous mansion where she resided, Coven doesn't show the actual house (The Gallier House is used for the exterior in the show) but you can also see the show's house just down the way. It was once owned by Nicholas Cage. Though no one is allowed to enter, not even ghost tours, it is a nice part of New Orleans to see. The private owners will sometimes sit and stare at the tourist.

You can also see Dandy's house (American Horror story Freakshow) in the plantations. That season is set in Juniper, Floridas but you can see the mansion in New Orleans it is called Longue Vue House & Gardens. The Bucker Mansion is used for the exterior of the Miss Robicheaux’s Academy and the Hermann-Grima House is used for the interior. Most of these places can be viewed but we just saw the outside since we didn't know if these places are stroller friendly. What we did not get to do is see the plantations or use a ferry across the Mississippi River which is a must for the future.

Even though this was just one couples experience I hope this is helpful for fellow parents. We hope to go back without our son but we had a great experience and learned so much for our future adults only trip. For those reading thank you for landing yourself on this page and I wish you a safe and fun trip. Happy Travels...