Travels: New Orleans

Back in March of this year I traveled to New Orleans (NOLA) for a week long vacation with college friends. While I must admit a week was not long enough to discover all there is to see around the city (or perhaps it was due to how many people we had on our trip which limited what we did). New Orleans itself we explored each day that we were there. We drove around as well as walked all around the city. In all honest, the city probably could require 2 or 3 days worth of exploring, but being college kids we enjoyed the food and fun vibes from the parts we explored.
Now I am one for the night scene and Bourbon street was definitely the place to be. But if you're looking for a more 'chill' vibe with a local feel to it, I suggest the art district or the district past the farmers market area (it's been a few months so I can't quite remember the street but it is right off the main street that leads to the highway before you get into the touristy/busier part of the city). Like I said, it's out of the touristy area by at least 15 minutes in walking distance and has a more townsfolk/local feel.
If you are like me and are into the party scene then Bourbon Street is THE place to be. With plenty of bars and clubs, fun can be found anywhere, even just by walking down the street during the night. Being from Indiana, my favorite part was how you could carry a drink with you while you walked down the public streets. In Indiana, open liquor is against the law but in NOLA we could grab a plastic cup filled with an alcoholic drink and carry it with us out in the public streets (and yes, Indiana laws are a pain. They never let us do anything fun).
Many people say the food there is great, and while I'm not much of a 'foodie', some places did in fact have fantastic food. We tried some sort of pudding cake at a restaurant on the street where the old fashioned buildings meet the skyscrapers. One of the best vegetarian sandwiches I have had came from a po'boy diner. My apologies for not being able to remember the place, but I believe it had po'boy in its name? However, with po'boys being a main food in Louisiana, I'm sure any po'boy diner or restaurant you try will be delicious. Another thing New Orleans is known for food-wise is their beignets. We ate some at a Beignet Cafe (and if memory serves me correctly, that was the name of the cafe). The Beignet Cafe was quite a busy spot, though. We went during a rush so it was quite crowded and took some time to get the food but it did have a cute diner-feel had it not been for the crowd. They also had a walk-through, where you could order your beignets without having to wait on a waiter as we did. In fact, the cafe was split into 2 sections. One for those who sat at tables that waiters served, and those who went through the to-go line and then sat at the covered outdoor tables to enjoy their meal.
Now, when it comes to scenery I especially loved the old time feel from the city. While there are skyscrapers and more modern-looking buildings as you get more downtown or towards the art district (actually the skyscrapers were sort of in the middle of the historical-looking buildings), most of the city holds a very historic look to it. Being someone who is fascinated by history, I fell in love with the architecture of the city. Most the buildings of the city were only 4 stories tall, which allowed one to be able to see over it from a distance. So for instance, while on Bourbon Street, you could easily look down the road and see the skyscrapers towering over in the distance, since the buildings around you aren't all that tall to hide the skyscrapers. While walking through New Orleans, it was like walking through a town in the 1800s; short buildings, narrow streets that almost felt like valleys at some points, and more pedestrian traffic than street traffic. It was like getting a taste of history.
I would highly recommend adding this city to your bucket list, if even for a day long trip (but make sure to stay through the day and night so you can experience both lives, because they are quite different experiences, especially on Bourbon Street). It was a unique site to see with great nightlife (though not hard to compare to Indiana's nightlife which is dull), plenty of sties to see, street performers (especially around the park square), and splendid only-in-New-Orleans food. I highly encourage anyone to visit this city at least once in their life, if but for a day. It's an amazing experience.