I found another thing to add to your must see in New Orleans bucket list, Preservation Hall! We took a trip to New Orleans last week to visit it and it was seriously cool. Its an old Jazz music hall (when I say hall, don’t picture a giant concert hall, but rather a small–can fit a max of probably 60 people–type cozy hall) that is nestled deep in the French Quarter. It was created to “preserve, perpetuate, and protect traditional New Orleans Jazz.”
I didn’t take this photo, just found it on the internet, but this gives you a feel for the experience. They don’t let you take photo or videos when the band is playing so I couldn’t take any photos of my own.The live music was incredible! Seriously the second they started I couldn’t stop smiling. It was just so beautiful and fun. Everyone was tapping their feet and dancing in their chairs to the music. Charlie totally loved all the music and couldn’t stop staring, Jay was a little scared (because we were probably 3 feet from a trumpeter) so he was wandering around just outside the hall.
I was worried he totally lost the experience by not being more involved, but just yesterday he said, “Mama, remember when we saw the guy playing the “brbrbrbrb” holding his hands like a trumpet and trying to make a trumpet noise. I think if we would have sat in a better location on the ground and not so close to the exit he would’ve enjoyed it even more. Next time.
We also stopped at Empanola,an empanada place in New Orleans, before we headed to the concert and had a great experience there. The food was delicious and the service was awesome. It’s located inside St. Roch Market, one of my favorite food spots in New Orleans with tons of great options.
We loved the ham and cheese empanada, and our friend got the Spinach Artichoke one and loved it as well. We also tried a yummy dessert they had that was kind of like two little short bread cookies with dulce de leche sandwiched inside of them, so yummy.
So if you are going to New Orleans soon add Preservation Hall to your list of things to see, I honestly don’t think you’d regret it for one minute, its definitely an experience you can’t have anywhere else!
to help us through this last month of heat in Louisiana. So if you have any great popsicle recipes, send them my way!