Although the season has not yet officially changed, Spring weather has taken over New Orleans. This season of festivals, bike rides, crawfish boils, and picnics by the river is full of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors on a budget. In this post, I’ll share some ideas for how to create a full-day New Orleans Spring itinerary on just $30.
What To Do
Coffee
I’ll start my day Uptown with a $2.75 iced coffee at Café Luna, a local neighborhood coffee shop near the Magazine Street boutiques. I’ll bring a book or magazine and sit on the front porch to soak up the fresh Spring air and gear up for a day of exploring. Running total: $2.75 ($27.25 remaining)
Stroll in Audubon Park and Breakfast
Fresh from my iced coffee, I’ll stroll down Magazine Street to Audubon Park, where I’ll walk under the Oak trees and over to The Fly for the perfect view of the river. I’ll make my way over to Tartine for breakfast – the bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich is filling and will only set me back $6. Running total: $8.75 ($21.25 remaining)
Street Car Ride and Stroll in the French Quarter
After breakfast, I’ll walk over to Saint Charles and take the streetcar all the way down to the French Quarter. If it’s not too crowded I’ll snag a window seat so I can breathe in the Spring air and check out all the beautiful homes along the route. The best part is that the streetcar only costs $1.25! I’ll hop off the streetcar at Canal and Carondelet and walk down Royal Street toward the art galleries. I can stick to window shopping or take refuge inside a gallery if its warming up. I’ll also set aside a dollar or two to tip the buskers playing music on the sidewalks. Their musical talents always make my shopping experience so much better. Running total: $12.00 ($18.00 remaining)
Happy Hour
Around 4:00 p.m. I’ll head over to Broussard’s for happy hour. It lasts a full three hours – from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – and offers food specials in addition to drinks. I’ll sample a couple of small plates – maybe the andouille gougères or the spicy Cajun sliders? Those bad boys will only set me back $5. From there, I’ll head over to Black Penny on Rampart Street for one of their $2 Happy Hour PBRs. If it happens to be a Thursday, I’ll check out Jazz in Armstrong Park, a free concert series that takes place every Thursday in the Spring. Running total: $21.00 ($9.00 remaining)
Picnic Dinner
With less than $10 left, I’ll spring for a picnic dinner in Crescent Park with a friend. We’ll split a large fried shrimp po-boy from Verti-Marte, which costs $9.50 or $4.25 when split. I’ll use the rest of my budget on a to-go beer. Running total: $30 ($0 remaining) Cheers to Spring!
