One of the positive sides to moving halfway across the country is that we now have new places to explore in road trip distance. One of the first road trips we took after our move to central Texas was an Austin to New Orleans road trip to celebrate my 30th birthday. The Austin to New Orleans drive is easy and not that long by our road trip standards (the drive time is between 7.5 and 8 hours total), so it has not been the last Texas to New Orleans road trip we have taken since! We have discovered some great eats and things to do on the drive to New Orleans, and in NOLA itself, so I’m sharing the details and our tried-and-true recommendations with you today. I hope some of these tips help you in your travels! For some new NOLA favorite restaurants and bars, see my next blog post on New Orleans here, and more Must-Visit Restaurants and Tours in NOLA here.
Austin to New Orleans road trip stops:
The best Crawfish Etouffee I’ve ever had is at Poche’s in Breaux Bridge, LA. We now stop here for every Texas to New Orleans road trip.
Evangeline Oak
St. Martinville
Cool place to stop on your drive to New Orleans: the Evangeline Oak in St. Martinville
Near Breaux Bridge, head south to St. Martinville to see an historic Acadian town, and the famous Evangeline Oak of Longfellow’s epic poem Evangeline on Bayou Teche. I found the poem really cheaply on Amazon and read it aloud to my husband on the Kindle app on my iPad during our drive. The oak itself is said to be over 500 years old, and the piece of the bayou it sits on is lovely.
I have some more tips on places to hit on your drive back through Cajun country later in the post.
Hilton New Orleans – St. Charles Avenue
333 St Charles Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70130
We stayed in this hotel for my birthday weekend in New Orleans based on the recommendation of a friend, who grew up in New Orleans. The location was awesome, just a short walk from the French Quarter without being in the bustle of Bourbon Street. Rooms were gorgeous and comfortable, with great views. One of the highlights of the hotel is their on-site restaurant, Luke, which I highly recommend (see review below). Even in a great food city like New Orleans, I was amazed that some of the best food I had on my trip was at a hotel restaurant!
Café du Monde
800 Decatur Street
New Orleans 70116
The world famous beignets and chicory coffee at Cafe du Monde. No Austin to New Orleans road trip would be complete without a visit to Cafe du Monde!
You can not go to New Orleans without visiting the Café du Monde. They only make a few things, but they make them well! Beignets and a cup of coffee are the perfect way to start a morning in the Big Easy.
Gumbo Shop
630 St Peter St.
New Orleans, LA 70116
Some of the best gumbo in New Orleans (if not THE best) can be had at Gumbo Shop
This place was originally recommended to me by a New Orleans native, so I knew it had to be good. I was not disappointed, as it was the best gumbo I have ever had. Definitely a must-stop during a drive to New Orleans!
Acme Oyster House
724 Iberville St
New Orleans, LA 70130
Peacemaker Po-Boy sandwich at ACME Oyster House
This New Orleans staple is worth the long wait for their world famous oysters and the Peacemaker Po-Boy sandwich.
Luke
333 St Charles Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70130 (At Hilton St. Charles)
As mentioned above, I was surprised that even in an amazing food city like New Orleans, that some of the best food I had was at a hotel restaurant! I now recommend a visit to Luke to anyone who is visiting New Orleans. Some of the items I especially liked were the mussels (I wanted to drink the sauce they were in, it was so tasty), and the oysters, which were some of the best I have ever had. My entrée and the cheese/fois gras platter were also excellent.
Pirates Alley Café and Absinthe House
622 Pirates Alley
New Orleans, LA 70116
One of our other NOLA traditions is to have traditional Absinthe at Pirates Alley
There is a quaint cute bar in Pirates Alley that serves Absinthe in many unique ways. We opted for the traditional.
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar
941 Bourbon St.
New Orleans, LA 70116
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar is one of the oldest bars in the United States
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar was (according to their website) “built between 1722 and 1732 by Nicolas Touze, is reputed to be the oldest structure used as a bar in the United States.” Definitely the oldest bar in New Orleans. A fun place to visit for the historical value. Also, I am pretty sure this place is haunted if you are interested in that sort of thing.
Walk Around
I find that we don’t end up spending a lot of money when in New Orleans, as there is so much to see and take in just by walking around. Architecture from multiple eras, history all around you, music – lots of live jazz and zydeco music played on the streets and in restaurants, unique art from this melting pot of culture, and things you don’t see anywhere else (dried alligator heads anyone?).
Voodoo Museum
724 Dumaine St.
New Orleans, LA 70116
The Voodoo Museum is another one of our favorite activities for an Austin to New Orleans road trip
This was a fun stop to learn more about the voodoo culture in Lousiana… and of course to pick up some gris gris.
On our drive out of New Orleans, we opted to drive the Great River Road through Plantation Alley for a bit before getting back onto the interstate. You can see some beautiful old homes such as Oak Alley (pictured above). Visit Road Trip USA for more details on this route. When taking this drive, be sure to acknowledge the tragic history of labor from enslaved people in building and maintaining these properties.
Acadian Cultural Center and Vermilionville
Lafayette
If you’d like to know more about Acadian/Cajun history while driving through Cajun country on a Texas to New Orleans road trip, I recommend visiting the Acadian Cultural Center
On your way back you can get more Cajun/Acadian history by visiting the Acadian Cultural Center, and Vermilionville (a “living history and folk life park”) right next door. Above you can see an oak dripping with picturesque Spanish moss, and my husband getting a lesson in the fiddle from a man at Vermilionville. They also have a great Cajun buffet, but I would save your appetite for the po-boys I am about to tell you about in Lafayette.
Olde Tyme Grocery
218 W St Mary Blvd.
Lafayette, LA 70506
Along with Poches in Breaux Bridge, Olde Tyme Grocery in Lafayette makes the Austin to New Orleans drive worth it! The Po-Boys are some of the best you’ll ever eat.
The best po-boys in this area can be found at Olde Tyme Grocery in Lafayette. As this is a hot spot for students at U La La, it can get pretty busy around lunch, but the shrimp po-boy is both huge and worth the wait.
Now have fun eating your way through this road trip!
For some new, AHmazing NOLA food and restaurant reviews, see my next blog post on New Orleans here, and more Must-Visit Restaurants and Tours in NOLA here.
Related posts:
- Travel Tuesday: New Orleans – The Return (More Must-Eat Spots in NOLA)
- Want a Taste of New Orleans? Hilton is Offering Exclusive Discounts for Must-Visit Restaurants and Tours in NOLA this Summer
- Let’s Party Gras! New Orleans-Themed Bachelorette or Birthday Party Ideas
More family road trip resources and itineraries
Interested in planning more family road trip itineraries? Check out these resources.
- Big Sur Coastal Drive Stops
- Family Route 66 Road Trip
- Family Road Trip from Texas to California
- Southern US Road Trip Driving Playlist
- Southern USA Family Road Trip Route and Recommendations
- Route and Recommendations for a Road Trip Through the U.S. Southwest
- Itinerary and Recommendations for a Family Road Trip from Texas to Washington, DC
- Route and recommendations for planning the ultimate Midwest baseball road trip
- Connecting with my family and personal history in the U.K. with Kia
- One-Day Road Trip Through Wales – Seeking Ancient Ruins, Dragons, and Castles
- The Ultimate UK Road Trip Itinerary – Driving Around England, Scotland, and Wales with the Family
- Family Road Trip Packing List
- Tips for having the best, low-stress family road trip (including lots of car activities for toddlers and young kids)
- Super Easy DIY Hanging Organizer for Your Next Family Road Trip
- DIY road trip activities folder for toddlers and young kids
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