Escape To The Southeast Escape To The Southeast
Few places are more Instagram-worthy than The Big Easy. It’s iconic food, music, art and architecture make it unlike anywhere else in the world and a place you should experience and share some one-of-a-kind experiences.
At the Audubon Park, take a stroll and enjoy the grand oak trees, beautiful lagoons and lush greenery. The park is an ideal spot to relax with a picnic or get some exercise in. Named after artist and naturalist John James Audubon who lived in New Orleans starting in 1821, the park features a paved loop for joggers, cyclists and rollerbladers, along with several covered pavilions for shaded gatherings with friends or family. Audubon Park is located just minutes from downtown New Orleans on the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line.
Offering carefully cultivated gardens in the heart of the bustling Big Easy, the New Orleans Botanical Garden features 10 acres of more than 2,000 plants from around the world. The seeds for the Garden were planted in 1936, when the City Park Rose Garden opened. Located inside New Orleans City Park, you’ll find live oaks, aquatics, roses, native plants, ornamental trees, shrubs, perennials and more inside various themed gardens. Highlights of the Botanical Garden include the Conservatory of Two Sisters, the New Orleans Historic Train Garden, the Yakumo Nihon Teien Japanese Garden, the Pavilion of the Two Sisters, the Garden Study Center, Lath House and the Robert B. Haspel Garden Stage. Find a spot in the shade, cozy up and have a picnic with a meal from the Garden’s on-site restaurant.
If you’re an art lover, check out The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art. The scenic garden occupies approximately 11 acres in City Park adjacent to the museum, set within a landscape with an abundance of native Louisiana pines, magnolias and live oaks surrounding two lagoons. Conceived in 2003, the Besthoff Sculpture Garden doubled in size in 2019 and has grown from its inception to include more than 90 fascinating sculptures by artists from around the world.
We can’t forget to mention one of the most popular spots in the state – the French Quarter! The St. Louis Cathedral, flanked on both sides by the Cabildo and the Presbytere, serves as a perfect backdrop to any trip to the Quarter. Just a few steps away is the ever-treasured Café du Monde, with its iconic green and white striped awning. Show off one of Louisiana’s most famous culinary delicacies with a drool-worthy shot of fluffy, powdery beignets and a side of coffee.
So plan a trip and get your camera ready. These locations provide the perfect backdrop for a picturesque photo-op!
