Martinis | Bikinis: Travel Linkup

I'm back online today just in time for Kate, Kerri and my Wanderlust Wednesday travel linkup. On the 2nd Wednesday of every month, we host WW so feel free to linkup your travel-related posts. I love reading and living vicariously through your travel adventures.

My trip to New Orleans this past long weekend was a fantastic and very hectic time. K and I stayed in the heart of the French Quarter which made it easy to walk around and explore. The only time we took a taxi was to and from the airport. We arrived on Friday night with a loose itinerary and a list of restaurants to eat at. It wasn't possible to accomplish it all in 3 days but we covered good ground and kept very busy from morning til late night. Needless to say we're pretty exhausted but it was all worth it.

The food there is incredible and of course Bourbon Street provides great entertainment and live music all day everyday. What we didn't know is that it was also Gay Pride weekend or "Southern Decadance" so you can imagine people watching was at it's finest and I'm glad we got to experience the craziness that is Labor Day/Decadance weekend. I love attending the Gay Pride festivals in downtown Orlando so it was great to experience it somewhere else.

On Saturday we went to Coop's Place on Decatur St which has amazing local food if you're looking for casual New Orleans style dining.

We went over to Jackson Square to walk around and check out the art, architecture, and history scene.

The line for Cafe Du Monde was about 100 people deep so we decided to go to New Orleans Famous Beignets Cafe instead for some beignets and coffee.

On Sunday morning we had brunch at Mr B's Bistro with live jazz music which was amazing!

We then toured the Riverwalk along the Mississippi river. Unfortunately the ferry was closed that day so we couldn't make it over to the other side of the river.

We stayed at the Sheraton off Canal Street. Great location and price and we also had a nice view of the Mississippi River!

I literally have almost 200 photos on my camera and iPhone so it was hard choosing which ones to share. I've decided to split this trip recap into two posts and share photos from my camera today which are more touring the city photos with some food and restaurants we enjoyed.

Part 2 tomorrow will also be food and touring but more of the bar scene which is when my big camera gets put away and iPhone comes out. So check back tomorrow for some of the crazier sites and scenes we experienced in New Orleans.

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Link-up Rules:
1. Follow Kerri, Kate and myself on Bloglovin
2. Link up your favorite travel recaps or travel related posts
3. Grad our Wanderlust Wednesdays button and link back to our blogs
4. Be sure to visit other blogs and build your travel bucket list!

We had a blast exploring Las Vegas for the 4th of July long weekend. We checked in to our hotel early on Thursday morning and went for crepes and coffee at La Creperie in the Paris Las Vegas hotel and then headed out to walk around and explore the strip.

Our first stop was to check out the famous Las Vegas sign and then we spent several hours walking around checking out different hotels, casinos, shops, and bars.

Thursday night K and I had reservations at the Top of World restaurant which is the rotating restaurant at the top of the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino. The 360 views of Las Vegas plus the sunset made for a nice ambiance.

After dinner we were exhausted because of the time difference but we sucked it up and went out to Hakkasan nightclub to see Tiesto perform. It was worth the exhaustion after being awake and traveling for almost 24 hours.

Friday was a full day of exploring the strip. We had lunch at Serendipty 3, which I had heard great things about but both K and I thought it was a huge disappointment. Long wait to be seated, lack of service, chicken caesar salad that costed $22, and then they serve me a head of romaine that I now need to chop and toss myself! I think they're better known for their desserts and will never go for lunch or dinner again.

Friday night we went for an amazing Italian dinner at B&B Ristorante in the Venetian to celebrate Emily's 30th birthday and then headed over to Bellagio to see Cirque du Soleil's "O" show.

Saturday 4th July was spent lounging by the Soleil pool in a cabana we rented which came equipped with misters which was much needed in the summer heat.