my jaunts: new orleans jazz

new orleans was always intriguing to me.  so close to where i grew up in oklahoma, but seemingly miles away in every other sense:  the food, the jazz, the slight sense of grit and corruption that lies just beneath the surface of its varied architecture.  i’ve known people who have moved to new orleans for school and then never left.  they say it gets in you and you can’t leave, even if you try.  so i was excited to (finally) explore the town and understand this spirit of new orleans.

jazz and beats at maison on frenchmen street

jazz and beats at maison on frenchmen street

we traveled with friends and found the most amazingly quintessential new orleans house on airbnb in the heart of frenchmen street, just across the street from washington square park.  note: do not stay in the french quarter.  rather, stay here, on frenchmen, amongst the jazz bars and the outdoor art market, and only a short walk away from the quarter (if you must, if only for cafe du monde beignets).

ok, cafe du monde is worth it. skip the line and go sit down: first come, first serve.

ok, cafe du monde is worth it. skip the line and go sit down: first come, first serve.

the jazz bars on frenchmen were my favorite part of new orleans.  walking up frenchmen, loud and urgent jazz rushes from inside the clubs and greets you, demanding you step in for a while.  should you accept, you’ll most likely find packed spaces, locals sipping abita beer, and potentially a bachelorette party or two.  step into the spotted cat music club, a small bar recommended by new york times’ 36 hours, where i spent the good part of an hour enthralled by the couples who charged in and started swing dancing with such purpose that it was both thrilling and catatonic.

dancers and jazz at the spotted club music club

dancers and jazz at the spotted club music club

some bars require reservations for seats (such as snug harbor jazz bistro), while others pull you in spontaneously as you walk by.  one night, we walked past maison when we heard a mix of hip hop and jazz coming from inside.  it was different and immediately piqued my interest, and i couldn’t help but dance along.  we walked in to find a group of around eight guys, all young, that switched between rapping and raucous playing of their instruments (think: kanye’s “all of the lights,” though younger and more raw).  at one point, one member left the club to go outside for a smoke break.  he couldn’t resist the music, though, and started playing his trombone from the street in the middle of pedestrians walking by.  the music has a way of taking hold of you like that and not letting go.

maison jazz club

he couldn’t resist – a musician plays from the sidewalk during his smoke break

if the music at a particular place wasn’t doing it for us, we’d move on; there are too many bars offering different types of music that you should never settle for mediocrity.  our favorite spot one night would be boring the next.  keep walking, and you’ll find what you’re after.  some of my favorite spots (all within walking distance) were dba, spotted cat, and maison.  i also heard that blue nile was fantastic, though we never stepped inside.

live jazz at d.b.a. - lots of dancing here

live jazz at d.b.a. – lots of dancing here

each night, we’d walk up frenchmen, listen to jazz, dance along, drink, and cheer for more.  between sets we’d switch locations or stroll through the outdoor art market just next door (check out brett henderson’s booth for some really cool photos overlaid with maps of new orleans).

the art market on frenchmen street

the art market on frenchmen street

walking back to the house post-jazz, we’d buy pizza at the pop-up pizza pirate (it’s literally in the shape of a pirate ship) and sit on our balcony overlooking washington square park listening to the lingering jazz and conversations of late-night walkers pass by. this was new orleans by night, the time to see the city for what it is.  now that i’ve seen its spirit, i’m a believer.

the best of frenchmen street

the best of frenchmen street

how to travel on a budget: accommodations

a stay at the parker palm springs with a deal from jetsetter

a stay at the parker palm springs with a deal from jetsetter

turns out that traveling can be an expensive hobby, especially when your hotel is costing you an arm and a leg. call me crazy, but when i travel, i tend to spend minimal time in a hotel. while i like to stay in cool places with a great atmosphere and helpful staff, the costs can really add up and take over my travel budget. over the past several years, though, i’ve seen an amazing number of resources pop up devoted to budget travel, many of which have really good deals for hotels. here, i’ve pooled together some of my favorites for obtaining cheaper accommodations.

  • subscribe to every budget travel site you can find. my personal favorites are the ones that include luxury accommodations at discounted prices. try jetsetter, tablet hotels, and living social (check out their escapes section). through jetsetter, my husband and i spent a night at the luxurious and quirky parker palm springs for under $160 (to this day, my favorite hotel). my best friend and i were able to score a hotel one block from union square in san francisco for under $180 per night (rarely can you find anything in that area for under $250). and for our honeymoon, i found a great deal on jetsetter for the hotel hera in athens. it was walking distance to the acropolis, subway, and pedestrian mall, our room had a balcony with a view of the acropolis, and, best of all, we paid in USD and were therefore not subject to fluctuations in the euro. amazing.
our hotel in sedona, purchased from a deal on sniqueaway.com (now owned by jetsetter)

our fantastic hotel in sedona (our room had an outdoor shower!), purchased from a deal on sniqueaway.com (now owned by jetsetter)

  • try an apartment instead of a hotel. when my best friend and i were planning our trip to barcelona, we were struck by how expensive meals were. our solution? we booked an apartment for a week instead of a hotel. the apartment gave us plenty of room to spread out, cost less per night than a hotel in a similar area, and allowed us to have a kitchen where we could prepare lunches or snacks from food purchased at the market. this cut down significantly on meal costs, and we were happy to make our own bed fine with not having our bed made each morning. try airbnb for apartment rentals (or rent a private room in someone’s house/apartment for even cheaper), or search local apartment rental sites online.
just washing some dishes at our apartment in barcelona!

just washing some dishes at our apartment in the fashionable el born district of barcelona!

  • travel in non-peak times. ok, so this isn’t rocket science, but its true. a hotel room on a tuesday night is cheaper than one on a saturday night. however, not all of us have the luxury of unlimited vacation days to spare on midweek travel. instead, try traveling during non-peak months. i have a friend who always takes a trip with her husband over labor day; since kids are already back in school (or soon to be in school), she is able to find cheaper flights and hotels. my husband and i visited new york in the middle of december once for crazy cheap prices. it was after the thanksgiving rush, but before the christmas rush, and both our hotel and flights were much cheaper than usual. january and february are also inexpensive travel months.
  • sign up for every hotel point system, especially if you travel for work. points can add up fast, especially if you take advantage of promotions throughout the year. my marriott points from work have allowed me to stay for free for five nights in dc, two nights in seattle, countless nights in random cities for weddings, and one night at the ritz in half moon bay as part of our california central coast trip last year. i don’t have the matching hotel point credit card, but some of my coworkers have seen even more increases in points through that.

those are some of my favorite tips. what are yours?

our personal fire pit at our free room at the ritz in half moon bay - thanks, marriott points!

our personal fire pit at our free room at the ritz in half moon bay – thanks, marriott points!