Merrying in Louisiana

The glittery holiday lobby at New Orleans' Roosevelt Hotel

I enjoyed two quick trips to Louisiana this season, and both let me squeeze a little extra Christmas into my December!

Natchitoches

To keep the holiday feels rolling, Shawn, Susan and I decided to spend a weekend in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Each year, this little town (Louisiana's oldest city) celebrates Christmas in a BIG way. Think tons of lights, live music, oodles of cute shops, a decorated boat parade, and a metric ton of fireworks each weekend, and you've got it about right.

Natchitoches does the
holidays up right! 

We'd booked rooms at the Chateau St. Denis Hotel way ahead of time. (So far ahead of time, I think we overpaid. After discussing with fellow patrons, we learned that you should expect to pay about $350 per night for a double room during the height of the season. Don't pay more!) We drove down on Friday morning, stopping in cute little Monroe for lunch at Restaurant Cotton. (I'd been here before, and the food is good, but service was very very slow on this cloudy Friday for some reason.) I got the steak skewer, which was delicious, but we spent way too much time waiting for our food here.

After lunch, we shopped West Monroe's bedecked Antique Alley, then hit the road again. We arrived in Natchitoches in time to check into our hotel and enjoy some complimentary hot chocolate and cookies before heading to dinner at Maglieaux's. What a great little place! We had reservations, and they seated us immediately. I tucked into their Christmas margarita (Think a regular marg, but with cranberry juice and a fun rim!) and their delicious (and very rich) Crawfish Monica. (The waitress here was hilarious and completely honest about the menu and the town. Four stars!)

After enjoying our dinner, it was off to see the lights and explore! The whole riverfront is brilliantly lit for the holidays, and all the shops are open late and leaning into the Christmas spirit. Along the banks of the Cane River (which is really just a very long lake), light displays are set up. It was a warm night, so we took a lovely boat ride to get a closer look and admire the city from the water. Some of the houses had light displays on their piers, as well. So pretty and festive! (We also had the chance to meet Santa - who got a big kick out of us - and dance like crazy people through their psychedelic light tunnel! Whoop!)

Tuckered out from a long day, we headed back to the hotel and to bed.

Lights reflected on the Cane River

On Saturday morning, we slept in and enjoyed free hot breakfast (which was actually quite good) at the hotel. Then, we gussied up in our holiday finery (We had it all - headbands, earrings, light up necklaces, etc.) and headed back out to shop and explore. 

Natchitoches is the town where much of the movie Steel Magnolias was shot, and you see evidence of the town's movie history in lots of places. We posed with some life-sized cut outs of Dolly Parton and Julia Roberts at the visitors' center, then found nirvana at Cane River Kitchenware. (So much good stuff here - flavored vinegars and oils, tons of kitchen equipment, inventive coffees, great sweet BBQ sauce - Do not miss! The place is owned by a chef, and it shows!)

Many of the riverfront shops
have bites and sips and photo ops!

When we got hungry, we popped into The Loft for gumbo, meat pies, and drinks. Sated, we headed back to the hotel for a break before our big night! On Saturdays, the whole town fills up for the evening show. The program starts at about 5 p.m. with a lighted boat parade. Local boat owners deck out their vessels, dress up in costume, and circle the waterfront several times, music blaring. Some of the boats are very elaborate! 

Afterwards, local authorities close the bridge above the river, so you can stroll it and get a view of all the lights and spectacle from above. Gorgeous. All the while, different bands are playing on the mainstage, and food vendors are selling all kinds of treats.  

At 7 p.m., the real show begins - about 30 minutes of spectacular fireworks, set to Christmas music. Y'all know how I love fireworks. I have found my people in Natchitoches, Louisiana! It was a solid half-hour of gunpowder for Jesus, with the brilliant show reflected in the water. Just wonderful. 

We were a little hungry after the fireworks show, but every food line and restaurant was packed, so we headed back to our hotel. We ordered a drink in the bar and bought popcorn at the sundry shop, then called it a night! 

The next morning, we had a lovely breakfast in the hotel before driving pretty much straight through back home. A fun jaunt!

New Orleans

I had to be in New Orleans on business in mid-December, and I took one night out to enjoy some holiday lights! There are four main hotel lobbies I like to visit in New Orleans around the holidays: The Roosevelt, the Ritz, Windsor Court, and the Hotel Monteleone. They all have elaborately decorated lobbies and fun little bars for drinks and snacks! 

Lovely lobby at the Ritz

We started at The Roosevelt, where a forest of lit trees makes a popular place for engagements. I had a bracing holiday drink in their Sazerac Bar. Then, we moved on to the Ritz! Their lobby is on the second floor, and it features both beautiful lights and huge gingerbread creations every Christmas. (This year, it was a nearly life-sized gingerbread streetcar, its windows featuring portraits of famous Louisianans.) 

Then, it was on to the Monteleone. Lit trees and golden reindeer greeted us, clustered around the hotel's historic lobby clock. (Pro tip: Across the street from the Monteleone is Sucre, which is perfect for special holiday treats! The night we were there, they had a host of glittery cupcakes on offer!) Our last stop was Windsor Court, with its towering lobby tree and sweet miniature train set. They'd added a feature this year - a tree on which guests could hang paper ornaments they'd written their holiday wishes on. It was so sweet to read them! 

We had more plans (visit a holiday pop-up bar, go out for a nice dinner), but they were cancelled due to some tornado activity in the area (because #mylife), so we stayed in. Regardless, a quick trip to see the sparkly lights is always welcome! 

Happy holidays!

If the fireworks in Natchitoches don't get you
in the Christmas spirit, nothing will.