Man … I wish I was complaining about how warm it is instead of fussing over the number of layers I had to wear to leave my house this week. However, I am grateful I had the chance to experience a little bit of what beautiful New Orleans has to offer, and the city’s unseasonably warm December weather didn’t hurt! So, let’s get right to it.

I left a rainy Los Angeles and arrived to a hot and humid New Orleans on a mid-December Wednesday evening — does watching the sunset from an airplane ever get old? Getting to watch one as we departed our layover in Houston, Texas, made the layover almost worth it!

Once in NOLA, I easily navigated through Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, requested an Uber right outside of the terminal and headed to the hotel; luckily, Nathan got in earlier that day, and the check-in process was already taken care of. We stayed at Le Pavillon Hotel, a chic and historic property perfectly and conveniently located in the Central Business District. Large golden mirrors, fine marble and elegant chandeliers are predominant in the hotel’s main floor where the lobby, bar and restaurant are located. It was delicately decorated for the holidays during our stay which — to us — made it seem even dreamier. In his book, Built to Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels East of the Mississippi, Stanley Turkel explains the Versailles-like accents weren’t added until a change in ownership in the 1970s. This and many other events contributed to the hotel’s placement on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S Department of the Interior.

As beautiful as the property was, there were a few restrictions and health and safety protocols in place, so not all amenities were available — sadly including the rooftop pool and patio and room service. Although that slightly limited our time spent there, we still wound up not wanting to leave the room on our last day. That first night — and this has become our tradition whenever we travel — we stayed in and ordered takeout to allow ourselves time to get acclimated and enjoy a good rest before diving into our destination. We ordered takeout from True Food Kitchen, a chic and all things eco-friendly restaurant with healthy and hearty options. We tried the charred cauliflower and the teriyaki quinoa bowl and were amazed how much flavor there was in something not drenched in oils and seasonings. We ordered again on our last night in town, and, overall, this place got a 9.5/10 from us.

After a fulfilling meal and a great night’s sleep, we ventured out for breakfast at the first must-try place on our itinerary: District Donuts. We took a lovely, leisurely stroll in the 75-degree weather and literally warmed up to the city. Though long and hot, the walk was worth it; stay tuned for more on what this place offers in my next blog …

— Yasser Ogando, advertising & production manager