There are a ton of great places to check out for a couple of days within driving distance of New Orleans. These recommendations range anywhere from an hour drive to six hours for more of an escape!
For my New Orleans Guide, click here!
The North Shore, LA
Covington and Mandeville are the two main towns north of Lake Pontchartrain. I lived in Covington for six months and got to explore all the North Shore offers! Here are my top recommendations:
Visit Abita Brewing for small batch brews from Louisiana’s largest brewery. Also check out Old Rail Brewing Co, a brewery and restaurant with delicious food options. Chafunkta Brewing Company is a small brewery with tasty brews as well!
Opt outside: Explore Fontainebleau State Park—Camp, kayak, hike, or lounge at the lake shore. Bike the Tammany Trace! It spans 31 miles across the North Shore. Float the Bogue Chitto River—there are several companies that have setups for BYOB tubing. Just keep your eyes peeled for gators and snakes!
Barley Oak is a lakefront bar with a small food menu. A fun spot to hang out! The Chimes is a restaurant with a large tap list and delicious spinach and artichoke dip!
Lounge on the outdoor patio at Coffee Rani, which has delicious coffees and a small food menu. Another great spot to start your day is Liz’s Where Y’at Diner, which is a great spot for breakfast!
Time from central New Orleans: 1 hour
Bay St Louis, MS
Lounge at the beach! This is the closest beach getaway from New Orleans.
Grab food and drinks at The Blind Tiger, a fun spot right on the water!
Visit Lazy Magnolia Brewery, it is just north of Bay St Louis in Kiln and has fantastic dark beers!
Time from central New Orleans: 1 hour
Pensacola Beach
Pensacola, FL
Start your day at The Drowsy Poet Coffee Company. The view of the bay is fantastic!
Lounge at the beach—Pensacola has incredibly soft and white sand to relax on!
After the beach head to Pensacola Bay Brewery. They are located right downtown and have great beers!
Time from central New Orleans: 3 hours
Lafayette, LA
The main reason to go is to visit Parish Brewing in neighboring Broussard, LA. They are one of the top breweries in the country and put out insanely good IPAs.
Another great spot to hang out at is The Wurst Biergarten!
Time from central New Orleans: 2 hours 15 minutes
Southern Prohibition Brewing
Hattiesburg, MS
Hattiesburg is a small little Southern town. While in the area be sure to check out Laurel, MS as well!
Southern Prohibition Brewing is arguably the best brewery in Mississippi and located right downtown in Hattiesburg.
Hike in De Soto National Forest while in the area!
Time from central New Orleans: 2 hours
Baton Rouge, LA
Go up for an LSU game, concert, or just to hang!
Relax at Tin Roof Brewing. They have a wide array of delicious beers, outdoor seating, and frequent live music.
Time from central New Orleans: 1 hour 15 minutes
Great Raft Brewing
Shreveport, LA
Shreveport and Bossier are right next to each other and both have plenty of bars and restaurants to keep you entertained.
Great Raft Brewing is the main attraction you want to be sure to check out. They make incredible IPAs and have a really fun atmosphere!
Time from central New Orleans: 5 hours
Natchez, MS
Natchez is a small historic and charming town!
Start your day at Steampunk Espresso Bar, it is cute and they make great coffee!
Check out the Antebellum mansions like Longwood and Stanton Hall.
Hang out on the river! Spend some time lounging by the water (hopefully with a beer in hand).
Time from central New Orleans: 3 hours
Natchez, MS
Birmingham, AL
I am still surprised by how much I enjoy Birmingham. It is an up and coming city with plenty of things to do!
I highly recommend the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute!
There are several good breweries to check out, such as Trim Tab Brewing, Cahaba Brewing, and Avondale Brewing.
Time from central New Orleans: 5 hours
Houston, TX
Houston is incredible massive so be sure to plan ahead for your visit!
There are a tonnnn of breweries in the Houston area—my top recommendations are Urban South, Buffalo Bayou, Saint Arnold, SpindleTap, and B-52.
Time from central New Orleans: 5 hours
Ocean Springs/Biloxi/Gulfport, MS
This stretch of Gulf Coast has pretty nice beaches and is conveniently close to New Orleans.
In Ocean Springs The Shed BBQ has live music and a fun atmosphere!
In Gulfport Chandeleur Island Brewing Company is located right in the heart of town with a variety of beers on tap.
Time from central New Orleans: 1.5 hours
The Center for Civil and Human Rights
Atlanta, GA
ATL is another massive city with a ton to see and do, be sure to plan ahead to make the most of your visit.
Monday Night Brewing is one of my favorite breweries in the US and has two locations in ATL!
The Vortex is a touristy restaurant but absolutely delicious! I prefer their location in the Little 5 Points neighborhood. The Porter Beer Bar is right around the block and has a wide variety of beers to choose from.
The Center for Civil and Human Rights allows you to explore the Civil Rights Movement and human rights movements around the world.
Time from central New Orleans: 6.5 hours
Orange Beach, AL
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach have the nicest beaches on the Gulf Coast aside from the Florida Panhandle, plan to spend most of your time on the sand!
Flora-Bama is a fun bar on the border of Florida and Alabama. It is very country style and can be a wild place so visit during the day if that’s not your scene.
Check out Fairhope Brewing on your way out of town.
Time from central New Orleans: 2 hours
Memphis, TN
Check out the Blues capital of the world! Memphis is more than just Beale Street so be sure to explore!
Wiseacre Brewing has great beers, be sure to check them out while you’re in town!
Time from central New Orleans: 6 hours
What are your favorite weekend trips from New Orleans? Let me know in the comments!
