Working toward my “all 50 states before I’m 30” goal, I had a plan to one day road trip through the Gulf Coast and hit Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama! I dreamed of cruising along a coastal road, stopping at shops through the small towns, and eating some damn good food. I’m proud to report that I did them all! These are my total costs for a weekend on the Gulf Coast!
All amounts are in USD
Airfare – $11.20
I decided to fly both in and out of New Orleans and make that my “home base” for the trip. Although it wasn’t the most central, it was the easiest to get to and had so much to offer!
I redeemed JetBlue points for the flights and my out of pocket cost was only $11.20. The roundtrip flight was 26,400 JetBlue points. However, because I booked with my JetBlue Plus Card, I receive a 10% return on all flights booked with points. Therefore, these flights only set me back 23,760 points. Not bad for non-stop flights on President’s Day Weekend!
I set up a Google Flight alert for this flight back in the fall to monitor prices. I wasn’t feeling optimistic because even when the price would adjust, it was always in the $400-500 RT range (which was too much for me!). However, I got an alert that the price fell into the $200’s and I jumped on it immediately and decided to redeem points.
Transportation – $252.37
The key to a road trip is of course, the car. I booked a rental car for $173.37. I was shocked when I initially saw prices, but gave in after monitoring for a few weeks and seeing no movement. At the end of the day, I had to bite the bullet and accept the fact that prices would be inflated on not only a long weekend, but also the weekend before Mardi Gras. The tourism was in full force!
Parking was one thing that I wish I would have considered more. New Orleans is an old city, with many narrow one-way streets. When I arrived, I went straight to the French Quarter, where parking is nearly impossible. There are a couple larger lots on the water, but unfortunately were at capacity by the time I arrived. I was able to find a small “lot” (that had room for a maximum of 4 cars) and had to download an app to pay for parking. $30 later, and I was able to keep it parked for the rest of the day.
My second day in New Orleans, I got up early and was able to park on the street for free for the first half of the day. After moving it to drive to lunch, I came back and was able to find a spot in a cheaper lot for only $17. Parking fees for the trip totaled $47.
I booked an economy car and only had to fill up once for the entire trip. I put $32 in the gas tank before returning.
Accommodations – $121.90
While New Orleans was my “home base” for my flights, my real “home base” was in Diamondhead, Mississippi. I chose there because it was pretty equidistant between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama. It would be a perfect half-way point between my Gulf Coast road trip, and exploring NOLA.
Diamondhead is a quirky little place. There isn’t much to write home about, other than it is just a large, random subdivision smack-dab in the middle of nowhere. The town is some bizarre little bubble. Not to say I didn’t enjoy it, I just found the whole thing fascinating. Additionally, all the streets and apartment complexes are Hawaiian, and some of their buildings looked like you’d find them in Maui (rather than in Mississippi). Of course, one could presume the naming is because the town is named after the famous Diamond Head on O’ahu. I found it wildly intriguing.
I stayed at my Airbnb for 2 nights, and the total was $121.90.
Entertainment – $44
The only entertainment that I booked for myself was a Cemetery, History, and WTF is Voodoo Tour. New Orleans has such a rich, diverse history. I encourage everyone who visits this city to take a walking tour (I’ve heard the nighttime ghost tours are also amazing)!
One of the absolute highlights was getting a chance to walk through one of New Orleans’ many above-ground cemeteries. To protect the tombs, the city has restricted entrance to only those with certified tour guides. Therefore, booking a tour would be the only way to get inside! I definitely felt like I was part of a cattle herd, which I absolutely hate doing when I travel. It makes me feel like I’m engaging in mass tourism and that the Travel Gods are frowning upon me. However, this is different. This is a cultural experience, and gives you such a unique insight to the history of the city. An absolute must-do, in my opinion.
The tour cost $39 and I gave a $5 tip to my guide at the end.
Food – $95
The food! I could write an entire blog post about the beignets at Cafe du Monde, or the fact that I fell so in love with the fried chicken at Willie Mae’s, that I literally went back for more. Thankfully, this kind of home-cookin’ sticks to your ribs and was able to hold me over for most of the days. My wallet thanked me!
Unfortunately, I just cannot get myself to eat seafood, so you’ll have to look to someone else for recommendations on your crawfish boils and shrimp po’boys!
All amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar, for ease.
Day 1 (New Orleans)
Coffee upon arrival – $4
Linner at Willie Mae’s – $22
Ice Cream at night – $5
Day 2 (Gulf Coast Road Trip)
Waffle House (an obvious stop in the South!) – $12
Linner at The Shed BBQ (incredible barbecue!)- $16
Snack from A&M Peanut Shop in Mobile – $3
Day 3 (New Orleans)
Beignets and hot chocolate at Cafe du Monde – $8
Linner at Willie Mae’s (again) – $22
Snack at the airport before flying home – $3
Misc. – $15
I’m not much a souvenir person. I prefer to document and remember my trips through the photos and videos I take. If I do get something, it’s usually something small like a magnet or postcard (since real estate in my luggage is scarce anyway!). Unless something is screaming out at me to buy it, I usually walk away.
On this trip, I saw a small necklace in a boutique in the French Quarter. It had three small pendants on it and they all represent “bravery” in a different way. I thought this was very fitting, as I was on one of my many solo trips- proving to myself just how brave I can be! The necklace was $15.
Total Cost – $539.47
For under $550, I was able to spend three full days exploring the historic and vibrant streets of New Orleans, eating some of the best food I’ve ever eaten, and walking on beaches with sand between my toes. Not bad! Of course, utilizing points to cover hotel stays, and checking sites like Groupon can help alleviate these costs even more. Travel absolutely does not have to be expensive, and here is the proof!
Looking for more insight into the costs of my trips? Check out my Total Costs page for transparent looks into the trips I take.
Traveling soon? Check out my Travel Tips page to help you score good deals on flights, packing tips, tools to help you plan, and more!
No Comments