If you're looking for a fun time without major flight times, it doesn't get much easier than The Big Easy. New Orleans is where the jazz is cool, the jambalaya is hot and every day is a party.
Of course, the city's annual Mardi Gras celebration is the party to end all parties. For two weeks each winter, Bourbon Street explodes in a kaleidoscope of parades, street entertainers, colorful beads and elaborate masks. All the while, brass marching bands fill the air with the sounds of ragtime and dixieland. Would you expect anything less from the birthplace of jazz?
So much of New Orleans is a feast for the eyes. The French Quarter is famous for its unique architecture of colorful walls and elaborate iron balconies, existing just as it did during Spanish rule two centuries ago. Take a walk down Royal Street where window shopping becomes an art form at its elegant antique shops and art galleries. Historic Jackson Square feature street-corner painters, tarot readers and specialty shops, plus St. Louis Cathedral - the oldest cathedral in the U.S.
Save room in your New Orleans feast for pleasing your palate with the tastes of Creole and Cajun cooking. Like the city itself, New Orleans cuisine is a delicious melding of French, Spanish, Cuban and African traditions, plus a host of others tossed into the cultural stew. |
