New Orleans, Louisiana

It has been said that New Orleans, Louisiana, celebrates indulgence like no other U.S. city; its reputation for feasting and revelry, especially during Mardi Gras, is legendary. After Hurricane Katrina, the city rebuilt with fervor and tourism is flourishing. New restaurants, hotels and attractions draw millions of visitors to the city each year.

Although some neighborhoods still struggle with the aftermath of the storm, visitors to New Orleans' Central Business District, the French Quarter, Faubourg Marigny neighborhood, the Garden District and Uptown along St. Charles Avenue and Magazine Street will find a city alive and thriving.

In this city synonymous with resilience and rebirth, it takes more than a hurricane or an oil spill to make New Orleanians lose their appetite for fun, food and merriment.

New Orleans is an extraordinary city, and with its unique culture and history, it has long enchanted a wide variety of visitors with a yearning for the romantic, the spiritual, the beautiful or the off-beat. (In what other U.S. city would a voodoo priestess be buried next to the mayor's family, or funerals be celebrated with a jazz band and a processional?) That magic feeling is stronger than ever, a calling card to a city with a spirit too beautiful to ever break.

Top Things to Do in New Orleans

Sights

St. Louis Cathedral and the French Quarter (also called Vieux Carre); the Garden District; Woldenberg Riverfront Park; an aboveground cemetery; the view of the city from Algier's Point.

Museums

The Ogden Museum of Southern Art; The Cabildo; the Historic New Orleans Collection; the National World War II Museum; the Southern Food and Beverage Museum (SoFAB); the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Memorable Meals

Whole roasted fish at Peche Seafood Grill; trout amandine at Galatoire's; fried chicken and Creole gumbo at the legendary Dooky Chase; turtle soup at Commander's Palace.

Late Night

Frenchmen Street music and nightlife; Rock 'n' Bowl for all types of music; Tipitina's for local acts; Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro for traditional jazz; Preservation Hall for all-ages jazz shows off Bourbon Street; coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde.

Walks

Gallery hopping along Royal Street; a nighttime stroll along The Moonwalk to view the Mississippi; daytime walks along St. Charles Avenue and through Audubon Park; the neighborhoods of the Garden District.

Especially for Kids

The Discovery Garden at Longue Vue House and Gardens; Audubon Aquarium of the Americas; the Audubon Zoo; the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium; Carousel Gardens Amusement Park in City Park.