New Orleans Vacations

Describing the French Quarter is no small task. It boasts boutiques, bars, historic landmarks, voodoo temples and cafés in an area founded by the French, Spanish in look, with a Creole twist. Bourbon Street’s nightlife and LGBTQ scene are legendary. Café du Monde on Decatur is a classic, serving up chicory coffee and beignets. Music lovers, there’s a ready supply of local talent to jazz up your evenings.

Mardi Gras has evolved since it started in Medieval Europe, but one thing has never changed: it’s a big party. The day before Ash Wednesday, the “Fat Tuesday” parade caps a month of masks, feathers, marching bands, floats with smiling heads, bead-tossing and king cake sugared in the official parade colours: purple for justice, green for faith and gold for power. You have to see it with your own eyes.

Bordered by old buildings like the St. Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square is alive with street artists, brass bands and fortune tellers. The National World War II Museum is a moving display of history and heroism. The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum educates and amuses with art, relics… and séances. Don’t miss the vintage St. Charles Streetcar to the Garden District for 19th-century mansions and fabulous food.

Just steps from the French Quarter, Louis Armstrong Park honours the legendary trumpeter with outdoor performances in a verdant setting. Lake Pontchartrain is the country’s second-largest inland saltwater body, crossed by one of the longest continuous bridges in the world. So what is there to do? Sailing, of course. But you’ll also find parks, bike paths, kayak and canoe rentals and waterfront restaurants.