New Orleans, Louisiana welcomes one and all to its wealth of cultural history and unparalleled entertainment. Before the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, New Orleans was inhabited by the French, given to Spain, and eventually ceded back to France again. After the Haitian Revolution thousands of freed people from Central Africa and Haiti rushed to New Orleans, bringing with them a blend of customs that remain essential to the city’s sizzling flavor. The Cajuns found solace in New Orleans arms too, adding lively music and their celebrated cuisine to the mix. Come visit this hot spot of the American South; the only place where you will find a refreshing mix of European roots, Caribbean influences, and Cajun zest boldly represented in the local architecture, cuisine, and one-of-a-kind entertainment. Based along the Mississippi River, the Port of New Orleans booms with cotton and tobacco river trade, and dominates the Caribbean as the trade stop for island crops like sugar cane, rum, and fruit. The plethora of settlers and visitors has produced an eclectic architectural style that is certainly camera-worthy; St. Charles Avenue is famous for its Antebellum homes and mansions reminiscent of the Greek Revival, Colonial, and Victorian styles. Be sure to appreciate the world-famous European-style Catholic cemeteries as you move along the beat of the city street. New Orleans is the melting pot of musical life, the birthplace of jazz and Zydeco rhythm, and home to many of the most famed musicians, from Louis Armstrong to Lenny Kravitz. Visitors from across the world flock to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Carnival season, known for its final day of Mardi Gras, relishing in exceptional music, food, arts and crafts. You will be surrounded by legendary cuisine where local ingredients and traditional flavors leave you in awe; try native favorites like the Po’boy, jambalaya, gumbo, or red beans and rice. With over 1,500 restaurants, and celebrity class chefs, choose from mouth-watering restaurants like Galatoire’s and Emeril’s and local hotspots like Ralph’s on the Park, Acme Oyster House, and the Gumbo Shop. Dive into the flourishing night life with venues like Harrah’s New Orleans Casino and the riverboat Treasure Chest Casino. With the Contemporary Arts Center and New Orleans Museum of Art and fun-filled venues like Audubon Zoo and Aquarium of the Americas, the family will not be disappointed. Sports fans revel in games by the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and NBA’s New Orleans Hornets, while the wetlands of the Mississippi River furnish ecosystems vibrant with commercial fishing, birding, and beautiful parks. Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy the annual fishing competition, Tarpon Rodeo, with speckled trout and redfish. In 2005, the floods and failed levees of Hurricane Katrina caused the worst civil engineering disaster in American history. The vibrant and colorful city held strong to its rich roots, however, and today New Orleans opens its arms to you and yours as it ushers in the good ol’ New Orleans Creole and Cajun spirit once again.