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62 | New Orleans, Louisiana Under a cotton-candy sky, bursts of brass and laughter are swallowed by balmy night air, sweet with sugar from wee-hour beignets. Gas lamps flicker at the doors of antiques shops on Royal, undisturbed by the cacophony of nearby Bourbon Street. Shiny beads festoon old wooden balconies and the ornate wrought-iron fences and ancient live-oaks down St. Charles, marking the routes of the krewes who make this city's Mardi Gras among the world's best. Together, this could only be New Orleans. Named as one of the best cities on the planet for dining by Food + Wine, Saveur, and the Travel Channel; ranked just under New York for nightlife by U.S. News & World Reports; and counted among the top ten cities in the world by Travel + Leisure quirky charm is key in the Crescent City. For instance, Magazine Street's six miles of shopping are disguised in Greek Revival and Victorian cottage architecture. Streetcars still rumble through the Garden District to Audubon Park and its zoo, or down Canal to City Park and the New Orleans Museum of Art, from where you can walk to the Fairgrounds, where horses concede their track to musicians every year for Jazz Fest— one of over a dozen large-scale music and food festivals that occur throughout the year. Before long, you'll learn what it means to miss New Orleans. NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA The Big Easy 0 1/4 mi miles 0 250 m The Jackson Brewery The Shops at Canal Place Mississippi River FRENCH QUARTER WAREHOUSE DISTRICT St. Peter St. St. Ann St. Dauphine St. Orleans St. St. Louis St. Toulouse St. Conti St. Bienville St. Poydras St. Lafayette St. Girod St. Julia St. St. Joseph St. Common St. Gravier St. Perdido St. Union St. Iberville St. Iberville St. Canal St. Canal St. Burgundy St. Rampart St. Basin St. Elk Pl. Bourbon St. Royal St. Decatur St. Magazine St. Camp St. St. Charles Ave. Carondelet St. Baronne St. O'Keefe Ave. S. Rampart St. Loyola Ave. Chartres St. Tchoupitoulas St. N. Peters St. S. Peters St. Fulton St. Convention Center Blvd. BUS 90 10 Jackson Sq. Lafayette Sq. St. Louis Cemetery French Market St. Louis Cathedral Spanish Plaza Woldenberg Riverfront Park Riverwalk Marketplace Audubon Aquarium of the Americas World Trade Center 3 1 2 5 4 6 13 7 8 9 10 14 12 Daytime Jazz – Cruise Only Step aboard the Steamboat Natchez for a cruise from the Quarter, and have a freshly prepared meal as you glide down the Mississippi. French Quarter Walking Tour Follow a local expert through the French Market, Jackson Square, and to see gris-gris potions at the Pharmacy Museum. Ghosts and Spirits Nighttime Walking Tour Visit the eerie scenes of ghost stories and examine voodoo ceremony relics in "the most haunted city in America." New Orleans Original Cocktail Walking Tour Try the city's most famous cocktails and learn their origins. Must be 21 or older to take this tour. Super City Tour Walk among the mausoleums of the "Cities of the Dead," hear stories of voodoo and piracy, and see the mansions of St. Charles Avenue. Paddle & Wheel Tour See the best of the city with a combination daytime steamboat jazz cruise and comprehensive Super City Tour. Big Easy Jazz Tour Listen to the many sounds of jazz at a French Quarter jazz club and Musical Legends Park. Must be 21 or older to take this tour. Airboat Swamp Tour – Large Boat Observe the nesting grounds of alligators and egrets while learning about the wetlands they inhabit. Not recommended for pregnant women, children under 5, and people with neck/back injuries/conditions. Hurricane Katrina Tour Listen to an eyewitness account while driving through the most impacted neighborhoods, and come away with a deep understanding of the tragedy and the city's rebirth. VACATION ENHANCING TOURS Fall under the spell of one of the world's most captivating cities by chooing one of these tours. Consult your travel agent for more details on these and other tours. 11

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