New Orleans

Jazz Fest Express: Travel with Ease

Grayline New Orleans is once again offering the best way to get to the Jazz Fest...take their Jazz Fest Express...the ONLY shuttle that can bring you INSIDE the gates of the FESTIVAL. On all seven days of the Fest...April 24, 25, 25, 30, May 1, 2 and 3...ride roundtrip in air-conditioned comfort! Day of sales begin at 9:30 am at all departure locations. All shuttles begin at 10:30 am and… Read More »

Getting Around New Orleans

by Shawn Plep Tourists and visitors who really want to see the beautiful city of New Orleans there need to be prepared to get around using both public and private transportation. While the public buses can be acceptable at times, they probably aren't the best option for most sightseers. When walking isn't practical and when no private car is available, here are a few other methods visitors should consider: A… Read More »

College Bowl fans: stay and play!

With two exciting football bowl games on the way, New Orleans' Tourism Industry is ready to welcome fans with plenty of hotel options and unparalleled hospitality and culture! R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl - December 21, 2008 75th Allstate Sugar Bowl Football Classic - January 2, 2009 Football fans will continue to fill the city as New Orleans welcomes thousands of guests to two annual football favorites, the R+L Carriers… Read More »

Krewe of Boo: A Kid Friendly Halloween

Looking for a safe, cultural way to spend Halloween this year? Bring the family and everyone you know to the Krewe of Boo parade, the city's first Halloween parade, set to roll downtown October 31st. The parade is also first in New Orleans to have a completely charitable cause, benefiting the First Responders Fund, a charitable organization set up to help police officers get back into their homes post Katrina.… Read More »

Experiencing New Orleans’ Neighboring Parishes

New Orleans is the most well-known and most-visited destination in Louisiana, and understandably so! From the restaurants in New Orleans to the festivals to the shops in the French Quarter - there's a lot to do and to experience in the city of New Orleans. But just in case you're running out of things to do or see...consider the outskirts of New Orleans and the parishes outside of Jefferson and… Read More »

Louis Armstrong’s New Orleans

by ERROL LABORDE Were it not for Tad Jones, jazz history would be off by 13 months. Jones was the local jazz researcher who made the discovery that Louis Armstrong was wrong about the date he gave for his birth. Armstrong had claimed he was born on July 4, 1900 - certainly a festive date with a nice round number. Jones, however, located Armstrong's baptismal records at Sacred Heart church… Read More »

Good Time Had by All at

By Marica Mackenroth One of the greatest things about living in New Orleans is the abundance of celebration and events. Residents see each and every event as a chance to celebrate their heritage and come together as people. This year, the city celebrated Independence Day with true New Orleans grace and style. Each year, the Riverfront Marketing Group throws its annual "Go 4th on the River" Fourth of July Event.… Read More »

July 4, 1776: The history

by Errol Laborde * July 4th was on a Thursday in 1776 so it would have been a busy day for fishermen who were preparing to bring their catches to the markets in Catholic New Orleans for the next day's meatless Friday. *Louisiana's Spanish governor, Luis de Unzaga, was secretly helping the American cause by arranging for five tons of gun powder to be shipped up the Mississippi, under the… Read More »

ERROL LABORDE’S COMMENTARY: Snowball Men

by Errol Laborde When George Ortolano would leave for work each day he could rightfully say that he was off to see the wizard. He could even go one step further and say that he was off to make the wizard. Ortolano, who died at 86 in 2002, was a craftsman who never got the publicity he deserved. He created a machine that triggered a native industry. At the risk… Read More »

Louisiana should officially adopt the Sazerac

by ERROL LABORDE Granted, this is not the most pressing issue facing the legislature, but still alive (though barely) is the proposal to name the Sazerac as the state's official cocktail. Early in the session the idea ran into flak from mostly upstate lawmakers who saw evil in giving sanction to an alcoholic drink. (Curiously, wine is mentioned in the bible far more often than milk, the state's official drink.)… Read More »