New Orleans

New Orleans sits on a bend of the Mississippi River in southeastern Louisiana, with Lake Pontchartrain to the north. It has a character all its own, shaped by French, Spanish, African, Caribbean and Creole roots. Brass bands, jazz, cooking and street celebrations are part of ordinary life here, and they do not feel staged for visitors. Much of the city sits at or below sea level, which explains the levees, the raised houses and the above-ground tombs in the old cemeteries. Most people come for the French Quarter, the music and the food, and many leave planning a second trip.

Start in the French Quarter on foot. Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral anchor the old center, the French Market runs along the edge of the Quarter, and the Mississippi riverfront is a short walk away. The St. Charles Avenue streetcar rolls out to the Garden District, where large old houses stand behind iron fences and Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 draws walking tours. The National WWII Museum fills a good part of a day in the Warehouse District. City Park holds the New Orleans Museum of Art and a sculpture garden, and Audubon Park and its zoo suit families. Tremé, home to Louis Armstrong Park and Congo Square, ties into the roots of jazz.

Eating is a main event. Look for gumbo, jambalaya, red beans and rice, fried seafood, oysters, po'boys and muffulettas, with boiled crawfish in the spring. Beignets and cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde are a classic start to a morning, and Commander's Palace in the Garden District is a well known place for a long Creole lunch. Live music is the other draw. Frenchmen Street in the Marigny has club after club of jazz and blues, Preservation Hall hosts traditional jazz in the Quarter, and Tipitina's is an uptown music hall. Bourbon Street is loud, crowded and aimed at party crowds, so many visitors take their evenings elsewhere.

The French Quarter is the classic base, close to everything but noisy at night. The Warehouse District and Central Business District sit near the National WWII Museum and the Amtrak and bus terminal, and they work well for train travelers. The Marigny puts you beside Frenchmen Street, while the Garden District and Uptown are quieter and sit on the streetcar line. The Quarter and nearby areas can be walked, and streetcars and buses cover the rest, so a car is rarely needed. Parking is hard in the Quarter, and bags left visible in cars invite break-ins. The airport lies in Kenner, west of the city, and a ferry crosses the river to Algiers Point.

Spring and autumn are the best times for comfortable weather and a full calendar. Carnival season builds toward Mardi Gras in late winter, and the date moves each year, so rooms fill early and the city is packed. French Quarter Festival in April and Jazz Fest in late April and early May are the big music weekends. Summer is hot, humid and slower. Hurricane season runs from June through November, with the greatest risk in late summer and early autumn, so watch forecasts and book with flexible terms. Three days gives a proper first visit. Two days feels rushed, and a fourth allows a swamp tour or a visit to a plantation museum such as Whitney.

New Orleans sits where Interstate 10 crosses southern Louisiana. Westbound, it leads to Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Cajun country, and on toward Houston. Eastbound, it reaches the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Mobile. Interstate 55 runs north toward Jackson and Memphis. Union Passenger Terminal, beside the Superdome, is the Amtrak station. The City of New Orleans runs north to Memphis and Chicago, the Crescent runs northeast through Atlanta to Washington and New York, and the Sunset Limited runs west toward Houston, San Antonio and Los Angeles. The city makes a rewarding turning point on a Gulf Coast or Deep South trip.