New Orleans Attractions and Travel Information

In the midst of our rushing, cock-sure world lies a languorous oasis of time. Locals lovingly call it the Big Easy. For the uninitiated, it's New Orleans.

New Orleans has a way of being different things to different people. Part European, part American. Part modern, part Colonial. Part laid-back, part cutting-edge. It's a world wrapped up in its own identity crisis.

Exploring New Orleans is like courting a beautiful, mysterious woman who loves to tease and surprise.

The crescent city follows the lines of the curvaceous Mississippi. It was here, on a bend of the river that the city first originated as a Native American trading post.

New Orleans was founded in 1718 by French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville.

Start your tour of New Orleans by paying a tribute to the Mississippi at the Riverwalk. Some might argue that a more fitting tribute would be to take the Algiers Ferry, which offers river cruises across the Mississippi. The ferry docks at Canal Street- which divides the French Quarter from uptown to downtown (Garden District). Great shopping can be enjoyed here at the Riverwalk Mall and Canal Street shopping center.

Some of the finest New Orleans hotels are to be found right here on Canal Street. The magnificent JW Marriott serves as an entrance to the French Quarter and is conveniently close to Bourbon Street revelry. The Radisson Hotel (5 blocks North of the French Quarter) tempts you with an exhilarating heated whirlpool as you soak into the laid-back New Orleans charm.

While here, don't miss the New Orleans Convention Center, the Museum of Art and the eye-catching Superdome. Each adds to the distinctive New Orleans character in its own way. Holding court between the French Quarter and the Superdome, the Ramada Inn Suites adds a new dimension of spaciousness and luxury to your New Orleans stay.

A leisurely walk from the Louisiana Superdome, Hotel Le Cirque (#2 Lee Circle) offers unrivaled views of over 23 Mardi Gras parades at Carnival time. A stone's throw from the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, the Hotel is an inseparable part of the vivacious, funky spirit of New Orleans with its many galleries, shops and onsite restaurants. With the Louisiana Children's Museum and Ernest N. Morial Convention Center as neighborhood attractions, Hotel Le Cirque makes for an eventful stay. Don't miss the incredible shopping at nearby Julia street, where some of New Orleans' finest Art Galleries can be found.

Acclaimed as the "Crown Jewel of Crescent City", the Ritz Carlton offers a real taste of New Orleans - now resplendent with its historic renovation and restoration. Savor a premium cigar from the walk-in humidor or a chard of chocolate from the chocolate cart- or saunter through the spectacular French Quarter style courtyard.

Across Canal Street, the French Quarter beckons with its architectural splendor, street performers and boisterous nightlife.

Step into Chartres Street as you make your way to the French Quarter. Le Richlieu can't be missed for its sheer historical significance to the French Quarter. Chartres Street is also famous for The Old Ursuline Convent built around 1750. Across the street, don't miss the post-Civil War residence of the Confederate General- better known as the Beauregard-Keyes House.

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