By Expedia Local Expert, on May 16, 2015

7 reasons to visit New Orleans right now

A bottle of Crystal’s Louisiana hot sauce on every table, the spice-laden aromas of Cajun cuisine, the exuberant strains of a brass band—no American city has more Caribbean panache, European flair, or bayou-voodoo goodness to spare than New Orleans. From the wrought-iron balconies of the French Quarter to the moss-draped oaks of City Park, the antebellum mansions of Esplanade Avenue to the Mardi Gras madness along St. Charles, and the old-timey streetcars to the made-with-love cuisine, there’s an undeniable allure to this storied metropolis on the banks of the mighty, muddy Mississippi.

Bartender, mix me up a Vieux Carré and put on some of that jazz—we’re going to NOLA, baby. Here are our tops tips for soaking up the magic in and around the Big Easy.

1. Cocktails

No, we don’t mean Hurricanes, though sipping rum punch at Pat O’Brien’s is part of the city’s fabric. New Orleans is the birthplace of a top-shelf array of classic cocktails, including the city’s signature absinthe-laced Sazerac, the sparkling French 75, and the frothy Ramos Gin Fizz. The bars here have stories to tell, too: Hemingway used to linger over libations at the Carousel Piano Bar in

Hotel Monteleone, and Arnaud’s was serving spirits before—and during—Prohibition (in discreet coffee mugs). A guided cocktail tour can give you a behind-the-scenes look at spots like the green, purple, and gold room at Antoine’s restaurant, where the elite Mardi Gras krewe Rex gathers. Laissez les bon temps rouler, indeed!

2. The French Quarter

It’s not all Bourbon Street debauchery in the most famous pocket of the city. The architecture is distinctly colonial—despite the name, it’s mostly from the era of Spanish rule—and the charm of its colorful buildings, scrollwork railings, and haunted apartments is so butter-thick you could spread it on a biscuit. Ogle at the window displays of antique shops between Canal Street and the waterfront French Market, take in the moody atmosphere on a spooky nighttime ghost tour through above-ground cemeteries, or ride a Segway to historic sites like the St. Louis Cathedral and Caribbean pirate Jean Lafitte’s old bar.

3. The Bayou

Head out of the city, and it won’t be long before you find yourself surrounded by marshy wetlands as far as the eye can see. Shaped and fed by the Mississippi delta and the brackish waters off the Gulf, these fragile ecosystems are home to alligators, Spanish moss-draped cypress trees, and Cajun culture. Board a canal boat for a slow-paced cruise through gator country, or hop into an airboat for a high-speed ride through the swamps of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve.

4. Jazz

In the birthplace of the genre, you’d have to be trying not to catch some live music during your stay. The Old U.S. Mint in the French Quarter hosts free concerts in the afternoons, and jazz clubs abound on Frenchmen Street and throughout the city. Walk under what just might be the best park entrance gate in the country and kick back in historic Louis Armstrong Park—the great Satchmo was a NOLA native. If you like your music with a dose of sunshine, breakfast, and boozy morning beverages, don’t miss the weekly jazz brunch at the Court of Two Sisters, where you can dine in a shaded courtyard, fill up on Creole cooking, and listen the sweet rhythms of a live jazz band ‘til the saints go marching in.

5. Hurricane Katrina

It’s hard to think New Orleans without bringing to mind the 2005 hurricane that broke the levees and flooded the city, destroying homes and leaving entire wards in ruin. Perhaps no other place but New Orleans could have rebounded in the way that this city has, but it’s an understatement to say that locals—and many displaced former residents—still feel the effects of that terrible storm.  Special tours can give you insight into what happened before, during, and after Katrina, bringing you up close to the city’s levees, bridges, canals, and bayous. For an uplifting look at the spirit of hope that drives the city’s renewal, visit the House of Dance & Feathers. Located in the Lower Ninth Ward, this museum-in-a-home features a collection of bright, feathered costumes, harboring uniquely New Orleanian traditions like the fantastic Mardi Gras Indians and the music-driven social club parades.

6. Plantation country

There’s something magical about the South—a certain romance to those stately antebellum mansions, the sun-dappled ground beneath heavy live oaks evoking sultry summer days spent sipping sweet tea on colonnaded porches. A walk past the regal Greek Revival and Victorian mansions of the Garden District offers a glimpse into Uptown’s generations-old wealth. Visit the 1850s House of Broel for a peek into the elegant interiors and grand architecture of the neighborhood’s golden age, or tour sprawling estates in the River Road region: Oak Alley is iconic for its quarter-mile tunnel of 300-year-old trees, and the Laura Plantation provides a firsthand look at both the luxurious furnishings of a Creole sugar baron’s mansion and the preserved slave cabins and gardens behind the house.

7. Cajun, Creole, and Southern cuisine

Gumbo. Jambalaya. Po’boys. Beignets. Crawfish Etouffée. Red beans and rice. Muffulettas. Oysters Rockefeller. Shrimp remoulade. Andouille sausage. Pralines. Bananas Foster. King cakes. Are you hungry yet? In New Orleans, European haute cuisine meets Caribbean ingredients, African influences, and home-style Southern cooking for one of the most delicious culinary confluences in the country. Stop for specialties in delis and dives (we recommend the po’boy at the Parkway Bakery and Tavern and the muffuletta from Central Grocery) as well as white-tablecloth establishments (the Commander’s Palace serves an elegant weekday lunch with the NOLA-esque perk of 25-cent martinis). After you’ve tasted your favorites, a hands-on cooking class is the perfect way to get familiar with the ingredients that kick up the heat in Cajun cooking, so you can keep eating Big Easy-style long after you’ve left Louisiana.

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What do you love most about New Orleans?