New Orleans

New Orleans is located in Louisiana 110 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico. The attractive thriving city sits on the edge of the muddy Mississippi on a boggy marsh that in some places is five feet below sea level. The climate is muggy and warm, with mild winters and warm summers and a substantial amount of rainfall. The rain, mixed with the position by the river, places the city in a precarious position, however, it is surrounded by levees and channeled with an elaborate drainage system to keep it from flooding.

Highlights include the Superdome, the convention center, the New Orleans Symphony, the Audubon Park and Zoological Gardens, the New Orleans City Ballet and a city park that is the fifth largest in the United States. The old section of town, called the French Quarter, draws millions of visitors each year, especially during the Mardi Gras when everyone in town participates.

New Orleans has been synonymous with Jazz and good food practically forever, and both are still notably quality stuff. Restaurants that serve spicy seafood and creole and cajun dishes are everywhere. As for Jazz, only the Mardi Gras season gets more attention. The annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival features hundred of local and national musicians and people come from around the block and around the world to listen