NEW ORLEANS TODAY New Orleans has been named the best city to dine in the United States, taking top honors for the “Destination Restaurant” category and best in overall “Food/Dining” in Headline News and Travel + Leisure Magazine’s annual “America’s Favorite Cities” survey. New Orleans also was honored as the best place in the country for live music, and ranked second nationally for nightlife. Another season of successful fall festivals was a complete success. Voodoo Music Experience, a concert dedicated to celebrating music through a variety of genres, was held October 24-26. This year’s performers included R.E.M., Nine Inch Nails, Erykah Badu, Stone Temple Pilots, Panic at the Disco and many more. Over 100,000 attendees experienced the Voodoo revelry. New Orleans also commemorated its first annual Halloween parade, Krewe of Boo. The premier parade was a great success featuring extravagant floats with throws of candy and holiday beads being hurled to the costumed throngs below.. Book now for New Year's and other events!		Availability will not last long… Reserve Today!
TOUCHDOWN IN NEW ORLEANS It's that time again! Time for first downs and fun. Three bowls to chose from or just come for the battle of the bands. Join us in New Orleans for the 35th Annual Bayou Classic, the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. For dates and addition information on all of these events visit our New Orleans events page.		Football, N'awlins style!
BIGGER IS BETTER Especially when it comes to floats in New Orleans. Take an opportunity to get up close and personal at Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World which will expand to a new location just upriver from the New Orleans Morial Convention Center. The multi-purpose complex is 300,000 square feet and will be the company’s new corporate headquarters. Not only will it will be home to the new Mardi Gras World but it will also house the company’s float building operations. It will be an austere venue to host private events. The entire complex, including Mardi Gras World, will be fully operational January 1, 2009. Visit our New Orleans links page for more information on this and other new Orleans attractions.		Make New Orleans your final destination!
LEARN THE LINGO: NEW ORLEANS STYLE Sazerac [SAZ-uh-rak] The famous Sazerac is a drink invented in New Orleans. Antoine Peychaud, a French Quarter pharmacist, ingeniously created the enterprising concoction in the 1830s. The original recipe included brandy and absinthe mixed with bitters made from a secret recipe of Peychaud's. In the 1850s, the drink became popular at an Exchange Alley coffee house. The brandy used by the establishment was made by Sazerac de Forge et Fils, so the drink and the coffee house both adopted the same name. Around 1870, rye whiskey was substituted for brandy and mixed with bitters, sugar and water to produce the taste that has made the drink legendary. Last April, it was suggested that Louisiana needed an official state cocktail and that it should be the Sazerac. The Louisiana Legislature, however, rejected the idea, claiming it would negatively affect the state's image. Instead, the Sazerac was named the official cocktail of New Orleans only!		The Sazerac is the official cocktail of New Orleans!
GOT AN EYE FOR ART? On November 1, Prospect.1 New Orleans, the largest biennial of international contemporary art ever organized in the United States, opened to the public in museums, historic buildings, and many obscure sites throughout New Orleans. Prospect.1 New Orleans has been conceived in the tradition of the great international biennials, and will showcase new artistic practices as well as an array of programs benefiting the local community. Over the course of its eleven-week run, Prospect.1 New Orleans plans to draw international media attention, creative energy, and new economic activity to the city of New Orleans. The exhibits are all free and a shuttle is provided to take you to each gallery. Visit our events page.		See the art of New Orleans!
ENTER TO WIN A FREE NIGHT STAY AT MAISON DUBOIS Win a free night stay in New Orleans. Come see us and celebrate! Your visit will not only ensure you the unique cultural travel experience but you will also be a part of the REBIRTH of New Orleans. So here is hoping that we will see you soon and be able to say Bienvenue New Orleans. Click here to enter. This month's winner: Lis and Sten Thorsen from Holte, Denmark!		Click here to enter.