New Orleans

Destination Overview

New Orleans just might be the most outrageous city in the USA! Bursting with music, history, fun and charm, it has a big party reputation stemming from the colorful pre-Lenten Mardi Gras Festival that takes over the town every year, but it’s also a great place for kicking back and soaking up sweet Southern romance at your own pace.

Through the warm southern air you hear the crooning of jazz saxophones, the gentle waves lapping on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain and the rushing of the great Mississippi River. Breezes rustle the sycamores and lights sparkle along cobblestone streets. At almost any hour of the day or night you can grab some Champagne and take a horse drawn carriage ride through the glowing French Quarter or steal a smooch on a rented boat in City Park.

Music is always in the air. This is the birthplace of Dixieland jazz, and it shows. Musicians play on street corners, in closet size clubs and in big stadiums. You’re likely to see a band playing “When the Saints Go Marchin’ In” marching down the street at any hour of the day or night.

In the French Quarter you can drink a daiquiri, a Sazerac or a Sloe Gin Fizz as you go window shopping, enjoy a beignet (powdered covered doughnut) with your morning coffee, slurp a succulent fresh oyster at tea time, or enjoy ice cream for breakfast. As many couples who come to party also come to enjoy the food. New Orleans has some of America’s most famous restaurants, and some of the country’s best chefs have set up started restaurants in town. Old favorites like Antoine’s, Galatoire’s and Commander’s Palace have been joined by August, Stella’s, Mr. B’s Bistro and a host of others.

Make a reservation well in advance so you won’t be disappointed, and don’t eat a big meal before you go! There are crazy cooking classes for couples who like to learn to make popular local dishes like gumbo, pralines, and other Creole and Cajun specialties. You can usually buy some of the condiments that make them tasty on the spot.

There are plenty of other unique things to share. Embrace the mysteries of mystical Voodoo, the rich beauty of the land, the vibrant local art scene, sports galore and the cultural fusion of France and the American South that make the city one of the most funky, romantic and unique honeymoon destinations in the entire USA. You’ll never forget it!