Louisiana General Information Nickname: Pelican State State bird: Brown Pelican State flower: Magnolia Grandiflora Capital: Baton Rouge Date of admission to the Union: 30th Apr 1812 Population: 4,468,976 (2000) Population density: 33.3/sq km 2000 total overseas arrivals/US ranking: 390,000/18 Time: Central (GMT - 6). Daylight Saving Time is observed. The State: Louisiana’s marshy Mississippi Valley is one of the most attractive areas of the USA. New Orleans, its largest city, is one of the country’s major tourist destinations. It is famed for Dixieland jazz, architecture, superb cuisine and its unique French Quarter. The city also boasts a wide choice of museums and galleries. Other places to see in the State include Lafayette, a city of magnificent gardens and the start of the 40km (25-mile) Azalea Trail; the Atchafalaya Basin, the largest and most remote swamp in the USA; the huge salt domes of Avery; and Alexandria, surrounded by forests and parks. The 138m-high (452ft) marble and limestone Capitol Building is situated in Baton Rouge. Travel - International AIR: International airports: New Orleans International Airport (MSY) (website: www.flymsy.com) is located 16km (10 miles) from the city centre (travel time – 20-30 minutes). Public buses run to the city centre every 15-20 minutes (weekdays) and every 30 minutes (weekends). Greyhound also has buses from the airport to many destinations. Mississippi Coast Limousine Service (Coastliner) provides a shuttle service to the Gulf Coast and destinations en route, making several trips 0800-2330 daily. Taxis are available 24 hours a day. Airport facilities include a bank, shops, snack bars, restaurant/bar, post office and car hire (Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz, National and Thrifty). Approximate flight times: From New Orleans to Atlanta is 1 hour 20 minutes, to Chicago is 2 hours 20 minutes, to Los Angeles is 4 hours, to Miami is 1 hour 50 minutes, and to New York is 3 hours. RIVER: The Delta Queen Steamboat Company (tel: (504) 586 0631 or (800) 215 0805 (toll free); website: www.deltaqueen.com) runs scheduled paddlewheel cruises up and down the Mississippi River, stopping at several cities. The New Orleans Steamboat Company (tel: (504) 586 8777 or (800) 233 2628 (toll free); website: www.steamboatnatchez.com) offers a number of harbour cruise options. RAIL: Amtrak trains serve New Orleans (tel: (800) 872 7245 (toll free); website: www.amtrak.com). Services include the ‘Sunset Limited’, which links Los Angeles with Orlando; the ‘Crescent’, which links New Orleans with New York via Atlanta; and the ‘City of New Orleans’, which heads north to Chicago via Memphis. Trains depart from Union Station, located at 1001 Loyola Avenue. ROAD: Approximate driving times: From New Orleans to Mobile is 3 hours, to Houston is 6 hours, to Birmingham is 7 hours, and to Memphis is 8 hours. All times are based on nonstop driving at or below the applicable speed limits. Approximate bus travel times: From New Orleans to Mobile is 4 hours, to Houston is 8 hours, to Birmingham is 9 hours, and to Memphis is 10 hours. URBAN: Bus: The famous ‘Streetcar Named Desire’ that Blanche Dubois dreamt of has been replaced, rather prosaically, by a bus. However, bus services are extensive and available throughout the city. The Regional Transit Authority offers a Visitor Pass allowing unlimited rides on buses and streetcars all day. Streetcar: These still run on St Charles Avenue and Carrollton in New Orleans, starting from Canal Street. Car hire: A national driving licence and a major credit card are needed to hire a car. Horsecab: Horse-drawn carriages offer a scenic means of transport through the French Quarter. New Orleans New Orleans was founded in 1718 and named after Philippe Duc D’Orléans. Today, this little outpost is called ‘The Big Easy’, and is a city known worldwide for jazz, Creole cuisine, riverboats and carnivals. Music plays an integral part in the unique atmosphere of New Orleans. Old-line musicians play classic tunes during brunch and dinner, street musicians huddle in doorways at dusk to perform, and free concerts are offered weekly in the French Market. Louis Armstrong, Harry Connick Jr, Fats Domino, Pete Fountain, the Neville Brothers and Jelly Roll Morton are all part of the city’s rich musical heritage. There is more music in New Orleans than ever before with Zydeco, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, Dixieland, gospel, Cajun music and country joining the jazz tradition. To hear traditional jazz at its best, one should visit Bourbon Street or Preservation Hall, where musicians play every evening. Music festivals include the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, which takes place in April and May each year. Stars that have performed at the event include Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan and Patti LaBelle. New Orleans’ Mardi Gras is the biggest party of the year and rocks the whole city during the three weeks leading up to Ash Wednesday. Colourful parades, masquerade balls and street parties make the festival one of the loudest and liveliest celebrations in the world. There is also a rich cultural side to New Orleans. It was here that the country’s first opera house was built. The city boasts an excellent Museum of Art and a Contemporary Arts Center, while the Warehouse District has been revitalised by galleries, restaurants and shops that display the crafts of local artists. The Louisiana State Museum on Jackson Square includes exhibitions on Mardi Gras and jazz. The collection of French works at the New Orleans Museum of Art is renowned throughout the world. At the Louisiana Children’s Museum, kids of all ages can pretend to star in their own TV show or shop in a recreated mini-mart. In addition to the opera, ballet and symphony season, there are regular Broadway shows and live theatre in almost a dozen locations. Excursions: There are tours of every description in New Orleans that take in everything from haunted houses to alligator-filled swamps. Also popular are the literary tours of the homes and haunts of famous writers – William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, Lillian Hellman and Sherwood Anderson all lived and worked here. Bayou/swamp tours offer Cajun storytellers, food, music and an opportunity to go crawfish harvesting with the locals. Another special tour is one that explores the city’s Black Heritage and highlights the contributions of African-Americans to New Orleans. Ponchatoula (and its antiques), Mandeville (on Lake Pontchartrain), Covington (with its artists colony) and Hammond are just a few of the towns within easy reach of New Orleans. At the Global Wildlife Center, visitors can enjoy horseback riding among the exotic animals that roam the 900-acre park. Nearby, the lush swampland bordering the Pearl River is popular with birdwatchers. At Honey Island Swamp boat tours are available. Kenner features Rivertown USA, which is a combination of historical sites and family attractions in a Victorian setting. Ferries provide transport across the Mississippi River, including one departing from the levée at the foot of Canal Street. One-day cruises are available: Steamboat Natchez has harbour, dinner and jazz cruises; John James Audubon has a zoo cruise between the Aquarium and Riverfront Park to the Audubon Zoo; and Cypress Swamp Tours offers special cruises through the Louisiana swamps. The Rest of the State BATON ROUGE: The capital of Louisiana is also the heart of the Southern ‘Plantation Country’ region. The ‘Blues’ are a large part of the Baton Rouge heritage, sung by slaves as they picked plantation cotton, and the city was the original home of many of America’s most well-known blues musicians. The Capitol Building is a 34-storey building with a viewing platform overlooking 27 acres of formal gardens in the Capitol grounds. Other attractions include the Old Capitol, with its Center for Political and Governmental History; the Louisiana Governor’s Mansion, with exhibits of art, natural history and anthropology; Baton Rouge Zoo, with its 140 acres of walk-through areas and forest settings for over 400 animals; the Louisiana Arts and Science Center Riverside, located in a remodelled railroad station; and The Rural Life Museum, an outdoor museum located in the grounds of a former plantation, showing the type of work done in a 19th-century plantation community. Many magnificent old plantation mansions are available for viewing in this area, some offering bed & breakfast facilities as well as tours. LAFAYETTE: The industrial and cultural hub of ‘Cajun’ country is home to 100,000 people, many of whom are descended from French-speaking Canadians from Nova Scotia. They settled in the region after 1764, having been deported by the British for refusing to give up the Catholic faith or pledge allegiance to the British crown. These people were originally known as ‘Acadians’ but the name was eventually shortened to ‘Cajuns’. The land is full of swamps and bayous. Acadian Village and Vermilionville are faithful replicas of early Cajun communities. Excursions: Houma, a bayou town, is known for its many swamp tours, where alligators, wading birds and myriad other forms of swamplife thrive. New Iberia, home of world-famous Tabasco sauce, offers tours of subtropical gardens, stately antebellum homes, rice mills and the hot sauce and pepper plant farms. St Martinville is a quiet and elegant town once known as ‘Le Petit Paris’ for its luxurious balls, operas and highlife. Its Cajun museum and church are well worth visiting. On the Creole Nature Trail near Lake Charles, ducks, geese, alligators, nutria and muskrats run rampant. NATCHITOCHES: The oldest town in Louisiana, perched on Cane River Lake, was first established as a fort and trading post in 1714 to prevent the Spanish from encroaching on French territory. It is now a charming lake town and farm centre. It has numerous historic houses, many offering bed & breakfast, and is surrounded by pecan orchards, cotton farms and 18th-century plantation homes. The region around Natchitoches is known as ‘The Crossroads’ because it is where the French and Spanish heritage of the south meets the pioneer spirit of the north. It is also a haven for country music, having spawned such luminaries as Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley. The annual Fiddle Championship takes place in this region in Marthaville. Excursions: To the northeast, Monroe, another river town, also has many historic houses and a museum; The Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo in Monroe is a 100-acre park with moss-laden oaks, formal gardens and winding waterways. Dogwood Trail Drive is a 29km (18-mile) journey over the State’s highest hills; it passes among blossoming dogwood trees, revealing the region’s particular beauty. SHREVEPORT: A leading oil and gas centre located close to the Texan border, with a distinctly American West flavour, Shreveport is also renowned as a trade, gaming and entertainment area; the town hosts three major annual events, attracting visitors from far and wide (see Special Events section). Shreve Square has an attractive cluster of nightclubs, restaurants and shops. Attractions include the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum, featuring dioramas, an art gallery, historical murals and archaeological relics; RW Norton Museum, featuring Old West artists Frederic Remington and Charles M Russell; Pioneer Heritage Center; and the American Rose Center, a famous garden showplace. Excursions: This region is known as ‘Sportman’s Paradise’ for its many forests and lakes offering opportunities for fishing, hunting, canoeing and hiking, and excursions can be arranged for these activities. An annual Fishing Tournament takes place at Toledo Bend. Louisiana Downs Thoroughbred Racetrack, across the Red River in Bossier City, is open for racing from late spring until the autumn. Poverty Point State Historic Site is an ancient Native American religious area dating from 1700 BC and one of the most important archaeological finds in the USA. Social Profile Food & Drink: Creole cooking is a speciality in Louisiana, where the mix of cultures has resulted in a cuisine using the best elements of each nationality. The State’s location makes it a prime spot for seafood: fresh fish, shrimp, crabs, oysters and crayfish abound. Game meat is also popular in Louisiana cuisine, including rabbit and wild turkey. Tropical fruits, such as bananas and pineapples, are often used in Creole cooking, along with spices such as hot peppers and filé (the ground powder for making gumbo). Oyster bars are prevalent, especially along the seaside or riverfront. Creole cafes serve traditional favourites such as gumbo and red beans and rice. Other Cajun specialities include étouffée, sauce piquante and jambalaya. A meat pie, shaped like a half-moon and filled with a spicy mixture of ground beef and pork, is a speciality of Natchitoches. The town of Henderson on the edge of Atchafalaya Swamp is famous for its Cajun cuisine, and its many restaurants, specialising in seafood, attract visitors from miles away. Southern Cookin’, found in the Crossroads region in northern Louisiana, is savoured for its delicious fried chicken, barbecued meat, cornbread and peach pie. New Orleans is justly renowned for its superb gourmet restaurants which offer such Creole specialities as Oysters Rockefeller, Bananas Foster and pompano en papillote. One can savour a breakfast of beignets and café au lait, dine while overlooking the city or the riverfront, or travel to the seafood houses out by the lake. Given its southern climate, cold drinks are much relished in this State. Iced tea is a favourite. Alcohol can only be purchased by those over 21 years of age and is available at supermarkets and liquor stores. Some parts of northern Louisiana do not sell alcohol. Theatres & Concerts: Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré in New Orleans is one of the oldest theatre groups in the country and is highly recommended. Shreveport houses one of the best-known US community theatre groups in its Little Theater. Louisiana has engendered a rich black music scene derived from the rhythmic chants of riverboat men, the soulful gospel tunes of field hands and the wild syncopation of such jazz greats as Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong. Nightlife: Nightlife is especially lively in New Orleans. The shows and cabarets of Bourbon Street are renowned – every third door on this famous street is a nightclub. Shopping: Louisiana offers tax-free shopping to international visitors for items sold by a participating merchant. A tax refund voucher can be requested from any Louisiana Tax Free Shopping (LTFS) participator and the tax can be refunded at the LTFS centre at New Orleans airport on presentation of voucher, receipt, passport and travel ticket. Refunds can also be obtained by mail if sent with voucher, receipts, travel ticket and a notarised statement explaining why vouchers were not redeemed at the airport as well as the present whereabouts of the merchandise. Among the cities of this State, New Orleans has many excellent shopping opportunities. Souvenirs are plentiful, and other good buys include Creole pecan pralines, Mardi Gras masks, beautifully bottled and hand-mixed perfumes, and various antiques on sale in shops on Royal Street. In addition, fine retail shops can be found at Jackson Brewery. The French Market is America’s oldest city market and offers a mix of speciality shops, chain stores and restaurants. For second-hand items, the Community Flea Market is located nearby. Other excellent shopping areas in New Orleans include the New Orleans Center, Canal Place, The Esplanade, Riverwalk and Uptown Square Shopping Center. Northgate Mall in Lafayette and Lakeside Shopping Center in Metairie are also good options. Sport: Fishing, both freshwater and saltwater, is popular all year round. King mackerel, jewfish, marlin, bluefish, cobia, channel bass, pompano, red snapper and amber jack are found in coastal areas and in the Gulf of Mexico. Crayfish (or crawfish) are an inland speciality. The bass fishing is also highly regarded. Tarpon fishing is available near Houma and at Grand Isle. A fishing licence is necessary for non-residents. Hunting is available during the winter months with a licence; popular game includes duck, squirrel, deer, turkey and wildfowl. Bear, deer and turkey require a special licence (further information is available from the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission in New Orleans). Swimming is available in recreation areas throughout Louisiana and 18-hole golf courses are available in Lafayette (City Park Golf Course), Shreveport (Andrew Querbes Park), Lakeside and New Orleans (Lakewood Country Club, which also sponsors the Greater New Orleans Open every spring). Special Events: Lousiana’s famous New Orleans Carnival or Mardi Gras comes to a climax every year on Shrove Tuesday. Costumes, dazzling floats, street dancing and general wild abandonment are the order of the day. Mardi Gras country-style celebrations also take place in southern Louisiana towns, with music, dancing and enough gumbo to feed the whole town. For a detailed programme of events contact the State of Lousiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism (see Contact Addresses section). The following events are a selection of the more than 400 festivals held in 2003 in the State: Jan 6-Feb 12 Mardi Gras Festival, New Orleans. Feb 12 Mardi Gras Day, New Orleans. Apr Spring Fiesta, New Orleans. Apr 12-14 French Quarter Festival, New Orleans. Apr 12-21 Holiday in Dixie, Shreveport and Bossier. Apr 24-28 Festival International de Louisiane, Lafayette. Apr 26-May 5 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, New Orleans. Jun Cajun Music Festival, Mamou. Aug Delcambre Shrimp Festival, Delcambre. Sept 28-Oct 5 Red River Revel Arts Festival, Shreveport. Oct Br’er Rabbit Folk Festival at Laura Plantation, Vacherie. Dec Festival of Lights, (Christmas celebration), Natchitoches. Climate Humid and subtropical. Milder in spring, autumn and winter. Required clothing: Lightweight cotton clothing for summer, with sweaters and jackets for winter. Rainwear or umbrella is advised for all seasons. Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.