New Orleans city of Louisiana State is located towards the southern tip of the Mississippi River. Climatic conditions are relatively warm throughout the whole year with spring and fall witnessing considerable amounts of rainfall. Summer temperatures can sometimes sore very high, but the costal breezes counters the heat.

The city of New Orleans is a 363 miles long island, built some -4 to -6 feet below sea level. As such, hurricanes at times present the city with very harsh weather conditions. The period from June to September is particularly dangerous and people visiting during this time should always be on high alert so as not to be caught in the nature’s fury. Water lines of the 29^th August 2005 Hurricane Katrina floods are still visible up to today, reminding the residents and even visitors of the devastating effects of the hurricane.

The French settled in New Orleans in 1717. However, the entire Louisiana was handed over to the Spanish in the year 1762, and later on back to the French government before the Louisiana Purchase by the US government took place. But the French and the Spanish living in the city remained, and to date, their descendants are still being referred to as Creoles. The Cajun culture of the French is very live in New Orleans. Their music style, known as Zydeco, is unique from the rest of the styles in other cities.  Their food, called Cajun food, is prepared in “country cooking style”, and is usually hot and exotic. This is why the city is sometimes known as the town of French culture.

New Orleans has different districts, which are mainly the neighborhoods of the city. Each district is unique in its own way as far as sightseeing is concerned. The French quarter, which is also very famous in the city, forms the center of the downtown. Souvenir shops, stores, boutiques and other art galleries are usually open at daytime, but shopping gives way to entertainment at night when the bars, clubs, restaurants and other entertainment venues spring to life. Other activities that tourists can treat themselves to here include river cruises, shopping and a visit to the Aquarium of the Americas. The Garden district has attractions such as the Audubon Park and the Riverboat John James Audubon river cruise. The “Cities of the Dead” is also another popular attraction in New Orleans. It has 42 cemeteries above ground.

The Mardi Gras is a popular festive season. It is a twelve days celebration that starts on 6^th June and runs until Ash Wednesday when Lent takes over. This period is arguably one of the best times to visit New Orleans. The celebrations are marked by various events that include parties and parades. Fun frenzy masked balls are a wonderful sight during such celebrations. There are also many other celebrations in the city, and they include the French Quarter Festival which occurs in spring, St. Patrick’s day which comes in March and the Jazz and Heritage Festival which takes place each May.