If you ever swing by Cafe du Monde here in New Orleans, you may notice that the coffee has a unique taste.  The brew will have a slightly bitter flavor, with an earthy woodiness to it.  This flavor variation that you notice is the chicory additive.

The status and culture of the colored peoples during New Orleans’ colonial period is one of the most interesting, yet overlooked, aspects of this jewel of a city.  I am personally just starting to scratch the surface in my understanding of the sub-societies of the local slaves, free blacks, and mixed-race people here in New Orleans.  But their story is so much more complex and unique than imaginable.

This map, produced in 1944 by a man named Harold Fisk, shows how the Mississippi River has shifted, gouged, and settled its way across Louisiana over the years. This map starts at the top right near the Louisiana-Mississippi-Arkansas border in the northeast corner of the Pelican State. The southern part of this map ends right near Vicksburg, Mississippi.

So, you’ve landed in New Orleans, dropped your bags at the hotel, and this amazing city with limitless entertainment is waiting at your fingertips. But, wait. You are suddenly spoiled for choice. You can’t decide what to do or where to start. Don’t worry, your handy tour-guide/superhero is here to help.

So you’ve seen the French Quarter.  You’ve tasted a beignet, rocked out on Frenchmen Street, and dined at some of our finest restaurants.  You’ve ticked everything off my list of to-dos for first time visitors.  But now you are coming back to New Orleans again, and you want to experience our wonderful city in greater depth.  If you want to truly experience New Orleans like a pro and walk away one step closer to being a local, follow this list.

Fried Louisiana seafood is delicious. Crispy and crunchy New Orleans style French bread is also tasty. So if you take a local french bun and fill it up with local fried seafood, smother it with mayonnaise, and dress it up with lettuce, pickles, and tomato, you are bound to have yourself a heavenly sandwich. Welcome to the po-boy.

You see the word a lot around Louisiana. So many of these strange waterways possess the name “bayou.” What is this mysterious word and what does it mean?

When you visit the Crescent City, it is almost mandatory that you try a beignet (pronounced bin-yay). They are simple, tasty, and decadent. You will simultaneously wonder what all the fuss is about and also how something so basic is so amazing. But where can a traveler find the best beignets in New Orleans?

Live Oak trees are an unofficial symbol of the coastal South. From the Tidewater region of Virginia to the southern tip of Texas, these sprawling picturesque hardwoods serve as the perfect backdrop to so many classic scenes of the region. Louisiana live oak trees are probably the most famous of them all. So why are these trees so unique, and where does the name come from?

City Park sits at an impressive 1,300 acres and is America’s 20th most visited park. For an urban park, it rivals the best and most famous in the world’s well-traveled cities. So strap on your learning boots, because we’re about to hammer out some quick City Park facts.

For a city of less than half a million people, New Orleans arguably has more books written about it, per capita, than any other American city. A city with such boundless culture is destined to be opined over. Every person has books that have resonated with them. Here is a list of my favorite books about New Orleans.