What can you do for fun? Tourism is New Orleans #1 business. The tourist district is compact and accessible. It is on the high ground and other than the area immediately around the Superdome there was no flooding. A few French Quarter bars stayed open through the storm and its aftermath serving warm beer by candlelight. Much of the French Quarter's appeal centers on entertainment, architecture, history, fine hotels and restaurants. The Convention Center and the big festivals including Mardi Gras draw people to town to enjoy these delights.

Tourism is alive and well in New Orleans. If you visit you'll find the attractions are up and running. A few restaurants are still closed, but there are lots of new ones to take their place. The weather is spectacular from November to May. If you like hot, it is spectacular the rest of the time too!

There is much more. Try the Gumbo Pages for a more substantial look at the variety in New Orleans Culture.

Natural attractions ring the city with a sportsman's paradise focused on water sports, hunting and fishing. Fishing heads the list of outdoor sports. Swamp tours, scuba diving around the artificial reefs created by the oil rigs, hunting, sailing, golf and tennis are all abundantly available because of the ideal year round weather. Sure it gets hot during the summer time, but thats good and opens the evening hours to many activities.

Casinos now offer gaming and more adult entertainment. Unfortunately the local casinos have been crippled by regulation and competition with existing local tourism interests. The Mississippi Gulf Coast has been much more successful in developing Vegas style gaming and entertainment. Many New Orleanians enjoy a weekend trip to Beau Rivage or the Grand.

Native New Orleanians enjoy eating out at restaurants more than other Americans and have been rewarded with great restaurants. We'll come back to this area in more detail later.