Ever get the urge to visit an exotic, foreign country brimming with diversity and culture? While traveling abroad is truly a rewarding and satisfying experience, you can quench your thirst for wanderlust by visiting a culturally rich location right here in America. Where? Why, New Orleans, of course.
Although the city of New Orleans may be best known for Mardi Gras, the Big Easy has many ways for you to experience life the way locals do, Cajun style. But in order to truly appreciate and understand all the unique things to do in New Orleans, one must take a look back at its rich past.
The Big Easy is all about honoring traditions, and many of the fun and exciting things to do around New Orleans embrace the city’s diverse African, Caribbean, Cajun, European, and Native American influences. If there’s anywhere in the United States that best highlights America’s reputation as being a melting pot, it’s New Orleans. Simply taking a step back (New Orleans is known for its relaxed vibe, hence its famous moniker, “The Big Easy”) to enjoy all the sites to see in New Orleans will allow you to see just how diverse this city is.
New Orleans was founded by French colonists in 1718, but was later ceded to the Spanish Empire in the Treaty of Paris in 1763. The Spanish influence is perhaps most easily seen in the city’s old world style architecture and cuisine. When Napoléon Bonaparte sold Louisiana to the United States in 1803, the population of New Orleans exploded, and saw an influx of immigrants who came seeking a better life. Shortly after the Haitian Revolution of 1804, many whites and freed African slaves flocked to the city as well.
So many of the sites to see in New Orleans involve these cultural influences, which have continued to be honored and passed down from generation to generation. Aside from viewing its architecture, an excellent way to experience authentic New Orleans culture is to take a New Orleans culinary tour. These tours allow visitors to get a true feel — and taste — of what New Orleans is all about.