Reasons to Go

Nashville has long been known for its expansive music scene, but it’s the talent and creativity found in the city’s art scene that is starting to make waves. Music City’s recent emergence of world-class fine arts and performing arts options is putting Nashville on the map as an artistic and culturally rich destination.

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts has become the anchor for the city’s rapidly expanding visual arts scene, with an exhibitions schedule that has new art flowing through the magnificent Art Deco building every 6 to 8 weeks. The expanding downtown art galleries host a First Saturday Art Crawl every month that brings over a thousand people through the galleries’ doors. Fisk University is the home to the Aaron Douglas and Carl Can Vechten galleries which include works by artists including Georgia O’Keeffe, Alfred Stieglitz, Pablo Picasso, Paul Cézanne, and more. Even the city’s art collection is housed in an exact replica of the Greek Parthenon built as part of Tennessee’s centennial celebration.

Cajun Culinary creations await in Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana, including exploring the Southwest Louisiana Boudin Trail, which is a unique way to experience attractions while sampling a scrumptious staple snack. From rice fields to jambalaya or crawfish ponds to étouffée, in Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana dinner options are limitless. In fact, dieting while visiting is strictly forbidden.

Plus, being the Festival Capital of Louisiana, the area thrives on cotton candy, carnival rides and exciting festivals—from the regalia of our family friendly Mardi Gras celebration to the Contraband Days Pirate Festival, Cajun Music & Food Festival or Southwest Louisiana Christmas Lighting Festival.

And, it’s no secret that Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana is also a premier casino gaming destination. Delta Downs Racetrack, Casino & Hotel in Vinton offers live thoroughbred racing as well as off-track betting options. In an all-inclusive complex with restaurants and a food court, guests can enjoy round the clock gaming action with slot machines and soak in concerts and performances by top entertainers.

Entertainment options abound as well as fun karaoke nights, concerts, an arcade, gaming action, restaurants and more. L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort in Lake Charles features Spa du Lac, the acclaimed Contraband Bayou Golf Course, games of chance, a lazy pool, headlining entertainers as well as an assortment of dining options from casual to elegant. Check out www.visitlakecharles.org for more information.

St. Bernard Parish is sweetly nestled along the New Orleans Area Sugar Trail, which follows the most important crop in South Louisiana, sugarcane. Home to the largest sugar refinery in the world, Domino Sugar dates back to 1909. Generating over 7 million pounds of per day, this attraction highlights the sugar production process and the array of products that Domino manufactures.

Nearby is the home of the infamous Battle of New Orleans at the Chalmette Battlefield, part of the National Historic Park, where General Andrew Jackson led his troops to victory against the British. The sugar cane fields that once characterized these plantations provided an excellent field of fire for American artillery.

Continue down the San Bernardo National Scenic Byway and arrive at a Museum & Multi-Cultural Village celebrating the Isleños, Canary Islanders who settled in St Bernard Parish in the late 18th century and brought with them the tradition of sugar cane cultivation. Strolling through the gates of Sebastopol Plantation, a Creole plantation built in the 1830′s for the production of sugar cane, is like stepping back into an era of long ago. This trail is sure to hit the sweet spot as it emphasizes the growth and production of a regional culinary favorite, sugar! Visit www.visitstbernard.com for more information.

New Orleans’ Creole fare reveals an enduring connection to the area’s diverse cultural heritage exposing more that just good meals.

Cajun cooking began in Acadia, near present day Nova Scotia. France colonized Acadia but the British gained control, forcing the Acadians to relocate. They settled in Louisiana where their name was translated into Cajun. Cajun cooking combines French and Southern influences and relies on pork fat and spices. They also mix Louisiana crawfish, crab, and shrimp with local spices like cayenne pepper. Creoles, descendants of rich Europeans that established New Orleans, mix French, Spanish, Caribbean, and African elements into their cooking style that is considered to be more refined and use butter, cream, and tomatoes.

The cuisine of New Orleans is anything but typical. Meals range from fine dining at old New Orleans establishments to fried meals at holein-the-wall favorites. One thing evident across the board is the combinations of seasoning. Another thing in common with many meals throughout New Orleans is the inclusion of seafood. The city’s rich history also plays a role in the “typical” cuisine of New Orleans. Some of the industry’s brightest and most innovative rising stars, serving their own unique versions of what is collectively known as New Orleans Fusion. Dine in some of the world’s oldest and best-known restaurants including Galatoire’s, Arnaud’s, Antoine’s and Brennan’s, or dine on beignets and café au lait at the famous Café Du Monde on Jackson Square.

While exploring New Orleans’ culinary wonders, don’t forget the surprising selection of other exotic cuisines, including exceptional Latin, Mediterranean and Asian variations that make their own delicious contributions to this gourmet’s paradise. Here, you’ll find famed classic French, Italian and Spanish restaurants that remain unceasingly faithful to their roots.

Some people eat to live, but New Orleanians live to eat. As a result, the city offers one of the most incredible – and incredibly diverse – concentrations of exceptional dining and unforgettable cuisine in the world. Go to www.neworleansinfo.com to learn more.