LOUISIANA
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What's New in Louisiana?

For More Information, Contact:
Jeff Richard, Communications
Louisiana Office of Tourism
jrichard@crt.state.la.us, (225)342-7562
Or
Lisa Burns, Public Information Director
Louisiana Office of Tourism
lburns@crt.state.la.us, (225) 342-7987

"Laissez les bon temps rouler!"

The laid-back state of Louisiana likes to "let the good times roll," especially in New Orleans, its largest city. New Orleans features the narrow streets and wrought-iron balconies of its famous French Quarter, the mighty Mississippi River, jazz and blues music, and delicious Creole and Cajun cooking. But Louisiana is more than its famous port city. It is a warm and enchanting state that offers visitors a variety of unique cultures, entertainment, cuisines, and fun in other cities and small communities throughout the state. Traveling by steamboat on the Mississippi River or driving along the historic Great River Road, visitors winding their way through Louisiana experience the classic beauty of plantation country. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. that offers tax-free shopping to international visitors; they may buy merchandise and enjoy a tax refund upon departure.

History

Louisiana has been governed under 10 different flags, beginning in 1551 with Hernando deSoto's claim of the region for Spain. Later LaSalle claimed the territory for France. In 1803, Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon, and in 1812 Louisiana became the 18th state in the Union. New
Orleans was established in 1718 and is the birthplace of jazz and the cocktail. People still speak French in many parts of Louisiana, which is home to the Acadians, or Cajuns, descendants of French-Canadians who came to the region in 1763.

Significant Attractions

• French Quarter (New Orleans)
  
• Paddlewheel cruises (New Orleans)
  
• Aquarium of the Americas (New Orleans)
  
• Audubon Park & Zoo (New Orleans)
  
• Great restaurants (statewide)
  
• Casino gambling (statewide)
  
• Plantations on The Great River Road
  
• Swamp Tours (near Houma)
  
• fishing and hunting
  
• The American Rose Center (Shreveport)
  
• Rural Life Museum (Baton Rouge)
  
• Vermilionville (Lafayette)
  
• Creole Nature Trail (near St. Charles)
  

Climate

Located on the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana has a humid and subtropical climate, with temperatures averaging 82° F (28° Celsius) in the summer. Spring and autumn are mild, and the temperature rarely drops below freezing even in winter.

How to Get There

International charter flights land at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. Closest international airports include Atlanta, Georgia and Dallas or Houston, Texas. Domestic airports include: Baton Rouge; Lafayette; Shreveport and Monroe.

Distances and Times

• Louisiana is in the country's Central Time Zone
  
• The South observes Daylight Savings Time from late April through October
  
• Greyhound Bus Company and AMTRAK rail lines offer stops in Louisiana
  
• New Orleans is 80 miles (130 kilometers and 1 1/2 hours by car) from state capital Baton Rouge
  
• 480 miles (778 kilometers and 8 hours by car) from Atlanta, Georgia
  
• 348 miles (564 kilometers and 6 hours by car) from Birmingham, Alabama
  
• 190 miles (308 kilometers and 3 hours by car) from Jackson, Mississippi
  

For additional travel information, call 1-800-33-GUMBO (334-8626) (while in the United States) or 1-225-342-8100 (outside the United States), fax 1-504-342-8390. E-mail and Internet sites: louisiana@crt.state.la.us and http://www.louisianatravel.com.