Louisiana is known for it's Creole | Cajun French Culture, Local Seafood, Jazz Bands, Fest & Street Performers, Fishing, Hunting & Swamp Wildlife, The French Quarter, Snowballs, Drive Thru Daquiris, The New Orleans Saints & Pelicans, Hurricanes; both the drink and the weather, and Mardi Gras.
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NOLA Geography
NOLA Geography
The Greater New Orleans Region is best described by its Geography. Mostly relative to Lake Pontchartrain, and The Mississippi River. There are several ways to cross "the lake", Chef Menteur Highway, I-10 - also known as the TWIN SPAN, Highway 11 and The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. The Causeway is known for being the longest bridge in the world, over water at 24 miles long. The causeway is a Toll Bridge, but is Free for Active Duty Military and Disabled Veterans. The region North of the lake is considered THE NORTHSHORE, AND YOU GUESSED IT, THE REGION SOUTH OF THE LAKE IS CONSIDERED THE SOUTHSHORE. The Southsore can be further divided by the Mississippi River. The locals will tell you that the WEST bank is the BEST bank!
While English is the dominant language, New Orleans has a rich linguistic history influenced by French, Spanish, West African and Caribbean cultures. This mix gave rise to the unique dialects and expressions - most notably Louisiana Creole and Cajun French.
We are not trying to give you culture shock -
the goal here is to help you blend right in.
After all, this is New Orleans, where tradition runs deep, neighborhoods feel like family, and even small talk can carry a big meaning.
When someone asks, "What school did you go to?" they're not talking college. The mean your high school.
Yep, in New Orleans, your high school says a lot about your roots, your community, and sometimes even your favorite King Cake. It's one of those unique quirks that makes this place special - and now you're in the know!
For everything, there is a season. In Louisiana, even our bugs have seasons! In case you haven't heard yet, it's time to be enlightened!
Let start with the Buck Moth Caterpillar. Early Spring in Louisiana is when you may be bothered by the stinging Buck Moth caterpillar. These cute fuzzy, wuzzy, caterpillars become a problem when they fall from trees and drop to the ground to pupate in the soil. Kids love to pick them up and check them out, but these guys are not as docile as they appear. The caterpillars are covered in hollow spines that are attached to a venom gland. The venom can cause symptoms ranging from itching and burning sensations to nausea.
Mosquitoes are well known all over the South, but the Louisiana Mosquitoes are of a different species. They make their debut early Spring, and stick around through Fall. Louisianans are convinced that they are here to suck the fun out of summer. They are relentless! It almost feels like they never sleep and just when you think you have found a remedy to keep them at bay, they build an immunity and come back bigger and even more fierce.
The Swarming Formosan Termites, are a spectacle that you may not have had the privilege of encountering yet, but brace yourself its quite the experience! Imagine sitting in your chair, maybe even at the edge of your seat watching your kids play their favorite sport. You get the feeling that something is crawling on you, then BOOM they are everywhere. You don't even have time to fold your chair, you just pick it up, keep your mouth closed tightly and squint your eyes while making a mad dash to the car. You get home, home seems like a great place to retreat from the swarmers, but you left all of the lights on. Like masked burglars, they have made their way in. There are wings in your window sills, and along your base boards. What can you do to prevent these bandits from intruding? Turn off the lights and lower the A/C. Make them uncomfortable and they will move on to the next home. The good news is, yes there is good news...swarming season doesn't last long and only happens at dusk for about an hour or so. After a couple of weeks of living like cavemen in a dark and chilled home, you can go back to life as you knew it before the swarmers...until the next year!
Not a lover of bugs? Just like a social media post you disagree with, you'll forget about the fuzzy little stingers and the hasty winged swarmers shortly after they're gone. Their seasons are short-lived. Here long enough to be annoying, but never really cause too much trouble.
Louisiana Sports
Welcome to the "Who Dat" Nation!
Your Autumn Saturdays now belong to the Tigers and Sundays to the Saints. You will bleed Purple & Gold (and Black too)!
And don't sleep on those New Orleans Pelicans. Games at the Smoothie King Arena are always a good time.
Not a sports fan, thats okay too!
Keep Scrolling.
There is something for everyone, even if its just on the other side of your comfort zone!
Yes, we have Costco, Whole Foods, Target, Chick-fil-a, and Starbucks!
New Orleans
Covington
New Orleans
Metairie
Mandeville
New Orleans
Metairie
Mandeville
Covington
New Orleans
Metairie
Mandeville
Covington
Slidell
But trying out LOCAL shops is encouraged! Local faves coming soon...
Hopefully you'll never need them, but in case you do, here are links to many of the local hospitals in New Orleans and surrounding areas.
WHAT DOES NEW ORLEANS HAVE, THAT OTHER CITIES DON'T?
MARDI GRAS
When is Mardi Gras?
Nothing about Mardi Gras is predictable – not even the date. Unlike Christmas or the 4th of July which always fall on the same calendar day, the only thing you can count on for sure with Carnival is that Fat Tuesday will fall on, well, a Tuesday. That’s because the date of Easter is tied to the moon (it’s always the first Sunday after the full moon that follows the spring equinox) and Mardi Gras is tied to Easter. Click HERE to read more.
WHERE ELSE, BUT NEW ORLEANS,
DOES A DESSERT HAVE ITS VERY OWN SEASON?
What is all the king Cake craze about?
The name “king cake” comes from the Biblical story of the three kings who bring gifts to Baby Jesus. A blend of coffee cake and cinnamon roll, king cake is usually iced in yellow, green and purple – the colors of Mardi Gras -- and is frequently packed with fruit fillings and decadent cream cheeses. Hidden within these season sweets also lie a special surprise: a plastic king cake baby to continue the fun. Click HERE to read more.
Check out some of the editor's favorites below...
When is the last time you had a SNOWBALL?
Snowballs make NOLA Summers bearable! Find your favorite stand and get to know the Snow-istas.
PSA: Snowballs and Snow Cones are not the same.
Yes, they're both primarily made of ice and syrups, but New Orleans just makes them better!
Snowballs originated in New Orleans neighborhoods in the 1930s when locals George Ortolano and Ernest Hansen both separately invented electric ice-shaving machines, which produced finer ice than the hand-chipping method.
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