Update on New Orleans

I’ve written about my own family’s quick stop in New Orleans last summer; since I lived in the New Orleans suburb of Harvey, Louisiana for awhile, I feel a bond with the city and I try to keep up with travel news about the area.

Helen Anders is a staff writer for my local paper, the Austin American-Statesman, and she just wrote “Crescent rising,” an article about her own trip to the city, to see how it’s doing post-Katrina and talk to the residents.

She also blogs on Anders Meanders about a variety of travel topics, including a recent post encouraging tourists to visit Louisiana.

There has been so much focus on the destruction from the storm that many do not realize that large sections of the state are untouched and struggling from the huge drop in tourist traffic.

If you have older kids, consider a trip this year to the world-famous New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival April 27-29 and May 4-6 2007.

There is an insanely wide variety of musical artists on tap — something for absolutely everyone in your family. If you decide to go, hurry up and book your hotel room as soon as possible.

Other fun festivals include the Crawfish Festival in Breaux Bridge May 4-6 2007, the awesome Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette April 25-29 2007 or even the Natchitoches Christmas Festival later this year.

Where y’at?

Update 4 April 2007: For the art enthusiasts, the San Antonio Express-News has an interesting article about how France is lending a cultural hand to New Orleans through a special art exhibit at the New Orleans Museum of Art, featuring over 80 different paintings from across France that “emphasize the role of women in relationship to others in society.” Artists include Degas and Picasso.

Technorati Tags: travel, family travel, New Orleans, Louisiana