New Orleans

Globe Trekker Video. Situated in the state of Louisiana, New Orleans - "The Big Easy" - was founded by the French in 1718, populated with Africans, given to the Spanish and sold to the Americans. Follow presenter Justine Shapiro and get a feel for this beautiful multicultural city on the banks of the Mississippi, famous for its jazz music and its Mardi Gras carnival. 55 minutes. Along the way? $_$_START_LIST ? Explore the old French Quarter and the colonial past of the city. ? Visit authentic plantations. ? Attend a voodoo funeral and visit the famous New Orleans cemetery. ? Fly over the Bayou to the swamp of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and take part in a traditional Cajun festival. ? Join the famous Mardi Gras street parade. $_$_END_LIST

DVD. Vista Point. 26 Minutes. Fun-filled metropolis at the mouth of the Mississippi, New Orleans is a cultural melting pot and the birth place of jazz. In 1682, the Frenchman, Robert Cavalier, declared this Mississippi region to be French territory and named it, `La Louisiana'. However, Napoleon later accepted $15,000,000 from President Jefferson and in 1840 it was the fourth largest city in the USA. The Garden District is a sought-after residential area in which there is an abundance of magnolia trees, palms, shrubs and flowers, and the city's largest graveyard, the Metairie Cemetery, has over 7,000 graves and an array of spectacular mausoleums which astound the eye. Gumbo Soup, Jambalaya, Hurricane Cocktails and Dixie Beer are just a few of the traditional refreshments on offer in this carefree, non-stop city, yet, just outside, there are the swampy bayous alive with many exotic species, and the Oak Valley Plantations whose great wealth derived from the sugar cane industry prior to the American Civil War and part of which is reminiscent of some of the scenery from Hollywood's, Gone With The Wind. In the 19th Century, New Orleans was North American capital of the Voodoo cult and today it is a city of unique atmospheres, flavours, contrasts and Mardi Gras: an extraordinary city!

DVD. Forever New Orleans. 30 Minutes. It's not always about the cocktails and wild times in New Orleans. It's also a family friendly place where animals swim around you at one of the most beautiful aquariums in the country. Allowing your kids to be kids is what one museum is all about. And when's the last time you were able to hand-feed a giraffe? A safari in the New Orleans area is Louisiana's best-kept secret, and we take you there for an up-close and personal look. And a new restaurant where oyster is king and your dinner being made is a show in and of itself!

DVD. Forever New Orleans. 30 Minutes. Walking down the street has never been as artistic as it is on one street, where art is a moving landscape filled with onlookers. There are artists who teach classes anyone can sign up for, and one man in particular who helped bring back hope to a city in need. Not every restaurant is as cool as one we found that hangs only original artwork. And in this show, you'll see a hotel that's as fashionable as it is artistic. And really, you don't have to look far for a look at art unique to the city.. just venture a block off "Party Central" and you'll find a whole other world. Not too far from there, Southern Art that's well worth sitting down for. It's art for the sake of art, in every budget and every corner you look.

DVD. Forever New Orleans. 30 Minutes. The streetcar was damaged heavily during the storm, but it's making a comeback, one track at a time! Explore a hotel that masquerades as a bar during the night, but which features original furnishings from the old days of the South. Go to a New Orleans tradition for the coldest ice cream in the city, and don't forget to stop by an award-winning chef at a restaurant right alongside the tracks. It's tourism via trolley (streetcar, in New Orleans!) on Forever New Orleans!

DVD. Forever New Orleans. 30 Minutes. It is a southern mansion made famous by the movies shot there. Perhaps it was during his filming of Interview With The Vampire when Brad Pitt fell in love with this part of the country, but no matter how you look at it, this plantation takes you back in time. No cell phones, please, but we will show you cottages that'll take you back, not to mention stories of ladies who, perhaps even by mistake, were allowed to get drunker than the men! We take you on one of the only steam paddle boats left in the world. It's a great experience that balances you between this century and the last. And if it's spooking you're interested in, the Haunted History Tour is enough to make you glad to be a part of the 21st century. Our celebrity chef takes us behind-the-scenes in one of her first interviews since re-opening her restaurant, once five-feet underwater after the storm.

DVD. Forever New Orleans. 30 Minutes. There's something about New Orleans that gets into your blood that not even a transfusion will fix. And there's good reason why. The culture that makes the city so great is intact because so many people who are born in Louisiana end up growing old there, carrying on the traditions of generations of the original settlers to this unique place. We go to a true original - a bowling alley that is not only a bar, but a live music venue! This is one place you'll have to write home about - and one that narrowly escaped disaster when the floodwaters of Katrina hit. We also take you to a delicious new addition that was the result of a last-minute purchase.

DVD. Forever New Orleans. 30 Minutes. Men and women don't always want to do the same things while on vacation. But there's no need to take separate vacations. You can experience completely different vacations that right here in New Orleans! Our featured couple checks into a fabulous hotel, and while the man takes his turn at the TPC golf course, the woman hits the streets for some unique shopping at some of the many beautiful antique boutiques in the city. At night, a fine dining lesson from red-hot chef John Besh at his steakhouse. And then to finish off a fabulous weekend, a Sunday Jazz Brunch where you'll find more choices than taste buds!

DVD. Forever New Orleans. 30 Minutes. It may not always be crawfish season in New Orleans, but there's always something fun to eat here. We'll take you to the new version of a restaurant famous for a "crawfish conveyor belt" completely destroyed by the storm, yet making a comeback in another part of the city. And you know what? The owners of this popular shrimp and crawfish eatery are chomping at the bit (or the bait?) to move back to their former location on Lake Pontchartrain. And just across the lake is a place known for catfish and a lot to look at on the walls! Even if you're not crazy for seafood, you'd be crazy not to visit just for all the fun stuff you can look at.

DVD. Forever New Orleans. 30 Minutes. You may not know it, but the Latin influence in New Orleans is as prevalent -- perhaps in some cases, even more so-- than the French. It's the wild life and those in the Crescent City know how to live it! We take you to a Cuban restaurant where the only thing more vivacious than the flavors in the dishes is the woman making them! We take dance lessons from a Salsa Sensation. And regardless how you feel about smoking in public, there is one place that remains a safe-haven for the smoker who loves a foreign cigar.

DVD. Nature Parks New Orleans is synonymous with good food, jazz and Mardi Gras and it was here that history was created, founded by France, conquered by Spain, bought by President Jefferson and occupied by the Yankees! New Orleans also possesses the second largest harbor in the U.S.A. and even today, they shout, "Full speed ahead!" as paddle steamers negotiate `Ol Man River', the grand waters of the Mississippi River that flow to the Mississippi Swamps. The Swamps are extensive and only experienced boatmen can find their way around the mass of main and side tributaries as it's easy to become disorientated, sight of the sky often being lost due to the density of the trees. In the past 5,000 years, the Mississippi had seven different deltas prior to it being reinforced by embankments. When dykes strengthened the river, some side channels remained and these are the famous small rivers known as the Bayous, a labyrinth of small tributaries and waterways. Cowens' is the name of the oldest life form in the swamp, a turtle that grows to about 10 to 25 centimeters long and feeds mainly on small fish and aquatic animals. Almost 30,000 hectares of swampland have been declared a nature reserve in which the complex balance between salt and freshwater reigns supreme and, when viewed from above, has the appearance of a strange network of city streets. The Delta area provides ideal conditions for many feathered species, including around 4 million ducks and the national symbol of the U.S.A., the white-headed sea eagle. The variety of animals living in this region, most notably the alligator, is also vast and includes beaver and raccoon. The wonderful world of the Swamps with their legends and myths, draw the traveler under their spell, a bewitching labyrinth of infinite waterways each one holding a special fascination. The allure of nature is surely as puzzling as the innermost secrets of the Mississippi Swamps!

DVD. Forever New Orleans. 30 Minutes. If you were to take a knife and cut open the skies over New Orleans, music notes would fall out. As Jazzfest looks to reclaim its post-storm numbers, you'll find the lyrical nature in just about every endeavor during an exciting and music-filled episode. There's one restaurant where the Taste of America host will find music he wasn't expecting. The hotel we're featuring is a hot spot for modern appeal.

DVD. Forever New Orleans. 30 Minutes. You wouldn't know it was so close to the city, but a natural oasis exists within an hour's drive of New Orleans. When you turn your cell phone off, your peace of mind will automatically turn on. You won't be listening to the roar of a freeway but instead, the serene song of birds. It's a paradise for everything from fishing to relaxing amidst a bourgeoning ecosystem. It's an experience not found in L.A. or New York, where the endangered hang out and there's learning by osmosis in nature's playground.

DVD. Forever New Orleans. 30 Minutes. Spice is the flavor of life? and in this case, it's sweet, too. A brand new one-of-a-kind confectionary creates chocolates with New Orleans flavors, including a Bananas Foster chocolate, even a dark chocolate with Vietnamese spices! The store was created by a graduate of Commanders Palace and was three years in the making. We eat and cook with Chef Paul Prudhomme - the man who essentially created the demand for Cajun spices worldwide. And if you're looking for a hot night out, we have the spot for you where the players play. When it's time for bed, we have our choice of pillows at a fantastic hotel spicy with modern style.

DVD. Forever New Orleans. 30 Minutes. The hurricane may have brought a lot of destruction to the gulf coast, but it has also brought a groundswell of kindness from all over the country and all over the world. We introduce you to a hotel chain that offers discounts for "voluntourists"? those who spend their hard-earned time off to donate their efforts in rebuilding the city. It's a location that is tough to get during Mardi Gras -- in fact, it's so far booked in advance, you're more likely to catch a set of beads tossed down from a balcony than you are to catch a reservation during the prime tourist season! There's a restaurant that offered food to volunteers after the storm, which is known for its wall? and it's not one you'll want to ignore. Those who've never volunteered before wondering why people would give their sweat equity up free without getting pay in return. Some might call these folks morons. But to those who do it, they would rather be called the "Mow-rons." We'll explain this and share an expanding exhibit from some of the greatest volunteers in our century, on this edition of Forever New Orleans!

VHS. Rand McNally Video Traveller. See how Cajun, Creole and American cultures blend in the French Quarter. Ride the St. Charles Avenue streetcars and float up the Mississippi on the paddle-wheeler Natchez. Hear jazz music along Bourbon Street and celebrate Mardi Gras. 32 minutes.