New Orleans

Is any time a bad time to come visit New Orleans?  We doubt it.  This is one of the few places stateside that you can plan to visit without worrying about which season you should go.  This place is the funkiest, flirtiest, raunchiest belle of the southern ball and once you've fallen under her spell, you'll have no choice but to curtsy and kiss her glitter-studded hand.  Are you single and raring to go?  What are you waiting for?  New Orleans is yours for the taking.

Why you should visit

If you think its Mardi Gras, you definitely have the right reason to go to New Orleans.  In fact, Mardi Gras IS reason enough.  But that's not the only attraction New Orleans has to offer.  The area is rich with festivities all year round thanks to its constant party atmosphere and the possibilities for joyful chaos that strikes every corner of this strangely beautiful place.

The Mardi Gras… of course

There's no celebration in the world quite like New Orleans' Mardi Gras.  People go there in droves just to party and it's basically a singles scene once the parade starts to move. 

Mardi Gras is simply a celebration held as a last chance to party before the coming austerity imposed by the Lenten season.  New Orleans is not the only place that celebrates Mardi Gras, although the festivities here are definitely the most renowned worldwide.  If you happen to be one of the lucky ones dancing in the streets on this special day, take the full force of the celebration face on.  Mardi Gras is a heady mix of abandon and pleasure and it certainly is a great opportunity to meet up with strangers who later become friends.

All that jazz

If every city had a musical theme, New Orleans' would definitely be jazz.  Whether you're drinking on Bourbon Street or attending a local funeral, jazz pumps the life in the blood the runs through the city.  So go to Preservation Hall where you'll have your fill of jazz, blues, gospel and every kind of music you've always wanted to hear. 

New Orleans can play music like no other place can and while you're there, pick up a few CDs to ensure the memory remains.  Or come in March or April, when the Jazz Festival hits town and drown yourself in the melodies you can't find anywhere else.

The French Quarter

The French Quarter's fame is not superficial.  It is truly a place that holds a magical spell over anyone who enters its boundaries and there's plenty here for singles who want to have a great time.  This section of the Big Easy is filled with bars, clubs and restaurants that will satisfy your gastronomic needs but there are also plenty of historical sites, unique cemeteries, architectural beauties and priceless museums for you to discover.

Check out places like Brennan's for a hearty Creole brunch, the French Market for some sightseeing and shopping, Antoine's for oysters or simply check out Jackson Square for a piece of New Orleans history.  Visit the St. Louis Cathedral, an 18th century church you can tour with a group of friends or check out the wildlife at the Audubon Institute.  Or simply go back to Bourbon Street for some hearty gumbo, a good drink and some lessons in voodoo.

Go antiquing

Meet some of the locals or fellow tourists in one of New Orleans' antique shops.  Here, and many other places in Louisiana, have some of the best 18th and 19th century offerings and selections.  These antiques are not only a reflection of the wealth and fortune of the bygone plantation era, they are also a piece of history.  Not looking to buy?  No problem.  Browsing and asking questions will have you talking to a friendly face in a short while and there are plenty of antique topics you can tap.  No way you could run out of things to say about the beautiful furniture.

New Orleans and back again

Southerners have a reputation for being friendly people and you can't go to New Orleans without making a few friends.  Even strangers who come here for a visit find the friendliness infectious, thanks to the heavy air of festivity that hangs over the place.  New Orleans is one huge party you'll want to go back to again and again.