I recently spent about 48 hours in New Orleans on a whim while traveling from Denver to Dallas. I was visiting my Texas family and friends and my boyfriend had the time off, so we hopped in the car and headed down to the Cajun Nation of Louisiana.



Before heading down south, I looked up some history on New Orleans and found the following to be quite interesting. (Do you enjoy looking up the history of your travel destinations?)


1. Cemeteries are built above ground to prevent bodies from floating upwards during floods. The city is built on a swamp, and is technically below sea level!

Photo: tripshock.com

2. New Orleans is the Voodoo capital! The famous Voodoo Queen of the 1800s, Marie Laveau was popularized by the TV show, American Horror Story, even has her own "Voodoo Shop," in the French Quarter. 



3. The Lake Ponchatrain Causeway is 23.83 miles long, making it the longest continuous bridge in the world! 

Photo: wikipedia.com

4. Jazz was born in New Orleans and you can listen and see many street musicians playing throughout the city, especially in the French Quarter, Jackson Street & Royal Street. 






5. Beignets! If there's one thing you should experience while in New Orleans, it's one of the things it is famous for, besides jazz, Mardis Gras, and Cajun food: Beignets. The most famous place to get a plate of these doughy, sugary treats is Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter. 


Have you visited New Orleans? What is most interesting to you about the city?