What jazz was in the 1920s, rhythm and blues was in the 1950s, and hip-hop was in the 1980s, are what ragtime was at the turn of the 20th century: on the cutting edge, music played in not-so-savory … Continue reading →

Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne has announced the installation of 264 highway signs throughout the 14-parish Atchafalaya Heritage Area. The sign installation started in October and will conclude in the spring, a news release said.“The Atchafalaya … Continue reading →

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Friends have taught Larry Sherlock two main things about Atlantic City: Bally’s, the Taj Mahal and the Borgata give out nice comps. And, don’t venture out onto Pacific or Atlantic avenues, especially at … Continue reading →

If you’ve never boarded the Creole Queen in New Orleans for a scenic ride on the Mississippi River, now’s a good time.The paddlewheeler recently launched its Sunday Bubbly Brunch.From 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., guests can indulge in a classic New Orleans style brunch buffet and libations while listening to the cool tunes of The Yat Pack and cruising the river.

MIAMI (AP) — While the parent company of the owner of the stricken Costa Concordia is based in Miami, passengers who want to file a lawsuit in U.S. courts over the cruise ship disaster will likely face choppy … Continue reading →

LOVELAND, Colo. — If you’ve ever gone skiing at an unfamiliar resort without getting lost, chances are you have James Niehues to thank.Niehues, 65, is the man behind the trail map. His hand-painted … Continue reading →

LOVELAND, Colo. — If you’ve ever gone skiing at an unfamiliar resort without getting lost, chances are you have James Niehues to thank.Niehues, 65, is the man behind the trail map. His hand-painted … Continue reading →

LOS ANGELES — In spring and fall, desert camping attracts thousands of tourists in Southern California. Joshua trees curve up out of the dry ground like spiky sculptures, and Mojave rattlesnakes sunbathe on rocks. Temperatures … Continue reading →

What better way to get in the Mardi Gras mood than to tour the Louisiana State Museum’s Carnival Collection in New Orleans.The Friends of the Cabildo is presenting Hidden Treasures of the Louisiana State Museum: … Continue reading →

JOHANNESBURG — Johannesburg dates its beginnings to the discovery of gold in 1886. Its downtown, where skyscrapers tower over deep mines, was abandoned by business in recent decades, and squatters turned the office towers into … Continue reading →

St. Landry Parish brings in the new year with the 15th Annual Carrier Family Festival at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan .1.  Eight zydeco bands will perform at the festival at the Offshore Lounge, 322 Perry Drive in Lawtell.  Among the musicians will be Grammy winner Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, Dikki Du and the Zydeco Krewe, Dwight Carrier, Corey Ledet, Brad Randell, Gerard Delafose, Lil Pookie and T. Broussard.

LES TROIS-ILETS, Martinique — Even now, Paris feels a world away from this tropical paradise.How much farther the immense capital must have seemed to Marie-Josephe-Rose Tascher de la Pagerie, a teenager on a … Continue reading →

CAPERNAUM, Israel — A new trail across northern Israel offers travelers the chance to walk — or trot — through New Testament sites in the footsteps of Jesus.The newly opened Gospel Trail winds … Continue reading →

CRABBING PIER AT Grand Isle State Park CLOSES FOR RENOVATIONEffective immediately, the crabbing pier in the lagoon at Grand Isle State Park is closed to the public. The pier is being upgraded and will … Continue reading →

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Sitting near the New Orleans streetcar line aboard a van equipped with video screens and a speaker system, tourists watch actress Vivien Leigh ride the city’s vintage electric rail vehicles in a scene from … Continue reading →

NEW YORK — Elaborate gingerbread houses, boat parades, train shows and dazzling light shows that illuminate entire neighborhoods are all part of the holiday fun this year for the Christmas and New Year’s season. Here’s a selection of beautiful things to see and interesting things to do around the country now through early January.In Manhattan, the Rockefeller Center tree stays lit until Jan. 7.

SEATTLE — This is easy sliding. No need to strap on skis or a snowboard, and much cheaper, too. No lessons required. The learning curve is practically nil.It’s tubing — sliding down a … Continue reading →

SALT LAKE CITY — Museum-goers are taking in the sounds, smell and feel of ancient life and landscapes at a new $100 million building in Salt Lake City.The Natural History Museum of Utah … Continue reading →

What better time to see some of the state’s beautiful, historic homes than when they’re decked out in their holiday best?Travel to the Acadiana area Sunday, Dec. 4, and you can check out not one, but … Continue reading →

It’s a scene played out all over Europe as the holidays approach: The air is cold, the sky is bright and snow crunches underfoot as crowds make their way through rows of little wooden structures that look like … Continue reading →

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The sometimes plain, sometimes heavily decorated neckties are a symbol of the West, worn with everything from blue jeans to tuxedos.Texas links the bolo to the romanticism of the pioneer … Continue reading →

FRESNO, Calif. — Armando Castillo knew he should not attempt the last treacherous stretch up Half Dome with storm clouds looming. But he felt he had come too far not to accomplish his goal.Continue reading →

Three new and larger cruise ships will be calling New Orleans home.According to a news release from the Port of New Orleans, the additions will double the port’s cruise capacity, bringing the total number … Continue reading →

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Inside a storefront in downtown Little Rock’s busy River Market district is an art exhibit that brings to the surface the emotions felt by the victims of a dark chapter in U.S. history — paintings, sculpture and drawings by inmates of a Japanese internment camp.

FRIJOLES CANYON, N.M. — The prehistoric Native American archaeological sites that fill the heart of northern New Mexico’s Bandelier National Monument have reopened to visitors, months after the largest wildfire in the state’s recorded history … Continue reading →

DEXTER, Mich. — Dexter Cider Mill has had only three owners. A stone and wooden shack perched on the Huron River, it was founded in 1886 by a Civil War veteran. A decade later, a … Continue reading →

PORTLAND, Maine — Clocks may not be the only thing falling back: That signature autumn change in leaf colors may be drifting further down the calendar.Scientists don’t quite know if global warming is … Continue reading →