The journey goes from Port Allen through the Mississippi Delta to New Orleans. From Port Allen via Baton Rouge (the capital of Louisiana) to New Orleans and the road is called the River Road. Here one plantation after the other is situated, close to the river, always to be able to easily ship the cotton or sugar. Many of the country houses are used as Bed & Breakfast or can be viewed. In the town of Darrow, for example, it says "Houmas House and Plantation & Gardens".

The road winds up with the Mississippi embankment. To get the context of these plantations, a visit to the Louisiana State University Rural Life Museum in Baton Rouge is worthwhile. There the visitor gets a good idea of what everyday life on and around the plantation looked like for ordinary people. Baton Rouge is also interesting because of its State Capitol, a very special Art Deco skyscraper that was built by populist Huey Long in 1932. From the observation deck, at the top of the tower, you have a unique view of the distant surroundings. Huey Long, a legendary politician who, according to many, had presidential aspirations, was murdered in the halls of the building in 1935 under never cleared conditions - or perhaps shot in the panic created by his own bodyguards. The bullet holes can still be seen there and that small, perky man whose statue stands in the park in front of the tower - that is Huey.

A longer stay than 2 nights in the Metropolis of Jazz and Blues music is definitely recommended. Here you can enjoy the familiar atmosphere around 'Beale Street'. The many bars and restaurants with live Jazz and Blues music invite you to take gas back in this city. It's not for nothing that New Orleans is called the Big Easy: the atmosphere is relaxed and casual. The combination of music, food and drinks ensure a permanent party. The French not only left behind the French Quarter but also a Mediterranean culture, unique to the US. The French Quarter is the most interesting part of the city, with its cafes, restaurants and live music.

Also during the day there is always something to do, although it was only to see the city awaken after another pleasant but tiring night. Bourbon Street is the most famous street in New Orleans, but not the most beautiful. Walking around from the French Market, everyone discovers their own favorite places. You must also take the time to do this. During Mardi Grass (carnival) and the annual Jazz Festival, the city shows its best side, but that requires planning in connection with your reservations. Residents of New Orleans consider food as one of the more important things in life. They cook spicy in a mixture of French, Spanish, African and Cajun cuisines. Gumbo (a thick soup) and Jambalaya (a kind of paella) are the basic dishes. Creole food comes mainly from the Caribbean, with rice and red beans; Cajun is the legacy of French-speaking immigrants from Canada. People take ample time to eat in New Orleans: they start late and continue for a long time.

The same combination of influences that New Orleans gave its kitchen also led to the birth of jazz. The city is bursting with live music, sometimes fantastic, often good and never bad, and besides jazz also blues, r & b, cajun and zydeco. From New Orleans, fun trips are possible in the Bayous and for beach lovers, to the Riviera of America, the coast of Mississippi. New Orleans itself deserves a thorough exploration.

In this 4-star route you drive on beautiful good roads, a few days New Orleans you should definitely do.

History:
New Orleans was founded on May 7, 1718 by the French Mississippi Company under the name of La Nouvelle-Orléans. The city is named after Phillipe II, Duke of Orléans, who was then the Regent of France. The French colony came under Spanish rule as a condition of the Peace of Paris (1763), but became French property again in 1801. In 1803, however, the area was sold to the United States by Napoleon as part of the Louisiana Purchase. After this the city grew rapidly and a special multicultural mix with American, French, Creole, Irish, German and African influences emerged. Around 1840 New Orleans was the richest and third largest city in the country. The prosperous economy was mainly due to the large slave trade.

During the American Civil War (1861-1865) the city was quickly taken over by the federal troops, so that, unlike many other cities in the south, it was not destroyed. After the North had won the war in 1865, the south was no longer part of the American Union for three years. Louisiana was re-admitted to the Union in 1868, on condition that the state made some important changes (better known as the Reconstruction). A law came into effect that ensured that everyone, regardless of skin color, was given the right to vote.

Under great pressure from the so-called White League, the Reconstruction came to an end in 1877 and the infamous Jim Crow laws were introduced, which resulted in a strict separation between whites and colored Americans. Only in the 1960s would the situation gradually improve again. In the 1960s and 1970s, New Orleans was an important center of civil rights uprisings. The large community of black Americans eventually ensured that racial segregation was lifted at schools in New Orleans and that black Americans were allowed to vote again.

Even though people were equal before the law, there was still a big gap between the incomes and training of white and colored Americans. The effects of this difference were exacerbated when many white people left the city, as a result of which the population consisted largely of (poor) colored Americans. The worrying level of education and the high level of poverty and crime even became problematic in the last years of the twentieth century. Around the turn of the century, New Orleans government and major businessmen joined forces to bring the city's economy back to the fore, with successful consequences.

Unfortunately, the city was hit hard in 2005 by Katrina, the mega-hurricane who landed in August and largely flooded the city. Although the scars of the major natural disaster are still visible, New Orleans has gradually recovered and attracts many tourists.