Author: Emily Gautreaux

New Orleans Tourism Musts

Louisiana is a beautiful bayou-filled state. When visiting New Orleans, most people wonder how to narrow down their list of “must dos”.  We’ve got you covered. Take a walk along the Mississippi River, or do any of the following, and your sure to enjoy yourself.

New Orleans, also known as “The Big Easy”, was originally founded as La Nouvelle-Orléans in the Spring of 1718 by the French Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. Previous to the establishment as a French port city, the land was inhabited by the indigenous Chitimacha people. Spanish moss hangs from the trees, swamp air floats on the breeze, and Cajun spices and dishes are plentiful. Today, New Orleans is a vibrant port city filled with culture. It has become a festival city, hosting events from the annual Mardi Gras celebration and parades to the annual Jazz Heritage Music Festival to Voodoo Music + Arts Festival to the Bloody Mary Festival. It’s always a party in New Orleans; laissez les bons temps rouler!

The French Quarter is a scenic must-see. This area is characterized by its historic buildings with their cast-iron balconies to their brick or stucco exteriors. The main architecture style of the shopfronts and homes of the French Quarter is that of the Creole cottage. Along the Quarter, you can visit the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, take a walk among the flowers of Jackson Square, catch musical street performances in front of the St. Louis Cathedral, stop in a Voodoo shop, or stop in one of the many bars to hear live music or grab a drink for your stroll down Bourbon Street. Take a guided ghost or vampire tour through the taverns, cemeteries, and alleyways of New Orleans, if you’re brave enough!

Book your stay at the Domio Baronne St., which is a wonderful apartment-style hotel that is perfect for large groups of families and friends. This hotel is found in the Warehouse District, minutes from the French Quarter and Convention Center. If you’re looking for a luxurious hotel experience, look no further than the Cambria Hotel & Suites New Orleans, also located in the Warehouse District. For a stay at an affordable price point, look to the Omni Riverfront Hotel, the Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery, or the Bourbon Orleans Hotel.

If you are a purveyor of history and art, there are gorgeous museums in the city from which to choose. For example, the National WWII Museum displays the various theatres of the war, showcasing industrial efforts at home to the combat experience of the American soldier abroad. For a more artistic museum experience, visit the New Orleans Museum of Art  (NOMA) in City Park. This is New Orleans’ oldest fine arts institution with a permanent collection of almost 40,000 objects. Outside of NOMA is the Besthoff Sculpture Garden. There are also plenty of galleries and antique shops to visit for several blocks in the French Quarter if you want a look at local artists’ works.

Take a walk through City Park or Frenchman Street for stylish exercise and views. Replenish yourself with a stop at Cafe du Monde for beignets and coffee, Angelo Brocato Ice Cream for Italian style treats, GW Fins for American cuisine, or Loretta’s Authentic Pralines for delicious pecans coated in brown sugar and butter.

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Louisiana Teachers Gather for Annual Summit

The Louisiana Department of Education held the 7th Teacher Leader Summit on Wednesday, June 26th through Friday, June 28th, 2019. More than 6,500 Louisiana teachers and educators, representing almost every school system in the state, gathered at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. This annual Summit was created in response to teachers who thought classroom educators should have a larger voice in statewide academic decisions.At the first statewide summit in April 2013, there were 2,000 teachers in attendance. Since then, the number of participating teachers has tripled with an approximated 6,500 teachers in attendance this year. They have since branched out to a blend of year-round-in-person and online trainings to expand the opportunities available to Teacher Leaders.

From Wednesday through Friday, these over 6,000educators spent their time at the Summit attending and conducting professional development training workshops, collaborating with one another as peers, and learning how they can best play active roles in shaping the future of up-and-coming Louisiana minds and the future of education in Louisiana. The collection of training and workshop topics vary from early childhood development and education to school improvement and Louisiana’s innovative assessment pilot, which was enacted to study how the state tackles issues of school accountability, student assessment, data transparency, and school improvement. In addition to these workshops led by Teacher Leaders, the Summit will host “Ed Talks,” which is a speaker series that featured the six national education leaders.

The 7th Teacher Leader Summit ushered in preparations for the 2019-2020 school year and those to follow. The summit overview listed its objectives as follows:

“This year’s event will equip educators in every level of the system with tools and training that provide all students the opportunity to:

  • Build knowledge of the world
  • Read meaningful texts
  • Express ideas through writing and speaking
  • Solve complex math problems
  • Attend a school that treats them with dignity and respect”

The State Superintendent John White stated, “Louisiana has a longstanding commitment to raising the bar, and as a result, more students than ever before are graduating in four years, earning college and career credentials, achieving eligibility for TOPS scholarships, and pursuing post-secondary education and training.” State Superintendent White continued, “During the 7th annual Teacher Leader Summit, we will celebrate those hard-earned gains, but more importantly, we will focus on how our collaborative efforts can make those opportunities accessible to all students, including our most vulnerable.”

Students from The Performing Arts Academy of St. Bernard Parish performed in the convention center’s theater for the inauguration of the event. Superintendent White addressed the current state of education in Louisiana and outlined the academic strategy moving forward into the future. The 2018 Louisiana Teacher of the Year and recipient of the inaugural Louisiana Public Interest Fellowship, Kimberly Eckert, announced the winner of the Fellowship for the 2019-2020 school year. Lastly, South Lafourche High School was honored with the title of 2019 Louisiana Teacher Leader Summit Premier School.

Watch a stream of the opening ceremony here.

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30 Interesting Facts About Louisiana

Located in the southeastern region of the United States, Louisiana was the 18th state to join the union by attaining statehood on April 30, 1812. Today, Louisiana is the 31st most extensive, or biggest, state as well as the 25th most populated state. It shares borders with three states, Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi. The remainder of the state’s border, the southern border, is lined by the Gulf of Mexico. It is known to some by such monikers as the Sugar State, the Bayou State, the Creole State, the Child of the Mississippi, and the Pelican State. Louisiana consists of 64 parishes, the state’s specific version of counties. Its capital city is Baton Rouge. In the next 30 facts written by theFACTfile, we will learn more about Louisiana’s history, people, geography, economy, and more.

  1. The first inhabitants of what is now known as Louisiana were Native American tribes such as the Natchez, Bayagoula, and Chitamacha.
  2. The first natural gas field was found at a depth of 400 feet in Louisiana in the year 1823.
  3. Because of past fertility of its land, Louisiana was once known as one of the richest regions in America due to the indigo, sugar, and cotton industries making the white statesmen rich.
  4. Louisiana was a French colony between 1682 and 1763.
  5. France relinquished Louisiana and the Isle of Orleans to Spain in November 1762.
  6. René-Robert Cavelier names Louisiana in the mid 1600s in honor of King Louis XIV of France who reigned from 1643 to 1715.
  7. The food and culture of the state reflects the longevity of early French and Spanish settlers’ influence on the state.
  8. The Louisiana State Capitol is the tallest state capital in the U.S. Inaugurated on May 16, 1931, the capital building is 34 stories at a total of 450 feet tall. This tallest of capital buildings was built under the direction of former Governor Huey P. Long, who was assassinated in the building in September of 1935, four years after the building’s inauguration.
  9. The nickname “the Pelican State” comes from the numerous pelicans that once inhabited the state’s gulf coast. These pelicans indigenous to Louisiana have since gone extinct, and now, the pelicans found on Louisiana’s gulf coast are actually brown pelicans from Florida.
  10. Louisiana is one of the leaders in the country’s leading oil and gas producing states.
  11. In August 2005, the Category 3 hurricane, Hurricane Katrina, devastated some parts of Louisiana, particularly the 9th ward of New Orleans. The damage dealt by the storm was underestimated as the possibility of levees breaking was not taken into account. Katrina eroded 73 square miles of Louisiana coastland, and caused the death of an estimated 1,500 Louisiana citizens. It resulted in more than $100 billion in damages. Louisiana hurricane season lasts from June through November each year.
  12. During its first centennial in 1912, Louisiana adopted its official flag depicting a pelican mother feeding her own skin to her three chicks with the below inscription saying, “Union Justice Confidence” in front of a deep blue background.
  13. The Mississippi River both runs through and borders the state.
  14. The state has been governed under 10 different flags since the Spanish conquistador, Hernando de Soto, landed in 1541.
  15. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase, buying 530,000,000 acres of territory in North America for $15 million from Napoleon Bonaparte of France. This purchase effectively doubled the size of the United States at the time.
  16. The original Louisiana Purchase territory is now split into 13 states.
  17. Louisiana boasts no official language. English, French, Spanish, and Vietnamese are among the most common spoken languages in the state.
  18. It is one of the wettest states in the United States.
  19. Along with being the capital, Baton Rouge is an important inland port due to its location along the Mississippi River.
  20. Louisiana leads the U.S. in crawfish and shrimp production.
  21. This is a mostly flat state. The highest point, Driskill Mountain, is 535 feet, or 163 meters above sea level. The lowest point in the state is New Orleans at 8 feet, or 2.5 meters below sea level.
  22. Louisiana land can be divided into three types of regions: lowlands, hills, and terraces.
  23. Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday” is a big festival boasting numerous parades that takes place the day before Ash Wednesday. The Mardi Gras festival has been held in New Orleans since 1838.
  24. Louisiana was home to important contributions in the US space exploration program, such as the production of the C-5 boosters used in the Apollo moon landing.
  25. This is the only state to have political subdivisions called parishes rather than counties like the other 49 states. Jefferson Parish is the largest population-wise, and Cameron Parish is the largest land area-wise. There are 64 parishes total.
  26. LA state license plates have had the following phrases appear on them: “Bayou State”, “World’s Fair”, and “Sportsman’s Paradise.”
  27. The capitals of Louisiana have been as follows: New Orleans from 1812-1830, Donaldsville from 1830-1831, New Orleans from 1831-1849, Baton Rouge from 1849-1862, New Orleans from 1862-1882, and finally, Baton Rouge since 1882.
  28. The geographic center of Louisiana is located 3 miles southeast of Marksville in Avoyelles Parish. The whole state is 380 miles long and 130 miles wide.
  29. Coincidentally, the state’s shape resembles the capital letter “L” or a boot.
  30. Louisiana is a major producer of corn and soybeans.

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Grilled Bison Burgers Worth Trying

Are you tired of your basic beef burger? Look to Allrecipes for a delicious alternative: Grilled Bison Burgers! Bison are North America’s largest land animals, and for hundreds of years, bison have served as the most significant animal to many North American indigenous peoples. Skins were used for clothing and shelter, bones used for broths and then tools, and meat for plentiful meals and fat for making things like soap. Each animal typically weighs anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 tons, depending on sex. A bison typically stands at a stature of 6 to 6.5 feet tall and 10 to 12.5 feet long. The hump between a bison’s shoulder is made up of muscle, supported by long vertebrae.

Low in fat, grilled bison burgers contain 90% lean and only 10% fat. Bison meat can be found in many grocery stores, warehouse retailers, natural food stores, local butcher shops, and online. If you have difficulty locating bison meat near you, BisonFinder is the first app dedicated to locating quality bison meat and byproducts near you. It can be downloaded from the iTunes or Google Play stores for free.

For this particular recipe, you will require an outdoor grill, a bowl, a baking sheet, aluminum foil, and a meat thermometer.

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Begin by preparing the outdoor grill. First, lightly oil the grate of the grill with olive oil cooking spray. Preheat the grill to a high heat. For safe cooking conditions, a good rule of thumb to follow is to allow the grill to heat for about 15 minutes before beginning any grilling.

As your grill preheats, use this time to make your bison patties. If not yet ground, grind your bison meat. Once this is complete, take your ground bison meat, Panko crumbs, egg, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, garlic, and pepper and mix them together by hand in a bowl. Separate the resulting mixture into fourths, forming 4 patties. Place the patties on your baking sheet and cover them with aluminum foil. Refrigerate until chilled. This should take approximately 15 minutes.

Once chilled, uncover the patties and spray them with some olive oil cooking spray and place them on the grill. Grill until hot and slightly pink in the center, spending about 5 minutes per side. Add a slice of cheese atop each burger and continue cooking for a couple more minutes, or enough time for the cheese to melt depending on how well you wish your burger to be cooked. Test your meat’s safety by measuring the center of your burger with a meat thermometer. It should read 140 degrees Fahrenheit, or 60 degrees Celsius, when inserted into the center of the bison burger.

Finish your burger with a bun and any other garnishes you would like.

Lastly, enjoy this fresh take on the burger!

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The Four Longest Mountain Ranges in The World

Travel Trivia is a fun site with great travel info and trivia.  We love the recent article about the longest mountain ranges.  Mountain chains formed from similar soil and rock around the same age, sweeping across countries and sometimes, entire continents. Earth’s expansive mountain ranges stretch thousands of miles, with the longest range reaching over 4,000 miles. The world’s 4 longest mountain ranges are:

4) Transantarctic Mountains  (Length: 2,200 miles)

The fourth longest mountain range measures about 2,200 miles across the entire continent of Antarctica. The Transantarctic Mountains divide Antarctica into two halves — West Antarctica and East Antarctica. It serves as an icy wall that divides the continent in twain. An estimated 98% of the Transantarctic Mountains are covered in ice. This makes the majority of these mountains inaccessible. The highest peak is known as Mount Kirkpatrick, which reaches a ginormous height of 14,855 feet above sea level. Research has shown that more diverse plant and reptile life once existed in these mountains, as shown through the discovery of fossils, but in the modern day, the conditions in these mountains are more suited for penguins.

3) Rocky Mountains  (Length: 3,000 miles)

While it is only the third longest mountain range in the world, the Rocky Mountains are the longest mountain range in the continent of North America. Colloquially known as ‘the Rockies”, these mountains span 3,000 miles through two countries, stretching from northern British Columbia (Canada) down to New Mexico (USA).  Mount Elbert, the highest peak of this range, is found at 14,439 feet above sea level in Colorado. The Rockies formed 80 million to 55 million years ago. Since the last ice age approximately 12,000 years ago, the Rockies have been home to many indigenous peoples of the Americas, such as the Apache, Arapaho, Bannock, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Coeur d’Alene, Crow Nation, Dunne-za, Flathead, Kalispel, Kutenai, Sekani, Shoshone, Sioux, Ute, and others. Many of these peoples hunted the now-extinct mammoth and now-endangered bison in the valleys surrounding the mountains. A majority of the mountain range is government-owned and protected park lands.

2) Southern Great Escarpment (Length: 3,100 miles)

Coming in second on this list, the Southern Great Escarpment is an African mountain range that spreads across 3,100 miles over the countries of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia, and Angola. The highest peak of the Southern Great Escarpment is 11,424 feet above sea level. This peak is located in South Africa and locally called the Drakensberg. Some 180 million years ago, the Southern Great Escarpment formed. Today, the part of the mountain chain located in South Africa exists atop basalt lava with soft sandstones underneath, setting it apart from most rockier mountain ranges.

1) Andean Mountains (Length: 4,350 miles)

The Andean Mountains, most commonly referred to as The Andes, reach 4,300 miles long across southern Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and end in Venezuela. This range contains many active volcanoes, including one called Ojos del Salado on the border of Argentina and Chile. Ojos del Salado is the highest active volcano at a height of 22,615 feet above sea level. Alongside the mountains run high plateaus housing major cities like Bogota, Cali, Medellin, La Paz, and Quito. One plateau in the Andes, the Altiplano plateau, is the second-highest plateau in the world after the first-highest, the Tibetan plateau. This expansive mountain range is so long it is divided into three major categories based on climate: the Tropical Andes (located in northern countries), the Dry Andes (in Chile, northwest Argentina and Bolivia) and the Wet Andes (in CHile and Argentina at certain latitudes where there is more precipitation).

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5 of the Best Restaurants in the World

Last week, the awards ceremony for the World’s 50 Best Restaurants was held in Singapore. At this ceremony, restaurants from all over the globe were celebrated and the masterminds behind the eateries recounted the stories that inspire their food. Amongst the best fifty, five of the owners and chefs shared the culinary travel destinations they are most inspired by.  Forbes gives us the details.

Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin, New York City

Le Bernardin in New York City was birthed in Paris by siblings Maguy and Gilbert Le Coze in 1972. Known for its simple, yet elegant fish dishes, the restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star in 1976, and two more in 1980. In 1986, siblings Maguy and Gilbert opened Le Bernardin in New York City. After Gilbert’s tragic and unexpected death in 1994, Maguy started working with Gilbert’s disciple, Eric Ripert, who took the reigns of the kitchen at Le Bernardin.

Ripert expresses his interest in Asia, remarking that he cherishes China, Taiwan, India, and Singapore. He states that when he travels, he is less concerned with fine dining, but more concerned with restaurants that pique his interest:

“In Singapore, for instance, I go to the hawker centers as well as restaurants like Odette. I go with the mind of the consumer, not a chef. I don’t want to scrutinize what they’re doing. I just want to eat well and have that experience.”

Bertrand Grébaut and Théo Pourriat of Septime, Paris

Septime in Paris specializes in micro-seasonality. One of the restaurants most impressive dishes is said to be roasted cauliflower paired with seaweed and horseradish butter. Other dishes include turbot with bacon, Brussels sprouts, and a mushroom sauce, and white asparagus paired with oysters, hazelnuts, and clotted cream.

Bertrand Grébaut states that this year he would like to go to Mexico to ease his curiosity of Mexican cuisine. He also states that he loves the simplicity of Italian food. On the other hand, Théo Pourrait expresses his love for the “spontaneous, puncy, and fresh” aspects of Thai street food.

Thomas and Mathias Sühring of Sühring, Bangkok

Sühring in Bangkok was formed when twins Thomas and Mathias Sühring moved into a 1970s villa in Bangkok, which they lightly remodeled into a hybrid of a home and a restaurant. After working in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Thailand, they sought to share their version of German cuisine inspired by travel, childhood memories, and family recipes through Sühring.

Mathias states that he gathers inspiration from anywhere he and his brother travel, but Japan stands out to him the most since they travel there almost yearly. Thomas agrees, adding that there are so many remarkable restaurants in Japan that they are prepared to visit the country many more times. In reference to the allure of Japan, Mathias states, “There’s so much to discover and so many quality ingredients. Everything in Japan is different to what you’ll find anywhere else in the world.”

Danny Yip of The Chairman, Hong Kong

The Chairman in Hong Kong seeks to continue the 2,000 year history of Cantonese cuisine. They take pride in using locally sourced ingredients, including products from local condiment stores and seafood from local fisherman. They take a traditional approach to cooking and believe that constructing simple dishes requires the highest level of skill.

Danny Yip gains inspiration from traveling across China to discover forgotten ingredients in small villages. He expresses that he feels most inspired by the city of Yunan, since there are so many tribes dwelling in the area. He states, “There are huge mountains, rivers and the seashore. The ingredients are incredible. I thought I knew the ingredients in this region until I went to the market and could only recognise half of them. China is such a big place. Just one area can have so many things I’ve never seen.”

Peter Goossens of Hof van Cleve, Belgium

Hof van Cleve in Belgium cherishes uniqueness. They believe that you can taste with all of your senses, therefore they have carefully curated not only their menu, but also the farmhouse-style restaurant’s atmosphere. Most products are locally sourced from Belgium, but some international ingredients are also utilized for final touches and flair.

Peter Goossens states that even though Hof van Cleve is a Belgian restaurant, he has been inspired by Japanese cuisine and implemented the country’s style into his dishes:

“Japanese cuisine is very light and pure with ponzu, dashiand soy sauce. And they know how to prepare the fish skilfully. Now we use the ike jime method to kill fish for the restaurant and we make our own ponzu.”

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