Louisiana travelers choose from 49 Best Western hotels.

Bourbon Street - New Orleans, LA

Summer - an ideal time for a visit to New Orleans. Take a stroll down St. Charles Avenue or hop on the Saint Charles streetcar for a look at pristine examples of 19th century architecture. Visit Besthoff Sculpture Garden, on five acres in the Lakefront neighborhood, to see the world-class collection of sculptures set among the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. The New Orleans Botanical Gardens at City Park are also a nice option for outdoor activities. Spring’s Tennessee Williams Festival, the French Quarter Festival and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival prime the Crescent City for even more summer fun.

Start summer off in New Orleans celebrating local music and food. Called the Vieux To Do, June’s calendar features three popular festivals. The 2012 French Market’s Creole Tomato Festival, celebrating the common ingredient to Cajun fare. The New Orleans French Market hosts the Creole Tomato Festival June 9th and 10th, with chef demonstrations, live music and lots of creole tomatoes for sale.

All wrapped up into one weekend of festivities, the Cajun & Zydeco Festival and the Louisiana Seafood Festival join the Creole Tomato Festival, for a full weekend of events and activities. The US Mint in the French Market hosts’ local restaurants with samples of New Orleans’ best seafood delicacies. The Cajun & Zydeco Music Festival provides two stages of live music along with a craft fair. Doesn’t get better than three festivals in one weekend featuring Louisiana’s best food and music.

New Orleans celebrates women at June’s 2012 FestiGals. Held over the June 22nd to 24th weekend, this year’s guest speaker is Today Show co-host, Hoda Kotb. FestiGals' commitment is to entertain and enrich women. Join friends in New Orleans for seminars, city tours and workshops designed to empower today’s women.

Triple-A baseball’s Zephyrs entertain NOLA visitors throughout the summer. Enjoy America’s favorite pastime at Shrine on Airline – Zephyr Field, watching New Orleans Zephyr Baseball. The 2012 season runs through September 3rd. Football fans are also in luck summers in New Orleans, AFL’s New Orleans VooDoo fill New Orleans Arena with the excitement of football.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2012, Tales of the Cocktail fills New Orleans with events for cocktail mixologists, professionals, and enthusiasts. Tales of the Cocktail 2012 is July 25th through the 29th, featuring a hand-shaken daiquiri competition, street food and go-cups, and specific Tales of the Cocktail excursions. Enjoy dinners, tastings and competitions, and remember to drink water, eat often and wisely, and use the spit buckets – there are a lot of exciting cocktails to sample.

An ideal end to summer, the New Orleans Seafood Festival brings Lafayette Square in downtown New Orleans to life. Held mid-September, the Crescent City’s Seafood Festival benefits the Louisiana Hospitality Foundation. Visit and dine on seafood prepared by the city’s most popular restaurants. Browse artists booths for jewelry, woodwork and textiles, check out the souvenirs and dance to the music of NOLA’s top performers.

Louisiana Plantation Home

Baton Rouge, the heart of Louisiana Plantation Country and the Louisiana State Capitol, is the place to celebrate the Bicentennial of Louisiana Statehood. Honoring their 200-year anniversary, festivities throughout 2012 celebrate April 30, 1812 – the day Louisiana became the 18th state. Join the official bicentennial birthday event at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge on April 30th. The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge fills the city with art and music year round. Don’t miss the final performances of River City Jazz Masters at the Manship Theatre at the Shaw Center for the Arts. The 2012 season concludes with performances by Terence Blanchard & Poncho Sanchez on April 26th and Patti Austin on May 17th.

Historic downtown Baton Rouge hosts FestForAll 2012 May 5th and 6th. Also sponsored by the Arts Council of Baton Rouge, FestForAll brings quality visual and arts downtown for a weekend of exhibitions and entertainment. A popular capital city event, FFA gives the community a first hand experience with the arts.

Enjoy spring in Louisiana’s plantation country at the 21st Annual Spring Arts & Crafts Festival at Oak Alley Plantation. A magnificent example of antebellum architecture some call Oak Alley the “Grande Dame of the Great River Road”. This National Historic Landmark hosts more than 170 booths featuring local and regional artists and craftsmen showcasing their products and creations March 24th and 25th. A diversity of Louisiana and Cajun cuisine keeps visitors fueled for the festivities. Kids love the pony rides, petting zoo and face painting among children’s activities.

Music fans, spring is the time to visit Baton Rouge. The 2012 Baton Rouge Blues Festival is Saturday, April 14th, and is one of the oldest blues festivals in the US – originating on the Southern University campus. Showcasing the best local and regional blues talent, the festival includes local Baton Rouge high school blues bands. Free admission and a variety of traditional southern food make for an ideal event.

Louisiana State University Tiger Stadium hosts the 2012 Bayou Country Superfest May 26th and 27th. Make your Memorial Day plans in Baton Rouge to see Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Jason Aldean and Keith Urban – among many more of your favorite country performers. This is a must see event for country music fans.

The city of Port Allen sits across the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge. Close to the amenities of the city, Port Allen offers the peace and hospitality of a small town. Conveniently located within 10-miles of Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport for air travelers and Interstate 10 and US Highway 190 for those on the road.

As the site of the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, Port Allen plays a critical role in Mississippi River deepwater navigation. A stroll along the pedestrian promenade at the Mississippi Riverfront Development offers spectacular views of Baton Rouge and the Mississippi River. A visit to Port Allen in March features the Lagniappe Dulcimer Fete Festival, featuring old time Louisiana music and fun. The 2012 festival is March 8th through the 11th.

Shreveport, Louisiana Skyline

Louisiana is well known for Mardi Gras celebrations, even in the far north of the state. With the Krewe of Centaur, Krewe of Artemis and Krewe of Gemini kicking off 2012 festivals, Shreveport, Bossier City, and towns across Northern Louisiana have full calendars of events. Spring is a holiday in Shreveport, and northern Louisiana celebrates with 2012 Holiday in Dixie. The festival celebrates the 64th year for Holiday in Dixie, which honors the Louisiana Purchase and coming of spring. Festival Plaza in downtown Shreveport, hosts 10 days of fun and parties in downtown Shreveport, running from April 8th through the 17th. Don’t miss the Classic Parade, block parties in Shreveport neighborhoods, and Carnival on the Riverfront.

May in Shreveport is another festive season. The 2012 Mudbug Madness Festival brings the fun to downtown Shreveport May 24th through the 27th. Celebrating the Louisiana institution of the crawfish boil, Shreveport’s festival is a popular Louisiana event. Featuring three stages for entertainment, Mudbug Madness is continuous entertainment. The unofficial kick-off to northern Louisiana’s summer, head to Festival Plaza Memorial Day weekend.

As summer approaches, northern Louisiana weather warms and it is time to head for the Shreveport – Bossier City riverfront. Divided by the Red River, there are abundant activities on the banks of either city. Eldorado Casino and Sam’s Town Casino provide gaming action on the Shreveport side, with DiamondJacks Casino, Boomtown Casino and Horseshoe Casino on the Bossier City side. There is more than a day’s worth of fun at the Bossier City Louisiana Boardwalk and Shreveport’s RiverFront Park. Be sure to bring the kids and dress appropriately for the water playground.

Travel east from Shreveport on Intestate 20 into northern Louisiana’s great outdoors. Past the Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant, the interstate crosses the northern edge of Crane Lake and Lake Bistineau. There is outstanding fishing at Lake Claiborne and Bayou D’Arbonne Lake north of Rushton. The cities of Monroe and West Monroe are surrounded by Louisiana parks – D’Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge, Russell Sage State Wildlife Management Arean and the Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge.

Bisected by the Ouachita River, Monroe and West Monroe are a central location to enjoy the best of north Louisiana outdoor activities. Black Bayou Lake is among the many lakes offering outstanding Bass, Catfish and Panfish fishing. Water recreation abounds in spring and summer and there is nothing like a simple float down the Ouchita, on a hot day.

Artists take note: Monroe’s Masur Museum of Art hosts its 49th Annual Jured Exhibition this summer. The deadline for submissions to the 2012 show is March 18th. A showcase of contemporary artists, the Masur Museum of Art Annual Juried Competition features Juror Liza Simone. Travelers visiting Monroe can see the exhibition May 12th through July 21st.

In the heart of central Louisiana, Alexandria and neighboring Pineville, located across the Red River, join the best of northern and southern Louisiana. Facilities like the Alexandria Riverfront Center offer outstanding locations for business and community events. Located directly on the river in downtown Alexandria, The Riverfront Center is a prime event location. This is the season for a stroll through Alexandria Zoo. Join the fun in February at the Children’s Parade and King Cake Party. Party for the Planet at the Zoo in March and see the Wild Side of the Arts in May. Central Louisiana is full of spring and summer fun.

Home of Mardi Gras au Coeur de la Louisianne, central Louisiana begins the 2012 party in mid-February. Fun continues through 2012 with the 2nd Annual Louisiana Dragon Boat Races on May 12th. A benefit for the Alexandria Museum of Art fills the Red River with spectacular dragon boats loaded with teams of local and regional competitors – of course it's all in good fun for a great cause.

This is the season to enjoy central Louisiana’s great outdoors. Take a trip to Kisatchie National Forest for hiking and biking. While you’re there, be on the lookout for the endangered Red Cockaded Woodpecker. Outstanding fishing is available in the Kitsatchie, Red River, Indian Creek and Cotile Lake Recreation Area.

Louisiana Mudfest outside Colfax, is 25 miles northeast of Alexandria. Always a fun destination, visit Mudfest April 19th through the 22nd for special Trucks Gone Wild events. Enjoy the site of over-the-top big trucks racing through 300 mud filled acres. Bring you lawn chairs and enjoy the fun and entertainment.

Historic Natchitoches, 60 miles northeast of Alexandria, is recognized as Louisiana’s oldest town. Natchitoches bridges the seasons with the famous Natchitoches Christmas Festival, to local Mardi Gras celebrations led by the Krewe of Dionysus and spring’s Bloomin On the Bricks. Visit Memorial Day Weekend 2012 until July and enjoy the bounty of central Louisiana’s harvest at the Cane River Green Market.

Cajun music fans, don’t miss the Natchitoches 2012 Jazz & R&B Festival April 13th and 14th. Celebrating its 16th year, the jazz festival fills the Natchitoches Riverfront with music from jazz and soul, to rock and country. With three stages of live music and food vendors, you are set. Check into the Natchitoches Best Western hotel and enjoy a full weekend of central Louisiana’s best music.

If Cajun BBQ is a favorite, the 2012 Cookin’ On the Cane BBQ Competition & Festival is on the Natchitoches downtown riverbank June 1st and 2nd. Featuring competitions for both professional and non-professional chefs, the cook-off also features a children’s BBQ competition. Plenty of food vendors are on hand, along with live entertainment and activities for the kids. Don’t miss a getaway to Natchitoches this spring or summer.

Bridge in Lake Charles

Lafayette, approximately 140-miles from New Orleans and 60-miles west of Baton Rouge, is the heart of Louisiana’s Cajun Culture. A rich mix of French, Spanish, Catholic and Protestant heritage, Lafayette is a modern blend of Creole American culture. Convenient for automobile travelers along Interstate 10 and Interstate 49 or by air through Lafayette Regional Airport, this is where an authentic Cajun adventure begins. From the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Lafayette, to the Cajun Music Hall of Fame & Museum and swamp tours in the Atchafalaya Basin, visit Lafayette and Lafayette Parrish for your Acadiana experience.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is hub of culture and activity for the community. The UL, Lafayette Ragin’ Cajun Division 1 athletics, gives sports fans nearly year-round entertainment. This is the season to catch the season-end for men and women’s basketball, baseball, softball and track.

The Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum on the campus at University of Louisiana at Lafayette celebrates Louisiana’s bicentennial with exhibits from historic Louisiana artists. Through May 26th, paintings and drawing from New Orleans artist George Schmidt are on display in the exhibit "Satire, Scandal, and Spectacle: The Art of George Schmidt."

Historic downtown Lafayette hosts the 2012 Festival International de Louisiane during the last week of April. With five full days of entertainment and arts, downtown Lafayette features six stages for live entertainment, food and beverage, plus arts and crafts boutiques. Visit downtown April 25th through the 29th and enjoy the full breadth of Acadiana culture in one location.

Eunice, 40-miles northwest of Lafayette, proclaims itself Louisiana’s Prairie Cajun Capital. Located in the top crawfish producing area of the US, Eunice celebrates their natural bounty at the Annual World Championship Crawfish Etouffee Cook-off. The 2012 event is March 25th, at Eunice’s Northwest Pavilion. This is the place to sample award winning and authentic Cajun crawfish etoufee at its best. Enjoy the fun as amateur and professional cooks compete for the judges and local bands entertain the crowds.

East on Interstate 10, the cities of Lake Charles and Sulphur anchor southwestern Louisiana. They serve as gateways to Louisiana’s outback and the Creole Nature Trail, an All-American Road. Travelers enjoy 180 miles of natural Louisiana bayous, marshlands and wildlife. Fill the gas tank for the trip, this is natural Louisiana at its finest and an adventure along Louisiana’s Gulf Coast. Be on the lookout for alligators and enjoy the birding, shelling and fishing as you venture through the Creole Nature Trail.

Visit Sulphur in May for the 2012 Sulphur Heritage Days celebration. Held Memorial Day weekend, May 25th and 26th, join the Sulphur community at downtown Heritage Square for a weekend of fun and down home entertainment. While in Sulphur, stop by the Henning Culture Center for the latest exhibit of southwestern Louisiana culture.