Crowds throng Bourbon Street in New Orleans' French Quarter on Mardi Gras.

Shoppers stroll through the French Market in New Orleans.

Street musicians perform across the street from Jackson Square, a one-block section of the French Quarter anchored by a lush green space with benches set among gardens and grand oak trees.

A ferry ride is one of the best ways to get a look at the New Orleans skyline and the Mississippi River's daily parade of river barges, steamships and cruise ships.

People take photos in the Sydney Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden in City Park in New Orleans.