Whether we know who he is or not, Banksy is still out there making guerilla street art. And his latest paintings have shown up in New Orleans, on the eve the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall--and as Tropical Storm Gustav is taking aim at the gulf shore.

While some of the new stencils directly address The Storm, others make reference to an anti-graffiti crusader in town. Which is fitting, since at least one of Banksy's murals has already been painted over.

Related Stories:
· Hurricane Banksy--Category 5! [Flickr]
· Banksy Does New Orleans [Gawker]
· Street Art coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: infrogmation2]]]> pbb 2008-08-28T14:45:18-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/3/11573/53012

You can't get your picture taken with a geyser or do a rubbing of moose tracks at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. But this corner of the French Quarter, a part of Louis Armstrong Park, celebrates the legacy of jazz in the US through exhibits and concerts, some even led by specially trained, musically gifted park rangers.

The park was established in 1994 to honor the melting pot of French, Creole and African cultures that combined in the city's dance halls; its visitor center is a former Masonic temple.

The Treme Brass Band, named for a neighborhood known historically for its population of free blacks, holds jazz workshops for kids every Saturday. Other events in the park include trombone soloists and a standing Wednesday ragtime series.

Related Stories:
· New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park [Official Site]
· New Orleans Park Has Ear For Jazz [NPR]
· Music Travel: Jazz Fest Time in Montreal [Jaunted]
· New Orleans Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: misstraceynolan]]]> egw 2008-07-03T13:30:10-05:00 29.958821 -90.060812 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/5/14/133442/102

Tales of the Cocktail, the booze-focused "conference" for bartenders, restaurateurs and, uh, enthusiasts, runs July 16-20 in New Orleans. With seminars, demos, dinners and hobnobbing, it's like a giant cocktail party without the black ties and annoying co-workers.

One day passes are available for $175 and include four events and nighttime drinks. You can also just pick and choose a couple events, hanging at the festival as a smaller part of a New Orleans vacay. Tickets range from $25-$75, depending on what you're attending.

If you really wanna get serious, the Founder's Day pass gets you into everything and goes for $625. Seems steep, yes, but it's probably less than your bar tab for five days in NoLa would be.

Festival headquarters is the Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter, and we can tell you from experience that it's the best place to stay for the event. Aside from giving you easy access to the Carousel Bar and festival seminars, it's also got discount rooms available if you book early.

Related Stories:
· Tales of the Cocktail 2008 [Official Site]
· Jaunted in New Orleans :: Gray Line Cocktail Tour [Jaunted]
· 120-Hour Cocktail Party Coming to New Orleans [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-05-14T13:36:27-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/4/21/141756/779

The Saints are marching in, and they have a lot of baggage. NPR reported this weekend that after months in storage, artifacts belonging to the New Orleans outpost of the Louisiana State Museum, which lost its roof in Hurricane Katrina, are being shipped back in trucks.

Pieces like Louis Armstrong's original trumpet are returning to their rightful place in the museum in two to four truckloads a day after they were evacuated to Baton Rouge.

The Museum is currently showcasing the exhibit "Let Your Motto Be Resistance: African American Portraits." It's planning an expansive exhibit on Katrina and New Orleans soon.

Related Stories:
· New Orleans Museum to Reclaim Artifacts [NPR]
· Louisiana State Museum [Official Site]
· New Orleans Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: folo01]]]> egw 2008-04-21T15:05:01-05:00 29.961271 -90.057005 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/4/2/231611/6594

Despite the claims of some lesser tabloids, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie did not get married this weekend in New Orleans. However, the minister who allegedly wed them wants the Super World Travelers to know, they can stop by any time to tie the knot!

"We're glad they're neighbors," says Tony Talavera, co-owner (with his wife) of the French Quarter Wedding Chapel. Brangelina may or may not be adding another baby or two to their brood, depending on whether you believe their publicists or Angelina's rounded-in-that-baby-kind-of-way stomach.

Related Stories:
· The Minister of the Wedding that Never Was Welcomes Brangelina [ICYDK]
· Brangelina Touches Down in Prague [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: vududoll]]]> egw 2008-04-03T08:50:01-05:00 29.964180 -90.039453 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/4/1/114943/4454

The arrival of a substitute teacher is usually cause for celebration, name-switching and tabletop football games breaking out in the classroom. Of course, if your sub is Tracey Flick, maybe you'd be more inclined to pay attention.

When Reese Witherspoon dropped in on a New Orleans classroom this week at the Children's Defense Freedom Fund School, those kids probably snapped right up when she asked to help them out.

Reese's outreach is part of the Fox initiative "Idol Gives Back," which apparently is no longer limited to singers, "Idol" alums or actors who think they can sing. She's treading on Super World Travelers territory: Brangelina has been spending a lot of time there since Brad Pitt shot "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" in New Orleans last year.

Related Stories:
· Volunteer Travel: Beers Beget Building [Jaunted]
· Volunteer Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

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Not burned out from the all-you-can-hear buffet of SXSW? Sandwiched in between the two weekends of New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is the 7th Annual Ponderosa Stomp, a non-profit roots music festival and conference dedicated to "rock's secret history."

Who's part of the secret history? Well, Ronnie Spector of the Ronettes and Roky Erikson among others.

At $45 each night, Ponderosa Stomp is an affordable addition to the Jazz and Heritage Fest or, should you have one of those cool jobs that allows you to take off a Tuesday and a Wednesday, an excursion all its own.

Related Stories:
· Datebook [NYT]
· Ponderosa Stomp [Official Site]
· Music Festivals coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of Erikson playing at last year's Ponderosa Stomp: laurmar]]]> egw 2008-03-18T15:14:52-05:00 29.953024 -90.066149 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/