Mardi Gras is the queen of festivals in New Orleans, and Rex is the king of carnival parades. Rex makes its way through the Central Business District of New Orleans. (Bill Haber / Associated Press)
People gaze at the New Orleans skyline from Algiers Point, across the Mississippi River from the French Quarter. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
The High Hat Cafe is among the food and drink spots that have popped up along Freret Street in Uptown New Orleans. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Chef Phillip Lopez describes the menu at his restaurant Root as “modern American cuisine rooted in old-world flavors.” Root is at 200 Julia St. in the Warehouse District of New Orleans. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Each spring, fans pack the Fair Grounds Race Course for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Among the performers this year were Ivan Neville and Tony Hall of Dumpstaphunk. (Douglas Mason / Getty Images)
Eric Clapton was among the performers at the 2014 edition of Jazz Fest in New Orleans. (Douglas Mason / Getty Images)
