Louisiana

Louisiana isn't the place you normally think of when it comes to unique spirits and especially tequila but the Noël family from Donaldsonville - Ascension Parish (just outside of New Orleans) have whipped up some creative, delicious, and intriguing offerings that show what can be created from a cross-border partnership with a Mexican distillery. In addition to tequila, the distillery is also producing vodka and rum as well as offering tours.

Valentine's Day is obviously an annual excuse to focus on love and romance, the reality is that any time of year is a great excuse for a romantic getaway. When it comes to the best vacation spots for couples, there's a lot of great options and it is really up to you to make sure it is the perfect fit for the two of you. Here's our picks for some of the most romantic destinations to take your wife this year!

America was built on hard work, sacrifice, and innovation - so let's celebrate that true spirit of America with some ideas for a fall RV road trip. These are places where products and brands that made America great were - and are still - being created. From bourbon whiskey to baseball and automobiles, it's time to pack up the RV and head out for some adventure.

The Mississippi River is a legendary maritime highway that allowed Midwestern states to prosper. From the 1800's to today, this river continues to generate incredible amounts of wealth leading to culturally diverse cities spanning it's 664 navigable miles. While not quite the romantic castles and palaces that you might find along European rivers, the Mississippi offers an opportunity to explore a different side of American history from a variety of angles including civil rights, food, music, industry, agriculture, and military heritage. I've had the fortune to explore nearly the entire length of this region on road trips but I can already tell you that traveling by boat would be the ultimate way to explore the "Mighty Mississip'!"

Lafayette, Lousiana is a different sort of part of this great country. While it's "south"... it's not entirely "The South". It marches to a different drummer with unapologetically male food and rugged adventure ranging from airboat tours through the swamp to exploring the cultural heritage of the Cajun people and of course enjoying some delicious Cajun food ranging from boudin to crawfish and cracklins!

There seems to be two main types of seafood restaurants that I'm invited to visit. There are fancy ones with waiters in suits and white linen table cloths and others are casual shacks where the only thing that matters is the food. Thankfully, Grand Isle is the later of those two options and is inspired by the classic coastal Louisiana fish camps from Grand Isle. However, along side extremely fresh seafood served steamed or raw, guests will find creative dishes that wouldn't be out of place in the fanciest restaurants in New Orleans.

New Orleans is a fascinating city with an incredibly unique blend of cultures and that makes it an amazing city for anyone looking to try something new. Like cities such as LA, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, people think differently here and normal rules don't always apply. However, what New Orleans has that those other "foodie cities" don't is hundreds of years of deeply rooted traditions to help guide the influences of those different cultures. This results in not just "great restaurants" in different silos, but almost a bouquet of foodie options that generally traces it's way back to either Cajun or Creole roots. For me, this makes it infinitely more fascinating and enjoyable to explore.

One of the few nice things about traveling for business is being able to rack up some serious reward points that I can figure out how to spend on my own. While the idea of using them to head off on a guys weekend with the boys is appealing, it's important to also take care of the homefront and spend some time with the wife as well. 

Maison Dupuy is located in New Orleans' French Quarter, just two blocks away from Bourbon Street and walking distance to pretty much any place you might want to visit in the French Quarter.

While it is the newest hotel to be built in the French Quarter (1973), it manages to convey a classic elegance that its much older neighbors do - without some of the weirdness of uneven floors and crooked windows that come from being housed in buildings that are in some cases hundreds of years old.

While many people associate New Orleans with some of the best parties in the world, the other "Must Do" in New Orleans is brunch. While there is no shortage of great places where you can gorge on delicious traditional brunch foods, I would like to heartily recommend stopping by Court of Two Sisters.

Between the gorgeous courtyard, tons of great food (traditional breakfast as well as cajun and southern staples like crawfish, jambalaya, and collards), there is something for everyone! Plus they have some of the friendliest staff in town.