Everyone defines fun differently, and Louisiana has something that fits every definition.

Take in the beauty and mystery of the bayou at sunset on an Atchafalaya swamp tour. Stroll the fabled streets of the French Quarter as sweet jazz flows into the streets. Haul in a big bass from the waters of Toledo Bend Lake. Spend a Saturday night dancing to a live Cajun band in Lafayette. Find one-of-a-kind antiques in Natchitoches. Try your luck at the colorful casinos in Shreveport and Bossier City. View the vibrant wild flowers along the Creole Nature Trail in Lake Charles.

Make Louisiana your playground. Whether you're an early bird or a night owl, young or old, traveling with family, friends or on your own, you're sure to have a ball.

Start with bouillabaisse from the French. Add seafood and cayenne pepper from the Cajuns, okra from African-Americans, sausage from the Germans, rice from the Senegalese, maybe a dash of the Native Americans' filé powder. Stir it all up in the Creoles' black cast iron pot, and you've got gumbo, the official state cuisine of Louisiana.

Eating in Louisiana is more than a pleasurable experience. It's a cultural and historical experience, too – whether you're having an oyster po-boy in New Orleans, pork boudin in Lafayette, a savory meat pie in Natchitoches or any of the state's other delicious, indigenous dishes. Louisiana's unique cuisine delivers flavors that arrived from around the globe and have been melding for centuries. Many visitors come to Louisiana just for the food, and they are never disappointed.

Louisiana has arguably the most colorful history and fascinating culture of any state in the nation. In what other state could you visit the battleground where a ragtag group of soldiers repelled a British invasion with the help of a notorious outlaw pirate?

Visitors can learn about many of the most interesting parts of general American history right here in Louisiana. From the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, to the Sci-Port Discovery Center in Shreveport, and the countless museums, zoos, and cultural and historical sites statewide, there is a lifetime of learning to do in Louisiana.

Louisiana gave America its only indigenous art form – Jazz. And it gave us such all time jazz greats as Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Buddy Bolden and Wynton Marsalis. But it doesn't stop at jazz down here. Check out the zydeco and cajun music to the west of New Orleans, with such names as BeauSoleil, Clifton Chenier, Terrance Simien and Boozoo Chavis. If you're into country music, you should know that none other than Hank Williams Sr. got his start on the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport. If you're a fan of gospel, surely you're familiar with Louisiana's own Mahalia Jackson.

The best part of all Louisiana's great music heritage is that it doesn't exist only in the pages of history. It's alive and well down here. And any visit to our state gives you a chance to experience this fascinating and unique part of our culture. Whether it's a guitar twang in north Louisiana, a fiddle riff in Lafayette or a trumpet trill in New Orleans, it will quicken the pulse.

Louisiana is known as Sportsman's Paradise, but you could also call it Shopaholic's Paradise. Throughout the state, shoppers can find everything from one-of-a-kind antiques to fine local art to national clothing brands, and find them at a bargain, too!

Check out the fine antique shops in the French Quarter, the art galleries in Covington, or the Cottage Shops in Lake Charles. Visit the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge, where more than 175 retailers offer just about anything you might want. Or stroll the picturesque historic district of Natchitoches with its variety of souvenir shops, antique stores and gift shops. Whether you're shopping for friends, family, or for yourself, when you shop in Louisiana, you'll always find something special.