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BY CARLSON WAGONLIT TRAVEL

10 DREAM TRIPS

THIS IS YOURPERFECT DAY SM

Punta Cana

Stellar shorelines meet a modern-urban mix.

The Dominican Republic is known for its picture-perfect shorelines and vivacious mix of modern and urban aesthetics. It’s the kind of place that’s best enjoyed in abundance – which is exactly what you’ll find at the allinclusive resorts of Punta Cana. It’s one of the most popular vacation spots in the Dominican, and for good reason. Punta Cana vacations are what dreams are made of.

Please contact a Carlson Wagonlit Travel orCWT Vacations travel advisor for details.

HERITAGE AND HISTORY

No, the French Quarter does not have a lock on impressive architecture. The “American” section of town, known as the Garden District, is known for its Greek revival and Italianate homes, situated on lush lots that give visitors room to breathe. Actress Sandra Bullock and vampire-loving author Anne Rice have homes here, while many illustrious New Orleans residents have their final resting place in Lafayette Cemetery. After a walking tour, take a lunch break at Commander’s Palace, famous for its creative menu and 25-cent martinis, long before the 2016 documentary, Ella Brennan: Commanding the Table, told the world about the matriarch behind the foodiest family in Louisiana. tourneworleans.com; commanderspalace.com

MUSICAL MAGIC

Although you can hear jazz in many bars along Bourbon Street, Preservation Hall, just off the main drag, offers the most authentic and heartfelt jazz experience. Established in 1961 to celebrate the quintessential American art form, the venue is a magnet for the best performers in the country. The experience is intimate and intense: patrons sit shoulder-to-shoulder on narrow benches in a modest room for concerts that last about an hour. Shows start on time, so get in line early. For a party-like atmosphere, and a more freewheeling selection of musical styles, check out the House of Blues where they also serve a mean Voodoo Shrimp. preservationhall.com; houseofblues.com

REFINED ROMANCE

The French Quarter is full of great dining places and spots where you get some gumbo, jambalaya or a po’ boy or two between cocktails. Founded in 1918 by French-born Leon Bertrand Arnaud Cazenav, Arnaud’s is a slice of European gentility in the New World. The menu overflows with seafood choices from Oysters Rockefeller to Crab Claws Provençale. You’d think the Café Brûlot, where the server ladles flaming brandy-spiked coffee down a spiral of orange zest, would be the show stopper but the Mardi Gras Museum upstairs, featuring costumes worn at Mardi Gras balls from the 1930s to the ’60s, is equally delightful. arnaudsrestaurant.com

JOHANNE ROBINSON’S TIPS Branch Manager Carlson Wagonlit Travel Montréal, Québec, Canada

Don’t miss brunch at Commander’s Palace and a relaxed visit to Café du Monde for beignets and café au lait. Have a little time on your hands? Why not take a cooking lesson at the New Orleans School of Cooking?

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