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You may have images of the more tawdry side of these parades, perhaps of women baring their chests, so the stud on the float will throw an extra nice set of beads to them. But there are more civilized and family-friendly spots from which to watch and hopefully participate. One of these areas is along St. Charles Street, where the parades are on one side of the street, while only foot traffic is allowed on the other. Bourbon Street is the setting for a more debauched scene, where you’ll see vulgar activity among the often drunken crowds.

New Orleans is also associated with musicians playing mellow jazz. During quieter days (before and after Mardi Gras), you may be able to sit on a balcony in the French Quarter and hear the sound of a saxophone wailing in the distance. If you’re a jazz fan, the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (Jazz Fest) is a must. It takes place annually in late April to early May. This festival offers its own set of thrills. Every spring, the festival showcases jazz, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, blues, R&B, rock, funk, African, Latin, Caribbean, folk, and much more on a dozen stages. Since its inception in 1970, some of the world’s greatest musicians, ranging from Wynton Marsalis, Fats Domino, and Harry Connick, Jr., to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Miles Davis, and Jimmy Buffet, have performed. Fans flock from around the world to see their beloved favorite musicians. The energy at Jazz Fest is high, even if some of the acts take it slow and easy, like the city itself. —LF

New Orleans Metro and Convention Visitors Bureau ( 800/672-6124;www.neworleanscvb.com). New Orleans Jazz Fest & Heritage Festival ( 504/410-4100;www.nojazzfest.com).

When to Go: Carnival season is early Jan through late Feb. Mardi Gras (always a Tues) takes place every year 47 days before Easter.

New Orleans.

$$ Bourbon Orleans Hotel, 717 Orleans St. ( 504/523-2222;www.bourbonorleans.com); $$–$$$ Loews New Orleans Hotel, 300 Poydras St. ( 800/23-LOEWS [235-6397] or 504/595-3300; www.loewshotels.com); $ Prytania Park Hotel, 1525 Prytania ( 800/862-1094 or 504/524-0427; www.prytaniaparkhotel.com).

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Skateboarding Millennium Park

Street Riders to Pros Play Here

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The first time you drop in the 4.2m (14-ft.) section of the concrete clover bowl at Shaw Millennium Park, I hope you’re ready. I also hope you’re a really good skater and that you’re wearing your helmet and pads—because you’ll be going extremely fast and the concrete is hard. Hopefully, you’ll have practiced in the 1.2m (4-ft.) and 3m (10-ft.) bowls first or, more appropriately, at the beginner (Intro) and intermediate (Central) areas of the park.

Though western Canada is renowned for extreme skiing opportunities, there’s also plenty of fun to be had sans snow. At the Millennium Skate Park, there’s plenty of room for boarders of all skill levels—from street riders to pro-level experts such as Devin Morrison, one of the best skateboarders in Calgary, who periodically shows up. Called the world’s largest skate park, when the next phase is completed it will cover more than 8,360 sq. m (90,000 sq. ft.). According to a city report, there are more than 10,000 skateboarders in Calgary. The park is open 24/7 and attracts an average of 1,000 users daily. (It’s less crowded on weekdays and evenings.)

Shaw Millennium Park is a haven for skateboarders.

The Intro Area is set up with a pool, small rails, curbs, stairs, and ledges. This is a great place to learn drop-ins, Ollies, and get really comfortable. The Central Area is awesome with higher rails, a six-foot bowl with metal coping, stairs, ledges, pyramids, pool type wall rides, banks, larger transitions, double drop. Here you can work on those vert Ollies, Axle Stalls, catch some air, and Rock to Fakie. Then there’s the oh-my-gosh Expert Park. How about a 30-foot full-pipe connected to a 15-foot halfpipe, and a clover bowl with 4-, 10-, and 14-foot sections? Rippers heaven! This is