Things to Do in Chalmette

Competitors in the Southwest Division of the NBA’s Western Conference, the New Orleans Hornets have regaled the Big Easy’s hoops fans since migrating from Charlotte in 2002. Egged on by the vespine mascot Hugo, swarms of 17,000 fans swathed in light blue surround the court inside New Orleans Arena, where a center-hung LED board displays live-action video and instant replays of referees' most spectacular cross-court jogs.

The Southern Food & Beverage Museum quells culinary curiosities with ongoing exhibits celebrating the unique bites and beverages of the South. Permanent exhibits include Tout de Sweet: All About Sugar, which examines the role of sugar production in Louisiana, and A Table at Galatoire’s, which traces the venerable restaurant’s history through artifacts such as original plates and salvaged blue-cheese crumbles. Inside the museum, guests encounter The Museum of the American Cocktail, a Martha Stewart brand-endorsed knowledge vault that explores the history of mixed drinks from the 1800s to the modern day, housing original absinthe fountains and Prohibition-era flasks crafted from Al Capone’s day planner.

Check the schedule for showtimes. Student tickets are regularly $10 each, and Thursday performances are pay-what-you-can shows.

In 1959, Robert Trent Jones Sr. completed work on Timberlane's 7100-yard, par-72 golf course near the west bank of the Mississippi, and it still stands as a friendly, challenging round in a pleasant, private setting. Mature oaks line the sides of each Bermuda-grass fairway, and in 2007, Timberlane re-surfaced its expansive greens with Tif Eagle turf, giving putts a new zip and helicopter pilots a new view. Before hitting the links, sharpen up your chipping, putting, pitching, pitch-shifting, and Super Bowl Shuffling on the all-grass practice range and putting green, or try the driving range nearby. When you're ready, hop in your provided golf cart to match wits with the labyrinthine course, which features four sets of tee areas per hole, 17 water hazards, 80 sand bunkers, and 13 mechanical yetis. If he's around, see if you can snag a tip from resident PGA pro Tim Brown, who was named by Golf Digest as the #1 Best Teacher in Louisiana in 2009.

It may seem counterintuitive to some, but Affirm Fitness’s head fitness trainer, Lauren Leitner, also owns a biscotti-making business. Of course, all of the desserts she doles out are low in fat, making them tasty complements to the healthy lifestyle that she hopes to impart upon her students at Affirm Fitness. There, she and fellow trainers lead exercisers of all stripes through boot camps that are either traditional or tailored to new moms. Cardio-and-sculpt boot camp shows exercisers how to have fun as they transition between drills in agility, interval training, and body-weight resistance. In baby-friendly Bootie Camp, participants push strollers a little bit faster than usual for a cardio workout that allows them to spend time with little ones while they improve themselves. Moms can even spend a little time sculpting muscles with hand weights or by lifting diaper bags filled with bricks. Affirm Fitness’s class schedule also includes dance-inspired Zumba cardio workouts, relaxing yoga, and TRX suspension training.

At home in the French Quarter, the House of Blues New Orleans keeps its heritage ever near with a metal box of mud from the Mississippi Delta hidden beneath its stage. Around this, more than 290 pieces of folk art—one of the largest collections in the country—decorate the walls and cover up the evidence of indoor shot-put practice. Also bringing its Southern charm and homestyle feel are hardwood floors, no fewer than three bars, and two levels for concert viewing.