New Orleans

Theater of War. Check out the 4-D film Beyond All Boundaries at the National World War II Museum. Produced by Tom Hanks, the movie is shown on a 120-foot wraparound screen and starts with Pearl Harbor before heading overseas. Other exhibits cover the home front and more. (504) 528-1944; nationalww2museum.org

Lunch is on the house. See how far the termites have gotten in their quest to devour a building at the Audubon Insectarium in the U.S. Customs House. Visitors do the eating at Bug Appetit, where the Insectarium's bug chefs create exotic dishes, like canapes with roasted leafcutter ants, (left). Visitors also can touch the bugs in the Field Camp, a re-creation of an entomologist's outpost in the jungle. auduboninstitute.org/visit/insectarium

Jazzy alternative. Slip away from the tourists on Bourbon Street to catch some cool sounds on French­men Street. There you'll find spots such as Apple Barrel, the Blue Nile Nightclub (above), La Maison de la Musique, Snug Harbor and the Spot­ted Cat. bit.ly/Yn6Va

Appetizing
Sit down to classic Creole Italian food at Tommy's Cuisine. The fine-dining establishment in the fashionable Warehouse District is a local favorite. (504) 581-1103; tommysneworleans.com

Weather watch. With an average temperature is about 54 F in December, locals say it's one of the most delightful times of year.