How to travel the world without leaving Louisiana

We know that Louisianans, and Americans, are struggling to get passports renewed on time given the unprecedented backlog.

• If international travel isn't in your future, may we suggest a trip around the world — without leaving Louisiana?

Driving the news: The U.S. is filled with towns and cities that were named after foreign places: You can take a trip to Naples, New York, or Paris, Illinois.

• In fact, there are so many of these cities that you could go on a world tour without ever leaving the U.S.

The big picture: In Louisiana you can take a trip around the world with at least 11 stops, from Europe to Asia.

• There's Gretna, the Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge, Lisbon and Jena if you'd like to "visit" Scotland, Myanmar, Portugal and Germany.
• There's Sorrento, Kolin and Delhi if Italy, the Czech Republic or India are more your speed.

Be smart: Sorrento was named by a German immigrant in 1909 who built the railroad through the region. He chose the name after the Italian city where he and his wife went on their honeymoon, according to the town.

• Jena, Louisiana, came to be when "Hemps Creek" was renamed by James Forsythe after his hometown Jena, Illinois, which had been named for Jena, Germany.

Go deeper: Plan your "international" vacation within our nation's borders