LOUISIANA: THE PELICAN STATE
BY CLAY
LARROY
The preparation for a vacation is almost as
exhilarating as the vacation itself. I love printing out the tickets and
confirmations while thinking about how much fun I will have on vacation. I
enjoy researching all the sights at the location I will see once I arrive at my
destination. When you want to plan a
vacation contact me!
NEW ORLEANS, “THE BIG EASY”
Sitting pretty at the mouth of the Mississippi River, New Orleans
is one of America's most astonishing cultural melting pots. It's a little bit
French, a little bit Spanish-Creole, a little bit Caribbean and a whole lot New
Orleans - there's nowhere quite like it, even in the American South.
Tucked
between the Mississippi and Lake Pontchartrain, New Orleans sprawls across
low-lying swampland, with the floodwaters held at bay by enormous levees, which
broke with devastating consequences in 2005 as Hurricane Katrina surged ashore.
The
good news is that many neighborhoods have burst back to life, and little
evidence of the disaster remains in the areas most frequented by tourists - though
deprivation and crime still blight live in some quarters of the city (most
notably the Ninth Ward).
Known
as the Crescent City for the curving shape of the Mississippi as it snakes
through town, New Orleans is truly cosmopolitan. Settlers from as far afield as
France, Spain, Africa and the Caribbean washed up here during New Orleans'
heyday as the principal port of the American South.
Each
group lent something to the mixing pot. The French left their language, and the
Spanish their flamboyant architecture. Africa donated the rhythms that morphed
into jazz and the blues. The Caribbean left a love of celebration and a touch
of voodoo magic, while Cajun Americans pulled all these influences together to
create one of America's most eclectic cuisines.
The
attractions of New Orleans are the same as they have always been - riding
rattling streetcars and the Algiers ferry, snapping your fingers to hot jazz in
colonial cafes, seeking out occult relics in ancient cemeteries, or just
admiring the stately architecture in the French Quarter, Bywater, Faubourg
Marigny and Tremé.
Then
of course there's the greatest-show-on-earth that is Mardi Gras, held in late
February or early March. If you miss it, don't panic; there are few weeks in
the year when there isn't some festival or other filling the streets with
crowds and music. As the locals say: "Laissez les bons temps rouler!"
("Let the good times roll!").
Tours
& Excursions
Tourist Information Centers
New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau
2020 St Charles Avenue
New Orleans
United States
New Orleans
United States
(504) 566 5011 or 1 800 672 6124.
Daily 0800-1700.
Excursions
Oak Alley
Plantation
No fewer than 28 ancient
oak trees line the entranceway of this stately, pre-war plantation home. When
completed in 1839, the Greek revival-styled, 10-room mansion was considered a
modest plantation home. The grounds and home are so picturesque, that they have
been the setting for scenes from such films as Primary Colors, The Long Hot Summer and Hush… Hush Sweet Charlotte. The site grounds also
have a bed and breakfast, gift shop and restaurant. Oak Alley Plantation is
open daily 0900-1700 and admission is charged. It's situated 97km (60 miles)
east of New Orleans.
Telephone:
(225) 265 2151.
Lafayette
About 200km (130 miles)
west along I-10 from New Orleans is Lafayette, the gateway to the Cajun
country. The Acadian Cultural Center (www.nps.gov/jela) traces the origins and
culture of the Cajun people, who were relocated from Nova Scotia, Canada, to
the Mississippi Delta in the 18th century, as well as other cultures of the
region. There are several attractive Cajun towns and plantations north of
Lafayette on the Cajun prairie. The town is also a good base from which to
explore the swamps and bayous of the Atchafalaya basin.
(337) 232 0789.
Destrehan Plantation
Located 37km (23 miles)
west of New Orleans, along I-310, the Destrehan Plantation was built in 1787
and remains the oldest intact plantation home in the lower Mississippi. The
plantation is open daily from 0900-1600. There is an admission charge. Tours and
period crafts demonstrations are led by costumed guides, who praise the house's
excellent insulation made with a mixture of mud, straw, horsehair and Spanish
moss known as bousillage. Scenes from Interview with the Vampire (1994) were filmed here.
Telephone:
(985) 764 9315 or 1 877 453 2095.
New Orleans
Northshore
The Louisiana Northshore
may be just across the Lake Pontchartrain bridge, but it is a world apart from
New Orleans. Five quaint towns make up the parish: artsy Covington; Mandeville
and Madisonville with their Victorian waterfront homes; funky Abita Springs,
home to the eccentric USM Museum; and the antique shopper's heaven, Slidell. It
is also home to Louisiana's largest and most pristine marshes, Honey Island
Swamp. Most of the swamp tours originate on the Northshore. This is the place
to spend the day fishing, golfing, sailing or kayaking on the bayou.
1 800 634 9443.
Tours
Kayaking tours
Central Florida Kayak
Tours runs a variety of eco adventures for all levels of kayakers, exploring
pristine waterways which seem a world away from Orlando's theme parks.
Beginners can paddle along the Wekiva River, spotting myriad local birds, from
the American bittern to woodpeckers to the great blue heron. For experts,
Extreme Emerald Cut is an adrenaline-filled ride on some of the region's
fastest water.
(352) 589 7899.
Walking tours
There are numerous walking
tours available, covering different themes on life in the Big Easy. One of the
best options is Historic New Orleans Walking Tours. Tours include a Cemetery
Voodoo Tour and Haunted Tour, a Weekend Jazz Walk as well as architectural and
historical tours of the French Quarter or Garden District. The tours take about
two hours. Departure points vary depending on the tour.
(504) 947 2120.
Horse-drawn tours
Royal Carriages offers
horse-drawn carriage tours of the French Quarter. The drivers are often great
entertainers. It is possible to hail a carriage anywhere, but many park and
await custom at the south side of Jackson Square.
(504) 943 8820.
Boat tours
New Orleans Paddlewheels
operates several boat tours, departing from the Aquarium of the Americas Dock,
South Peters. The Cajun Queen Riverboat runs 90-minute harbor cruises, while
the Creole Queen Paddlewheeler runs a Battlefield Cruise to the spot where
Andrew Jackson defeated the British. In the evening, the Creole Queen offers a
two-hour dinner and jazz cruise, with or without dinner.
Telephone:
(504) 529 4567.
Swamp tours
The bayou is part of the
Louisiana charm and a swamp tour is a must. Most are done on the Northshore, on
the other side of Lake Pontchartrain. Dr Wagner's Honey Island Swamp Tours in
Slidell probes the Honey Island cypress swamp. A resident naturalist is available
to answer wildlife questions about the flora, fauna and various reptiles that
frequent the swamp.
(985) 641 1769.
REFERENCE SITES:
“In the spring of 1988, I returned to New Orleans, and as
soon as I smelled the air, I knew I was home. It
was rich, almost sweet, like the scent of jasmine and roses around our old
courtyard. I walked the
streets, savoring that long lost perfume.”
― Anne Rice
― Anne Rice
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