BY CLAY
LARROY
A vacation can soothe the
soul and leave you renewed, refreshed, and invigorated. Whether you are just
now starting to plan your next vacation, or are merely looking for travel
ideas and suggestions, read all the articles about travel. So take away some of
the stress of making travel plans, and get started thinking about the fun and
relaxing times you will soon be having on your next trip! When you are ready to plan an
exciting vacation contact me!
A
former Spanish and French colony, the southern US state of Louisiana is filled
with rolling hills and scented pine forests, multicultural cities and murky
swamps teeming with alligators. The Pelican State couldn't get much more
varied, from the God-fearing Protestant settlements of the north to the
debauched streets of New Orleans in the south.
The
lively, jazz-mad, multi-ethnic melting pot of New Orleans is without doubt the
major reason tourists swarm into Louisiana. It's famed for its exotic fusion of
cultures (from Native American and Afro-Caribbean to French and Spanish); its
colorful Mardi Gras; thrilling live music; striking French-Creole architecture;
picturesque Mississippi river setting; innovative cuisine; and unique French
Quarter.
Beyond
New Orleans, explore the magnificent gardens and Cajun culture of Lafayette,
the starting point of the Wild Azalea Trail, which takes visitors through the
stunning Kisatchie National Forest. The vast waters of the Atchafalaya Basin,
the largest and most remote swamp in the USA, are one of the best places to
track alligators. The state capital, Baton Rouge, is a kind of New Orleans
lite. Situated on the banks of the Mississippi River, it offers great food,
live music and a chance to see the wondrous Capitol Building, the tallest
capitol in the United States.
You
can also take a trip over to Avery Island, home to the world-famous Tabasco
sauce factory. It has produced the red pepper sauce here since 1868 and shares
the island with huge salt domes and captivating jungle gardens. Bag a bottle
for a fiery memento of this spicy state.
Things to
see and do in Louisiana
Arts District
Explore
New Orleans' revitalized Arts District, filled with art galleries, restaurants,
shops and world-class museums.
Baton Rouge Zoo
Visit the Baton Rouge Zoo (www.brzoo.org)
with its 57 hectares (140 acres) of walk-through areas and forest settings for
over 400 animals.
Bayou swamp tour
Take a
mysterious Bayou swamp tour, led by Cajun storytellers. Sample the food, music
and take the opportunity to go crawfish harvesting with the locals.
Bourbon Street
Visit
Bourbon Street for traditional jazz at its best in the heart of the French
Quarter. Listen to New Orleans-style jazz played by veteran musicians in the
legendary Preservation Hall, a bare bones music hall echoing the days of slaves
making music along the Mississippi Delta.
Capitol Building
View the
magnificent Capitol Building, in Baton Rouge, a limestone-clad 34-storey
building with a viewing platform overlooking 11 hectares (27 acres) of formal
gardens in the Capitol grounds.
Creole Nature Trail
Look out for ducks, geese, alligators,
nutria and muskrats on the Creole Nature Trail (www.creolenaturetrail.org) near Lake Charles.
French Quarter
Soak up
New Orleans' famous music. Old-line musicians play over meals, street musicians
huddle in doorways at dusk and free concerts are offered weekly in the French
Quarter. Louis Armstrong, Harry Connick Jr, Fats Domino and Jelly Roll Morton
are all part of the city's rich musical heritage.
Global Wildlife Center
Explore the Global Wildlife Center (www.globalwildlife.com). Visitors can enjoy
horseback riding among the exotic animals that roam the 364-hectare (900-acre)
park.
Honey Island Swamp
Cruise through the swamps and bayous,
past cypress trees hung with Spanish moss, looking for alligators and birdlife.
Honey Island Swamp (www.honeyislandswamp.com) and Louisiana Swamp Tours
(www.louisianaswamp.com) offer a selection of
special cruises through the Louisiana swamps, including buffet and dinner
cruises.
Houma
Visit Houma (www.houmatourism.com),
a bayou town surrounded by swampland. The town is known for its many swamp
tours, where alligators, wading birds and myriad other forms of swamp life
thrive.
Louisiana Children's
Museum
At the Louisiana Children's Museum (www.lcm.org),
kids of all ages can pretend to star in their own TV show or shop in a
recreated mini-mart.
Louisiana Downs
Thoroughbred Racetrack
Place
your bet at Louisiana Downs Thoroughbred Racetrack, across the Red River from
Shreveport, in Bossier City. It is open for racing from late spring until the
autumn.
Louisiana State Museum
See exhibitions on Mardi Gras and jazz
at the Louisiana State Museum (http://lsm.crt.state.la.us)
on Jackson Square.
Mardi Gras
Attend New Orleans' Mardi Gras (www.mardigrasneworleans.com) - the biggest party of the year. It
rocks the whole city during the three weeks leading up to Ash Wednesday.
Colorful parades, masquerade balls and street parties make the festival one of
the loudest and liveliest celebrations in the world.
Mississippi River
Explore the Mississippi River on
one-day cruises or longer on ferries or paddlewheel steamboats. Steamboat
Natchez has harbour, dinner and jazz cruises (www.steamboatnatchez.com).
New Iberia
Tour the Tabasco factory in New Iberia
(www.cityofnewiberia.com), where the world-famous
Tabasco sauce is made. The city offers tours of subtropical gardens, stately
antebellum homes, rice mills and the hot sauce and pepper plant farms.
New Orleans Museum of
Art
View the collection of French works at
the world-renowned New Orleans Museum of Art (www.noma.org).
Poverty Point State
Historic Site
View one of the most important
archaeological finds in the USA. The Poverty Point State Historic Site (www.nps.gov/popo)
features an ancient Native American religious area dating from 1700BC.
RW Norton Museum
Stop by the RW Norton Museum (www.rwnaf.org).
It features Old West artists Frederic Remington and Charles M Russell, and has
one of the largest and most complete collections of Russell's bronze
sculptures.
Rivertown USA
Tour Rivertown USA (www.rivertownkenner.com), a 16-block historic
district with family attractions, eight museums, fine arts gallery, repertory
theatre and shops in a Victorian setting.
Sportsman’s Paradise
Grab
your rod for year-round fishing in the region known as 'Sportsman’s Paradise'.
Its many forests and lakes offer opportunities for fishing, hunting, canoeing
and hiking, and an annual fishing tournament takes place at Toledo Bend.
REFERENCE SITES:
When you get into Louisiana,
it really is like a different country in a lot of ways. The plants you see are
a little different, like the weeping willows and the cypress trees that come up
out of the bayou. And it's steamy hot.
Sam Trammell
No comments:
Post a Comment