Best of the Bayou State
Top Day Hikes in Louisiana
The words hiking and Louisiana don't often go together. They certainly don't conjure up images of rugged mountain trails past bubbling creeks. But if you know where to look, Louisiana offers a unique chance to get outdoors in a different way. Discover a boardwalk...
Experiencing the Holidays
With Thanksgiving behind us and the tree ready for decorating in our front room, I can officially say we're full swing into the holiday spirit. This is the time of year I make my wish list of must-hit events and prepare the kids for running full steam ahead until...
History Lesson at Port Hudson
On previous trips to St. Francisville, we always head straight for the historic town. We walk the shaded main streets and shop at Grandmother's Buttons before setting off to tour a nearby plantation. Although we see the sign for Port Hudson State Historic Site as we...
Morgan City to Avery Island
On one of the last cool weekends before summer, we jumped in the car to visit Avery Island, home to Tabasco as well as the beautiful oasis, Jungle Gardens. On previous trips, we always took I-10 from New Orleans to Breaux Bridge and then headed south. This time,...
Pointe Coupee Parish: New Roads & Livonia
In all of our years visiting picturesque St. Francisville, we had never made it across the river to visit its sister city, New Roads. When an advertised Historic House Tour caught my attention, our weekend plans were sealed and we loaded the car with toys for our...
Fossil Hunting in Gravel
Our latest obsession is fossil hunting. During a recent trip to Percy Quin State Park, we were initially dismayed to find the normally beautiful lake now a drained, muddy bed. We made the most of it, though, venturing out into the squishy mud, collecting a few...
Life in the Swamp
More times than I can count, we've driven the I-10 between Baton Rouge and Lafayette as a straight-shot, watching the Atchafalaya swamps through our windshield tour. This weekend, though, we ventured off the Grosse Tete exit for what I thought was a small swamp...
Harvest Days at the Rural Life Museum
Saturday brought with it the first day of fall, and because you wouldn't know it by the weather, we decided to celebrate by visiting the Harvest Days festival at Louisiana State University's Rural Life Museum. For its 16th year running, the outdoor museum showcased a...
Rip Van Winkle Gardens
The name "Rip Van Winkle Gardens" stuck in my head from the first time I heard it. It's been on our to-do list for ages, and our recent visit proved the place to be as memorable as its name. Joseph Jefferson Mansion We made a weekend of the trip, not missing a chance...
Chance Encounter with River Road on the Way to Thibodaux
We recently took to the road and set off on a decent hour (give or take) drive to Thibodaux. I came prepared with snacks, drinks and a movie for the allotted time, and the trip would have been perfect except for one small flaw. The Hale Boggs Bridge crossing the...
Return to Grand Isle
It's amazing how much can change in a year. Last April, we visited Grand Isle for the annual Migratory Bird Festival, an event the whole island embraces as residents open their yards to birding enthusiasts. The island was bustling with activity, but some of the key...
On the Hunt for Dinosaurs…and a Hike at Lake Martin
Louisiana is not known for dinosaurs - that much I have learned through my Internet searching. Now Wyoming, Colorado and the Dakotas, they're a different story. Unfortunately the pleads of a three-year-old are not compelling enough to make me drive 26 hours to view a...
Cajun Country: St. Martinville and Lake Fausse Pointe State Park
On the eastern edge of Lafayette, a circle of roads connects the historic town of St. Martinville with picturesque Lake Fausse Pointe. This was our weekend destination, and we launched the adventure from the Crawfish Capitol of the World - Breaux Bridge. As we passed...
Escaping to St. Francisville
After suffering through three days of rain over Labor Day weekend, I watched in disbelief as a week full of sunshine mocked me out my office window. Saturday couldn't come fast enough, and we were up and out the door before the geckos had even fled our porch from the...
Hidden Away in Houma
Amidst all the flooding concerns of late, towns in the path of the Morganza Spillway have garnered a lot of attention--including ours. Like all those people seen perched on the edge of the Bonnet Carre, we wanted to be part of the action, but certainly not too close....
Festival Time in Lafayette
Every year during Jazz Fest, our neighbors are talking about another festival -- the Festival International de Louisiane in downtown Lafayette. It didn't take much convincing for us to get on the road and use this as our excuse to visit the heart of Cajun land....
Grand Isle: Louisiana’s Barrier Island
I'll be the first to admit that I don't know a blue jay from a bluebird, but experts and amateurs alike are welcome at the Grand Isle Migratory Bird Festival...at least that's what my husband, Paul, told me while packing us up for a two-hour drive to Grand Isle. I was...
An Adventure at the Rural Life Museum
Armed with his Batman jacket and Elmo sippy cup, my son, Charles, stood outside the car giddy with excitement. Today he was going on an adventure to Baton Rouge (ok, so maybe he thought he was going to the zoo) but we knew he was going to have fun regardless. So after...