Indoor/Outdoor Adventures
In Louisiana, lively cities thrive alongside awe-inspiring, ecologically diverse landscapes, making the Bayou State a destination for all types of adventures, including outdoor, cultural and culinary.
If filling your suitcase with souvenirs strikes your fancy, New Orleans is a haven for shoppers. Check out the art galleries and antique stores on Magazine and Royal streets. Or peruse stalls of homemade jewelry and art at the open-air Palace Market in the Faubourg Marigny district, where local artisans sell their creations daily until midnight or 1 a.m. For brand-name finds, hit the shops at Canal Place or Riverwalk Outlets.
There are plenty of gastro adventures for well-heeled foodies to devour in New Orleans, where European, West African and American Indian ingredients and traditions influence the city’s cuisine. Pedal your way to delicious grub with the Confederacy of Cruisers, which offers bike tours of New Orleans’ bars and restaurants with an emphasis on Creole neighborhoods. Prefer to stay on two feet? No problem—book an excursion with The Premier New Orleans Food Tour, whose friendly guides will lead you to all the best places to taste duck gumbo, pecan pralines and other famed bites.
Bayou Country, which encompasses the Houma area of Louisiana, is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico and is known for its many swamps, wetlands and waterways. Houma is just 50 miles southwest of New Orleans, making it an easy day trip from the Crescent City. Spot bald eagles and alligators on an excursion with Cajun Man’s Swamp Tours and Adventures, or fish for speckled trout, catfish and other coveted catches on Terrebonne Bay outside of the city. And don’t miss the Chauvin Sculpture Garden, a collection of eclectic concrete and brick sculptures on the banks of the Bayou Petit Caillou by folk artist Kenny Hill.
St. Mary Parish, situated on Louisiana’s southern coast between New Orleans (about 114 miles away) and Lafayette (about 47 miles away), is made up of the small towns of Franklin, Patterson and Morgan City. The area (also known as the Cajun Coast) is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts seeking stellar fishing, paddling and wildlife watching and visitors looking for a quiet escape. Travel back in time in Franklin, whose bucolic, moss-draped historic district has more than 400 properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Or visit Morgan City in late February for the Eagle Expo to explore birding spots around the nearby Atchafalaya Swamp Basin—one of the largest nesting areas for American bald eagles in the country.
In northeast Louisiana, Monroe—along with its sister city across the Ouachita River, West Monroe—is known for its museums and cultural celebrations. The Biedenharn Museum & Gardens honors Joseph A. Biedenharn, the first bottler of Coca-Cola, and his family. The Biedenharn complex features a historic home furnished with antiques and artifacts, an English garden and small museums dedicated to Coke and the Bible.
Meanwhile, Masur Museum of Art, the largest contemporary art museum in northeast Louisiana, has an impressive collection of works by Salvador Dali, Auguste Rodin and Mary Cassatt. The holidays are a particularly fun time to visit Monroe; huge lighting displays, parades and entertainment along the river are among the many festive happenings in the area.
Louisiana’s casinos give visitors the chance to enjoy the thrills of slots, table games and off-track betting. Choose from several gaming destinations in the Shreveport and Bossier City area, and find other options in New Orleans, Lake Charles and several other cities across the state.
