LOUISIANA

YEAR VISITED: 2013, 2020, & 2021

FAVORITE CITIES AND EXPERIENCES: My first experience with Louisiana came in 2013 when I applied for and was awarded a grant through Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. This allowed me and my friend Rick the opportunity to study for a week at various Civil War battlefields all expenses paid. Specifically, we flew into New Orleans and were then bussed from battlefield to battlefield all the way to Atlanta. Therefore, my first opportunity to experience New Orleans came in 2013 when he and I spent two nights in the Warehouse District at a Hampton Inn and Suites. The hotel was roughly a block and a half from the Mississippi River and a little over one mile to famed Bourbon Street. My second trip to the Big Easy came during Spring Break 2021 with the whole family. We spent five nights at a hotel in the Garden District where we took the Green Line Trolley (roughly a mile) to the French Quarter. This was a cheap way to get around ($3 for 24 hours) and a great way to get acquainted with the city.

Rick and I explored the levee that lines the Mississippi River where we took in the river views, but did not take a river cruise. Contrary to the trip I took in 2013, a river cruise on the City of New Orleans steamboat was one of the first things the family did in 2021. The trip lasted two hours and was a mix of historical narration and New Orleans jazz music. While we chose the afternoon cruise a dinner cruise or sunset cruise are available as well. We found it relaxing after a day filled with a lot of walking and sightseeing.

Nearly across the street from the paddleboat terminal is Jackson Square. The square is named for President Andrew Jackson who gained fame following the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812. The landmark buildings are the St Louis Cathedral, the Presbytere, and the Cabildo (Louisiana State Museum).

While I have not been inside the Presbytere we did walk through the Cathedral and bought admission tickets to the Cabildo (the site of the Louisiana Purchase ceremony in 1803). Rick and I, both history teachers, enjoyed seeing the actual table that the Louisiana Purchase was signed on. Around the square itself there is no better place to listen to music, check out the vendors, or simply people watch.

Visiting the French Quarter and walking Bourbon Street is a must when visiting New Orleans. The sites, sounds, and architecture is unlike anywhere else I have ever been. Bourbon Street, the center of Mardi Gras, can get a little crazy after dark so plan accordingly. However, the girls and I greatly enjoyed exploring and ‘people watching’ in this area.

Personally, the two most enjoyable aspects to visiting downtown is seeing the architecture as well as sampling the food. Both are extremely unique and unlike any I have witnessed anywhere else.

There are simply too many amazing eateries to 1) name them all or 2) to visit all restaurant recommendations on one trip. However, in the French Quarter we enjoyed Mambo’s (the only restaurant on Bourbon Street with roof top seating), Cafe Du Monde, Cornet, and the Vampire Cafe.

Outside the French Quarter we ate at Gris Gris, Jacques-Imo’s, and Please U Cafe. While all of these were excellent, when visiting New Orleans I would recommend focusing on the southern dishes you want to experience rather than the restaurant you want to visit. *Pictured below is Alligator & Shrimp Cheesecake from Jacques-Imo’s

Our favorite dishes we tried throughout the week were gumbo, grits, chicken & waffles, crawfish bites, a Po Boy sandwich, beignet, and alligator in nearly every form. Our favorite dish of the week was alligator & shrimp cheesecake.

After savoring all the delicious (fried) food, we enjoyed exploring the French Quarter on foot. While they were both closed (for COVID reasons), we did walk around the St Louis and Lafayette Cemeteries. As odd as it sounds a cemetery tour is a must. Due to the fact the graves are above ground and many date back to the 18th or 19th century cemeteries in New Orleans are unlike any others. We were extremely disappointed we weren’t able to gain entry.

While exploring on foot we stumbled upon the Scrap House. This is located adjacent to the convention center and is made entirely of junk collected from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Sadly it is said the author received the inspiration after witnessing the aftermath of the storm and the fact many boats stuck in trees. Interestingly enough, we also stumbled upon the Eifel Society located in the Garden District adjacent to the St Charles Trolley line. This building was transplanted from Paris and shipped to New Orleans where it has subsequently transitioned from a restaurant, to an event site, to currently up for sale? While it currently sits vacant, seeing a building built from the Eifel Tower steel definitely sticks out among the New Orleans skyline.

French Market is located just south of Jackson Square and is a first rate outdoor market with all sorts of vendors. I would suggest this being one of your first stops as you can find a little bit of everything; food, crafts, music, art, and even various clothing items.

It is no secret that music of all genres has played a vital role in shaping the makeup of the city. Anywhere you go you can sit outside and listen to a variety of musical talent performing on nearly any street corner. One of the musical greats the city has built it’s reputation on is Louis Armstrong. Located on the east side of the French Quarter is Louis Armstrong Park, which pays tributes to a number of legendary jazz musicians and is a great location to leisurely enjoy the unique and natural beauty of the south. It is also a great location to admire and walk amongst a number of oak trees that are so massive I would assume are hundreds of years old.

STADIUMS AND/OR SPORTING EVENTS: On our 2020 Road trip where we visited 30+ states, we spent an afternoon exploring the massive campus of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. We walked in and around the Bookstore and the Student Union building. We also explored the grounds in front of the Law Center and the Memorial Tower.

It was during our campus wanderings that we stumbled upon Mike the Tiger. Mike is the living tiger mascot of LSU and is housed in a 14,000 square foot on campus habitat. There is no question this is the most unique experience I have ever had on any of the college campuses I have visited.

Being a college sports fan I have come to think of LSU athletics, especially football and baseball, as royalty. Football won their 4th national championship the year before our arrival, and baseball has won an impressive 6 titles. While we weren’t able to gain access, we did walk around the 102,000 seat football stadium. Tiger Stadium is one of the biggest athletic venues I have ever seen in person and can only imagine the energy inside the stadium on game day.

In 2021 we returned to LSU for a baseball game. LSU Baseball is consistently ranked in the top10 and is widely considered one of the top programs in the SEC as well as the country. Needless to say I was excited for this opportunity. Making it even sweeter was rooting for a former player and a coach with Longview ties. The game was against McNese State of the Southland Conference, who judging from the 10+ runs the Tigers put on them, were severely over matched. I believe the final score ended up 14-1. Sitting down the right field line in Alex Box Stadium felt extremely surreal. The sun was setting over the 10,000 seat stadium, the weather a perfect 75 degrees, and I was watching the Tigers clobber the Cowboys in person.

The only thing better came after the game when we gained access to the Tigers hitting and pitching facility. When you are a career high school baseball coach touring SEC facilities up close and personal is truly impressive. We will forever be fans of Coach Smith, Alex Brady, and the Tigers for allowing us this opportunity.

Lastly we explored the Wally Pontiff JR LSU Baseball Hall of Fame located under the left field grandstands. Features that made a lasting impression on me was seeing the Warren Morris plaque (player that hit a walk off home run in the final game of the 1996 College World Series), the national championship trophies, and the All-American bat display. At a school with as much baseball history as LSU, this is definitely a worthwhile stop.

ADVENTURES: Our last day in New Orleans in 2021 we decided to drive roughly an hour southeast to the Abita Mystery House. This was a roadside attraction I found on the website “Atlas Obscura”. Seeing the advertisement of a 32 foot half fish, half alligator caught my eye and felt like a must visit experience. After visiting I would 100% agree with the statement on the Mystery House webpage, “The most intriguing and provocative museum in Louisiana.”

On the way to the roadside attraction we crossed Lake Pontchartrain on the Causeway Bridge. Interestingly enough at 23 miles long the bridge is the world’s longest bridge over a body of water.

While I admittedly know very little about the War of 1812, being a history teacher I am very intrigued by American History and love having the opportunity to explore the actual locations of significant events. Therefore, we made sure to drive the 5-miles to the Chalmette Battlefield and explore one of the most significant battle sites of the entire war. Highlights were seeing the Beauregard House, the massive Chalmette Monument, as well as admiring the massive Oak trees draped in Spanish moss.

The day we were traveling from New Orleans to Baton Rouge (roughly an hour trip) we had some time in the morning to kill. As a result we decided to do a portion of the Bayou Coquille Hiking Trail. As the name suggests the trail meanders through the swamp and marshland of southern Louisiana. The trail was graveled with wooden bridges in places designed to keep your feet dry. The trail was in good shape and we were able to do roughly half of the 4-mile trail. Besides admiring the swamp land, which is unique to our family, we were fairly startled to stumble upon an alligator relaxing 20 feet or so off the trail. While we never felt threatened I do believe everyone’s heart skipped a beat as we slowly began to realize exactly what we were seeing. We also saw a handful of gecko’s, turtles, and a squirrel. We were thankful not to have stumbled upon any snakes.

NOTABLE DESTINATIONS & STOPS: One of the first stops on our Civil War bus tour in 2013 was the Confederate Memorial Hall Museum off Camp Street in downtown New Orleans. We spent roughly an hour there and I vividly remember enjoying experiencing history from a different perspective. This was the first experience I had with witnessing as much Confederate memorabilia such as flags, uniforms, and weapons. I found it extremely interesting and well done.

Directly across the street from the Civil War Museum is The National World War II Museum. It debuted in 1991 and continues to grow and get better and better. It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Presidential Museum’s and this is the closest non-presidential museum that I have found to approach the same standard. Rick and I went in 2013 and I enjoyed it so much I was happy to share it with my family again in 2021. There is a wing for the ‘European Theater’ as well as the ‘War in the Pacific’. While my family and I toured the museum in roughly two hours, if someone was so inclined I would estimate there is a full day worth of information.

When traveling to New Orleans if you can only do one excursion, a fan boat tour is an absolute must. We selected Airboat Adventures and couldn’t be happier with our decision. While there are multiple options, most tours are roughly two hours long and take you through the swamps of Louisiana. We saw alligators of all sizes, turtles, and a variety of birds. I will say be prepared for how loud the fan boats are. Headphones were provided but the sound still rattled the body. However, don’t let this deter you – again this was the most enjoyable tour we did on our entire trip.

Another excursion we did was the Oak Valley Plantation tour. It’s located roughly an hour west of New Orleans. While I certainly do not condone the actions of the plantation owners from 150 years ago, I also found the grounds tour exceptionally interesting and beautifully preserved. Being from the PNW this was my first in person interaction with any sort of a plantation. Within 15 miles in any direction was also the Laura Plantation and the Whitney Plantation (which was used as the setting in the movie Django).