Take a beautiful national park complete with nature trails, wildlife, including alligators and pink cranes, add a beach, some casinos, plenty of local history, some great local food and a rum distillery and you have Lake Charles in southwest Louisiana. Lake Charles is about 2-3 hours drive west of New Orleans and about the same distance east from Houston, Texas. It’s a town … [Read more...] about Lake Charles LA, beautiful and quirky
Louisiana
Slave to history
Baton Rouge, the state capital of Louisiana in the deep south of the US, is a drawcard for viewing alligators in the swamp, catching crawfish and its rich history of architecture and a “colourful” way of life. But among the highlights are the low-lights of Louisiana: its history of slavery. There are about 140 plantations you can visit along the Mississippi River … [Read more...] about Slave to history
New Orleans: Good times and better times
New Orleans is one of those places that everyone wants to go to, based largely on its reputation as a fun, party town with jazz, blues, southern food, and a laidback vibe associated with its tagline of The Big Easy. Just about everything you have heard about New Orleans is, or has been, true at some point. First-time visitors should do all the things that first time visitors … [Read more...] about New Orleans: Good times and better times
Old slave law still relevant in Louisiana tourist trade
"Experience Louisiana’s deep and colourful history told through the area's historical architecture and rich countryside," proudly proclaims the brochure on Louisiana's Historic Plantation Homes. It describes some of the 140 plantations able to be visited along the Mississippi River running from Natchez south to New Orleans. Many of the plantations' houses and gardens are … [Read more...] about Old slave law still relevant in Louisiana tourist trade
Whitney Plantation: Telling the slavery story
Whitney Plantation opened in December 2014 amid much controversy about its depiction of slave history. Certainly, its factual records are chilling to the soul and their presentation is stark, beginning with the lanyard presented to each visitor on admission. Each one has a picture of a carving of a slave, that person’s name and a brief comment from that person. I had … [Read more...] about Whitney Plantation: Telling the slavery story