Louisiana is a must-visit state on any street journey across the Deep South and isn’t to be missed.
Packed stuffed with historical past and tradition, New Orleans is among the oldest states making it some of the culturally wealthy cities within the US. Louisiana has hundreds to supply guests.
I’ve at all times wished to go to New Orleans, dwelling to jazz music and Bourbon Road. Uncover Lafayette, dwelling to the Cajun Nation. Discover the Swamplands of the Atchafalaya Basin and go to Avery Island, dwelling to the world-famous Tabasco Manufacturing facility.
Inside this weblog submit, I’ll share with you among the highlights from my go to to the state of Louisiana.
Listed here are my suggestions on what to do on a street journey round Louisiana.
Embody Louisiana in your street journey across the Deep South
This street journey information round Louisiana is a component of a bigger street journey across the Deep South of the USA that I undertook along with Scott Tisson from Intrepid Escape.
The street journey that we did took us to the states of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee to cowl the entire Deep South space.
I might suggest one week for the Louisiana part of the street journey, which would be the focus of this weblog submit.
Making the whole street journey together with the opposite states will take you round a month to finish.
So you would simply do that one-week suggestion, mix two states and do two weeks, or go to all 4 states within the Deep South in a month.
If in case you have extra time, you possibly can prolong your journey to 6 weeks to offer your self extra space and time in every state, however a very good week in every state will probably be sufficient to cowl every part talked about on this article.
New Orleans is a well-liked hub and presents a choice of direct flights from the UK so this is perhaps a very good suggestion as a place to begin to your street journey across the Deep South in addition to a very good place to kind out your rental automotive for the journey.
Welcome to New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana is a metropolis that wants no introduction. It’s world well-known for its Mardi Gras and jazz music scene. For those who like to maneuver to the rhythm then that is simply the town for you!
New Orleans is internationally generally known as a centre of enjoyable, festivity and positive eating, in addition to a great deal of historical past to discover.
New Orleans is stuffed with common landmarks and distinctive traditionally vital structure abounds. When you see the fashion of New Orleans structure you’ll really feel at dwelling. A well-recognized fashion that has been replicated across the globe.
In your journey via New Orleans, you’ll discover eating places and golf equipment well-known all over the world and listen to among the greatest genuine New Orleans jazz round.
Journey in fashion on the New Orleans Streetcar
The easiest way to get round New Orleans is by taking a journey on its expansive community of iconic streetcars. Remember to decide up and use a Jazzy Move to navigate the town of New Orleans in fashion.
This traditional mode of transport has been serving New Orleans since 1835 and is an excellent a part of the town’s historical past.
Keep at Virgin Motels New Orleans
Test in on the Virgin Resort. Positioned in New Orleans’ full of life Warehouse District, Virgin Motels New Orleans mixes a ardour for meals and beverage with music and tradition that fuses with the Crescent Metropolis’s distinctive character, offering an inclusive atmosphere for travellers and locals alike.
Don’t miss out on The Pool Membership, positioned on the highest ground. Chill across the rooftop pool, bar and terrace with sweeping metropolis skyline views of New Orleans. Good spot to get pleasure from a frozen cocktail as properly and chill.
Virgin Motels New Orleans is located in an excellent location. You’re solely a brief stroll to your favorite sights together with the French Quarter.
Begin your New Orleans meals journey at Superior Seafood & Oyster Bar
Get able to bask in among the most scrumptious meals you’ll ever style. New Orleans boasts an array of unimaginable eating institutions ready to be explored. Begin your culinary journey off sturdy on the Superior Seafood & Oyster Bar.
Take the St. Charles streetcar uptown to succeed in Napoleon Avenue the place you’ll discover Superior Seafood & Oyster Bar. It’s the perfect spot to start out your night off in fashion, providing the right setting to your first-night dinner within the metropolis.
Set inside an old-school tiled house with views of historic uptown St. Charles Avenue, Superior Seafood & Oyster Bar presents seafood-focused Creole fare.
For those who can, see if it’s attainable to dine on the Oyster Bar itself, the right spot for solo eating. Right here you possibly can watch the Oyster Shucker get to work on the orders.
Though they make it look all really easy, it comes from years of expertise and information on tips on how to shuck an oyster appropriately to keep up the standard.
I dived proper in and acquired half a dozen of domestically sourced Gulf Coast oysters to start out and as we’re in Louisiana, loaded them up with a touch of Tabasco so as to add that kick of flavour.
Superior Seafood & Oyster Bar menus boasting the freshest elements of our impressed tackle Louisiana classics, Superior Seafood is a fascinating location for vacationers and locals alike.
I used to be additionally impressed with the blackened catfish Napolean which was cooked to perfection and had an unimaginable gravy sauce that paired properly with the sweetcorn.
Additionally washed all of it down with a frozen French 75 which was simply the ticket. Superior Seafood & Oyster Bar was an expertise I might like to return to and an effective way to kick-start the meals journey in NOLA.
Try the swamp life and hit the excessive ropes at ZipNola
For the journey seeker, seize a switch over to ZipNola, New Orleans Swamp Zipline Journey, positioned on the outskirts of New Orleans. This location provides you an opportunity to expertise the swamp lands on the outskirts, not too distant from the town.
ZipNola is the world’s first totally aquatic swamp zipline. Sure, that does imply you may be ziplining throughout swamps with the potential of recognizing alligators of their pure habitat beneath.
At ZipNola you will discover 5 completely different zipline adventures, together with two sky bridges for exploring the swamp beneath. Moreover, there’s an elevated spectating deck, picnic tables and animal enclosures.
Transport to and from the town of New Orleans may also be organized and might be booked upfront of your go to.
For an added tour, contemplate reserving the Cajun Encounters Swamp Tour, which might be included within the metropolis switch should you need to mix each experiences and enrich your day journey to the realm.
Preservation Corridor
For those who’re visiting New Orleans, my prime advice can be to guide tickets upfront for Preservation Corridor.
This historic music venue, positioned within the French Quarter, presents leisure for all ages and holds a big place in jazz historical past. Set in a no-frills house with picket flooring and no air-conditioning, Preservation Corridor has remained unchanged since its opening in 1961 and continues to host conventional New Orleans jazz performances.
This was unquestionably the spotlight of my journey, an actual wild card expertise.
I like the truth that video or pictures will not be allowed inside Preservation Corridor throughout stay performances. Everybody switches off and focuses on having fun with the present, permitting you to focus on the unimaginable stay efficiency.
See should you can guide the home band or an All-Stars Live performance at Preservation Corridor – you received’t be dissatisfied.
Step again in time and revel in dinner at Tujague’s restaurant
Tujague’s is the second oldest restaurant in New Orleans, Louisiana and is one to not be missed.
Sustaining its status for delivering an unforgettable eating expertise, Tujague’s has been a favorite for greater than 165 years, delighting French Quarter patrons with its sturdy choices.
A go to to Tujague’s isn’t full with out beginning with a Sazerac. This rye whiskey-based cocktail is believed to be one of many first ever invented and is a signature drink of New Orleans.
Should-try dishes embrace sea scallops or shrimp and grits – two Louisiana specialties which might be certain to fulfill. Moreover, the pan-seared duck is ready excellently.
Save room for the pleasant Banana Bread Pudding to spherical off your meal.
Lastly, finish your night with a Grasshopper, the signature cocktail created at Tujague’s. This brandy-based cream concoction serves as the right finale to your eating expertise.
Tour New Orleans in fashion on a FreeWheelin’ Bike Excursions
For those who’re searching for a special solution to head out on a tour of New Orleans neighbourhoods, remember to try FreeWheelin’ Bike Excursions.
These state-of-the-art electrical fats bikes supply a enjoyable and easy solution to navigate the town.
You’ve the choice to both hire bikes from FreeWheelin’ Bike Excursions and comply with one in every of their mapped excursions, or be a part of a guided tour led by a educated native information, who will carry the neighbourhoods to life with their insider insights.
In the course of the tour, you’ll go to numerous spots round New Orleans, together with the French Quarter & New Orleans Historical past, the Marigny Neighborhood, Frenchmen Road, St. Louis Cemetery – Tombs & Burial Practices, The Creole Mansion & Oak-Lined Esplanade Avenue aka ‘Avenue of the Creoles’ & ‘Millionaire’s Row’, 1,000 Yr Previous Oak Tree Grove in Metropolis Park, ‘Huge Lake’ in Metropolis Park, Treme’ Neighborhood, Louis Armstrong Park, Congo Sq. – The Birthplace of Jazz Music, Bayou St. John Waterway & Neighborhood and Magnolia Bridge aka ‘Blue Bridge’.
I loved the FreeWheelin’ Bike Tour, particularly having a neighborhood information from the realm added that further factor of data that you simply wouldn’t get should you did it your self.
It’s an effective way to discover the town and achieve a deeper understanding of all of the completely different areas round New Orleans.
Expertise historical past because it involves life in Vue Orleans
Vue Orleans is positioned within the former World Commerce Middle constructing that’s now dwelling to the 4 Seasons Resort New Orleans and Residences.
Vue Orleans takes the customer on a deep dive into New Orleans’s historical past, music and tradition by way of a multi-level interactive cultural expertise that brings New Orleans into sharp focus.
The attraction presents a singular 4D expertise with 9 completely different unique movies, seven interactive displays and the town’s solely rooftop 360-degree panoramic viewing platform.
Vue Orleans pairs fashion with substance, utilizing know-how to shine a centered highlight on the huge array of artwork, music, meals, historical past and tradition discovered solely in New Orleans.
A good way to carry New Orleans historical past to life on this visible show.
Cease by Cochon Restaurant
At Cochon Restaurant, Chef Donald Hyperlink has embraced his culinary heritage by serving conventional Cajun Southern dishes that replicate the flavours of his upbringing.
Set in an enthralling, historic dig, this restaurant is the right native selection, specialising in pork dishes and imaginative Cajun delicacies.
Chef Hyperlink is working with domestically sourced pork, recent produce and seafood, specializing in conventional strategies and creating genuine flavours of Cajun Nation.
Something pork is nice right here, and the shrimp is grilled completely too. The spotlight for me was the ribs, cooked flawlessly. I additionally couldn’t get sufficient of the sensational pork crackling. Cochon Restaurant is a unbelievable and pleasing spot to dine in NOLA, particularly for these wanting to discover the colourful Cajun flavours.
Stroll round Bourbon Road and soak all of it in
A go to to New Orleans, wouldn’t be full with out strolling down Bourbon Road.
Lined with a great deal of enjoyable bars to take a look at, you possibly can simply find yourself right here by the tip of each evening.
Hours of enjoyable with a great deal of stay performers and limitless bars to discover. See the place the evening takes you!
Then you possibly can head over to Frenchmen Road, additionally a preferred space with a great deal of enjoyable bars. I might suggest heading over to the Noticed Cat Music Membership for some nice stay music and a few enjoyable cat-themed cocktails.
Discover the Atchafalaya basin on an Airboat Swamp Tour
In your solution to Lafayette, why not cease off alongside the best way and discover the Atchafalaya basin on an Airboat Swamp Tour?
Time to hit the swamps for an exhilarating journey via the Atchafalaya basin – the nation’s largest freshwater swamp.
The spotlight of the tour needs to be going via the bald cypress bushes you could find across the swamp lands. They’re fairly spectacular to see up shut from the water.
We did preserve our eyes open for some alligators however we solely managed to see some from a distance which was most likely a very good factor.
An Airboat Swamp Tour is an effective way to expertise life on the swamps in Louisiana.
Try the town of Lafayette, Lousiana
Welcome to Lafayette, the center of Cajun Nation! This area of South Louisiana was settled by the Acadians after their expulsion from Canada.
You’ll discover traces of their tradition woven into each facet of life right here. The accents might sound a bit completely different, and also you may even catch snippets of Cajun French being spoken!
Seize lunch at Adopted Canine Brewing
Adopted Canine Brewing is the one brewery positioned within the metropolis of Lafayette and can proudly serve craft beer brewed in-house whereas providing a meals menu to enrich the number of beers out there.
Right here you will discover common American dishes similar to burgers, pizzas and salads. The IPA was undoubtedly price a attempt.
Discover Downtown Lafayette
Head out on a self-guided strolling tour of Downtown Lafayette. Listed here are some advised locations price testing:
Beausoleil Books & Whisper Room, Cajun Hatter, Genterie Provide, Cathedral of St. John Sans Paquet, Parish Ink, Pavy Design Studio.
For a dessert cease, try Borden’s Ice Cream Shoppe. Open seven days per week, it presents a full old-school diner expertise, nonetheless serving soda the old style method. An unimaginable choice of ice lotions can be out there, excellent for these with a candy tooth.
Downtown Lafayette gives a wealthy and distinctive expertise for teams, massive or small.
Whether or not your curiosity lies in visiting, purchasing, eating or enjoying, Downtown has one thing for everybody, from galleries to eating places and every part in between.
The range in Louisiana’s tradition and customs is mirrored within the architectural types that flourish all through the village.
These seven main architectural influences are Caribbean, French, American Colonial, Creole, Acadian, Spanish and Neoclassical Revival.
Every fashion has its distinct character and character, but all work collectively to supply selection and curiosity all through the various neighbourhoods.
Hangout on the Rhythms on the River
Base your self at SpringHill Suites Lafayette South at River Ranch after which head to Rhythms on the River for a music and dinner particular.
Rhythms on the River is a free live performance sequence that takes place at River Ranch’s City Sq. in Lafayette on Thursdays throughout the spring and fall.
Native musicians carry out beneath the city centre’s gazebo whereas residents and guests dance and revel in meals and drinks from native distributors.
Go to Avery Island, dwelling to the Tabasco Manufacturing facility
Positioned inside driving distance of Lafayette is Avery Island, dwelling to the Tabasco manufacturing unit.
Avery Island itself is a salt dome greatest generally known as the supply of Tabasco sauce.
It’s positioned in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, United States, about three miles inland from Vermilion Bay, which opens onto the Gulf of Mexico.
Remember to tour the Tabasco Sauce Manufacturing facility, the museum, the greenhouse, the barrel-making room, the bottling plant and the storage warehouse. There’s hundreds to see, do and study as you stroll via all of the completely different levels of the Tabasco bottling course of.
Be sure you depart a while to go to the Tabasco manufacturing unit reward store promoting an entire host of Tabasco items.
You may as well have lunch at Restaurant 1868, serving up traditional dishes that use Tobasco as the primary inspiration. It is a great place to attempt a neighborhood favorite, such because the Louisiana traditional, a shrimp po’ boy, which works somewhat properly with some splashes of Tabasco.
If in case you have some further time, remember to drive round the entire island and discover the unimaginable chicken life in Hen Metropolis and the Jungle Gardens nature reserve. The island is a ravishing place to discover.
Thanks for studying my weblog submit about my street journey to Louisiana
Thanks for visiting my weblog submit and studying about my street journey across the state of Louisiana.
I hope you discovered all the data tremendous helpful in direction of your journey planning, and I want you an incredible journey to Louisiana.
This journey was a part of an even bigger street journey across the Deep South. Remember to go to the opposite weblog posts protecting Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi. Try my information to Mississippi to proceed the journey after visiting Louisiana.
Wishing you an exquisite journey to Louisiana and the Deep South of the USA.
If in case you have any additional questions, please be at liberty to contact me, and I will probably be very happy to assist.
This text was executed in collaboration with TTM and the State of Louisiana to advertise street journeys within the Deep South.
