Most people think of Mardi grass and the French Quarter when they hear Louisiana. However, Louisiana has so much more to offer if you want a truly unique vacation. This state has festivals all year like the gumbo fest, strawberry fest, and the voodoo fest to name just a few. If you are in to wildlife then you can take a swamp tour or you can spend the day at the zoo. We also have a rich culture that you can experience if you are willing to visit the places the locals go.
There are many things that I love about living in a state like Louisiana one of them is the wildlife. I live ten minutes away from a state park that has trails you can walk, if you want to see the alligators and other animals you need to go in the summer early in the morning or right before the sun sets, because that is when the animals come out and are easy to see. If you do not want to be that close to the wildlife, you could take a swamp tour on an airboat. This is very fun and a great family activity.
The people in Louisiana have a rich culture, that in some places have not changed in hundreds of years. This rich culture is evident in the food that is uniquely ours; it is a mixture of African, French, and Spanish influences. You will love the festivals that showcase these influences, like the gumbo fest, this festival has all types of gumbo. There are too many festivals to mention here but you can find a list with dates on the Louisiana’s visitor’s bureau website.
Mardi Gras is one of the biggest festivals that we have. The season starts on three king’s day, the day that the magi found baby Jesus in the manger, and ends on fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. During this time the Krewes have balls vote to see who is going to be king and queen and finish their floats for the parades. There are three weeks of parading where the people will throw bead necklaces, doubloons, and other favors at you. We also have king cakes which are round cakes that have a small plastic baby inside representing the baby Jesus, if you gat the baby you buy the next cake. Some people dress up in costumes to go to the parades thinking that they will get more beads and to have fun. This three-week long party is for everyone in the family from the very old to the very young.
If you are looking for a more relaxing vacation then look no farther most people do not think relaxing and New Orleans belong in the same sentence, but there are many ways for you to relax in the city. You can take a relaxing cruise down the Mississippi river one of the paddleboats you can also visit the WWII museum. Another great way to relax and soak up some of the local customs is to take a plantation tour we have plenty to choose from, from the famous myrtles, that is suppose to be haunted. The most beautiful place in the city is by far St. Louis Cathedral, its not only beautiful on the outside it is beautiful on the inside too. When you are touring the church just remember that this is a working church so be respectful of the people that are praying.
The Cajun people have a very strong and rich culture here and you will see it all over the state. There is so much more to Louisiana then most people know so if you want to visit a place where you can do so much and make friends along the way then come on down and stay a while. If you have time to make it to the bayou sit and listen to some old stories and eat some good food. We have a saying here leissez les bons temps rouler or let the good times roll.
This article was written by Elaine Smith for Irish Gifts and claddagh rings.
