Louisiana Things to Do Tips by ClarkRB

a sign of encouragement

Probably the biggest thing going on in Louisiana is rebuilding. Louisiana suffered a huge double-blow in the summer of 2005. Hurricane Katrina wiped the southeast section of the state out, while Hurricane Rita took care of the southwest part of the state. The only southern section that was spared were the areas in and around Lafayette.

As far as rebuilding goes, it's been very slow. New Orleans had some neighborhoods well below sea level that had structures stand through the winds, but became useless under the flooding. Most are ghost towns, and New Orleans still only has 1/2 the population it had in 2005. Many of New Orleans residents have found new homes as far away as California.

Some residents though have put their foot down, moved back, and continue to rebuild. Signs of encouragement can be seen throughout the cities of Lake Charles (Rita) and New Orleans (Katrina), like this one. It's a long way to go, and even today the future of New Orleans is uncertain. However, I remain positive that we will all see New Orleans get back to being the spicy city it once was.

If you have time on your hands, be a part of something important and help out. There are so many non-profit organizations that need help down here, from manual labor to food services.

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Website: http://www.americanredcross.com

Things To Do: See Alligators in the wild

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Updated by ClarkRB

on Oct 8, 2006

Ahh, yes. Louisiana�s greatest native, the alligator. If you enlarge the picture, you�ll get a look at an Alligator poking his head out, wondering what the heck my wife and I are doing staring at him. Even during the month of December, we still happened to catch a glimpse of an alligator, so this was quite the treat.

You�re not going to find Alligators in all parts of Louisiana. Northern Louisiana is not going to be a place to locate them. Your best bet is on a swamp tour, where you�re brought out on a boat for the specific reason of seeing these and others in their natural habitat. Alligators normally don�t come out during the colder months, so summer, when Louisiana is sticky hot, is primal Alligator searching season.

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Address: Swamps of southern Louisiana
Directions: Many swamp tours are offered right off of Interstate 10 as far east as Slidell.

Things To Do: One of Napoleon's Bathtub

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Updated by ClarkRB

on Oct 8, 2006

European Palace Suite

I couldn't believe it. It's not in a museum, and the copy is in The Louvre, while the real deal is here in a New Orleans Hotel suite! Napoleon Bonaparte, as he conquered lands in the past, had an entire detail of soldiers lug this heavy bathtub wherever he went. And get this...you can bathe in it!

But it is NOT going to be easy. Well, the bathing part will be if you're the clean type. But you will have to stay at the La Pavilion Hotel in downtown New Orleans. Not just that, but you'll have to get the suite that has this bathtub. (European Palace Suite) It can run over 800 dollars a night on the off-season. So a little difficult to get to in more ways than one, but a little piece of history can be in your very own room.

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Phone: 504-581-3111
Address: La Pavilion Hotel, room 730
Directions: Located on Poydras Ave just south of Canal Street across from BellSouth
Website: http://www.lepavillon.com/suite_730.htm
Other Contact: 800-535-9095

Things To Do: The Mighty Mississippi River

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Updated by ClarkRB

on Oct 8, 2006

Mississippi River

Ah, the deep River. The Mighty Mississippi. The defining river in the United States, that flows from the lakes of Minnesota down to the Delta of Louisiana. By the time it makes it to Louisiana, it�s filled with sediment as it continues to add land and make Louisiana bigger every year. All places along the river have adapted the river into their lifestyle.

Riverboats, barges, yachts, and pretty much every type of watercraft with the exception of an aircraft carrier can cruise these waters. The Mississippi is the largest river in the United States, and sort of acts as a natural east/west barrier in the states. The river is used in conversation and in catch phrases in a number of situations like �Best Italian Food west of the Mississippi.� It also acts as a state border through most of her journey, and has created oxbow lakes through many states along it.

The Riverwalk, a touristy spot in New Orleans will allow good spots for you to relax along the river banks and view the many boats along it, like the Cajun Queen. New Orleans is below sea level, so the Mississippi actually sits ABOVE the city. A system of levies keeps the water out of the city and pumps it into the Mississippi River during any thunderstorms or flooding. These systems failed during Hurricane Katrina. Plans are to rebuild these levies to withstand similar storms. Hopefully we will hire the Dutch, since they successfully do this in Amsterdam

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Address: The Riverwalk
Directions: Not hard to find. General location is the end of Canal Street.

Things To Do: River Road Plantations

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Updated by ClarkRB

on Oct 8, 2006

Oak Valley