Louisiana

Louisiana

Visiting Louisiana is a journey through time and place to when wealthy Creoles controlled the portages across the French Quarter, riverboats traveled the mighty Mississippi, and man continues to fight a continual war against water. It’s known as the ‘Bayou State’ because the largest river in America (Mississippi) drains into the largest swamp (Atchafalaya Basin) and ultimately reaches the ocean in a complex system of 16 different river deltas. All this water creates a unique way of life for the port city of New Orleans, where goods are portages across a thin strip of land to Lake Pontchartrain to bypass the treacherous river delta, to isolated Cajun communities living deep in the swamp.

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Language(s)

English

Currency

US Dollar

Exercise Increased Caution
Summer Winter
New Orleans 47 92
Baton Rouge 91 43
Shreveport 93 38
Outlets
Type-A
Type-B

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Louisiana is between mid-February to early May and from October to December. The state receives temperate weather throughout the year with a few humid weeks. The most popular event in Louisiana is the Mardi Gras festival which takes place on any day from mid-February to early March.

 

Fun Facts

  • Louisiana is named after King Louis XIV of France
  • Louisiana is home to the world’s largest bridge over a body of water. Known as the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, the bridge is roughly 24 miles long
  • In New Orleans, fire engines must stop at a red light even in the case of emergency
  • Louisiana is the only state in the country with ‘parishes’ instead of counties
  • Louisiana is known as the birthplace of jazz

Bucket-List Activities

  • Ride on the St. Charles Streetcar (New Orleans)
  • Take a stroll down Oak Alley Plantation (Vacherie)
  • Festival International de Louisiane (Lafayette)
  • Ride on an airboat (Atchafalaya Basin)
  • See the Saints play in the Superdome (New Orleans)
  • Bike the Tammany Trace (Covington to Slidell)

Natural Wonders

  • Toledo Bend (Anacoco)
  • Backbone Trail in Kisatchie National Forest (southwest of Alexandria)
  • Breton Wildlife Refuge (New Orleans)
  • Seven Sisters Oak (Mandeville)
  • Chicot Lake (Ville Platte)
  • Avery Island (Iberia Parish)
  • Atchafalaya River Basin (Lafayette)

Major Attractions

  • French Quarter (New Orleans)
  • National WWII Museum (New Orleans)
  • Vermillionville Historic Village (Lafayette)
  • Jean Laffite National Historical Park and Preserve (Marrero)
  • Honey Island Swamp Tour (Slidell)

Native Foods

  • Crawfish (look for fresh crawfish boils in the springtime and early summer)
  • Red beans and rice (the secret to baby’s back)
  • Beignets (deep-fried pastry)
  • King Cake (Mardi Gras pastry, bonus points if you find the baby king)
  • Muffaletta Sandwich (invented in 1906 at Central Grocery Co, but the best one is up for debate)
  • Gumbo (meat or seafood stew)
  • Boudin Sausage (a pork and rice Cajun sausage)
  • Po’boy Sandwich (a New Orleans original of mysterious origins)
  • Sno-ball (the shaved-ice dessert, not the cream-filled chocolate cake)

General Travel Tips

Common Phrases

  • Laissez les bon temps rouler – Let the good times roll
  • Pinch the tail and suck the head – The proper way to eat crayfish
  • Dressed – Getting lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mayo on your po’boy
  • Fais-do-do – Literally, to go to sleep, but in reality, a Cajun dance party
  • Gris gris – A voodoo curse or an amulet/talisman that supposedly brings good luck or keeps bad luck away.
  • New Orleans / Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY ✈✈✈✈) – The Big Easy
  • Baton Rouge/ Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (BTR ✈✈) – The capital city, Geaux Tigers!
  • Shreveport  / Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV ✈✈) – Home to oldest continuously operated African-American family-owned restaurant in the United States
  • Lafayette  / Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT ✈✈) – Deep in the heart of Cajun country
  • Alexandria  / Alexandria International Airport (AEX ✈✈) – The geographic center of the state
  • Monroe / Monroe Regional Airport (MLU ✈) – The largest city in northeast Louisiana
  • Lake Charles / Lake Charles Regional Airport (LCH ✈) – Louisiana’s playground
Biking the Tammany Trace Trail - A Concierge Guide

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Here at Coleman Concierge, we encourage everyone to travel responsibly and believe there is potential for tremendous good for the world following that ethos. There is also the potential for horrific consequences from irresponsible travel.

Before you go, please check out the latest CDC recommendations for travelers.

Even if you can’t physically explore the world, we hope that you enjoy the escape our site provides. Keep your spirits up and your hands clean. There will be a time to travel soon enough.

Meet Ed & Jenn

Hi! We are Jenn and Ed Coleman, and together we are Coleman Concierge. It is our goal to inspire you to get out, expand your world, and to seek adventure, even in your own backyard.

We deeply believe in the transformational power of travel. Our tagline is amazing adventures for ordinary people because we believe that you don’t have to be super rich, super fit or super anything to have an amazing adventure. Expanding your comfort zone and trying new things will pay huge dividends in both health and happiness.

We advocate for sustainable and ethical travel and truly believe in the power of travel to transform both ourselves as well as the world around us.

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