Louisiana
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About Louisiana
Louisiana is a Southern state of the United States of America, that has become a popular tourist destination with such highlights as the Greater New Orleans region and the city of New Orleans, several historic plantation homes, rustic churches, Cajun country in the Mississippi Delta Region with its breath-taking bayous and the Crossroads in the centre of Louisiana.
Good to know
- Capital: Baton Rouge
- Climate: The climate in the coastal region is subtropical and dominated by the moody Gulf of Mexico, with average temperatures in July of 28ºC and 12 ºC in January.
- Timezone: UTC -6
- No. of inhabitants: 4,515,770 (2004)
- Travel alert: EnjoyYourWorld strongly advises you to take necessary precautions for a safe travel. For more info please follow this link
Highlights
- New Orleans, called a haven for musicians, with its picturesque French Quarter, the annual Mardi Gras celebration and the Superdome. From here you can travel over the 38 km Causeway Bridge, the longest expansion bridge in the world, to the piney woods of the Northshore and relaxed communities such as Mandeville and Covington.
- Lafayette from where you can take a swamp tour in the Atchafalaya Basin
- Baton Rouge, with its 150-year-old gothic-style Capitol overlooking the Mississippi River. From here you visit swamps like the BREC's Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center and Alligator Bayou in Prairieville with good wildlife viewing
- Eunice known for its Cajun and Zydeco music
- Visit the Cajun Coast where you can venture into the swamps or catch the warm Gulf of Mexico waters with some excellent deep sea fishing
- See some of the lovingly preserved and famous plantation homes such as Oak Alley, Nottoway Plantation (with 365 windows and doors-one for every day of the year) and Houmas House
- Kisatchie National Forest a truly unspoiled wilderness where you might encounter bears, possums and deer, and the wonderful Kisatchie Bayou where you can enjoy a canoe ride.
Getting Around
- If you are in a hurry take one of the Interstate Highways: I10, 12, 20, 49, 55, 59
- If not try some of the scenic byways that lead to breathtaking landscapes
- The Creole Nature Trail All-American Road through four National Wildlife Refuges, salt and freshwater resources, natural beaches, marshlands, and prairie lands
- Bayou Teche Scenic Byway along the Bayou Teche, a stream that twists and turns for 200 km, that takes you to the Chitimacha Museum and into the heart of Acadiana
- Jean Lafitte Scenic Byway-crisscrossing through the heart of central Acadiana on to some of the most extensive marshlands in North America
- Bienville Trace Scenic Byway-takes you to Louisiana historic public buildings and villages
- Kisatchie Scenic Byway-this scenic byway takes you to Kisatchie National Forest, the "Little Grand Canyon" and the Kisatchie Bayou, and passes through an exceptionally rugged terrain with spectacular views of mesas, buttes and sandstone structures. The area includes prehistoric Indian sites.
- Colonial Trails Scenic Byway-through the Kisatchie National Forest and Cajun prairie land with more than 100 colonial heritage and Civil War remembrances sites
- Wetlands Cultural Trail-with waters of the wild wetlands surrounding much of the environment along the byway
- San Bernardo Scenic Byway-starting outside New Orleans, this byway (La. Hwy. 46) traverses historic St. Bernard, fishing villages of Yscloskey and Delacroix Island, and Chalmette National Historic Park with an expose of The Battle of New Orleans (War of 1812) that determined the destiny of the U.S.
- Promised Land Scenic Byway-a trip along beautiful waterways and over levee roads, with authentic Creole and Cajun cuisine at the various restaurants along the road
- The Real French Destination Scenic Byway-taking along museums, churches and plantations that reflect the history and culture of the French, such as Grand Coteau, Chretien Point Plantation, Beau Cajun Art Gallery, and Acadian Village
- River Road Scenic Byway-Hwy.65 follows the Mississippi River through countryside and a few small towns-remnants of a once-thriving area along the Mississippi River
- Toledo Bend Forest Scenic Byway-taking you to Toledo Bend, a 186,000-acre man-made reservoir with excellent fishing, hiking and biking opportunities
