Author: Cheré Coen

The Rush of Chasing Haints

  Fear runs deep in humans. Fear of the dark, alligators, public speaking — Alabama football. But some fear is exciting. Throughout Louisiana this time of year haunted attractions and structures built with creepy settings animated by costumed actors abound.…

Eureka Moments

It’s believed that when Greek Archimedes understood how to determine the purity of gold he exclaimed, “Heureka,” meaning “I have found it!” Today, we use that expression as…

Natural Escapes

When we think of a cabin getaway, mountains and deep woods spring to mind. In Louisiana, visitors may find similar escapes — although actual mountains may be hard to find — but…

Summer at the Lake

Tree stumps in the lake at Toledo Bend are one of the reasons the area has become a hot spot for fishing.                             …

Moving Up

At first glance, walking across a suspension bridge above Gatlinburg, Tennessee didn’t raise my anxiety levels, but when kids moved past enjoying the rollicking motion of the bridge, my heart skipped…

The Louisianian’s Field Guide

    “America has only three cities: New York, San Francisco and New Orleans. Everywhere else is Cleveland.” - Tennessee Williams We would amend Williams’ comment to include all of Louisiana. With apologies to Cleveland — seriously, we mean no harm…

Pet Friendly Staycations

We love our furry friends, so why not take them on the road when we travel? Recent polls show that pet owners want to bring their dogs and cats with them when they travel, which is why many accommodations, attractions…

Wine and Dine

photo courtesy delta biscuit; herons on the bayou; landry vineyards We must admit we’re skeptical when people rave about Louisiana red and white varietal wines. Most vineyards in the Deep South produce sweet muscadine or fruit-based wines. But we…

Top Fun

Photos Courtesy: Pensacola Lighthouse and Maritime Museum Hold on, St. Augustine. You may be the oldest town in Florida, but Pensacola has a few bragging rights too. Spanish conquistador Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano landed in the Panhandle in…

Irish for a Day

In 1986, Mabyn Shingleton, her husband, TV personality Pat Shingleton, and her baby son Michael in a stroller, lined up at the Baton Rouge City Park Golf Course and headed toward Perkins Road where the couple owned Zee Zee Gardens…

Main Streets

Monroe/West Monroe West Monroe native Becky Thompson always loved baking, so it was only natural that she earned her degree in hospitality management at Ole Miss, then the L’Art de la Pâtisserie at the French Pastry School in Chicago.…

Coastal Vibes

A chill in the air doesn’t hamper the fun along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Even when temperatures drop too low for walks on the world’s longest man-made beach, there are indoor activities, including great dining and casinos. Coastal Carnival…

Carnival on the Lake

Like most South Louisiana cities, Lake Charles pulls out the stops for its annual Carnival festivities — more than 60 krewes and a host of related events. What makes this southwest city unique, however, is the annual gala that…

Get Lit This Season

The Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights, a connection of cities along Interstates 20 and 49 that promote the holidays to visitors and residents, have added two new destinations. Ruston and Logansport join the festivities in Shreveport-Bossier, Minden, Natchitoches, Alexandria-Pineville and…

What’s the Truth Behind Haunted Louisiana?

The Myrtles For years, owners have marketed The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville as “America’s most haunted house.” Several apparitions apparently haunt The Myrtles, but the most famous is Chloe, an enslaved woman who purportedly had her left ear…

Rock of Ages

Brian Schwieger begins his tour of Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas by displaying a history book he studied in the 11th grade. The National Park Ranger from Tennessee learned how President Dwight D. Eisenhower and U.S.…

Double the Music and Double the Fall Festival Fun

It’s an Acadiana tradition about to hit its golden anniversary. And even though it hit a speedbump during the pandemic, Festivals Acadiens et Créoles has returned. Twofold. The annual fall festival, which turns 50 in 2024, has been celebrating…

Literary Lovers Travel Guide

Marie-Madeleine Hachard arrived in New Orleans in the early 1700s with a group of Ursuline nuns. She wrote of her new home in the French colony and that collection of personal accounts would become one of the first books about…

Cooling Off

Summertime and the living is … hot! Louisiana may be a sportsman’s paradise, but finding places to cool off this time of year can be daunting, especially in the great outdoors where waterways veer toward tepid and slow-moving. For those…

Gulf Coasting

Mention Louisiana and most people identity with New Orleans, Cajun Country, casinos and LSU. When it comes to the state’s coastline, a fog often settles in their gaze. Sure, our coastline is famous for its fishing and surrounding marshlands teeming…

Beach Bound

Festivals are coming back in a big way to Alabama beaches, including the enormously popular Hangout Music Festival May 20-22, which combines music, food and activities such as roller disco and beach volleyball. Speaking of volleyball, the National Collegiate Women’s…

Road Trips through Louisiana

Photo courtey: The Biedenharn Museum; Melrose Plantation; Whitney Plantation; Bentley Hotel A Trip Back in Time There’s plenty of history to love in Monroe and West Monroe, but Abby Wise, public relations and media coordinator for the twin cities, has…

Best Coast

In the Deep South, March comes in like many things, not restricted to being a lion as in other regions of the country. When the sun warms our faces and winter seems to have left us for good, it’s time…

Head for the Hills

Photos Courtesy: Hubba hubba smokehouse; flat rock playhouse Louisiana residents don’t have to be told how hot and miserable the deep coastal…

Art Runneth Over

Eight years ago, River Oaks Square Arts Center, a multipurpose contemporary visual and fine arts hub in Alexandria, wanted to put on a national art show to both elevate…

Birthplace of a King

Photos Courtesy: elvis presely birthplace and park; Markuskun at English Wikipedia; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. For die-hard rock and roll fans, January marks the birthday of the…

Spirited Travel

Like so many people suffering from poor health and living in a cold climate, Mary Wilson of New London, Canada, headed south…

Louisianians of the Year

Louisianians are a diverse bunch, but we have a few common traits. For example, many Louisianians, no matter how close we are to our family, have an independent streak. Strength and persistence also come to mind when you consider people…

Malcolm Vidrine

Retired biology professor Malcolm F. Vidrine enjoyed a career ripe with accomplishments: author or coauthor of 20 books and numerous scientific articles, the discovery of leprosy in wild armadillos, and important work with mussels at the Watson Brake archaeological site…

Natural Element

When self-taught gardener Verna Cook Garvan created a private garden on her property facing Lake Hamilton outside Hot Springs, Arkansas, she chose every plant, picked the locations and…

Shopping the State

Louisiana is an antique shoppers wonderland, so if you are one or have one on your list, options abound in every corner of the state — and the middle, too. Shopping for the holidays in Louisiana is as unique as…

Charming Towns

Take a road trip through Louisiana and visitors will find the most charming small towns scattered throughout the Bayou State. Nestled among bayous, fields of sugar cane and cotton, and filled with historic properties, these small towns provide for outstanding…

LA NOUVELLE LOUISIANE

Nothing stops the innovators, trailblazers and entrepreneurs of Louisiana. Last year may have taken the wind out of our sails with hurricanes, freezes and a worldwide pandemic, but the Bayou State never faltered in producing new and interesting products, culinary offerings…

Farther Flung: Traveling through the Gateway

Doth Union and Confederate troops had Corinth in its crosshairs during the height of the Civil War, due to its two strategic rail lines. The small town in the northeast corner of Mississippi was originally named “Cross City” for the…

Traveler: Love Language

There’s a tremendous amount of attention that goes into restoring a 1796 Louisiana plantation home to be used as a bed and breakfast. At the time…

Traveler: Northshore Allure

Tchefuncte's Restaurant in Madisonville offers upscale atmosphere and a Gulf-inspired menu. Commuting rush hour aside, blood pressure appears to drop once north of Lake Pontchartrain. Life slows down in the historic towns…

Plight of the Honeybee

In the ‘70s when many Americans were making a return to nature, Jeff Horchoff thought raising bees might be a fun idea. Bees require little attention once established so Horchoff thought beekeeping…

Traveler: Loving Louisiana

Elizabeth Nehrbass of Lafayette watched news reports of the Louisiana coast disappearing for years, viewing the aerial shots of land loss in newscasts and slipping into fatalistic thinking that a problem that…

Louisiana’s Historic Byways

Boom or Bust Industry moved in and out of the northwest corner of Louisiana over the past two centuries. Oil and gas, timber, farming and more brought prosperity at its inception and…

Plight of the Honeybee

In the ‘70s when many Americans were making a return to nature, Jeff Horchoff thought raising bees might be a fun idea. Bees require little attention once established so Horchoff thought beekeeping…

Traveler: Loving Louisiana

Eulizabeth Nehrbass of Lafayette watched news reports of the Louisiana coast disappearing for years, viewing the aerial shots of land loss in newscasts and slipping into fatalistic thinking that a problem that…

Arkansas Adventure

It’s a long drive from the Louisiana border to the Arkansas highlands, whether visiting the Ouachita Mountains near Hot Springs or the Ozarks blending into Missouri. If you’re…

Louisiana’s Historic Byways

Boom or Bust Industry moved in and out of the northwest corner of Louisiana over the past two centuries. Oil and gas, timber, farming and more brought prosperity at its inception and…

Beach Please

Hurricane Sally did a number on Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, flooding properties and halting businesses already…

Beach Please

Hurricane Sally did a number on Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, flooding properties and halting businesses already…

Travel Resolutions

Forget those diet resolutions.  When do those 10 pounds ever come off? Especially with Carnival following the holidays. Instead, resolve to visit cities and towns in one of America’s most fascinating states — Louisiana! Here are suggestions to put on…

Floating Along

My mother always sewed my Mardi Gras costumes growing up, leaving room for turtlenecks and T-shirts should the weather turn cold. One never knows what Louisiana winters will bring. The weekend could prove warm and mild, our faces basking in…