Author: Site Staff

The Great Louisiana Quiz

The name “zydeco” evolved from a French phrase referring to which green?A. Green peasB. CabbageC. Brussels sproutsD. Snap beansWhich Louisiana university has green as its primary school color?A.  McNeeseB.  Louisiana TechC.  TulaneD.  Louisiana CollegeFor the St. Patrick’s Day celebration in…

Summer Times

Northern LouisianaJune 1-2. Beach Bash. 2909 Kilpatrick Blvd., Monroe (318) 651-4409.June 2. 20th Annual Classic Chevy Jamboree. Holiday Inn, Monroe (318) 397-1181.June 2. 22nd Annual Marengo Swamp Ride. Beouf River Wildlife Area, Hebert (318) 728-2300.June 7-9. Scrapbook Celebration. West Monroe…

Louisiana Culinary Trail Guides

In Louisiana, when two or three people gather for lunch, the conversation almost always turns to food: “What did you eat for breakfast? Where are you eating supper?” Cooking and eating are a big part of Louisiana culture, and our…

Green Space

Marie Bossard and Tony Adrian live in a “green” house in the quaint community of Prairie Laurent, near Breaux Bridge. They catch rainwater and create their own electricity. Imagine having a $0 electric bill and a $0 water bill. Here…

Regional Travel

Take a drive to Alabama for a weekend on the Gulf. Built by Aronov Realty in a spectacularly beautiful location adjacent to the 4,200-acre Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, Martinique on the Gulf is a classic beachside community offering a…

A Louisiana Life: Maggie Mae Renfro

Don’t tell Maggie Mae Renfro the times are a-changing –– because, honey, she’s seen it all.In her lifetime she has witnessed the turning of two centuries, the rise of the United States into a world power, two world wars, the…

The Great Louisiana Quiz

Zachary Taylor, who, though born in Virginia, spent part of his adult life living in Louisiana near Baton Rouge. By what nickname was he best known?A. Old Rough and ReadyB. TippecanoeC. Old HickoryD.  ZThere has been one presidential nominating convention…

Lifetimes Spring (April 1 – June 30)

Northern LouisianaThrough April 27. The American Soldier, A Photographic Tribute. Louisiana State Exhibit Museum, Shreveport (318) 632-2020.April 3. ULM Presidential Lyceum Series: James Carville and Mary Matalin. University of Louisiana,  Monroe (318) 342-5447.April 4, 11, 18, 25. Brown Bag Concerts.…

The State of Louisiana

Dear Friends,Louisiana’s African-American Heritage Trail is our newest offering for both travelers and Louisiana citizens. It is a collection of sites around our state that showcase the contributions of African Americans to history and culture, to food and music, to…

Around Louisiana-Northern Louisiana

PROFILELocal boy makes goodStanding 6 feet, 5 inches tall and weighing in at a not-so-diminutive 245 pounds, Luke Sanders is not only an outstanding linebacker who helped bring a BCS National Championship title to his alma mater but also a…

Regional Travel

You work hard all week, even all year. Why not recharge your batteries with a long weekend in beautiful Florida, Alabama, Texas or Mississippi this season? Each of these destinations offers top-quality accommodations, attractions, dining, shopping and much more. From…

Louisiana Destinations

This year, one of the best places to include on your travel itinerary is right in the center of the state. Alexandria and Pineville sit on opposite banks of the Red River in the middle of Louisiana, offering a unique…

Autumn OCT. 1 – Dec. 31

Abbeville's Giant Omelet Celebration, Abbeville, Nov.3-4. Information, (337) 893-0013.Northern LouisianaOct. 5-6. Robeline Heritage Festival, El Camino Rio, Natchitoches, (318) 472-3405.Oct. 6. Lake Claiborne Car and Bike Show, Lake Claiborne State Park, Homer, (318) 927-2976.Oct. 6. Indian Games, Poverty Point State…

Quirky Texas

You know Texas for the Alamo, the theme parks, the Texas-sized malls and the miles of beaches. But even for long-time travelers to the Lone Star State there are plenty of attractions that you just might’ve missed. Have you examined…

Feeling the pulse

Call it a side effect of the Baby Boomers going gray. Or blame it on financial pressures squeezing adults of all ages. Whatever the reason, more and more people in the U.S. are worrying about health care. They fret about…

Summer – JULY1-SEPT.30

Northern LouisianaJuly 1. 6th Annual Monroe Jacee/Ryan Chevrolet Water Front Festival & Fire Works Show, Forsythe Park Boat Launch, Monroe, (318) 325-9018.July 1-8. American Junior Brahman Association Show, Ike Hamilton Expo Center, West Monroe, (318) 325-9160.July 4. 4th of July…

Cruising from Louisiana

“So be my guest, you’ve got nothin’ to loseWon’t you let me take you on a sea cruise?”Frankie Ford, “Sea Cruise,” 1959DONN YOUNG PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY PORT OF NEW ORLEANSIf Frankie Ford is willing to foot the bill for a cruise…

Louisiana Destinations – Special Advertising Sections

The best thing about living in Louisiana is the variety of destinations for easy summer travel. From the picturesque wetlands to the vibrant urban areas to the epitome of small town America, Louisiana has it all. This summer, with gas…

An Artist and his Mansions

Located on Bayou Teche near Jeanerette in St. Mary Parish, Albania was built between 1837 and 1842. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Imagine owning two Louisiana historic plantation mansions and an 1873 upstate New York mansion…

Texas Travel: Top 12 Travel Destinations

It’s no wonder that the largest of the contiguous states has a long list of vacation options including both big city cultural attractions and charming small town getaways. However, you just might be surprised by the huge variety of travel…

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION: Louisiana Destinations

Now is the time to start making travel plans for spring and summer, and fortunately, if you live in Louisiana, you do not need to travel far. Louisiana offers some of the most tempting travel destinations in the country. From…

Waders, Warblers and those who Watch

Snowy EgretShhh,” she says suddenly. It’s early March and wildlife photographer Nancy Camel is at Lake Martin, surrounded by the woods and waters of Cypress Island Preserve in St. Martin Parish. That’s not news; she’s there most any time, with…

Someone’s in the Kitchen

Composing a menu can be either a dreaded chore or a rewarding challenge. The latter is much more fun of course, and it prolongs the enjoyment of the evening. Diners, whether family or guests, enjoy the food but the cook…

LOUISIANA DESTINATIONS

One of the best things about living in the Southeast is the fact that you do not have to travel far to get away from it all. In Louisiana, history, culture, and festivals are usually just a short drive from…

LIFE times WINTER Jan.1 – March. 31

NORTHERN LOUISIANAJan. 4-7, 12-14, 19-21 Almost, Maine, Shreveport Little Theatre, Shreveport, (318) 424-4439.Jan. 6 Twelfth Night Party, Bossier Civic Center, Bossier City, (318) 746-0008.Jan. 12 “The People’s Concert,” Riverview Theatre, Shreveport, (318) 227-8863. Jan. 19 Man of La Mancha, The…

STATEWIDE CARNIVAL CALENDAR

Photo: Terri FenselALEXANDRIA (318) 442-9546Jan. 5 Epiphany, St. Rita School, England Airpark. 5:30 p.m.Jan. 5 AMGA Carnivale de Mardi Gras Party, Community Center, England Airpark. 7:30 p.m.Feb. 14 LSUA Mardi Gras Parade, LSUA Campus. Noon.Feb. 16 Taste of Mardi Gras,…

News Notes from Around the State

The Colvin family circa 1885 in Dubach. Dogtrot Capital Receives a New FindThe community of Dubach is adding to its collection of 19th century dogtrot cabins by restoring an 1883 house, which will be used as a welcome and information…

Around Louisiana: Regional Reports From Across the State

NORTHERN LOUISIANA CAUSE TO CELEBRATE The wearing of the green Celtic culture influenced the Old World and the New. When the Celts crossed the Rhine around 600 B.C., this fierce and brave race began settling across Europe and ventured as…

Over the Boardwalk

As a resident of Bossier City in northwest Louisiana for four years, we are very proud of our new Louisiana Boardwalk, which was briefly noted in the “Around Louisiana” section of your magazine in the Summer 2005 issue. The issue…

SPECIAL SECTION: The State of Louisiana

Restoring the soul of America On August 29, 2005, the greatest natural disaster in U.S. history occurred when Hurricane Katrina hit Southeast Louisiana. Four parishes, including New Orleans, were severely damaged. Families were torn apart, lives and homes were lost.…

Lorem Ipsum

"Neque porro quisquam est qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit..." "There is no one who loves pain itself, who seeks after it and wants to have it, simply because it is pain..." Lorem ipsum dolor sit…

High Waters

Distinguished author John Barry compares Louisiana’s two greatest natural disasters and what we have learned from each John Barry’s book Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and how it Changed America spent six weeks on The New York…

A Louisiana Life: Willis Reed

In New York, they still talk about Willis Reed and that night and that game with the same head-bowing reverence as when they speak of Casey Stengel’s Amazin’ Mets and Joe Namath’s “guaranteed” Super Bowl III win in 1969. It…

One for the Road

Biker saloon pulls ’em in Over the roar of motorcycle engines, word is spreading about a new Louisiana business that caters to an increasing population of weekend bikers. Cy Dodge’s Bike Barn Saloon, located off Interstate 49 between Lafayette and…

Bull Moose and the Daisy

Bull Moose and the Daisy I read with much interest the article on “Building Barriers” concerning Breton National Wildlife Refuge, which appeared in the Winter 2004/05 edition. The article was excellent and addressed an important part of our state’s pioneer…

Thrill of the Grill

Suitable meals for summer by STANLEY DRY My favorite summer meal is grilled food, a salad and a cold bottle of dry rosé. If there’s any meal more welcome than that on a hot day, I don’t know what it…

Outlaws by Choice

A brief history of coastal smuggling by JEREMY J. ALFORD The hurricane-charged winds and rain stopped almost as suddenly as they attacked. All that could be heard now were cypress planks creaking under the strain of the surviving sails and…

Six Blocks from Liberty

Eunice's former first couple's trophy house by BONNIE WARREN Just six blocks from the famous Liberty Theatre in Eunice lives the man who is credited with being the father of an effort to preserve Cajun music, the French language in…

The Great Wine Hunt

Searching for Louisiana's good grapes by PAUL F. STAHLS JR. For a road trip that’s perfect for summer – “cool” enough, in fact, to repeat in any and every season – let’s blaze a trail through the southeastern parishes seeking…

A Fiddler’s Legacy

The music thrives at Lafayette's Festivals Acadiens by ROBERT BUCKMAN It is a huge, outdoor, Louisiana-style party that not only welcomes crashers but beckons them. For the 29th consecutive September, Lafayette’s Girard Park will be burgeoning with the sights, sounds,…

A Certain Beauty

Cityscapes from the other side by JOHN R. KEMP New Orleans writer Andrei Codrescu describes the white-washed crypts and miniature temples of the city’s decaying above-ground cemeteries as “waiting rooms for the Day of Judgment” where the dead “rehearse the…

Scot and Lynda Jones

by BRIAN HUDGINS As a teenager in the late 1980s, Oklahoma native Scot Jones was mainly a weekend warrior when it came to the sport of water-skiing. What served as a May-to-August hobby soon introduced Jones to Louisiana, a new…

Spring April 1 – June 30

Edited by HILLARY GOLDEN Northern LOUISIANA April 1-7. Art Competition, Bry Art Gallery, Monroe, (318) 342-1382. April 1-30. St. Francisville Artists Exhibit, Schepis Museum, Columbia, (318) 649-9931. April 2. Bead Workshop, Poverty Point State Historic Park, Epps, (888) 926-5492. April…

String Fever

by ADAM TRACEY It only 14 years old, Amanda Shaw has achieved more than most adults twice her age. She has studied violin under a world-renowned Russian violinist. She has released three albums. She has performed for thousands of cheering…

Grand Coteau

by PAUL F. STAHLS JR. When it comes to luring tourists, the St. Landry Parish village of Grand Coteau prints no brochures, runs no ads, concocts no slogans or sales strategies. One reason is that it has not a single…

Interactive on the River

For two years, the city of Baton Rouge has awaited the completion of the Shaw Center for the Arts. Now the interactive community art school, museum and theater – which extends over one block in the city’s arts district and…

A friend of the Field

As a founder of the Friends of the Mansfield Battlefield, I want to thank you for drawing attention to the mining that threatens the sacred ground on this historic Louisiana site. Dr. White’s well-written article offers readers a clearer understanding…

Tolls of War

As early as grade-school history, we were told about the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and the valley they created, known as the “cradle of civilization.” Legend even links this fertile land, where oranges, olives and dates grow easily, to the…

Hold That Bottom Line

by SCOTT DYER A few hours after the LSU Tigers wrapped up their last home win, a 27-24 victory over Ole Miss on Nov. 20, work crews began to demolish the western upper deck of Tiger Stadium. The Tiger Athletic…

Remembering the Dean

by BONNIE WARREN Hays Town, the “dean” of Louisiana architecture, produced buildings that have been revered for generations. On the banks of Cane River Lake in Natchitoches is one of his gems, a house that he designed in 1981 for…