Around The State

Retirement, Louisiana Style

Age is just a number. People are living longer, staying active later in life. They don’t age; they mature. They’re not “over the hill;” they’re climbing it — or even running up it. There are 84-year-olds doing half-marathons. There are…

Farther Flung: History and Hauntings

Built in three sections, the McRaven Mansion in Vicksburg has been labeled the “Time Capsule of the South.” And rightly so. The original 1797 structure remains next to the 1836 addition with an elaborate Greek Revival front, constructed in 1849.…

Traveler: Staying Neutral

The Bicentennial celebration called “No Man’s Land, Becoming Louisiana” is now entering its second year of festivals, special events and driving tours through Sabine River territory (for decades cursed with border disputes and rampant crime). The 24-month observance is a…

Pelican Briefs: Da Kings of Cakes

Chef Nathan Richard of DTB (dtbnola.com) was crowned the 2019 King of American Seafood for his luscious crawfish and goat cheese king cake with cream cheese pepper jelly and Cajun caviar. “I’m serving it at DTB with optional caviar during…

Farther Flung: Holiday in Lights

Music City is lit up any night of the year — which makes sense, considering it’s the world epicenter of country music. During the holidays, however, Nashville glows. More than four million lights will be installed at First Tennessee Park…

Traveler: Cutting Edge History

The Historic New Orleans Collection at 533 Royal St. in the French Quarter, with its cluster of meticulously restored landmarks and the chronologically displayed treasures of its Louisiana History Galleries, has long been considered a marvel of private funding and…

Roadside Dining: Easy Does It

A gardener, I came a across Southern Gateway garden center a couple of years ago. A sign reading “90,000 square feet of greenhouses” caused me to slam on the brakes and make a sharp turn off of Belle Chase Highway…

Your Louisiana Life

Bay de la Cheniere Kevin Rabalais, New Orleans There’s no denying that Louisiana is a beautiful state. From south Louisiana’s coast to up north with its towering pine trees, and the lakes, bayous, prairies and plains in between, it’s the…

Pelican Briefs

MONROE, BATON ROUGE, NEW ORLEANS, SHREVEPORT, LAKE CHARLES Prancing and Pirouettes Now on a national tour that includes five Louisiana cities (Nov. 10-Dec. 30), the Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker (rated by the New York Times as a “hot ticket”)…

State of Louisiana: Pelican Briefs

NEW ORLEANS Let’s Go out to the Movies On October 16-23, the Oscar-qualifying 30th Annual New Orleans Film Festival brings screenings of more than 250 films, including new works such as “Burning Cane,” which recently won the top award, “Best…

Calendar: Gumbo Daze

World Championship Gumbo Cookoff Oct. 12-13, New Iberia With more than 20,000 eventgoers expected, the annual Gumbo Cookoff in New Iberia is clearly a popular event. In addition to the cookoff, attendees can participate in the Roux Run, cooking demonstrations…

Best Hunting in the State

Hunting is inextricably woven into the wild fabric of Louisiana’s heritage and culture. A harsh land when first settled, hunting was a necessity of subsistence as well as commerce. The wide diversity of habitat and abundance of game and birds…

Traveler: Double Down

Casinos are now scattered liberally across Louisiana’s landscape and cityscapes, offering entertainment of many kinds. Since the actual gambling part of gaming houses is pretty much the same everywhere — you do split 8’s against dealer’s 10; you don’t get…

State of Louisiana: Pelican Briefs

NEW ORLEANS Let’s Go out to the Movies On October 16-23, the Oscar-qualifying 30th Annual New Orleans Film Festival brings screenings of more than 250 films, including new works such as “Burning Cane,” which recently won the top award, “Best…

Best Hunting in the State

Hunting is inextricably woven into the wild fabric of Louisiana’s heritage and culture. A harsh land when first settled, hunting was a necessity of subsistence as well as commerce. The wide diversity of habitat and abundance of game and birds…

Traveler: Double Down

Casinos are now scattered liberally across Louisiana’s landscape and cityscapes, offering entertainment of many kinds. Since the actual gambling part of gaming houses is pretty much the same everywhere — you do split 8’s against dealer’s 10; you don’t get…

Along the Way: This Is Not a Bucket List

The term “bucket list” just doesn’t sit well with me. Not because of its allusions to death — there’s no stopping that canoe from its rapid whoosh down river. Rather, the idea of rushing to get entertaining and adventuresome things…

State of Louisiana: Pelican Briefs

COVINGTON Purrrrfect for Cat Lovers The 5th annual Covington Cat Party, Cat Art and Film Festival (artforcatssake.org) is Aug. 29 in Covington featuring funny cat videos, cat agility and training, fabulous feline-themed art and jewelry, unique cat accessories and furniture,…

Calendar: Art En Blanc

NEW ORLEANS White Linen Night Each year, Hancock Whitney and the Contemporary Arts Center host an outdoor celebration of local artists in the New Orleans Arts District. Don all white while perusing the art galleries and shops along the 300…

Traveler: Boom Days

From the late 1910s through mid-‘20s the Gulf states and other regions of the United States were systematically shorn of their virgin forests of pine, cypress and marketable hardwoods. It was one of the growing pains of an adolescent nation,…

Peachy Keen

The Louisiana Peach Festival has been around since 1951. The surrounding area is known for its wealth of peach orchards and the event has grown exponentially since its inception. It now includes a kid’s fishing tournament, tennis tournament, rodeo, parade,…

Jefferson Highway

Before his company created Better Homes & Gardens and other memorable magazines, Edwin T. Meredith covered America’s farms. Almost exactly 100 years ago he was reporting on transportation trends, noting the rise of the automobile and the completion of the…