Louisiana Life - May/June 2019

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…

'Lake Charles,' the Song

I am willing to accept that there are lots of things in life that I don’t know. What bothers me however, is the things that I don’t know, but everyone else seems to know. As I stood near the front…

Paradise Lost

Sitting in solitude, cross-legged, with the Gulf waters gently rolling onto shore, former president Theodore Roosevelt seemed at peace on the remote Louisiana barrier island. One can see why — he worked to save it, after all, and he had…

Critical Conservation

In 2014, the Mississippi River Basin was designated a Critical Conservation Area by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The river is home to countless species of wildlife as well as a source of drinking water, recreation and industry for millions.…

Pelican Briefs

KEITHVILLE Expansion Underway for Refuge They react with indignation, laugh like us, wage war, they are selective at choosing friendships and their ability to remember numbers on a screen at age 5 is considerably higher than adult humans. When it’s…

Catch of the Day

Bonus: Louisiana seafood a local and sustainable food! But if you’re watching your weight and trying to stay heart healthy, is it something to embrace or avoid? The Good News! Local seafood is good for you! Molly Kimball, a registered…

For the Birds

“Adventures of a Louisiana Birder, 1 Year, 2 Wings, 300 Species” by Marybeth Lima A tale of intrigue, a near-death experience, humorous mishaps and a year-long road trip. Does this sound like the most recent account from your favorite dashing…

Carving a Niche

Glimmers of a December sun reflect wildly off the wet ground, a slick, dark floor of fallen leaves and mud left by last night’s rain. A hatchet that looks like it has earned its rust leans across a thin handrail…

The View from Above

Louisianians have heard the alarming reports. Rising sea-levels, saltwater intrusion, land subsidence, canal dredging, hurricanes, invasive animal species and man-made levees are destroying Louisiana’s coastal wetlands at a rate of up to 35 square miles a year, an average of…

Naturally Chic

Reaching for a hand towel in the Griffard residence requires sliding a dark wood panel past a golden grid of speakers on a 1950s Grundig hi-fi sound system. Above, the vinyl turntable has been supplanted by a shining, modern sink…

Serious Shrimp

The first time I had the Shrimp Buster at Herby K’s I could have fallen off of my counter barstool and cracked my head on the floor. It was years ago and I was dining with my friend Chris Jay,…

Comfortably Yum

Chef Kraig Dixon is a Crescent City native who grew up with a love of cooking for family and friends. Cooking as a hobby was a way to bring those close to Dixon together in celebration. “My family had restaurants…

Heavenly Match

This is that magical time of year when shrimp are in season, gardens are at their peak and farmers markets are overflowing with vegetables. It’s a given that you’ll either harvest or buy more produce than you know what to…

Home of the Hayride

Odds are the edifice often called Louisiana’s finest structure of the Art Deco era would never have been built had Shreveport dragged its feet. By luck, though, the three-year task of erecting the city’s Municipal Auditorium was complete (not yet…

Fashionable Philanthropy

Shreveport native and fashion designer Latasha Henderson says she grew up “less fortunate.” Her mother dressed her in hand-me-downs to save money and she says the other kids bullied her for it. By age 10 or 11, Henderson was customizing…

Take a Louisiana Staycation

Louisiana is home to culture like no other American state. From one corner of the state to another, visitors will find a rich gumbo of culture that is a blend of Native American, Canadian, French, Spanish, African, German and more…

Visit Arkansas

With rugged mountains, quiet plains, active cities, and quiet towns, Arkansas offers a variety of experiences for travelers seeking fun in the great outdoors, one-of-a-kind learning experiences, delicious Southern food, and a vibrant arts, crafts, and music scene. From kayaking…

Summer Fun

Fun is warming up across Louisiana this season—festivals highlight the best of the state, applauding community, food, music and more. From Louisiana’s sweet corn and juicy peaches to slow-roasted cochon de lait, the state’s agricultural offerings call for delicious seasonal…