By the time the 2020 Carnival season reaches its climax on Mardi Gras, Feb. 25, numerous Louisiana cities and towns will have wrapped up their perennial schedules of pre-Lenten parades, balls and other festivities. In one community, however, all proverbial…
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…
“You should celebrate the end of a love affair as they celebrate death in New Orleans, with songs, laughter, dancing and a lot of wine.” —Francoise Sagan Death may be a solemn affair in other parts of the…
There’s so much to love about the Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge despite that Mark Twain once called it “pathetic." The castle-like structure sits on a hill facing the Mississippi River in the heart of downtown Baton Rouge,…
There’s so many reasons to visit Arnaud’s restaurant in New Orleans. Go for the signature Creole remoulade, the flaming café brulot, the Carnival exhibits on the second floor or the French 75 cocktail in the bar of the same…
With 300 years of history, the Big Easy offers something for everyone during her birthday year
Tours, tastings and taking in the sites round out a long, fun weekend in Natchez
The secret sewing traditions of the Black Masking Indians of New Orleans
Recapturing a time and place with an 18th-century tour of New Orleans
One of the most historic, colorful and story-filled sites in New Orleans can be found inside a hotel. Standing in the heart of the French Quarter, for nearly two centuries, is the iconic Orleans Ballroom, which is part of the…
Warrior from the sky
On a lush ridge in St. Francisville, only three miles from the Mississippi River, stands what’s been called one of the most haunted houses in America. Those seeking a thrill during this Halloween season are visiting the house in droves, all…
Creative punishments and an outdoorsy childhood shape a young conservationist
The world is still intrigued by the infamous outlaws Bonnie and Clyde, lovers who were destined to die together – and did – in northern Louisiana. Gibsland, Louisiana, located nearly midway between Shreveport and Monroe, was the duo’s last stop before they…
The mysterious and beautiful Avery Island is a geological oddity, as it sits on top of a salt dome rising above Louisiana’s flat coastal terrain. In fact, while driving towards the island you can see the odd elevated dome or hill in…
A Creole dynasty where slaves have names
While only the echoes of thousands of G.I.s and Hollywood’s "who’s who" can be heard at the former sites of the Stage Door Canteen in New York and Hollywood, the music, laughter and entertainment fills the air 75 years later in what may…
No matter what your age, you can’t help but be swept away by the larger-than-life presence oozing from the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. This indiscriminate exhibit is not only a true awakening of the self, but…
Leonard Sullivan preserves Wyoming Plantation for future generations
"Welcome to the Rice Capitol of America!" That’s the proud title the prairie town of Crowley has aptly earned and, rest assured, almost everything here revolves around rice. Early pioneers harvested rice in Crowley with the intention of creating the town’s…
With the allure of the Hollywood epic, coupled with the historical worldliness of a fairytale, there’s no chance Oak Alley would leave a visitor with anything but awe. The near 200-year-old homestead is unparalleled to any place in America and…
The city’s architecture and museums provide a host of cultural options
Latest book on the notorious cold case reads like fiction and provides new theories on the gruesome murders
Pomp, circumstance, history and tragedy punctuate ths iconic building
