What is there to do in Louisiana?

[gevorg]

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g60864-Activities-New_Orleans_Louisiana.html

 

[bearxor]

Yup. Lake Charles and Alexandria are boring, depressing, dead little towns.

Used to stay summers in Pitkin. We'd go to Lake Charles on the weekends. At that point, LC was a big step up!

 

[Nebor]

Used to stay summers in Pitkin. We'd go to Lake Charles on the weekends. At that point, LC was a big step up!

One of my friend's kids softball teams got run out of Pitkin with threats of violence and racial slurs. That particular area of Louisiana is not very racially tolerant.

 

[ichy]

My father's family is originally from Louisiana. Let me assure that it is the armpit of America. The only good thing about it is the food.

 

[HendrixFan]

Been to everything in Texas more times than I'd like. Looking for something new within driving range and I haven't been to Louisiana in 10 years, so it seems like a good option.

Drive a few more hours to get to the Florida panhandle and enjoy yourself.

 

[foghorn67]

I spent months there and had a blast.

 

[SaDiZTiKStyLeZ]

Hit the clubs where this bounce stuff is popular.
http://youtu.be/P5n7BK6Mt_E

 

[Svnla]

OP, if you are heading to NO, then you have to do these things:

1. French Quarter - just so you can say, "been there, done that". IMO, it is overblown, reek of urine, and full of clueless tourists (in season, especially around Mardi Gras time).
2. Crawfishes - can be spicy, yummy with potatoes and corn (if you have a good cook that knows what he is doing).
3. Cajun music festival - funky music, kinda like blue with a twist. Gotta watch the guy that play the metal washboard on his chest.
4. Poboys - get all the varities if you can. I do like the shrimp poboy.
5. Of course, drinking and alcohol.

 

[BurnItDwn]

New Orleans is awesome. Go to Cafe Du Monde, spend the day walkaround around the Jackson Square area. Your evening options will be limited when drinking is taken out of the picture, however, you can still have an awesome time there.

 

[Nebor]

I've been to New Orleans 5 times in the past couple years, totaling over 2 weeks there, and I've barely left Canal or Bourbon St. I stayed at the Loews the first time down on Poydras, so that required me to walk on some other street to get to Canal. After that I've always stayed at a hotel on Bourbon or Canal. The drive into the city has never made me want to broaden my horizons there...

 

[shortylickens]

Fuck college girls away from home?

 

[Nebor]

Fuck college girls away from home?

My first trip to NOLA I had just returned from Afghanistan and found the bars to be full of drunk LSU girls all screaming "BABY BABY BAAAABY!" I asked someone what was going on, and they said it was Bieber fever. The world I left, it wasn't the same as the one I came back to. D:

 

[dud]

Thinking about driving to Louisiana (from Austin) for a handful of days. Going with a couple of friends. I'll probably invite my 16 year old little sister and one of her friends so anything involving drinking or 18+ things are off limits.

I've thought about this for a whole of 5 minutes, so I haven't done much research yet. My destination will probably be New Orleans, but is there anything worth doing along the way?

After spending WAY TO MUCH time in Louisiana I can honestly say that there is not much to do there that you cannot do somewhere else. The food (in NO is good ... Cajun is GOOD food but (unfortunately) the state has a horrible health record (I wonder why?)

 

[SViper]

I was born and raised in Lake Charles and let me tell you...

Moving to Austin, TX was the best move I could have ever made.

Let me know if you want any details about places to go in Lake Charles if you choose to stop there.

 

[ElFenix]

I was born and raised in Lake Charles and let me tell you...

Moving to Austin, TX was the best move I could have ever made.

Let me know if you want any details about places to go in Lake Charles if you choose to stop there.

i've been hearing good things about darrell's. i've hit up steamboat bill's a couple times passing through.

 

[Dedpuhl]

i've been hearing good things about darrell's. i've hit up steamboat bill's a couple times passing through.

The Darrell's Special is worth a stop in Lake Charles.

Another great place is Leonards. Their red beans and rice with a link of sausage is excellent.


<--- From LC

 

[SViper]

i've been hearing good things about darrell's. i've hit up steamboat bill's a couple times passing through.

Lol. Funny you should mention Darrell's. I was in LC this past weekend visiting with family and we stopped in for a Darrell's special. I've got my wife hooked on it. She always looks forward to it when we are in town. I would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting.

Leonard's is an excellent place as well. I always stock up on hog cracklins from there.

I also stock up on boudain as well. I prefer it from Abe's meat market, but Market Basket has excellent boudain as well.

Steamboat Bills is good as well. I always go for their crawfish etouffee because etouffee in Austin is not the same as etouffee in Louisiana.

 

[Nebor]

Luna Bar and Grill on Ryan St. in Lake Charles has good food and a decent beer menu. Decent live music on weekend nights too.

I'm also partial to the giant Dairy Barn on Lake Prien Road. Good burgers, great ice cream\desserts, plus giant cartoon characters!

How's La Casa? I've never stopped there but it always looks packed.

 

[Rumpltzer]

I dated a girl originally from Louisiana, and we stayed at her grandparents' place for a few days. This wasn't New Orleans; this was middle of goddam nowhere.

One night, they're taking us out to a "crawdad shack." We're driving in the rice paddies for miles and miles, and I pretty much resign myself to the fact that they're taking me out to the middle of nowhere to murder me. See, I'm not exactly a white dude, and these mofos are waicist like you've never seen.

Turns out that they really are taking us out to a crawfish shack. It's this tin building with plywood floors in the middle of nowhere. The tables are covered in newspaper, and there's condiments on the table. You order 5lb servings of boiled crawfish with boiled potatoes and boiled corn built in. No menus, no plates, and if you arrive too late... no dinner because they run out at the end of the night.


My younger sister married herself a Cajun boy. I stood at the wedding. I also walked in on a conversation (at the Catholic church) where one of her future brother-in-laws referred to my sister as a "mullatah" (we're not black... or half black).

Like I said... WAICIST!!!

 

[Leros]

I dated a girl originally from Louisiana, and we stayed at her grandparents' place for a few days. This wasn't New Orleans; this was middle of goddam nowhere.

One night, they're taking us out to a "crawdad shack." We're driving in the rice paddies for miles and miles, and I pretty much resign myself to the fact that they're taking me out to the middle of nowhere to murder me. See, I'm not exactly a white dude, and these mofos are waicist like you've never seen.

Turns out that they really are taking us out to a crawfish shack. It's this tin building with plywood floors in the middle of nowhere. The tables are covered in newspaper, and there's condiments on the table. You order 5lb servings of boiled crawfish with boiled potatoes and boiled corn built in. No menus, no plates, and if you arrive too late... no dinner because they run out at the end of the night.

There is a place sort of like that in downtown Austin. They don't really have options, you just order by the number of people in your party. They bring out a big bowl full of several types of crap, shrimp, crawfish, potatoes, and corn. They dump it on your table and you eat it with your hands. Fun experience

 

[Leros]

Drive a few more hours to get to the Florida panhandle and enjoy yourself.

I'm not looking for a big trip. Just something in the nearby area. Honestly, New Orleans is further than I originally wanted to go, but with a stop in Houston, its alright.

I'll probably head to Houston for a day, then head to New Orleans (maybe stopping at something along the way if there is anything). to Louisiana towards

 

[Leros]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. Any suggestions for things to do inside in New Orleans (so we can escape the mid day heat)?

 

[HendrixFan]

I'm not looking for a big trip. Just something in the nearby area. Honestly, New Orleans is further than I originally wanted to go, but with a stop in Houston, its alright.

That is one of the few drawbacks of living in Austin. It is a long drive in any direction to get out of the state, and the only other city in Texas worth visiting is Dallas IMO.

 

[Charlie98]

The best thing about Louisana is the sign saying "Welcome to Texas" (or "...Mississippi" or "...Arkansas," etc.)

That being said, the National D-Day museum is in NO... that is about the ONLY reason I ever want to see LA again.

 

[ElFenix]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. Any suggestions for things to do inside in New Orleans (so we can escape the mid day heat)?

the WWII museum (formerly D-Day museum) as mentioned above is good, but i'd imagine your sister and her friend will be bored. they had to kick me out at closing time.

more interesting to them might be the boulevard oaks plantation tour.