Louisiana:
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Louisiana
State general info:
http://www.state.la.us/
http://www.crt.state.la.us/crt/tourism.htm
State Parks: Louisiana State
Parks Map La.State
Parks web page
US Wildlife Refuge: http://www.fws.gov/~r4eao
Commercial Info: http://www.louisianatravel.com/index.html
from Saint Bernard State Park on the Mississippi River's east
bank 20 miles below New Orleans we traveled up and east along hwy 11 around
Lake Portchartrain's east end and then west along its north shore
to Fountainbleau State Park.
This park and another ten miles further west are located on the pine
forest shores of north Lake Pontchartrain. Many people come from New Orleans
over a 24 mile, over water causeway that goes over the widest center section
of the lake. They come to enjoy the serenity of the countryside and swim
in the lake. As we drove along the north shore we felt like we had left
Louisiana and ended up back in Oregon.
From the park we traveled to the west end of the lake and headed south
then east toward New Orleans again. We took the first bridge south over
the Mississippi River then headed west along the River Road on the Rivers
south bank.
http://www.crt.state.la.us/crt/plantion.htm
Plantation Country along the Mississippi River in Louisiana
is spectacular.
One stop was a Creo home/plantation and the Briar rabbit tale origin..
The guide was from New Orleans and made the tour a wonderful experience
with her English as a distant second language and her as with the original
plantation owners heritage of a French Creo (= American borne Frenchman).
She delighted in the telling the plantations story and relished knowing
those little details.
Finally we backtracked a couple of miles and crossed another bridge
to the north-east side of the Mississippi River, again following the River
Road to more antebellum plantation-homes and then to the State Capital
Baton Rouge. We had visited many sites in the capital on our last
trip so we camped at a "Horse Activities Center" on the banks of the river
left town the next day.
North to Saint Fracisville; on Highway 61 on the Mississippi
River's east bank 40 miles north of Baton Rouge and just south of Jackson.
This town is full of antebellum homes. It is also a directional decision
point; go across the Mississippi River by ferry or go 30 miles north and
cross into Mississippi. We chose to head north for Natchez, Mississippi.
Birdding
Louisiana birds and Sue the watcher: In Lafayette we visited
Lake Martin (not even on the map) we were delighted to find thousands
of nesting birds; all of the type beautiful. The large blue eggs
could be easily seen in many of the nests and the lake also sported many
alligators, nutria, turtles, hawks, ......on and on. This state is just
loaded with wild life. To mention just a one, of major interest. The man
that makes the hot sauce of renown on Louisiana's Avery Island; thought
he would help Louisiana rid itself of the Water Hisent. It was an imported
plant and was clogging many of the states waterways. The only trouble was
that he didn't get the right animal, he imported an animal called the nutria,
kind of like an large water rat.Well of course they got out of the pens
and have now spread all over the state. Chiefs have tried to get people
to eat them. Furriers have made coats of them. While in New Orleans I visited
a major fur dealer to see what the coats were like and I found the un-trimmed
long hair version to be very appealing. So help Louisiana's fur trade and
run right down and get the wife or girlfriend a $2000 coat.
All in all we spent 6 wonderful weeks in Louisiana and look forward
to returning. The state is full of fun loving warm people and wonderful
sights and sounds. Not to mention the food.
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