Louisiana Summer Bucket List
Now that summer is officially here, you might be looking for some fun adventures, and where best to start than right here in your own backyard?! Louisiana has some incredibly unique places and things to see, and I wanted to share my bucket list of cool destinations below.
- Visit the grave of Marie LaVeau - Voodoo priestess Marie Laveau is buried in St Louis Cemetery #1 in New Orleans. Her final resting place is a destination for lovers of the occult, and regular people, who leave gifts, and 'X' marks on her mausoleum in hopes that she will grant their wishes. I've never been, but it is an really creepy place that is a major destination for tourists and locals alike in the summer.
- Visit the National WWll Museum in New Orleans - to see actual veterans of America's greatest generation talk about their wartime experiences, while they still can, is an amazing thing. The museum sponsors several lecture series, including the Mason Lecture Series, Lunchbox Lecture, and Meet the Author. They also have really cool exhibits, and on occasion, live entertainment. I saw the Anne Frank exhibit there, and it was very sobering.
- Travel the River Road - Louisiana has a long history of preserving architectural buildings, and the antebellum homes and historic sites along the Mississippi River are no exception. These centuries old buildings are also the frequent sites of movie and tv series being filmed here. Oak Alley, Laura, San Francisco, and Destrehan Plantations are some of my favorites. You can visit them for a tour, or maybe even go to one of the events they have on the grounds during the summer. Several of them also hold annual arts and crafts festivals on the beautiful and lush grounds.
- Pick Your Own Farms - we have a fantastic selection of places around the state to pick your own fruits and vegetables during the summer. I love to go blueberry picking, and my summer wouldn't be complete without it!
- Take a Swamp Tour - this seems like such a tourist thing to do, but it looks like so much fun! We have hundreds of bayous and bodies of water to choose from, but the Atchafalaya Basin would be my choice to take a boat ride in. I mean, who doesn't want to see an alligator?
- Participate in a Second Line Parade - these are inspired by the famous jazz funerals in New Orleans, and usually include a brass band, people decked out in the finery of whatever it is you are celebrating, and lots of dancing in the street. It's kind of like a block party for a funeral, or memorial. You can also get a permit for a wedding second line in the French Quarter.
- Go on one of Louisiana's many Culinary Trails - each region of our beautiful state has a type of cuisine they are famous for. They are all delicious, and they are all different. Try heading out on a day trip for some fresh seafood, smoked meats, or boudin and cracklins. You won't be disappointed.
- Buy seafood right off the boat - there really is nothing fresher than grabbing your ice chest, heading to the docks in Delcambre, and buying seafood right off the boat. Delcambre Direct Seafood has a Facebook page that updates when the boats are arriving, and what they have to sell.