Louisiana, MO Road Trips

Louisiana is known for its unique history; oil, gas, and seafood empires; music, including blues and some of jazz's earliest forms; diverse cultural makeup, including the Cajun culture in the southwest and the once-dominant Creole culture; agriculture; and vast wetlands, swamps, and bayous. Northern Louisiana has a culture similar to that of Mississippi, Arkansas, and East Texas. A word to the wise — during the summer months, heat in Louisiana can be unbearable. Humidity, which is common throughout the Southern states, increases perceived temperature. Typical heat indices in the summer range between 75 °F (24 °C) at night and 102 °F (39 °C) during the day, but on some particularly hot days, the heat indices can climb upwards to 110 °F (43 °C) and not go below 80 °F (27 °C) at night. To prevent heat-related illnesses due to high temperatures and humidity, seek shade, wear loose (preferably white) clothes, and remember to drink plenty of water. This climate type is, on the Koppen scale, known as "subtropical" featuring cool to mild winters in addition to the hot and humid summers. Like much of the rest of the South, northern Louisiana is largely Evangelical Protestant (with Southern Baptists forming the largest group). On the other hand, due to the history of French and Spanish influences, Greater New Orleans and Acadiana are largely Roman Catholic. This large concentration of Roman Catholics makes Louisiana unique among the Southern states. Louisiana Travel website

1 Avery Island (a few miles southwest of New Iberia). Avery Island is the home of the McIlhenny Tabasco factory, a wildlife sanctuary, and an 8-mile deep salt dome. Visitors can drive and walk through 250 acres of subtropical jungle flora with an amazing array of wildlife. (updated Dec 2018) 2 Sicily Island Hills (about 35 miles NW of Natchez, Mississippi in northern Catahoula Parish). The Sicily Island Hills offer an atypical visitor experience. These hills are surrounded by the floodplains of the Ouachita and Mississippi rivers and thus appear as an island when viewed on a topographic map. Amongst dense forests and unusually steep hills lies Louisiana's tallest waterfall, Rock Falls. The majority of the Sicily Island Hills are within the Sicily Island Hills Wildlife Management Area owned by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF). Enjoy biking, birdwatching or hiking in an unusually tranquil setting, but be aware that autumn and winter are hunting seasons. Access to this area is by way of marked entrances off of LA 8 and LA 915. Each visitor is required to be in possession of one of the following; a valid LDWF fishing license, a valid LDWF hunting license, or a valid LDWF Wild Louisiana Stamp. The Wild Louisiana Stamp is an inexpensive option at $5.50 and provides admission to all LDWF wildlife management areas statewide for a year. For more information,including a map of the area, visit the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries website. (updated Dec 2018) 3 Wildlife Gardens, Gibson.

There are a lot of great things to do in Louisiana, but the time of year matters when deciding on what to do. A variety of festivals happen almost all year long, the largest among them being Mardi Gras. Around February, Louisiana celebrates Mardi Gras and is one of only a couple states that declare it to be a state holiday. New Orleans is where to want to go for a more active party scene. For a more toned down celebration, many people go to Houma. Most Louisiana cities celebrate Mardi Gras in some fashion, though the New Orleans-style party scene is more prevalent in the larger cities in southern Louisiana.

Louisiana loves good food. Cuisine includes the famous Cajun cooking of Acadiana and Creole cuisine from New Orleans. Some items that may seem exotic to visitors from elsewhere may appear on menus, including crawfish and alligator. Some quintessential foodstuffs in Louisiana cuisine are: Beignets (Ben-YAYS) - deep-fried dough balls, similar to fritters, covered in powdered sugar and served immediately after frying. Cornbread - while not exclusive to Cajun cuisine and is indeed associated with Southern food by most Americans, cornbread (which is a bread dish made with corn instead of wheat) usually serves the role that wheat products have in other European cuisines, either as a form of dessert, as a sponge for sopping up gumbo, or even used in baked goods. Gumbo - probably the most 'Louisianan' of all foods (and most well-known outside of the state), gumbo is a soup that uses a thick meat- or seafood-based stock, chunks of meat/seafood, a thickener, and the 'holy trinity' (celery, bell peppers, and onions). Gumbo is usually classified based on the type of thickener used (okra or filé powder). Jambalaya - rice, vegetables, and some type of meat (usually but not always andouille sausage) mixed with spices. Roadkill Stew - It is legal in the state of Louisiana to take home and eat any wild animals you (accidentally) kill while driving.

The legal drinking age is 21. However in New Orleans and parts of Acadiana, this drinking age is not rigorously enforced. In March 1996, the Supreme Court of Louisiana upheld a previous ruling by Judge Aucoin that the 21-year-old drinking age was unconstitutional, violating the Constitution's equal protection clause. However, it later overturned this ruling. Within hours of the first ruling, the state law enforcement community vowed to enforce the law, until the loophole in the Constitution was closed. That loophole is still there. A rule of thumb for anyone wanting to party in Louisiana, regardless of age: don't drink and drive. Most alcohol-serving places in Louisiana follow the policy of 'As long as your parent/responsible adult is with you, you can have some alcohol'. In practice this usually means underage guests can have a few sips of a legal person's drink, but some places might serve you. (The logic is that the onus is on the responsible adult if you become drunk, and that they then become legally responsible for your well-being and safety.) Laws regarding alcohol are more restrictive in parts of northern Louisiana.

The largest airports are in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Smaller airports with commercial service are Lafayette, Lake Charles, Alexandria, Shreveport, and Monroe. New Orleans, Houma-Thibodaux, New Iberia, Lafayette, and Lake Charles are served by Amtrak. For more on fares and schedules see their website. Cheapest way to get into the larger cities in Louisiana, but do not serve the smaller cities and towns. Advance purchase tickets are usually significantly cheaper than tickets bought immediately at departure. The most practical way to get into Louisiana is by car. Interstate 10, 20, 49, 55, and 59 are the easiest and fastest means of driving into Louisiana from other states. Smaller rural highways provide a more scenic entry point, such as Texas Highway 82 / Louisiana Highway 82, entering the state along the Gulf Coast.

The most convenient and practical means to get around Louisiana is by car. Louisiana's roads are not, however, the best maintained and are downright rough in some places. This is mostly noticeable on rural highways and roads, along with city streets. In the cities, the speed limit on the highways and interstates vary between 50 and 65 mph (80-110 km/h). On standard two lane rural highways, whether US or state, the speed limit is almost always 55 mph. Four lane, divided highways, such as Interstate 10, 12, 20, 55, and 59, universally have a speed limit of 65 to 70 mph outside of the major cities. There are two exceptions to the rule: The Atchafalaya Basin Bridge, the 20-mile portion of Interstate 10 between the towns of Henderson and Grosse Tete, has a speed limit of 60 mph all the way across. In addition, there are only two exits along the entire bridge, so have enough gas to get you from one side to the other before attempting the drive. Interstate 49, between Washington in southern Louisiana and Frierson in northern Louisiana, has a speed limit of 75 mph, with the exception of the portion that passes through Alexandria. This is the only place in Louisiana where the speed limit is this fast. This speed limit is strictly enforced throughout the entire 150-mile (250-km) length, and Louisiana State Police will issue citations to drivers going even slightly over the speed limit. Louisiana is one of only a small handful of states that require you to completely clear the intersection before the traffic signal turns red (without speeding).

Louisiana has issues with crime, especially in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. However, this is by no means the rule statewide, or even within a whole city. Crime mostly occurs in very poverty-stricken neighborhoods and often involves drugs or alcohol. Areas popular with tourists generally don't have the same issues, though it's wise to be wary of your belongings at all times. Places like the French Quarter may have higher than average levels of drug- or alcohol-related crimes, but the wise traveler will experience no real issues. Louisiana's low-lying geography, many rivers, and proximity to the Gulf of Mexico make the state incredibly vulnerable to an array of natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Louisiana seems to be in constant competition with Florida for which state can attract the most hurricanes in a season, and some of the most destructive hurricanes in American history have made landfall in Louisiana (such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005). Hurricanes are massive, rotating storm systems that can have winds up to 170 mph (270 km/h) and can easily fling large items like vehicles and roofs miles away. They always contain an 'eye', which is an area in the center where there is no storm whatsoever; if you find yourself in the state when a hurricane hits, don't go outside until you are told it is safe by relevant authorities (weather services, FEMA, police, fire departments).