2017-01-05 05:26:44
When you plan a trip to New Orleans, it’s easy to set your sights solely on the attractions of the city proper. But take our word for it: There are some awesome adventures to be had just a short drive away. TOUR THE PLANTATIONS OF RIVER ROAD Bedroom ©Destrehan Plantation West of New Orleans is a 70-mile long stretch of highway known as River Road, where you’ll find more than a dozen grand plantation homes that recall south Louisiana’s history as an agricultural powerhouse. Lucky for visitors, many of them are open to the public. Here’s what is unique about each of them: • Destrehan Plantation is the closest plantation to New Orleans and the oldest in the lower Mississippi Valley. • Houmas House Plantation & Gardens is home to no fewer than four outstanding restaurants and massive wine cellars housed in converted historic water cisterns. • Laura Plantation tours take visitors into the lives of the Creoles who lived there, whose stories are based on the diaries of former resident Laura Locoul. Dining Room ©Houmas House Plantation & Gardens • Nottoway Plantation is remarkable for its sheer size. With 64 rooms, it easily claims the distinction of being the South’s largest antebellum mansion. • Oak Alley Plantation is perhaps the most photographed plantation on River Road. The plantation even hosts an annual photography contest that receives hundreds of submissions. • Ormond Plantation is a former indigo plantation and bed-and-breakfast on Louisiana's German Coast. • San Francisco Plantation stands out for its gingerbread house style architectural details and elaborate hand-painted ceilings. • St. Joseph Plantation has been owned by the same family since the 1870s, and many of its descendants today lead tours of the property. • Whitney Plantation is the only plantation museum devoted to telling the history of slavery in America. BIG FUN ON THE BAYOUS Bird's eye view of the wetlands ©Southern Seaplanes Explore south Louisiana’s swampy side. From high-speed airboat tours to gentle flatboat excursions, a variety of tours are available. Get a bird’s eye view of the lush wetlands with Southern Seaplanes/Air Tours on the Bayou, which offers air tours of Barataria Bay and beyond. ©Insta-Gator Alligator Ranch & Hatchery For a bigger bite of the action, visit Insta-Gator Alligator Ranch & Hatchery. Here, you’ll see hundreds of ’gators, and can even hold one for an awesome photo opportunity. At Bayou Barn you can get a taste of Cajun culture at a boot-stompin' fais do-do, held every Sunday. These dance parties are where families and friends get together and, as they say down here, "pass a good time." Hear zydeco and Cajun music while eating some of the best food south Louisiana has to offer. DROP A LINE ©Bourgeois Fishing Charters Want to catch your own supper? Hire one of Louisiana’s many charter fishing boat captains. Bourgeois Fishing Charters, Bowfishing Unlimited and Griffin Fishing Charters & Lodging will help you get a trophy fish or two on the line. Home Run Fishing Charters & Lodge in Venice offers offshore, inshore and oil rig fishing options, as do charter boat captains in Houma and Grand Isle. Farther inland you’ll find Louisiana River Adventures, a Franklinton outfitter that offers tubing, kayaking and fishing on the Bogue Chitto River. TASTY TRIPS NEAR NEW ORLEANS Countless culinary adventures await you near New Orleans. Head down to Louisiana’s Cajun country for a tour of McIlhenny Company’s TABASCO® pepper sauce factory on Avery Island, and dine at the hot sauce maker's in-house restaurant, 1868. ©Palmettos on the Bayou Louisiana’s Northshore, across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans, is also home to some great restaurants. Satisfy your hunger for seafood and the outdoors at Palmettos on the Bayou, whose outside dining area overlooks picturesque Bayou Bonfouca. LOCAL LINGO Lagniappe — A lagniappe (pronounced lan’-yap) is a Cajun French word meaning “a little something extra.” When you buy something at a local shop or restaurant and are given a small gift with your purchase — that’s no mistake. It’s your lagniappe.
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