Louisiana Outdoors A to Z QUINTESSENTIAL LOUISIANA ROAD TRIPS Buckle your seat belt and crank up the tunes as we embark on a tour of 18 picturesque driving trails. By Erin Z. Bass B ypass the interstate for your next road trip and travel down one of Louisiana’s scenic backroads. From historic sites to moss-draped oaks, famous eateries and coastal wetlands brimming with wildlife, each drive o ers an authentic taste of Louisiana food, music, culture and natural beauty. Trail, Myths and Legends, and Southern Swamps—display the blending of human heritage and natural resources. Drive along roads lined with colorful wildflowers, placid bayous, historic plantations and rich farmland and keep an eye out for hidden treasures that tell the story of each route. Those treasures include more than 100 historic sites and points of interest on the Louisiana Colonial Trail. Also there’s Historic US 80, an important historical route for farmers and loggers. Myths and Legends Byway to the west brings to life the real-life history of outlaws, bandits, heroes and soldiers, while the Northup Trail—the latest addition to the system—includes 12 sites related to Solomon Northup (of Oscar-winning film 12 Years a Slave ). Those in search of culture will want to travel the Cane River National Heritage Trail known for its plantations, Creole architecture and blend of French, Spanish, African, American Indian and Creole heritage. Louisiana’s Great River Road spans 772 miles of plantation homes, museums, ancient oaks, elegant restaurants and views of the Mississippi River. For a taste of the state’s agrarian heartland, the Wetlands Cultural Part of the National Scenic Byway Program created by Congress in 1991, the Louisiana Byways Program seeks to identify a distinctive collection of roads and their stories in order to enhance the visitor experience. These byways—with such names as Boom or Bust, Longleaf INSTAGRAM.COM/LOUISIANATRAVEL Louisiana, you are beautiful. #swamptour #jeanlatte #bayou #OnlyLouisiana –andyknola PHOTOS: (FROM TOP LEFT) Boom or Bust Byway; Capt. Carl Sevin guides his airboat; Ardoyne Plantation; Fishing at Sportsman Park, Kayak shing at Pointe-aux-Chenes Wildlife Management Area; Crawsh races near Bayou Teche Byway; Yscloskey shing village in St. Bernard Parish; Tubing at Toledo Bend Reservoir; Silos containing Steen’s cane syrup. 32 #OnlyLouisiana
Louisiana Travel Guide 2017: Page 32
