Excursions
For a Half Day
Destrehan Plantation: Located 37km (23 miles) west of New Orleans, along I-310, the Destrehan Plantation (tel: (504) 764 9315; website: www.destrehanplantation.org) was built in 1787 and remains the oldest intact plantation home in the lower Mississippi. The plantation is open daily from 0900-1600. There is an admission charge. Tours and period crafts demonstrations are led by costumed guides, who praise the house’s excellent insulation, its cavities filled with a mixture of mud, straw, horsehair and Spanish moss known as bousillage. Scenes from Interview with the Vampire (1994) were filmed here.
Longue Vue House and Gardens: The interior of this 1942 Classic Revival mansion is exactly as it was. Each room, like the one devoted to flower arranging or another that is dedicated to modern art sculpture, is an entity unto itself. All are surrounded by a magnificent collection of flowers, greenery and fountains that comprise seven unique gardens. Longue Vue (tel: (504) 488 5488; website: www.longuevue.com) is located near the airport, just off Metairie Road Exit 231A at 7 Bamboo Drive. The estate is open daily. There is an admission charge.
For a Whole Day
Barataria Preserve: The Barataria Preserve (tel: (504) 589 2133; website: www.nps.gov/jela) is part of the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park. It is located on the west bank of the Mississippi near Marrero, about an hour’s drive from New Orleans along the Business-90 and Highway-45. The Preserve encompasses approximately 8,000 hectares (20,000 acres) of forest, swamp and freshwater marsh. Natural history walks are available daily. Canoe treks can also be arranged. The visitor centre is open daily 0900-1700. Admission is free.
Lafayette: About 200km (130 miles) west along I-10 from New Orleans is Lafayette, the gateway to the Cajun country. The Acadian Cultural Center (tel: (337) 232 0789; website: www.nps.gov/jela) traces the origins and culture of the Cajun people, who were relocated from Nova Scotia, Canada, to the Mississippi Delta in the 18th century, as well as other cultures of the region. There are several attractive Cajun towns and plantations north of Lafayette on the Cajun prairie. The town is also a good base from which to explore the swamps and bayous of the Atchafalaya basin.
New Orleans North Shore: St Tammany Parish on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain is just the place to burn some of those consumed Cajun and Creole calories. New Orleans North Shore (tel: (985) 892 0520 or (800) 634 9443; website: www.neworleansnorthshore.com) offers kayaking on the bayou and the Tammany Trace, a 50-km (31-mile) rails-to-trails path for biking and hiking. The trail crosses bridges, towns, bayous and Fontainbleau State Park. Five quaint towns make up the parish: the artsy Covington, Mandeville and Madisonville with their old waterfront homes, the funky Abita Springs, and the antique shopper’s heaven, Slidell. It is also home to Louisiana’s largest and most pristine marshes, Honey Island Swamp. For gator groupies there is the Insta-gator Alligator Ranch (tel: (985) 892 3669; website: www.insta-gatorranch.com).
Six Flags New Orleans: Six Flags New Orleans (tel: (504) 253 8100; website: www.sixflags.com/parks/neworleans), with its fun rides, live shows and killer roller coasters, is the place to find families. Many of the rides have a New Orleans theme. On one of its newest attractions, SpongeBob SquarePants the Ride, guests sit on a motion-based simulator and enjoy the silly antics of the popular Nickelodeon character. Located at 12301 Six Flags Parkway, approximately 20 minutes from downtown at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Interstate 510 at exit 246A to Lake Forest Boulevard. Admission charge.
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Excursions