Attractions

Louisiana Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne dedicated the Louisiana Craft Brewery Trail, which comprises nine breweries: Abita Brewing Company in Abita Springs; Bayou Teche Brewing in Arnaudville; Chafunkta Brewing Company in Mandeville; Covington Brewhouse in Covington; Great Raft Brewing in Shreveport; NOLA Brewing Company in New Orleans; Parish Brewing Company in Broussard; Red River Brewing Company in Shreveport; and Tin Roof Brewing Company in Baton Rouge. Visit http://breweries.louisianatravel.com for details.

The Louisiana Office of State Parks launched www.reservelastateparks.com as the system's central reservations point. The system also released an updated version of The Pocket Ranger, a mobile app for visitors to state parks and historic sites that is accessible at www.stateparkapps.com, on Apple iTunes and Google Play for Android using the keywords “Louisiana State Parks.”

Facility improvements at Louisiana parks properties include:

• a disc golf course opening at Lake Claiborne State Park in April (Lake Bistineau, Lake D'Arbonne and Sam Houston Jones also offer disc golf);
• the establishment of a community gardening and beautification program;
• ongoing improvements to cabins at Chicot State Park;
• renovations and additions to the battlefield museum at Mansfield State Historic Site;
• the opening of a disc golf course at Sam Houston Jones State Park; and
• the reopening of Fort Pike State Historic Site after structural renovations.

Visit www.lastateparks.com for details.

The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum opened in a state-of-the-art facility in downtown Natchitoches. More than 300 legendary Louisiana athletes, coaches and other sports figures are enshrined in the hall, and their stories are told via exhibits, artifacts, photos and interactive media. The museum also explores regional history from early Native American civilizations to the present. Visit http://www.crt.state.la.us/museum/properties/SportsHOF.aspx for details.

Atchafalaya River Basin visitors can enjoy a night in the swamp at one of 30 primitive campsites accessible only by boat. The state Department of Natural Resources created the campsites on undeveloped, publicly owned properties to allow the public use of the sites without worrying about trespassing on private property. Sites are located in Iberville, St. Martin and St. Mary parishes, and maps, GPS coordinates and safety tips are located at http://dothewildthing.dnr.la.gov.

Louisiana Tax Free Shopping, which refunds state sales tax on traditional retail purchases,has an app to aid international tourists. The app helps Apple and Android users locate participating shops and tax refund centers. Redemption centers are located at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and the Riverwalk Marketplace in New Orleans; Lakeside Shopping Center in Metairie; The Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge; Capitol One National Bank in Lafayette; and the Louisiana Boardwalk in Bossier City. Visit www.louisianataxfree.com for details.

Louisiana State Parks and other government conservation agencies have created two new paddle trails in northeast Louisiana. The Bayou Macon Paddling Trail connects Poverty Point Reservoir State Park with Poverty Point State Historic Site in West Carroll Parish. The second trail on Bayou Bartholomew in Morehouse Parish accesses Chemin-à-Haut State Park and tours through 1,000-year-old cypress trees. Visit the “Boating and Swimming” section of www.explorelouisiananorth.org for information and maps.

The Zydeco Cajun Prairie Scenic Byway will soon have interpretive signs to mark its route. The byway—one of 17 statewide—stretches through St. Landry, Acadia and Evangeline parishes. Highways along the byway will be marked with large blue signs featuring an artist's depiction of an accordion player. Other Louisiana Scenic Byways that either have or will soon receive themed interpretive signage include: Myths and Legends Byway through Allen, Beauregard and Vernon parishes; the Boom or Bust Byway through Caddo, Bossier, Webster and Claiborne parishes; and the Bayou Teche and Wetlands byways that run along the corridors of bayous Teche and Lafourche.

Two new distilleries in south Louisiana offer tours and products made with Louisiana ingredients, and a third distillery is under construction.

• Donner-Peltier Distillers in Thibodaux offers six rum, whiskey, vodka and gin products. Facility tours are offered on Saturdays or by appointment for groups, while a tasting room and gift shop are open Monday through Saturday. Visit www.dpdspirits.com for details.
• Louisiana Spirits is home to “Bayou Rum” and is said to be the largest privately owned rum distillery in the U.S. The factory sits on 22 acres of land in Lacassine and features a 109-year-old farmhouse. The factory is open Monday through Saturday, and guided tours and tasting are offered Tuesday through Saturday. Visit http://bayourum.com for details.
• Cane Land Distilling has begun construction on a 60,000-case capacity rum and rhum distillery in Baton Rouge. The facility on River Road will use Louisiana ingredients to craft their liquors and will include a visitor center and tasting room when it opens later this year. Visit www.canelandrhum.com for details.

Megabus.com, a national express bus company, has started daily bus service connecting Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Houston, with one-way prices ranging from $14 to $27. The service offers three trips per day between downtown Baton Rouge, the New Orleans French Quarter and downtown Houston. Trips take less than two hours between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, and less than five hours between Baton Rouge and Houston. Riders can enjoy free Wi-Fi service. Visit www.megabus.com for details.

Jungle Gardens on Avery Island offers free touring information by cell and smart phones in English and French. Guests can access assistance ranging from recorded commentary to maps, photos and videos, depending on the visitor's type of handheld device. The app can be accessed at http://myoncell.mobi/3376064063. Visit www.junglegardens.org for details.

The L'Auberge Casino and Hotel Baton Rouge, which overlooks the Mississippi River just south of Louisiana State University, is open. The property has a 30,000-square-foot gaming floor with 1,500 slot machines and 51 table games. Amenities include 205 guest rooms, a multipurpose event center that can accommodate concert or banquet seating for up to 1,400 people and several dining and drink options. Contact Christy Chachere with Visit Baton Rouge at 225.382.3577 or Christy@visitbatonrouge.com for details.

Joie de Vivre Café is downtown Breaux Bridge's newest restaurant and hub for family oriented live music and culture. The venue hosts Cajun jams every Saturday, a children's Cajun jam on the last Sunday of each month, and monthly zydeco dance house parties, film showings, poetry readings and art exhibits. Visit www.cajuncountry.org for details.

Ardoyne Plantation near Houma is one of the largest and most elaborate remaining examples of rural Victorian Gothic architecture in Louisiana and is open for public tours. The six-generation sugar plantation mansion, where family descendants reside and share stories, is filled with original furniture and antiques. The home is on the National Register of Historic Places. Visit http://ardoyneplantation.com for details.

Greenwood Gator Farms near Houma offers daily tours. The farm is home to thousands of alligators of all sizes, and between 5,000 and 10,000 alligators are hatched there annually. Tours are available to individuals and groups, and a pavilion on-site can host special events. Visit www.greenwoodgatorfarm.com for details.

A new rookery has opened at Rip Van Winkle Gardens on Jefferson Island near New Iberia. Rip's Rookery includes five islands and hosts five species of wading birds amidst three acres of wetlands inhabited by alligators. The rookery is adjacent to the 25-acre botanical garden and nature retreat that was the summer home of acclaimed actor Joseph Jefferson. Admission to the rookery is free. Visit www.RipVanWinkleGardens.com or call 337.359.8525 for details.

The Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission and its media partner, Firefly Digital, have launched an online magazine, Allons, to market Lafayette tourism in a way they believe is both interactive and unique. Allons provides users a variety of insights into places, sounds and attractions to those interested in visiting Lafayette. The iMagazine is free to download from iTunes. Visit www.lafayettetravel.com for details.

The Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino will open later this year adjacent to the L'Auberge Casino Resort in Lake Charles. The new property will have 750 rooms and suites, an 18-hole golf course and several dining and retail offerings. Visit www.visitlakecharles.org/gaming for details.

The Isle of Capri Casino Hotel in Lake Charles received a $15 million Tower Hotel renovation, which included nine Parlor suites, 240 Junior suites, the hotel lobby, the Lakeside Ballroom and fitness center. The hotel lobby now has a “steampunk” design inspired by the Victorian era, which combines artisan-designed wood, metal and leather furniture. The Lakeside Ballroom offers more than 4,000 square feet of space and breaks down into four smaller rooms to fit specific group needs. Visit http://lake-charles.isleofcapricasinos.com for details.

L'Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles has completed a $20-million hotel room renovation project, unveiling 754 renovated luxury rooms and suites. Renovations include the addition of two new room categories—royale and marquis suites—which are larger in size than luxury class rooms. They are decorated with stately furnishings and elegant artwork from Louisiana artists. Visit www.llakecharles.com for details.

The Brimstone Museum and Henning Cultural Center in Sulphur unveiled a permanent exhibit detailing the history of the Sulphur Mines, the West Calcasieu Parish mining community and the Frasch mining process. The exhibit also showcases families who contributed to economic growth in the region, and a module gives visitors the opportunity to add business locations and points of interest that represent Sulphur's history. The museum also functions as a local tourist information center. Visit www.brimstonemuseum.org for details.

Calcasieu and Cameron parishes' Creole Nature Trail All-American Road has a GPS Ranger handheld video tour and smartphone application. The free app is available for download from the iTunes App Store or Google Play for Android. The Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau headquarters, located at 1205 N. Lakeshore Dr. in Lake Charles, also checks out GPS units at no cost. The tour app is available in English, French, Spanish and German. An English closed-captioned version is also available. Visit www.VisitLakeCharles.org or call 800.456.7952 for details.

The newly opened Pintail Wildlife Drive Boardwalk offers stunning views of the marshlands of Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge. The boardwalk features expanded areas ideal for photography and viewing in locations known for waterfowl. The walk also provides several free viewing scopes and an interpretive kiosk at the entrance. The boardwalk is located at 1428 Highway 27 near Bell City. Visit www.CreoleNatureTrail.org call 337.598.2216 for details.

The Lady of the Lake, a three-deck yacht in Lake Charles, is available for corporate functions, special events and conferences. The boat can accommodate 150 people. Dinner cruises are also in the planning stages. Visit www.LakeCharlesDinnerCruises.com or call 337.912.0342 for details.

The Art Shop in Lake Charles offers bicycle rentals for touring more than 40 blocks of the city's architecturally rich Charpentier Historic District. Bikes are available in a variety of styles and prices and include locks, helmets and maps of the area. The Art Shop is at 706 Ryan St. Call 337.564.6403 for details.

Kayak Rentals offers an up-close way to experience the Calcasieu River near Lake Charles. Paddlers can travel from the West Fork to Sam Houston Jones State Park, where they will find picnic, pavilion and restroom facilities. A variety of kayaks are available, and prices include support gear and transportation to the drop-off location. Rentals are available daily. Call 337.540.3925 for details.

Four New Iberia locations will soon have interpretive panels featuring several aspects of the town's history. The panels will be located at Shadows-on-the-Teche Plantation, Epiphany Episcopal Church, Bayou Teche Museum and City Hall. The local convention and visitors bureau has also redesigned its pocket guide and Main Street walking tour brochures. Visit www.iberiatravel.com for details.

An extensive facelift of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport continues this year. The Airport has completed $300 million in modernization projects thus far, including the creation of a consolidated rental car facility that will increase rental inventory from 800 to 1,800 cars. Airport officials also expanded Concourse D to add six new gates, put new flight information and display boards and free WiFi in the terminal and renovated/added restrooms, signage and other amenities while redoing the terminal's exterior decor. Additional improvements scheduled include the creation of a new state-of-the-art terminal on the north side of the current property. The improvements are already paying off, as several carriers have added or will soon add new flights to domestic destinations. Visit www.flymsy.com for details.

The newly renovated Carnival Sunshine, the largest Carnival Cruise Lines ship to ever be based in New Orleans, has set sail on its inaugural voyage. The ship will sail seven-day itineraries through April 2014. Carnival Cruise Lines also announced its largest and newest line of ships will sail from the Port of New Orleans beginning in 2014. The Carnival Dream, the cruise line's newest and largest class of ship, will begin service out of New Orleans in April 2014. The Carnival Elation will continue to sail year-round out of the Port of New Orleans. Carnival is the only cruise line to operate two year-round ships from New Orleans and will carry more than 400,000 guests annually from the Port of New Orleans. Visit www.worldsleadingcruiselines.com for details.

TransitHub is a free mobile app that provides New Orleans residents and visitors with a way to track public transit in real time. The goal is to improve rider experiences and to make streetcar and bus travel more convenient. Visit www.transithub.com for details.

The new Loyola Streetcar Line runs from the Union Passenger Terminal to Canal Street along Loyola Avenue. The $45 million line is about a mile and a half long and includes stops near the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The project is expected to attract new investment along Loyola Avenue. A map of the line is available at www.norta.com/Maps-Schedules/System-Map.aspx.

City Sightseeing New Orleans is the newest way to explore the Big Easy—via open-top double-decker buses. The tours stop at major attractions, including Jackson Square, the French Market, the Audubon Insectarium, the National World War II Museum, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Bourbon Street, Basin Street Station and Mardi Gras World. One-, two- and three-day passes are available, and tours are offered in seven foreign languages via headsets. Visit www.CitySightseeingNewOrleans.com for details.

The National World War II Museum in New Orleans opened the U.S. Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center. This $35 million structure showcases the military weaponry and industrial requirements undertaken during World War II and was designed to accommodate six airplanes used in the war. In addition to the machinery on display, many personal war stories are highlighted through interactive exhibits within the pavilion. Visit www.nationalww2museum.org/expansion/us-freedom-pavilion-boeing-center.html for details.

A $70 million facelift is underway at New Orleans' Riverwalk Marketplace as it begins transformation into The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, the first outlet center in the heart of a U.S. downtown area. The upscale retail outlet will add 50,000 square feet to its venue when it opens later this year. Visit www.RiverWalkMarketplace.com for details.

The New Orleans Northshore region—specifically Tangipahoa, St. Helena, St. Tammany and Washington parishes—established the Louisiana Quilt Trail. Visitors can take a self-guided tour and view nearly 100 painted quilt blocks that adorn residential and business exteriors. Each square contains important local facts and historic events and occasions associated with its location. Tour brochures are available at local tourist commission offices in parishes on the trail or by visiting www.LouisianaQuiltTrail.com. There is also an official Quilt Trail shop at 146 W. Oak St. in downtown Ponchatoula.

The City of Opelousas has a free walking/driving tour brochure for its historic downtown area. The guide identifies nearly 100 significant homes, businesses and historic structures and offers users a fold-out map. The guide is available at the Opelousas Tourist Information Center in Le Vieux Village, the St. Landry Parish Welcome Center on Interstate 49, the Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center and the Opelousas Public Library.

Shreveport's Municipal Auditorium will reopen in 2014 after a year of extensive renovations. Additions include new seating and expanded air conditioning. The venue was the home of the Louisiana Hayride, a 1950s and '60s radio-broadcast concert series that is considered the launch point for the careers of artists such as Elvis Presley, Hank Williams Sr. and Johnny Cash. Visitors can tour the Auditorium, which also is used for special events. Visit www.shreveportmunicipalauditorium.com for details.

Country Lane by Star C Ranch is a new RV and bed-and-breakfast facility in Tangipahoa Parish that caters to horse enthusiasts. The site in Roseland offers camping, a pool and more than 20 miles of horse riding trails spread throughout 485 acres. Visitors can use guides and the facility's horses for trail rides, or they can board their own horses via on-site stalls and paddocks. Visit www.StarCRanch.net for details.

The Bayou Country Children's Museum in Thibodaux offers kids ages 2 to 12 hands-on exhibits about sugarcane, alligators, Mardi Gras and the pirate Jean Lafitte, among other subjects. Visit www.bccm.info for details.

Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie has opened a new slave cabin exhibit that demonstrates what life was like for the plantation's field laborers. The exhibit consists of five structures (with a sixth under construction) that contain period-accurate furnishings and artifacts tied to laborers' daily lives. Those interested in previewing the new exhibit can watch a video about it at www.oakalleyplantation.com/new-exhibit-slavery-at-oak-alley.

The Monroe-West Monroe Convention and Visitors Bureau has created a brochure and website offering a self-guided tour of 26 sites featured in the first three seasons of Duck Dynasty. Visit www.duckcommandertour.com for details. The brochure is available at the CVB headquarters.

Restaurants

After eight months of renovations Café Reconcile has reopened its doors to the community. Though the menu is the same, the space has changed drastically. Guests will find a larger dining room, an outside courtyard and patio and the Emeril Lagasse Foundation Banquet Hall on the second floor. Visit www.cafereconcile.org/ for details.

Marti's Restaurant on the corner of Rampart and Dumaine streets reopened its doors in October 2013, offering hearty bistro fare in the classic French Quarter space. Except for a few core dishes, such as raw oysters, roasted oysters and a plateau de fruits de mer, the menu will change seasonally. Visit http://martisnola.com for details.

The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, pays tribute to its storied past while celebrating the future with its new Fountain Lounge, a raw bar offering live music, creative cocktails and inventive small plates. The new lounge at The Roosevelt New Orleans, which is adjacent to the famous Sazerac Bar, celebrates its history by returning to its original name, “Fountain Lounge,” and features live entertainment with a focus on super premium and highly sought-after wines by the glass. Visit www.therooseveltneworleans.com for details.

Overnight Providers

Houmas House Plantation recently opened The Inn at Houmas House, a complex of several upscale, multi-unit bed-and-breakfast cottages adjacent to the antebellum mansion and its gardens. The cottages depict historic structures that were once at nearby Uncle Sam Plantation. Rooms offer large beds, old-world furnishings, marble bathrooms and porch areas. Visit www.houmashouse.com for details.

Oak Village RV Parks offers 22 recreational vehicle slots for visitors to New Iberia. The park has full water, electric and wastewater hookups, laundry facilities and showers. It is pet-friendly and conveniently located near shopping and dining options in the city. Oak Village is at 6020 Lee Station Road. Call 337.577.5001 or visit www.OakVillageRVParks.com for details.

Delcambre North Pier Marina offers 28 recreational marina slips at the Port of Delcambre in Iberia Parish. The marina is located at 307 Isadore St. Call 800.884.6120 extension 5 or visit www.NorthPierMarina.com for details.

L'Banca Albergo, “The Bank Hotel,”is the newest overnight provider indowntown Lake Arthur. Located in a former bank building, the property is a throwback to old New Orleans architecture and the bank's former vault is now a wine cellar. The hotel has eight luxury suites, and each room is personalized by name rather than number. Visit www.labankhotel.com for details.

The Sanctuary Bed and Breakfast has reopened in Grand Coteau. It offers three rooms for short and extended stays, and the inn can accommodate small groups for special events. Call 337.654.5272 for details.

The Cajun RVera Resort in New Iberia will open water features this summer. New amenities will include a heated pool with a swim-up bar, a splash pad and a lazy river. Visit www.cajunrvera.com for details.

The Hamilton House Inn is the newest provider in West Monroe's historic Cottonport District and Antique Alley. The inn, located at 318 Trenton St., offers five unique suites, spa-like bathrooms and a gourmet breakfast. Call Tonya Hamilton at 318.366.2412 or visit www.HamiltonHouseInn.com for details.

After a recent renovation the Courtyard New Orleans Downtown/Convention Center features new wallpaper, carpets, sofas, chairs and curtains in its 192 rooms and 10 suites. The lobby also underwent a major transformation in 2012 and welcomes flexible seating, free wireless internet access and more. The decor offers a modern feel with Marriott's platinum design package, while the lobby reveals the buildings historical significance by showing off exposed bricks and beams (the building was once a sugar and molasses factory). Visit www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/msyci-courtyard-new-orleans-downtown-iberville for details.

The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans completed renovations of its Maison Orleans wing (the hotel's exclusive club level) in addition to its Ritz-Carlton Suite (the hotel's Presidential suite). This makeover came shortly after the 2011 renovation of the hotel's 415 Deluxe guest rooms and 36 Executive and Junior Suites. Visit www.ritzcarlton.com for details.