Anyone who has ever traveled south on Louisiana Highway 1 towards Baton Rouge has undoubtedly traveled over the modern engineering marvel known as the John James Audubon Bridge that spans the Mississippi River between the towns of New Roads and St Francisville. For decades the only way to travel between the two towns was by ferry boat and the nearest actual bridge crossing was via the Huey P Long Bridge in Baton Rouge several miles to the south. The Jon James Audubon Bridge cost far more and took many years more than expected and has received a fair amount of criticism for everything from it's location to it's name over the years. Despite all that the bridge is truly a stunning object to behold, a true engineering marvel. Every time I travel over it I'm in awe. There is nothing like it anywhere in Louisiana.
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Ready to roar & explore at the Prehistoric Park? Stop by to learn something new about our favorite kind of animals - dinosaurs! This is Louisiana’s only attraction dedicated to these amazing creatures of years past. With approximately 12 acres to explore, you will find yourself wandering amongst some of the most feared predators ever to walk the planet. Prehistoric Park offers a unique, natural setting featuring paved walkways where you will encounter a wide variety of realistic- looking steel and fiberglass dinosaur replicas, including some animated dinosaur exhibits.
14. The Village of Lettsworth
At a location where the Kansas City Southern Railroad crosses Louisiana Highway 1 on the polar opposite side of the Mississippi River from the infamous Angola maximum security prison farm lies many dilapidated structures that once comprised the Village of Lettsworth. As it sits Lettsworth isn't much to look at, just a group of rotting structures along the railroad tracks, and it's not a rare site here in Louisiana. There a numerous ghost towns all over the state. The only thing that makes this town different from the others is that one of the greatest Blues guitarists of all-time was born here. That's right, legendary musician Buddy Guy was sat on the steps of the structure above and strummed on a guitar he made himself honing the skills that would one day make him famous around the world.
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12. Illinois Central 0-6-0 Steam Locomotive 333
Two years ago my wife and I went on a sort of pilgrimage to find the old Illinois Central steam locomotive that used to sit across from the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge. Our research lead to the remote property of the abandoned Tioga Heritage Park and Museum in Tioga, Louisiana. Sure enough tucked behind the museum's main building was locomotive 333 along with a former Illinois Central caboose. At the time the locomotive and it's companion were in pretty bad shape but still worth saving.
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11. England Air Force Base Heritage Park, Alexandria
The park is quite lovely and well maintained. The fighter aircraft are displayed as if they were flying over the park on their way to take on some foreign adversary. It's a rather dramatic display and it's a wonderful tribute to the brave men and women and the machines the flew in defense of our great nation. It's a quite place to reflect on history and relax from life's trials and tribulations.
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10. Kisatchie National Forest
9. Downtown Shreveport
I have to admit that Shreveport is probably my favorite city in Louisiana. Visually there are a lot of stunning contrasts and as a photo journalist walking around the city provides tons of opportunities to capture some thought provoking images. I spent a brief time in downtown Shreveport this week and I got a ton of really great pictures. The area has a lot to take in, there are tons of abandoned old buildings (which you can find in every city and town in the state), preserved historical landmarks and modern art and architecture.
Earlier this month I was diverted off my route to Arkansas and had to head to Shreveport instead. As luck would have it my journey from Winnfield to Natchitoches down Highway 84 included a trip through the Kisatchie National Forest which is one of the most beautiful places in Louisiana.
9. Downtown Shreveport
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8. Borden's Ice Cream Shoppe in Lafayette
To be honest, I must have driven past Borden's Ice Cream Shoppe over a hundred times on my numerous trips through Lafayette. The forties style building always catches my eye and I've wanted to check it out, but being a diabetic stopping for ice cream is a real no no. However this past Saturday the wife and I had our young granddaughter along with us, which gave us all the excuse we needed to pop on in. What we found inside was a treat as sweat as the ice cream itself. The location is a perfectly preserved and functioning 40s style ice cream parlor that serves what is in my opinion the best ice cream that I have ever tasted.
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I just discovered another of Louisiana's most amazing places. Located on the bank of the Red River in downtown Shreveport is the amazing Riverview Park. This place has it all from an amazing walking trail that hugs the river lined with beautiful tress to a waterfall that has to be seen. Honestly this is a place that everyone here in Louisiana needs to visit. I'm starting to put together a list of my favorite places here in the Pelican State.
7. Shreveport Riverview Park
It's not so much about how things are but how things were. All around you are the decaying remains of a town that used to be active and vibrant. It was a town with stores, restaurants, beautiful homes and an active logging railroad. Sadly those things are all but gone. The stores all closed up decades ago. Lea's Pies is the only place left to eat in town. Many of the homes are either abandoned or in need of major repairs. The location of that old logging railroad is almost impossible to find anymore. It's the site of a really interesting past.
After seeing the way that vintage steam locomotives are treated here in Louisiana it was heartwarming to find out that someone actually decided to preserve one and not let it rust away into nothing. After traveling around the state photographing and reporting on the decaying remnants of former Illinois Central locomotive 333 and the abandoned logging locomotive graveyard in Longleaf I discovered ex Southern Pacific 0-6-0 number 124 in the collection of the DeQuincy Railroad Museum. To my surprise the locomotive is in pristine condition and under the protection of a shed that also houses a 1947 Santa Fe passenger car, and two Cotton Belt and Missouri Pacific cabooses. Every piece of equipment in this collection looks like they just came off a train yesterday.
4. Lakefront Parks in Lake Charles
Prien Lake Park overlooks Indian Bay on the eastern shore of Prien Lake, a waterway where 19th century schooners once sailed. Visitors to the park can enjoy a haven of trees, grass, flowers, fountains, and streams, with a sweeping view of Prien Lake the I-210 bridge and magnificent sunsets over the water. With pavilions, picnic areas, playground, "spraygound" and walking trail, Prien Lake Park offers recreation and relaxation to all ages. This jewel of a park, where lake breezes brush the landscape and ripple the waves of Prien Lake, belongs to everyone in Calcasieu Parish.
4. Lakefront Parks in Lake Charles
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The Plaquemine Lock was designed by Colonel George W. Goethals (1858-1928), the assistant to the chief engineer of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Goethals later gained distinction as chairman and chief engineer of the Isthmian Canal Commission for the design and construction of the Panama Canal.
3. Bayou Plaquemine Waterfront Park
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2. Southern Forrest Heritage Museum in Longleaf
The Southern Forest Heritage Museum is a complex of historic buildings, all on the National Register of Historic Places, preserved from an old sawmill in the beautiful piney woods of Long Leaf, Louisiana, 3 miles south of Forest Hill, south of the city of Alexandria on the edge of the Alexander Forest Wildlife Management Area. In addition to being one of the nation’s most complete historic sawmill complexes with an extensive collection of steam-powered logging and milling equipment, the area is known for its significant contributions to World War II, in training, transportation, and manufacturing, and now houses an extensive collection of memorabilia from the timeframe. The Red River and Gulf Railroad line, born from a lumber tramway is also featured prominently, with rides available for visitors.
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