Washington, Louisiana: Where the Steamboat Whistle Still Blows
By Karen LeBlanc, host of LA64, a Louisiana Travel Show on PBS At six o’clock in the evening, a steamboat whistle rolls across Washington, Louisiana—long, low, and three notes deep. It’s an authentic three-chime whistle, the same kind that once announced boats coming up the bayou in the 1700s and 1800s. There hasn’t been a […]
Grand Cane, Louisiana: The Little Village That Saved Its Own Main Street
Discover Grand Cane, Louisiana—a tiny DeSoto Parish village that saved its historic Main Street. Explore shops, theater, history & things to do near Shreveport
Palmetto Island State Park: Louisiana’s Best-Kept Secret in Vermilion Parish
By Karen LeBlanc, host of LA64, a Louisiana Travel Show on PBS Palmetto Island State Park: Cabins, Canoes & the Rare Abbeville Red Iris I’ll be honest with you. When I booked a cabin at Palmetto Island State Park, I was bracing myself for summer-camp flashbacks—bunk beds, a cot, maybe a spider the size of […]
Crawfish Haven & Mrs. Rose’s Bed and Breakfast: A Cajun Crawfishing Getaway You Won’t Find in a Guidebook
By Karen LeBlanc, host of LA64, a Louisiana Travel Show on PBS Louisianans, we love our mud bugs. We’re raised on a hearty dose of Louisiana crawfish at every backyard boil and family reunion. But here’s the thing most of us never stop to think about: the work that goes into harvesting them. So when […]
Stepping Into History at Hotel Bentley: Eisenhower, Patton, and the Louisiana Maneuvers
By Karen LeBlanc, host of LA64, a Louisiana Travel Show on PBS Alexandria’s military roots have shaped the city’s commerce, character, and culture in ways that ripple far beyond the banks of the Red River. Incorporated in 1819, this Central Louisiana crossroads serves as the parish seat of Rapides Parish and a gateway to a […]
God’s Country RV Park: Frontier-Style Camping Beyond the City Lights of Shreveport, Louisiana
By Karen LeBlanc, host of LA64, a Louisiana Travel Show on PBS There is a particular rhythm to life on the road while filming a series like LA64. Days are spent chasing stories across Caddo Parish, meeting people whose roots run deep in this corner of northwest Louisiana and capturing the energy that defines Shreveport and […]
Bayou Cabins in Breaux Bridge: A Village of 14 Historic Cajun Homes Restored by Hand
By Karen LeBlanc, host of LA64, a Louisiana Travel Show on PBS In Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, a village of historic cabins sits on the property of Rocky and Lisa Sonnier. What started as a simple solution during the World’s Fair has grown into something remarkable. Busloads of visitors came to town with nowhere to stay, […]
Inside Maison Madeleine: An 1840s French Creole Cottage Revival in Breaux Bridge
The morning light filters through the live oaks, casting dappled shadows across a wide front porch painted in Prussian blue. From somewhere inside, the scent of bacon and lost bread, what French settlers called pain perdu, drifts into the cool air. I am sitting on that porch now, coffee in hand, listening to the kind of […]
6 Unique Historic Places to Stay for an Authentic Louisiana Experience
In my travels across Louisiana, I’ve learned that the most profound experiences rarely begin at a landmark. They begin where you rest. There’s a distinct difference between simply visiting a place and truly arriving in its story. Beyond the well-trodden paths, a different kind of hospitality awaits, one that offers not just a bed for […]
Staying At Maison Stephanie In Arnaudville, Where Louisiana’s Past Lives On
When I travel through Louisiana, I look for places that do more than offer a comfortable bed. I seek out accommodations that act as cultural doorways, places that help me understand the land, the people who shaped it, and the stories that still linger in the air. While exploring St. Martin Parish, that search led […]