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U.S. state
Photo: Mark Holloway, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Louisiana (French: La Louisiane) is a state in the South of the United States that is known for its culture that dominates in the New Orleans part of the state. The state of Louisiana is bordered to the west by Texas, to the north by Arkansas, to the east by the state of Mississippi, and to the south by the Gulf of Mexico.
This region includes the city of New Orleans and the surrounding towns, bayous, and the lower Mississippi River.
This is the center of Cajun culture, with its distinctive food and music.
In this region are Alexandria and historic Natchitoches.
In this region is Baton Rouge and the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain.
This is the region where the cities of Shreveport and Monroe can be found, along with historic Indian mounds and Civil War battlefields.
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Avery Island is the home of the McIlhenny Tabasco factory, a wildlife sanctuary, and an 8-mile deep salt dome. Visitors can drive and walk through 250 acres of subtropical jungle flora with an amazing array of wildlife.
The Sicily Island Hills offer an atypical visitor experience. These hills are surrounded by the floodplains of the Ouachita and Mississippi rivers and thus appear as an island when viewed on a topographic map. Amongst dense forests and unusually steep hills lies Louisiana's tallest waterfall, Rock Falls. The majority of the Sicily Island Hills are within the Sicily Island Hills Wildlife Management Area owned by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF). Enjoy biking, birdwatching or hiking in an unusually tranquil setting, but be aware that autumn and winter are hunting seasons. Access to this area is by way of marked entrances off of LA 8 and LA 915. Each visitor is required to be in possession of one of the following; a valid LDWF fishing license, a valid LDWF hunting license, or a valid LDWF Wild Louisiana Stamp. The Wild Louisiana Stamp is an inexpensive option at $5.50 and provides admission to all LDWF wildlife management areas statewide for a year. For more information,including a map of the area, visit the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries website.
30 acres of preserved swamp where you can walk around a nature trail on shady paths. Apart from the natural wildlife there are ostriches, bobcats, nutria and alligators on display in cages and paddocks and peacocks roam the grounds. Bed and breakfast accommodation is available in four small 'trapper's cabins', adjacent to a small swamp. Each has its own front porch overlooking the water and ideal for gator watching. Staying overnight is a unique experience that kids will love.
The oldest town in Louisiana is a unique small city in north central Louisiana. It was the backdrop of the movie Steel Magnolias, and has architecture reminiscent of the French Quarter in its Historic District in front of the Cane River Lake. Graceful mansions and Bed and Breakfasts line the river. It's a great destination to visit if you're in the northern part of the state and a hub for nearby Creole plantations along Cane River.
By train
New Orleans, Houma-Thibodaux, New Iberia, Lafayette, and Lake Charles are served by Amtrak. For more on fares and schedules see their website.
By bus
Cheapest way to get into the larger cities in Louisiana, but do not serve the smaller cities and towns.
By car
The most practical way to get into Louisiana is by car. Interstate 10, 20, 49, 55, and 59 are the easiest and fastest means of driving into Louisiana from other states.
By bus
A cheap means of getting between cities if you do not have access to a car, Greyhound Bus Lines serve all the large cities of Louisiana.
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Alexandria · Regional · AEX
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the state capital
Near the center of the state
The center of Cajun Country
Lake Charles is the second-largest city in the Acadiana region of Louisiana, with 87,000 residents in 2022. It is well known for gaming and the great outdoors, culinary delights and rhythm and blues.
On the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, across from New Orleans.
The birthplace of Delta Air Lines.
The oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase
the state's largest and most well-known city.
The biggest city of North Louisiana
Midwest The Mississippi River runs 2,320 miles (3,730 km) south from Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Plaquemines Parish, New Orleans, Louisiana, drawing a wide, tangled and twisted dividing line cleaving the continental United States of America almost into two.
Atchafalaya Basin (also known as Atchafalaya Swamp) is America's largest swamp, it covers much of the Acadiana region of Louisiana. It's more than a million acres in area, mostly wetland forests, and includes a number of recreational areas including boat launches and remote camping areas.
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