Beyond New Orleans, parasailing, alligator ranch, tanger mall

Bayou Country General Store * Slidell La. * 30 miles from French Quarter.

If you are traveling to New Orleans on I-10 from the East then your journey will take you through the town of Slidell which is about 30 miles from the French Quarter. As you pass through Slidell I recommend that you stop at the Bayou Country General Store, which is just off the highway. Here you will find everything from Alligators to Zydeco which of course includes pralines, coffee, desserts, mugs, jellies, sauces, Cajun foods, mixes, Cajun spices, Tabasco Hot Sauces, aprons, linens, cookbooks, dinner wares, swamp stuff, lotions, soaps, and plenty of other stuff. You will find them at 1101 East Howze Beach Rd, Slidell.

Lake Pontchartrain Sailing * Madisonville La. * 40 miles from French Quarter

You will board the S/V SPIRIT OF HOLIDAY in the beautiful historic town of Madisonville, located on the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain. Once we cast off our lines, you are welcome to take an active part in the skippering of the vessel or just sit back and relax. Allow Captain Steve and his Mate Terry to take care of all of your needs, while sharing with you the incredible history of Lake Ponchartrain and the Northshore. Your cruise will be limited to your party, so you determine the day's itinerary; choosing from a romantic cruise up the tranquil waters of the Tchefuncte River to the more adventurous sailing on Lake Ponchartrain, or a combination of both. We encourage our guests to make a full day of it and enjoy the rich history Madisonville has to offer; from the eight homes listed on the national historic register to the Lake Ponchartrain Basin Maritime Museum. Morning, afternoon and sunset cruises available. Madisonville is about 40 miles north of the French Quarter. You can reach them at 985-237-2540.

Stennis Space Center * Mississippi * 50 miles from French Quarter

Test a space shuttle main engine! Land the space shuttle! Go aboard the International Space Station! Do all this and more at StenniSphere, Stennis Space Center’s award winning visitor’s center. Tours of StenniSphere depart from the Launch Pad at the Mississippi Welcome Center on 1-10 at Exit 2 – just 45 miles east of New Orleans. At the welcome center there are picnic areas available and you can walk beneath an Apollo-ea Lunar Lander, view exhibits, and videos before boarding a shuttle bus at the Launch Pad to StenniSphere. StenniSphere outdoor exhibits give visitors the opportunity to see real rocket engines used in America’s space program. Get close up to a J2 engine used on the Saturn V rocket. Touch a real F1 engine, designed as a booster engine for the Saturn V vehicle for the Apollo program. After your tour you can take home a souvenir from StenniSphere’s Space Odyssey gift shop and reful in the RocKeTeria, a retro, space-themed restaurant featuring local cuisine such as po-boys and gumbo. Visitors 18 and older must have a valid photo ID in their possession. International visitors must provide a valid passport. For more information about the space center, call 800-237-1821 or 228-688-2370.

Visit an Alligator Ranch * Covington La. * 50 miles from French Quarter

Visit Insta-Gator Ranch & Hatchery and see thousands of alligators of various ages and sizes. See them in crystal clear water in the climate controlled environment of a working alligator farm, home to more than 2,000 gators. From protected walkways, you'll be able to see gators above and below the surface of the water; hatchlings of less than one foot to alligators that grow to over four feet in one year, as well as the older fellas. Your guided tour will give you a first-hand account of the Louisiana Alligator Industry, from hatchling to handbag. See the ultra light airplane and air boat used to harvest the eggs from the Louisiana swamp, while action film footage takes you into the wild. You'll see how the rancher locates the eggs in the marshes and cautiously removes the eggs from the nest. Insta-Gator Ranch & Hatchery is located at 23440 Lowe Davis Road, Covington, about 50 miles from the French Quarter. Open All Year 'Round ~ Rain or Shine Toll Free (888) 448-1560

Cabela's Outfitter * Gonzales La. * 60 miles from French Quarter

If you are into hunting, fishing, or camping then a visit to Cabela’s Outfitter is a must. Cabela’s is more than just a retail store; it is an adventure you’ll always remember. As soon as you step inside, you’ll experience Cabela’s unique blend of shopping and the outdoors. From life-size wildlife dioramas to huge aquariums swimming with freshwater fish, every Cabela’s store is designed to entertain and educate you about the Great Outdoors. Cabela’s is located about 60 miles west of the French Quarter right off of I-10 at 2200 W. Cabela's Parkway Gonzales, La at 2200 W. Cabela's Parkway Gonzales, La. Cabela’s is located across the street from the Tanger Outlets Mall.

Tanger Outlets Mall * Gonzales La. * 60 miles from French Quarter

Welcome to Guilt-Free Shopping Tanger Style! Discover your style of shopping the nation's leading designer and brand name stores with the widest selection of today's favorite fashion trends, all in a fun, family-friendly environment. You'll love their Best Price Guarantee on everything they offer. The Tanger Outlets Mall is located about 60 miles west of the French Quarter right off of I-10 at 2410 South Tanger Boulevard Gonzales, La. The Tanger Outlets Mall is located across the street from Cabela's.

Visit Global Wildlife Center * Folsom, La. * 65 miles from French Quarter

Enjoy a one and a half hour guided Safari Wagon tour over 900 acres of beautiful Louisiana countryside complete with 12 ponds and a lake. During the tour you’ll come face to face with bison, giraffe, zebra, camels, kangaroos, and much more! The animals roam free – It’s Africa, in Louisiana! Global Wildlife Center seeks to be a center of excellence in education; to create a perfect place in which threatened and endangered wildlife, from around the world, live and flourish in a free-roaming natural environment. Get ready for a wild adventure at the largest totally free-roaming wildlife preserve of its kind in the country! The Global Wildlife Center is about 65 miles north of the French Quarter and is home to over 4,000 exotic, endangered, and threatened animals from all over the world. Global Wildlife Center is open 7 days a week, and offers tours daily. Call for tour schedule. (985) 796-3585 Global Wildlife is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is located at 26389 Hwy 40, Folsom, LA 70437

Spend a day on Ship Island * Mississippi * 75 miles from French Quarter

Add an adventuresome twist to your New Orleans vacation by taking a Ship Island excursion. Travel to this special place where the main attractions are unfrequented beaches, beautiful water and clean gulf air. Locals and visitors consistently rate the 22-mile round trip to Ship Islands as the coast’s premier waterborne experience. Relaxation, recreation and history (this island also features Fort Massachusetts) – these are offered to you on Ship Island. Ship Island is an undeveloped barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico about 11 miles off the Mississippi Coast. It is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore and protected by the U.S. Park Service, this sand island offer visitors the first high quality beaches for swimming and shelling east of New Orleans. Ship Island excursions depart from the Gulfport Harbor; the cruise takes about an hour one-way. Passengers have the option of the most popular half day island visit (4.5 hours), or the all day "sun-seeker" visit (7 hours). Gulfport harbor is about 75 miles east of the French Quarter, about an hour and a half drive.

Honey Island Swamp

The Honey Island Swamp is a vast marshland located only about fifty miles north of New Orleans. It is considered by many to be the most pristine swampland habitat in the United States. Nearly 70,000 acres of the Honey Island Swamp is permanently protected as the Pearl River Wildlife Management area and the Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge. I have explored, canoed, hunted, and fished both of these areas for the past thirty years and still never tire of the adventure that they offer. The Honey Island Swamp is also home of the legendary Honey Island Swamp monster. Those who have seen him say it is about 7 feet tall and weighs about 350 pounds, with long brown hair. There are many New Orleans swamp tours available to explore the swamps and I would recommend that while you are vacationing in New Orleans you check one out. The swamp tours provide both the Swamp Tour and the transportation to and from the city. While you are on the swamp tour boat you will see abundant wildlife, alligators and maybe my son Blake. Visit my Swamp Tour page for infomation on the many New Orleans swamp tours available.

Crawfishing Louisiana style

Crawfishing: although its not as popular as in years past it is still enjoyed by many locals. It usually starts in early February. We get our nets and bait and head out to our favorite ditch or swamp. For bait we use melt it's from the lining of a cow's stomach...very bloody, spongy, rubbery, stinky stuff. The blood and stench attract crawfish like moths to a flame. Each time you pick a net up, you empty all those crawfish out into the bushel basket, you step on the melt in the center of the net so it oozes blood, you muddy the water with a stick, and you set the net back down in the cloudy spot. When done you head home for a delicious crawfish boil.

Crabbing around New Orleans

Crabbing:Nothing beats a Louisiana crab boil and the New Orleans area offers an abundance of places for recreational crabbing that you can get to with or without a boat. We go crabbing year round usually when the urge for a crab boil hits but we find that the crabs run better in the summer and a moving tide is a must. When we go crabbing we just pack up the truck with about a dozen drop nets, turkey necks for bait, a sharp sturdy knife for cutting the bait, a hamper to put the crabs in and plenty of snacks and drinks. We go to Lafitte, Chalmette, Delacroix Isle, Port Sulphur just to name a few places. When we find what looks like the right spot we bait up our nets and start crabbing. The limit you can catch is 12 dozen a person and on many trips we have come home with 8 – 14 dozen crabs. Next time you visit New Orleans be sure to order yourself some boiled crabs.

Explore New Orleans

Bogue Chitto Camp

Things to do beyond New Orleans