from the observation deck of the 34-story State Capitol, get a panoramic view of the city. Along with history, art plays its part in the cultural scene, with a myriad of galleries and the Shaw Center for the Arts housing the Louisiana State University Museum of Art and the Manship Theatre.
Live music is big, too, offering everything from gospel and blues to country, Cajun, and zydeco. The city’s year-round calendar of great music events includes the star-studded Bayou Country Superfest on Memorial Day Weekend (May 26-27) in Louisiana State University’s Tiger Stadium, tuning up top Country music artists. And the Baton Rouge Blues Festival (April 13) stands out as one of the best and oldest blues celebrations in America. Plus, there are free concert series in the spring and fall. The city’s more than 400 restaurants, hot shopping spots, and casinos round out all the ways to experience a fun-filled vacation in Baton Rouge.
Lafayette
800-346-1958
Lafayette is at the epicenter of all things Cajun and Creole, especially when it comes to cuisine. In fact, the food here is so good that Lafayette was named Best Food City in the USA by Rand McNally in its 2011 Best of the Road® Rally, and Tastiest Town in the South by Southern Living (April 2012). From gas stations and down-home diners to casual Cajun restaurants and fine dining establishments, some very good eats await you wherever you go in this food-centric city. Cajun Country also means spicy food, music, and dancing at fais do-dos (Cajun dance parties), and every Friday evening in spring and fall, Lafayette hosts Downtown Alive!—a big block party with free outdoor live Cajun and zydeco music.
This town obviously knows how to throw a party, starting with Mardi Gras. After that comes the Festival International de Louisiane (April 24-28)—the largest Francophone (French-speaking) festival in the United States. The culture of French-speaking countries all over the world is on display to entertain visitors with music, dance, art, cuisine, and other traditions. Of course, visitors can enjoy the city’s culture every day in its galleries and museums. Lafayette’s downtown hosts a Second Saturday ArtWalk each month, featuring works by both up-and-coming and renowned artists.
Coushatta Casino Resort
777 Coushatta Drive
Kinder
800-584-7263
Coushatta Casino Resort is one of Louisiana’s premier gaming and entertainment destinations. Here guests enjoy 2800 of the newest and hottest slots, off-track betting, and over 70 thrill-a-minute table games, including live poker and bingo. You’ll feel like a kid in a candy store on the immense 100,000-square-foot gaming floor, and non-smokers will love the enormous 12,000-square-foot non-smoking slot area. Play to rack up points and comps in Coushatta’s Advantage Players Club, one of the most generous slot clubs in the South. The casino also provides free live entertainment every weekend in Mikko Live!
Guests may stay in deluxe accommodations featuring more than 900 luxurious rooms, including the casino’s newest venue, Seven Clans Hotel. This hotel comes with 400 ultra-modern rooms and a “dream pool” complex with lazy river, slides, swim-up bar, and a splash-pad area for the kids. Coushatta also offers its guests an RV resort with 100 cozy chalets, a supervised child-care facility and teen arcade, and nine dining options to satisfy any palate. In addition, Koasati Pines at Coushatta championship golf course is rated 4.5 stars by Golf Digest’s readers––making it the top casino course in Louisiana. Coushatta sizzles with excitement, living up to its tag-line, Louisiana’s Best Bet!
Hotel Monteleone
214 Royal Street
New Orleans
866-338-4684
Opened in 1886 by Italian immigrant Antonio Monteleone, this revered family-owned hotel remains one of the flagship establishments of New Orleans’ famous French Quarter. Offering 600 luxurious guestrooms and suites, Hotel Monteleone is the Quarter’s largest full-service hotel, a member of Preferred Hotels® & Resorts, and a winner of consecutive AAA Four Diamond Awards. After celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2011, the hotel underwent a complete upgrade in décor and amenities. Now iPhone docking stations, Keurig coffee makers, and Wi-Fi with the fastest Internet connection in the Quarter are standard in every room.
The hotel also renovated and expanded its beloved Carousel Bar and Lounge, opening up the space and adding coffered ceilings, customized crown moldings, circular glass chandeliers, and large windows along Royal Street. An additional crescent-shaped bar and more seating provide ample room where patrons mix, mingle, and savor free live music several nights a week. Also part of the transformation is the new restaurant Criollo, serving innovative dishes in a style it calls Louisiana Fusion—traditional Creole flavors accented with French, Spanish, Italian, Caribbean, and African culinary traditions. While enjoying breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Criollo patrons can watch the passing scene on picturesque Iberville Street in the Quarter.