The Best Day Trips From New Orleans

You could easily spend two weeks in the vibrant city of New Orleans and never leave, but the rest of Louisiana and the surrounding states have much to offer in the way of history, culture, and of course, food! If you can bring yourself to part from the Big Easy, here are some of my recommendations.

Houma, Covington, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, INFINITY Science Center, Biloxi, Gulfport, Lake Charles, Mobile

• Houma, United States

  
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  You may have heard of Louisiana’s Bayou Country - the low-lying, swampy areas of the state, home to alligators, turtles, birds and other wildlife. Wanna get up, close and personal with the gators? Experience it all on a swamp tour in Houma, just an hour away from New Orleans, and then head to the Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum to learn more about the stories behind this unique city.

• Covington, United States

  
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  Looking for a charming and quiet town to unwind and relax in? Take a trip over Lake Pontchartrain’s causeway to Covington, forty-five minutes from NOLA. Head into one of the many breweries here to wet your appetite, or rent a bike, which is a popular way to explore the town.

• Lafayette, United States

  
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  You may have loved the Lafayette district in NOLA, so it’s only right that you go and see the city of Lafayette, which brings Cajun and Creole together. Visit the Acadian Village, an architecturally restored village reflecting the society of the Acadian Canadians who were deported to many areas of the South, including Lafayette, in the eighteenth century. Whilst in Lafayette, appease your palette with delicacies such as Po’boys, Jambalaya or Boudin!

• Baton Rouge, United States

  
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  You can’t miss out on visiting the state capital, Baton Rouge, or the ‘Red Stick’, which is extremely well connected as it lies just an hour upriver from New Orleans. This hub of culture and history has kept much of its Cajun culture, which makes it a unique place to visit. It is also a reputable ground for the Civil Rights Movement, with the first large bus boycott taking place here in 1953.

• INFINITY Science Center, United States

  
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  When do you ever get to visit an actual space centre? Stennis Space Centre, also known as the INFINITY Science Centre, is NASA’s main rocket testing centre. Yep…rocket testing! The facility even tested the rocket engines that took us to the Moon. For me, this is an essential place to visit! Tours operate from Thursday to Sunday, 9am to 4pm.

• Biloxi, United States

  
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  Just a twenty-minute drive from Gulfport lies the smaller city of Biloxi, where you can find the Mardi Gras Museum. This museum is small but mighty, with a display of some incredibly flamboyant costumes. If you enjoy fishing, or at least think you might, you can tag along to many fishing cruises from Point Cadet Marina, and find out where all that shrimp you’re eating is coming from!

• Gulfport, United States

  
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  Whilst you’re in the midst of it all in NOLA, you could easily forget how close you are to the sea…and what a sea it is! The Gulf of Mexico is the largest gulf in the world, and is home to an array of sea life. Infact, it is home to 36 different types of Shark! That said, you will be perfectly safe visiting Gulfport’s pristine beaches. You have to take a ferry 11 miles off the coast to the turquoise waters of West Ship Island, which was split into two separate islands by a hurricane in 1969.

• Lake Charles, United States

  
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  Get up early and head three hours East to Lake Charles, a vibrant, yet laid back city near to the Texas border. Notorious for its casinos, music performances and Mardi Gras celebrations, it would be a shame not to visit this Louisianan gem. If you happen to be there in early May, experience the unique Louisiana Pirate Festival! Lots of locals dressed in pirate costumes, live music on the sea and Cajun food aplenty…how could you not?

• Mobile, United States

  
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  Cross state borders by taking a two-hour drive from New Orleans to Mobile (pronounced ‘mobeel’, not like a cell phone!), a port town at the opening of the Mobile River to the Gulf of Mexico. Mobile is a key trading city between the US and South America, and you can see a lot here in one day! Head to Dauphin Street for food, and then take a walking tour to learn about the city’s rich history, architecture and art, influenced by its French, Spanish, English and Confederate rule.