Shiloh RV Resorts

The Myrtles Plantation - A fun camping side trip

Camping in Louisiana can include tours of some exciting haunted places. Written by our own Stacey Bennett, this article is about the haunted plantation, The Myrtles...

A few years ago I went to the Myrtles Plantation in Saint Francisville, LA. I was there talking with the owner about taking on the task of writing a huge screenplay and filming the movie right there on the land.

The history is amazing. Supposely the house and other quarters are resting on top of an old Indian burial ground - which eventually became a burial ground for many civil war soliders and slaves.

The owner back in the 1900's was having affair with a black slave - who would listen in on all his business conversations and family talks. One day he caught her and sliced off her left ear.

In revenge, she poisoned his wife and 2 daughters - all of them died. The slave was hung and not too far after that the owner was found dead by what some people think was - Death by Fright.

Since the plantation became a bed-and-breakfest - many people say they see and hear many interesting and scary things.

A young Indian girl sitting on the porch in a rocking chair, a old man stopping cars warning them not to enter the plantation's property, 2 little girls playing around the main water well, a little boy sitting on the roof and trees. There is so many stories that would/will blow your mind.

I personally have had something strange happen. While filming a walkthrough I experienced a large dark shadow engulfed my camera lens for about 10 seconds. But, I never knew it until my crew and I looked back at the tape.

So, if you're in Saint Francisville or even around the area. Go and check out the Myrtles Plantation. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

If anyone, by chance, does catch something. Feel free in sending me a word and let me what you thought about your supernatural experience.

Stacey Shilo Resorts

About Tensas Parish - Lake Bruin

There are three communities in Tensas Parish,

Tensas Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The name "Tensas" is derived from an Indian tribe. The parish seat is St. Joseph and, as of 2000, the population is 6,618. St. Joseph is located adjacent to the Mississippi River levee system which runs at the east end of town. One can view the Mississippi River if he stands atop the levee.

Newellton, St. Joseph, and Waterproof. Newellton was founded by the planter and attorney John David Stokes Newell, Sr., who named it for his father Edward D. Newell, a North Carolina native. All three communities are linked by Highway 65, which passes just to the west of each town. The developed Lake Bruin State Park lies near St. Joseph. Lake Bruin is an oxbow lake created by the meandering of the Mississippi River.

Tensas Parish is served by a weekly newspaper, the Tensas Gazette, circulated Wednesdays throughout the Parish.

Tensas Parish was among the last three parishes in the state to set up a 911 telephone service. Republican Congressman Rodney Alexander of Quitman, whose district includes Tensas Parish, announced late in 2005 that a $100,000 rural development grant through the Department of Agriculture would help the parish to establish the emergency system. [1]

Tensas Parish was desegregated at one time in the fall of 1970. However, the schools remain de facto segregated by parental decisions. The lion's share of white students attend the private Tensas Academy in St. Joseph. Nearly all African American students attend the public schools, whereas few whites are registered. Enrollment in the public system, now based in St. Joseph, has been declining in recent years. Former high schools and elementary schools in Newellton and Waterproof have closed because of declining enrollments. Tensas Parish High School in St. Joseph is the latest consolidation of the former Davidson High School of St. Joseph as well as Newellton and Waterproof high schools.

Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo

The mission of the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo is to help people develop a sustainable relationship with nature. In so doing, the Zoo shall provide for the recreation and education of the people, the conservation of wildlife, and the discovery of biological knowledge.

Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo

Smallmouth Bass Beginner's Guide

Beginner's Guide to Smallmouth bass fishing...

Introduction
One of the reasons that I have loved fishing for largemouth bass now for over 40 years is their inbreed tendencies to ambush their prey. Or to put it a little closer to home, ambush the particular artificial bait that I might be using at the time. I have always leaned toward running type baits such as crankbaits, jerk baits, buzzbaits and spinnerbaits as my main lures of choice.

Having a bass smash a diving crankbait so hard it almost jerks the rod out of your hand is a feeling that is hard to describe. The only thing that could make it better would be if you could �See� the bass hit, which you don't most of the time unless you are fishing clear water. But on the other hand, there is a versatile bait that can be used not only in deep water, but in mid range and shallow water presentations that will allow you many times to �See� the strike. This, of course would be the safety pin type �spinnerbait�. Over the next several paragraphs I want to share (1) how I choose a spinner bait; (2) the rod and reel combinations that I use; (3) where and how I fish the bait.

How To Choose A Good Spinnerbait
Let�s get this out of the way up front. The �Price Tag� on the spinnerbaits isn�t always an indication of how well the bait is made or how well it will perform under heavy usage. �Cheaper� seldom is �better�. But, the most expensive� isn�t always the answer either. To me there are seven tests that spinnerbaits must pass to make it a good tool. Some of these elements can be determined with the bait still in the package; unfortunately others can only be determined by using the bait. That is why I would suggest not purchasing more than one until you know it is worth an additional purchase. Now for a little Q&A.

What kind wire is the bait made of and what is the wire gauge? I�m sure there are those that are saying right now, why is this important? It is very simple. I have found that spinner baits made with wire that is less Than .045 gauge just won�t hold up under rigorous usage. The price on the bait might look attractive when you pay for it at the store, but how good does it look to you when it bends beyond repair after you have used it a time or two and you have to throw it away? The wire in my opinion that holds up the best is stainless steel. I have used spinnerbaits made of everything from small gauge wire cable to titanium. Wire cable was so flexible that it created too much shaft movement it negated the blade action and Titanium spinnerbaits have a tendency to snap because the compound is very brittle when heated as they are at the head and bends. For my $$$$$ stainless is the best choice.
Where is the hook point in relationship to the line tie? This is another test you can do while the bait is still in the package. Again why is this important? Back in the mid 70�s I was burning the roads up between home and the famed Toledo Bend Reservoir on the Louisiana-Texas border when I made friends with a great fisherman from Monroe Louisiana. He introduced me to Louisiana lakes with names such as �Black Bayou,� Lake Bruin,� �Lake Providence,� and more. All these lakes are full of cypress tress and custom made for spinner baits. I watched him �open� the hook up on his spinnerbaits explaining that this was done to get better hook up�s. What he was saying was the absolute truth. But the reason for having to do this was that the line tie was higher than the hook point which meant when my friend set the hook he would actually be jerking the hook downward and out of the bass mouth. This is why it is so important�.and believe me, it will make a difference at the lake. The next time you are in a fishing tackle section just take a few minutes to look at the various spinner baits and you will see what I�m talking about.
What brand of hook is used on the bait? Why is this important? Simple! There is nothing worse than having a bait with a hook that won�t penetrate butter. As I said earlier many baits look good at the store. But they loose their looks at the lake when you see a big fish jump and throw the bait because of bad hooks. I would just suggest this rule of thumb. If a spinner bait manufacturer doesn�t list on the package the type of hook used (such as Laser Hooks-Mustad Needle Point and others) I would pass on by. Believe me if they used a premium hook on their bait they would sure want you to know about it! No hook information on the packaging might even indicate cutting corners in other parts of the manufacturing process. Just food for thought.
Is the spinner bait equipped with a good premium silicone skirt? How many times in the past have you bought a spinner bait and put it in you boat storage or tackle box to use on your next trip? Trip day is here... you reach down to get this new bait only to find that the skirt had melted together and is unusable? Now not only do you have an additional expense replacing the skirt-but more annoying is the sticky mess the skirt has made in your tacklebox. I do believe however that there is a slight difference in the way a 100% rubber skirt will perform in cold water verses a silicone skirt. When that time rolls around and it is necessary, I change the shirts out. But it is very rare that I leave a 100% rubber skirt in my boat during hot weather. It may sound like a small thing,but it isn�t when you have to clean up the mess.
What about blades? A test for the lake! Do you buy a spinnerbait with willowleaf Blades, or Colorado Blades, or Indiana Blades? Should the blades be painted, or hammered nickel, or hammered copper, or mirror finished, or metallic finished? Do I need tandem blades or single blades? And the answer is yes! You may need a combination of all of these to effectively fish different water conditions. But no mater what the combination, the blades need to be made of high quality material where they will hold up under heavy usage. The finish on the blades need to last and not discolor or flake off after you have bang it into various structure a few times. And each blade style needs to provide you with maximum vibration and water displacement for their size. At the lake, blade performance can be determined rather quickly. The durability test may take a little longer. To help you understand the difference in blade types look at the attached picture to the left. (1) This is a Colorado blade. This blade will put off more vibration and is the blade that I turn to in heavily stained to muddy water and at night in deep water. I also like to use it in areas where I�m fishing more wood than grass. (2) This blade is called a �Willow Leaf. � For the water that I fish the most here in Tennessee it is probably the best over all style. It is good in clear and stained water and will put off a fair amount of flash based on it�s finish. I fish a lot of weeds on Old Hickory and the willow leaf tends to come through them much better that other styles. (3) This is a Indiana Blade. It is a mixture of the willow leaf and Colorado blade/ It also will put off a �good vibration� (little Beach Boys there) and a lot of flash based on the blades finish. Size of blade is normally dependent upon how fast I intend to retrieve the bait. The smaller the bade the faster the retrieve. The larger the blade the slower the retrieve.
This test you unfortunately won�t know until you get to the lake. When you �Burn� the spinnerbait just under the surface (I�ll explain this technique later) does the bait come back straight to you or does it roll on one side or the other? So what if it rolls? If it rolls the blades won�t displace the maximum amount of water possible and your percentages of provoking a reaction strike diminishes. Even with .045 gauge stainless steel wire after you have beat and banged the bait into structure over and over again it will sometimes bend to the point where the bait will roll. When this happens, gently straighten the wire with a pair of pliers the problem can normally be corrected. Other reasons that spinner baits roll is that the blade or blades are too large for that size spinnerbait or the wire gauge is to flimsy. In the last two cases you have just bought a bad spinner bait which more than likely will be added to your �I wish I hadn�t bought that bait pile�
Another test you can only perform at the lake. The opposite of �Burning� a spinner bait just under the surface would be �Slow Rolling� (Another technique we will discuss later) the bait in deeper water. It seems that most smallmouth fishermen here in the south love to slow roll big bladed spinner baits in deep water. Most of the time they literally �drag� or �crawl� the bait. But that�s hard to do when you continually have to increase your speed just to get the blades to turn. To me a good spinner bait is one where the blades begin to turn immediately upon retrieve, and you can feel the thump of the blades when you slow it down to a crawl.

Choosing Size And Colors Of Spinnerbaits
I�m going to try my best to keep this fairly simple. One of the most important considerations that needs to be addressed in any lake is the size of the predominate bait fish that the bass are feeding on. If I can I try to match the size as closely as possible. But (and there is always a but) there are other factors that need to be addressed as well. Such as water color, cloud cover density and are you fishing daylight or darkness. If your fishing at night is it the light or the dark of the moon?

Let�s start with size. Do I use a 1/4 ounce, 3/8 ounce, 1/2 ounce, 3/4 ounce or 1 ounce bait? This explanation is going to be very basic. If I�m fishing water that is stained to muddy or if I�m fishing slowly in deeper water at night I will use larger spinnerbaits. 1/2 ounce and up. The reason for this is that larger spinner baits are bulkier and the larger blades will create more vibration which will help a bass locate the bait. If the water is real muddy or if it is pitch black dark, I might even add a big trailer of some sort to add to increase the bulk. If I�m fishing daytime clear water (or) shallower clear water at night with a moon I prefer smaller baits, 3/8 ounce and down because the bass can see them much easier and most of the time without a trailer.

Now what about color? Once again I will try to keep this simple. In clearer water I like to use white-chartreuse & white-off white sliver pepper and a see through silver flaked skirts. If I�m fishing moderately stained water I will almost always opt for chartreuse and white or chartreuse and blue. If it is muddy I like pure bright chartreuse. At night I like combinations of solid black, solid purple, black & blue, black & purple, -lack & red. And at night if the water is clear with a moon and I�m fishing in shallow to moderate depths I even like pure white or pink.

There is no doubt in my mind that other solid colors or color combination work for other fishermen. But these are the sizes and colors that produce for me most consistently.

By: Rick McFerrin, Published: 11-04-2004

Tennessee Bass Guides
Website: www.tennesseebassguides.com

Louisiana Fishing License Info

A recreational fisherman must purchase and have in possession a valid basic recreational fishing license to possess fish in Louisiana waters or to use the following:

FISHING LICENSES

Click here to see the 2006 Hunting and Fishing License changes.

Recreational fishing and hunting licenses may be purchased online�or by telephone using Visa or MasterCard. Call toll free 1-888/765-2602. An authorization number for immediate use will be provided and licenses will be mailed to the licensee.
A SERVICE FEE IS CHARGED.

Persons taking fish, whether recreationally or commercially, and persons involved in the fish industry, including wholesale/retail dealers and transporters, and vessels involved in the fish industry must be licensed.

All recreational licenses are valid from the date of purchase and expire on June 30 each year. In addition to other bona fide residency requirements, a Louisiana Driver's License or Louisiana ID Card issued by the Department of Public Safety is required to purchase resident recreational hunting and fishing licenses.

Title 56, Section 302.1.C.(1) requires that all recreational anglers fishing south of the "sal*censored*er line" for sal*censored*er species have in their possession a Louisiana sal*censored*er angler's license IN ADDITION TO a basic Louisiana fishing license EXCEPT those persons otherwise exempted. All regulations apply regardless of where the fish is taken.

A recreational fisherman must purchase and have in possession a valid basic recreational fishing license to possess fish in Louisiana waters or to use the following:

Bow and arrow
A barbed or barbless spear
Frog gig/catcher
Scuba Gear
Hook & line (trot line)
Cast net with a radius not to exceed 8 ft. 6 in.
Rod and reel

Persons who obtain resident licenses when not complying with the bona fide residency requirements as stated in the definition section will be subject to criminal and/or civil sanctions.

For more information on recreational licenses and�fees, click here.

All commercial licenses expire on December 31 each year, unless otherwise noted.

For more information on commercial license fees, click here.

Everett Harris
Zoo Director
1405 Bernstein Park Drive
Monroe, Louisiana 71202
318-329-2400

Mission Statement
The mission of the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo is to help people develop a sustainable relationship with nature. In so doing, the Zoo shall provide for the recreation and education of the people, the conservation of wildlife, and the discovery of biological knowledge.

General Curator - Lola Curtis - (318) 329-2582
Education Curator - Kim Walker - (318) 329-3308
Office Manager - Carin Collins - (318) 329-2400

Click here for a map

Community Affairs Newsletter

SUMMER ZOO CAP INFO AND REGISTRATION FORM

NEW OLIVE BABOON EXHIBIT NOW OPEN
Mayor James Mayo, the Monroe City Council and the Department of Community Affairs are pleased to announce a grand opening of a new primate exhibit at Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo. The zoo�s family of nine olive baboons now have a new home, over 4,200 square feet of waterfront property. These curious primates have recently been introduced to a habitat built adjacent to the zoo�s lagoon. This area is complete with trees and large boulders that allow them to climb. Visitors can are able to watch the baboons from a covered deck that features special glass windows for an extraordinary viewing experience

Most of the construction of the new facility was performed by employees of the city. Zoo Director Everett Harris says, �I am very pleased to be able to thank members of our zoo staff for the carpentry work, other construction, the landscaping and plumbing. They did a super job.� Other divisions and departments also joined in the effort. �Thanks to Public Works for their help and the Civic Center for the welding. It was truly a cooperative effort,� Harris added.

Funding for this exhibit and another planned primate habitat was made possible through a matching grant from the Monroe/West Monroe Convention & Visitors Bureau. Other primate exhibits constructed in recent months include agile gibbon, red-tail guenon and bearded guenon. Construction on another habitat is scheduled to be completed before the end of the year.

The Olive Baboon (Papio anubis) is a from the Old World Monkey family. Its name comes from the Egyptian deity Anubis, which was often represented with dog head and resembled the dog-like muzzle of the baboon.

Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo is the premier family attraction in northeast Louisiana. This 80+ acre zoological park exhibits over 500 animals, many in naturalistic habitats. A zoo boat ride is a unique way to view many of the larger animals and operates spring, summer and fall. A Louisiana Purchase Exhibit was added recently in commemoration of the Bicentennial Celebration of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, and features animals indigenous to the original land area of that acquisition that doubled the size of the U.S. Festivals and special events are planned throughout the year. A zoo pavilion is also part of this facility and is available for rental for community events, meetings, reunions, concerts and the like. Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo is a delightful place for family and friends to spend leisure time and even offers group rates.

LOCATION: The Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo is located at 1405 Bernstein Park Drive. From I-20, Exit 118-A, Travel south on US 165, 2.2 miles to Ticheli Road, Turn right, cross Reddix to the Zoo. From US 165 South, turn left on Ticheli Road.

HOURS OF OPERATION: The Zoo is opened 7 days a week, from 10 am to 5 pm. We are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year�s Day. Office hours 8 am to 5 pm, (318) 329-2400.

ADMISSION: Adult $4.50, children 3-12 $3.00, Seniors (age 65 and over) $3.00, children 2 and younger are free. Louisiana Purchase Zoological Society members are free with membership card. Lagoon boat ride is $2.00 per person.

GROUP SALES: The Zoo offers discount admission for groups of 10 or more. Please call (318) 329-2400 to make reservation.

For calendar of events, visit the Louisiana Purchase Zoological Society at www.monroezoo.org.

Masur Museum

The mission of the Masur Museum of Art is to provide a quality visual arts experience through temporary exhibitions, educational activities and programs, and collections management, for the citizens of the City of Monroe and the community of Northeast Louisiana

Community Affairs Newsletter

Masur Museum of Art
1400 South Grand Street
Monroe, LA 71202
318-329-2237

Staff Directory
Director - johnny.riley@ci.monroe.la.us
Lou Davenport, Curator of Education - lou.davenport@ci.monroe.la.us
Lenard Montgomery, Preparator
Phone (318) 329-2237, Fax (318) 329-2847
masur@ci.monroe.la.us

Admission to the Masur Museum of Art is free
Viewing Hours: Tuesday - Thursday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; Friday - Sunday, 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. Closed to the public on Mondays, between exhibitions, and on major holidays.
Office Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; Friday - Sunday, 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Guided tours are provided, free of charge, for school groups and organizations. Tours must be scheduled in advance.
Map & Driving Directions

Mission
The mission of the Masur Museum of Art is to provide a quality visual arts experience through temporary exhibitions, educational activities and programs, and collections management, for the citizens of the City of Monroe and the community of Northeast Louisiana. It is the responsibility of the Masur Museum of Art to support and foster visual arts in the cultural and educational life of the community. Northeast Louisiana's largest visual arts museum, the Masur Museum of Art offers six to eight temporary exhibitions per year, a year-round studio art school for children and adults, a permanent collection, education outreach programs, and a varying schedule of events and activities.

Meeting Space Available
Do you belong to a non-profit community group or cultural organization that is looking for an interesting meeting site? Hold your next meeting at the museum free of charge! To qualify for the free rental, meetings must have 50 or fewer invitees and must be held Monday through Thursday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Call Sue Prudhomme at 318-329-2237 for additional information or to schedule your meeting.

Slide Lecture Presentations
The museum has several slide lectures that can be presented by the Director or Curators to your group or organization, free of charge. We�ll come to your facility with the presentation, or you can schedule your next meeting at the Masur Museum of Art (see above). Slide presentations include:
Introduction to the Museum: Historical information and photographs, museum operations, traveling trunk objects. Apx. 45 minutes long.
Civic Engagement: Meeting the museum�s mission through engagement with the community in which the museum operates. Apx. 25 minutes long.

History of the Museum - Historic House Tour
The Masur family graciously donated their notable home to the City of Monroe in 1963 for the express purpose of creating a permanent art museum. The Tudor style structure, with walls of Indiana limestone and a roof of Pennsylvania slate, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Located on the scenic Ouachita River, the Masur Museum of Art provides an intimate atmosphere in which to experience art.

Links
Biedenharn Museum & Gardens
Northeast LA Children�s Museum

Louisiana Camping - Culture

When you make a list of all the unique things Louisiana has to offer visitors, you quickly see the long-lasting influences of our French, Spanish and African ancestry. In fact, there�s not another state, save Hawaii, that has preserved its past with a living history that can be experienced each and every day through the lives of its local population.Our own style of architecture --wrought iron balconies and port coheres of the French Quarter, plantation homes along the Mississippi River and raised cottages found through out Cajun Country are being built and rebuilt to this very day. Walk into any fourth or fifth generation Louisiana home and you�re sure to find gumbo on the stove, pecan pie in the fridge, home-grown tomatoes on a window sill, or some variation of uniquely Cajun and Creole foods that date back to the days of Evangeline. Our music, too has a sound and a story all its own. A wailful mix of West Indies voodoo chants, African tribal drums and Nova Scotian fiddles that tell tales of loves and lives lost and a new world found. Louisiana. As rare as an oyster�s perfect pearl, as raw as a gator�s hide, as mysterious as the fog that blankets the bayous, as illusive as the aroma of jasmine on a hot summer night. Louisiana. Custom-made. Just for you.

African American

Discover the culinary delights of local chefs. Learn all about the colorful Mardi Gras Indians. Call on Melrose, a plantation once owned by a freed slave. Explore Laura Plantation, where you�ll learn how West African slaves brought the Bre�r Rabbit stories to America. Visit Frogmore Plantation, where you can hear about slave customs, listen to their secret music, and learn about their surprising relationships with the master, mistress, and overseer. Also at Frogmore, you can tour authentically furnished slave quarters, a rare steam gin, and other plantation dependencies. And stroll the grounds of Destrehan Plantation, home to a successful Freedmen�s Bureau Colony during Reconstruction. Louisiana has been the birthplace of many famous African Americans. Come celebrate achievements of African Americans in art, architecture, law, education, sports, the culinary arts and more. We invite you to wander through exhibits in the Cabildo and U.S. Mint. Give your kids something to think about at the River Road African-American Museum near Burnside, the Kent Plantation House in Alexandria or the African American Museum in Shreveport. The Hermione Museum in Tallulah includes an exhibit on Madam C.J. Walker, the first black self-made millionaire in the U.S. For a free copy of Textures, the official African American travel guide to Louisiana, call (800) 753-6194.

» Get your FREE copy of Textures, Louisiana's African-American directory

Cajun

The Cajun culture sprang from the traditions of the Acadians who settled in South Louisiana following their expulsion from Nova Scotia in 1755. This French colonial culture melded with mainland French traditions already in place in Louisiana and with Spanish, Native American, English and German influences as it evolved to form the distinctive and unique Cajun culture found today in South Louisiana.

Creole

The term Creole was originally used by those "born in the colony" as a way of differentiating themselves from the many Americans who settled in the city after the Louisiana Purchase and from the waves of German and other immigrants arriving in the area. Creole in its broadest sense can refer to a variety of combinations of French culture with Spanish, African or Caribbean cultures in colonial Louisiana. In rural Southwestern Louisiana, a blending of French, African and Caribbean cultures was considered Creole. Natchitoches Parish includes many historic sites significant to the Creole culture.

Hispanic

The contributions made by los Espa�oles who came searching for gold in Louisiana in te 1500s, and ruled here from 1763 to 800, deserve to be recognized, studied, and celebrated. Did you know, por ejemplo, that New Orleans' famous French Quarter is actually of Spanish design, built when earlier French structures were leveled in a fire? It's true! Without the Spanish, we may never have had sugarcane, citrus fruits, and a cultural concoction peppered with phrases, traditions, and practices that are, in reality, of Spanish origin. To find out more about our Spanish roots and the Spanish influence in recent years, visit the Canary Islands Descendants Association Museum in Braithwaite, the Los Adaes State Historic Site near Robeline, or call 800-944-2793 for your free copy of Raices, our guide to Louisiana's Hispanic heritage or order online.

Native American

Before the Mayan Temples in South America, before the pyramids in Egypt, before Stonehenge in England, ancient peoples built mounds in Louisiana. Here, mounds date back to around 4000 BC, which makes them some of the oldest in the Western Hemisphere. But our Native Americans created more than mounds-they influenced the way we eat. We owe the file in our gumbo and the turtle soup served in our fine restaurants to Native Americans. Today, you can learn all about Louisiana's Native American cultures at Poverty Point State Historic Site near Epps and the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum in Shreveport. In addition, the Tunica-Biloxi Indian Museum in Marksville is home to a collection of European and Native American artifacts from the Colonial Period. For a brochure on ancient mound sites in Louisiana, call 225-342-8170 or visit the Louisiana Division of Archaeology site.

Explore Louisiana

When the state�s nickname happens to �Sportsman�s Paradise,� there�s a lot to live up to. In fact, there are entire industries built around these two words. With books written on the subject and much buzz about our wildlife and wetlands, it�s easy to see how certain expectations are set in visitors� minds. Needless to say we have always lived up to our reputation. Take hunting season. It�s not exactly a season -- it�s eight months out of the year, with our back woods and bayous full of fowl and four-legged critters. And with one of the largest game preserves in the U.S. our state is also a natural habitat for many rare and endangered species, making Louisiana a �Bird Watcher�s Paradise� as well.Year round fishing. Year round golf. Year round camping. Year round�well you get the picture. So what�s your pleasure? What�s your passion? With literally thousands of hiking and biking trails and the largest expanse of coastal wetlands in North America, you�ll never be lost for ways to enjoy the great outdoors. In fact, it�s been said that the best place to find yourself is outdoors in Louisiana.

Louisiana Weather

Read all about Louisiana weather, and plan your trip...

Despite what you've heard, Louisiana does have seasons-crawfish, oyster, shrimp and crab! And we have four seasons of the year as well. Winter is short and snappy, but bring a coat just in case. Spring is lovely, but, unless you're an azalea, an umbrella is a must. Summer is a delightful combination of subtropical heat and brief, cooling showers. And fall can be T-shirt or sweater weather so pack both, just in case.

Click here for current Louisiana weather forecast

For long-range weather reports, please contact
Louisiana Office of State Climatology - 225-578-6870

Sportsmans Paradise

Thick, piney woods that flourish with wildlife. Lush rolling hills. Clear, sparkling lakes abundant with bass and trout. Mysterious bayous fingering from the rivers. This is Northern Louisiana. Sportsman's Paradise�and heaven for birdwatchers, nature photographers, campers and anyone who has ever pulled a 16 pound bass out of Caney Lake. For those who love history, this is where Native Americans trapped deer and traded pottery at Poverty Point, long before Ancient Greece and Rome were on the map. This is where brave soldiers in the blue and the gray fought and fell at the Battle of Mansfield. And right outside of Arcadia, Louisiana, on an often-trod spot of dirt, you'll find a chipped monument that marks the spot where, in 1933, the notorious Bonnie and Clyde took their last ride. A few years later, in Shreveport, another ride began-- The Louisiana Hayride, that sparked the careers of legends such as Hank Williams, Sr. and Elvis Presley.

What else is here in Sportsman's Paradise? Plenty of nightlife and casino gaming in the twin cities of Shreveport and Bossier City, where you'll find a dazzling assortment of restaurants and luxury hotels.

But don't let the glitz and glamour distract you from the other pleasures that await you here. For the gardening buff there's the American Rose Center, with winding paths, babbling brooks and the fragrant scent of some of the grandest and rarest roses. And the Ark-La-Tex Antique and Classic Vehicle Museum offers an impressive assembly of antique fire trucks, vintage motorcycles, Graham trucks and Dodge cars, as well as the duds those dashing drivers wore on the road.

Travel east to Monroe, Louisiana and treat yourself to a riverboat ride on the scenic Ouachita River. Monroe is also the home of the first Coca-Cola bottler, pharmacist Joseph Biedenharn, You can tour his home, Biedenharn Museum & Gardens, full of old Coca Cola memorabilia and a fascinating bible museum with a Guttenberg Bible.

If you're looking for relaxation, check out the small towns of northern Louisiana and check into a local bed & breakfast with a big front porch, bottomless sweet tea, and homemade cobbler � la mode, made with home-grown Ruston peaches. And if you like to sleep under the stars, you'll stay a little longer with so much to do and see in Kisatchie National Forest.

Yes, there's plenty to explore off the beaten path. You'll find a toy museum housed in a 1938 railway caboose in Bernice; the grave of Moses Rose, the only survivor of the Alamo at the old Ferguson Cemetery in Logansport; and a charming tavern in the once bustling steamboat town of Columbia where you can get to know all the history and local gossip in under an hour.

See article in at Explore Louisiana: http://www.louisianatravel.com/explorela/regions/sportsmansparadise/

Shiloh RV Resorts

The Myrtles Plantation - A fun camping side trip

About Tensas Parish - Lake Bruin

Contents

Smallmouth Bass Beginner's Guide

Louisiana Fishing License Info

FISHING LICENSES

Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo

Masur Museum

Louisiana Camping - Culture

Explore Louisiana

Louisiana Weather

Sportsmans Paradise