NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Sometimes, you just need to get out of the city and get some fresh air – but still have the option for air conditioning. You can find both a little over an hour down the road in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes.
I like to call the area bayou country.
While it’s still hotter than heck, you can convince yourself to roll down the windows for part of the ride out, and it’s worth it.
Anyway. Here are five places to check out down in Houma and Thibodaux:
E.D. White Historic Site
Did you know that the birthplace of a former U.S. Supreme Court Justice is just over an hour from New Orleans?
The E.D. White Historic Site was also the home of a Louisiana governor.
Check out the history behind growing sugar along the bayou and learn the names of the trees on the grounds.
Address: 2295 La. Hwy 1, Thibodaux
Hours: 10am – 4:30pm, Tuesday – Saturday
Admission: Free
Laurel Valley Plantation Store
Laurel Valley Plantation Store is part country store and part museum.
Not only can you make a pit stop for a Coca Cola, but get decor and knick-knacks made by local artists.
There are even animals on the grounds!
But there’s a secret to the Laurel Valley Store… the village it belongs to.
About 60 structures are all that remain of Laurel Valley, and many are former slave cabins. Tours are sometimes available, but don’t plan on going in the buildings due to age.
Check out more pics from Laurel Valley in the slideshow below.
Address: 595 Highway 308, Thibodaux
Hours: 11am – 5pm, Monday through Sunday
Pro tip: Double check the address in your GPS. My GPS tried to send my straight into a sugarcane field!
Scarlet Scoop
I scream, you scream, well… you’ll really be screaming for some nice, cold ice cream.
The Scarlet Scoop closed down for a while during the Blue Bell listeria crisis, but they’re back open!
It’s a little old-fashioned ice cream shop, right in the heart of Houma.
Check out their many flavors and toppings… and dipped in store frozen bananas and other frozen treats.
Address: 300 Barrow Street, Houma
Hours: 12 noon until 10 pm
Regional Military Museum
Ok, time to be honest: I’m a huge history nerd, and when I saw Susy take a ride in the tank at the Regional Military Museum, I had to go. No questions asked.
This museum was so freaking cool.
The picture above is the very first (official) Air Force One, used by President Dwight Eisenhower.
There’s the tank that’s not really a tank, some of the very first models of jeeps, and all kinds of old military uniforms.
Plus… I learned just how close German u-boats got to the Louisiana coast during World War II. (It was super close, y’all.)
Address: 1154 Barrow St, Houma
Hours: 10am – 4pm, Monday – Friday & 10am – 2pm on Saturdays
Admission: $1 for elementary students; $2 for students; $3 for Seniors (55+); Adults: $5; Children under 6: FREE; Active Military: FREE
Big Al’s Seafood
At the end of it all, I had to stop for real food. Ice cream wasn’t going to hold me over.
My tour guide from the museum suggested Big Al’s Seafood. I’m so happy he did.
Oh, the food. The food on the bayou is always amazing but this was probably the best fried crawfish po’boy I’ve had yet.
Lightly breaded, just the right amount of spicy, perfect sauce-tomato-lettuce ration… Oh my.
And there’s so much more than po’boys. There are oysters and sandwiches and boiled seafood, plus fried green tomatoes served with remoulade on the side.
Just go, and eat to your heart’s content.
Address: 1377 West Tunnel Blvd., Houma
Hours: 11 am – 9 pm, Sunday – Thursday & 11 am – 10 pm, Friday & Saturday
