Tomorrow is Mardi Gras! Which if you’re like me makes you think of New Orleans, King Cake, beads, jazz music, big parades, and a whole lot of fun. While I’d love to spend a Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Mardi Gras now makes me think of another NOLA: Northern Louisiana. Just a few hours away from New Orleans, it’s a whole different world.
The pace of life is a little bit slower, but my gosh if it isn’t beautiful. A few months ago I was invited on a press trip to visit some of the parishes that make up Northern Louisiana. We visited places like:
- Shreveport – The largest city in Northern Louisiana. This is the city where True Blood was based and filmed!
- Minden – A close-knit community that knows how to throw some amazing Mardi Gras balls and parades! I learned so much about the history of Mardi Gras while visiting this town and came to respect the holiday so much more.
- Natchitoches – The absolute cutest town with the hardest to pronounce name. It’s nak-a-dish. It’s where Steel Magnolias was filmed!
I was blown away by the natural beauty of Northern Louisiana, by the delicious comfort food, and by the gorgeous homes and opulent Southern decor. And my goodness if I couldn’t get enough of the Southern manners. Everything was ma’am, sir, please and thank you. I wish the rest of the country would adopt those customs!
If Mardi Gras has got you itching to visit Louisiana, I highly recommend venturing a little farther north to check out all that Northern Louisiana has to offer. There is so much history, and so much to see and do. Here’s some of the things I particularly loved.
The beauty of Northern Louisiana
The food
Northern Louisiana knows how to do comfort food. Most of the things I ate were fried, everything was served with sweet tea, and pecan pie was always on the menu. I’m sure there’s great healthy places to eat, but if you’re visiting Louisiana why would you want to do that? Get the fried chicken, the meat pies, the seafood, and the grits. It is all so, so good.
We stopped at famous Herby K’s for our first lunch of the trip.
Fairfield Manor is a luxury B&B at its finest with some of the most incredible food.
Truthfully I’m not even sure where I got this slice of pecan pie. I got pecan pie at every restaurant I possibly could on the trip. I have no regrets.
The natural beauty
The South is just gorgeous, and Northern Louisiana is no exception. Everything is in bloom there and it’s just so calm. It’s the idyllic place to just get away, rest, and recharge.
A stunning sunset.
So. Much. Green!
This tree in Natchitoches might be the most perfect picnic-ing tree I have ever seen. If only I could find a way to move it and that lake to Omaha.
The architecture
Northern Louisiana is such a perfect blend of old and new. There’s city murals and gorgeous theaters, and then there’s plantations and churches from before the Civil War. Everything is decorated so beautifully, a lot of it seems like it came out of a story book. The South has so much history, and you can see that history in its buildings.
The ceiling at The Strand Theater.
The amazing Fairfield Manor. I seriously cannot recommend this place enough!!
Hot Southern nights call for sleeping porches. I seriously want one of these.
A formal dining room. No biggie. 😉
Rocking chairs on grand Southern porches.
The drapes of my dreams. Also, I am not used to seeing cotton in a floral arrangement but it is everywhere there. It is grown there after all!
I’m in love with Natchitoches’s main street.
A gorgeous Rock Chapel in the middle of the woods.
Buildings that are so old you don’t need a sign to tell you that a lot has happened within those walls.
A highlight of the trip was getting to visit Melrose Plantation. That may sound weird, but for this Northern girl (now a Midwesterner by choice), it was another world. We got to explore the expansive grounds, learn about what life was like in that time, and if you’re like me, ask dozens of questions of the knowledgeable guides. I learned so much!
This house was known as The African House. The way it’s built keeps it cool from the beating sun.
A guest house on the plantation.
The Steel Magnolias house! Truth be told I hadn’t seen the movie before I was invited on this trip. My first order of research was watching it and I quickly became obsessed!
The wallpaper
This is going to seem so odd that wallpaper is listed as one of the things I liked most about Northern Louisiana, but you guys, the wallpaper in the buildings I visited was UNREAL. The homeowners of the buildings I visited were not afraid to go grand, be bold, and make a statement. The walls were some of the most beautiful I have seen in my entire life and they were absolutely timeless. This trip inspired me to not be afraid of decorating with wallpaper when Josh and I buy a house.
I have no words.
Clementine Hunter
I had never even heard the name Clementine Hunter before my trip to Northern Louisiana and now I’m a bit obsessed with this woman and her art. Clementine was not a slave, but a farm laborer who worked at Melrose Plantation. She didn’t know how to read or write, but taught herself to paint in her 50’s, using brushes and paint left by an artist visiting Melrose Plantation. She’d paint on whatever you would give her, and was instrumental in documenting and visualizing what life was like for slaves on plantations at that time. The more I learned about her the more I came to admire her and her work.
I would love to own a piece of hers one day.
Before this trip I didn’t know anything about Northern Louisiana, but in my short time there I learned so much. I love the history, the culture, and the beauty. I love that every new place you visit teaches you something new about the world and yourself. I’ve just started scratching the surface with Northern Louisiana and hope a trip back is in my future.
Questions of the Day: Have you been to Northern Louisiana? What part did you like best about my trip? What Southern food is your favorite?
Thanks to Louisiana North for sponsoring this post!
I’ve never been to Louisiana but you just made me want to go even more. The architecture, the style…everything looks so pretty!
Wow. I’ve been to Shreveport, Alexandria, and New Orleans, but that lake and Fairfield manor… just beyond gorgeous and wistful and lovely. Great images! Makes me want to go on a vacay filled with lazy porch mornings and long walks along the water. <3
beautiful pics- Louisiana is definitely on my travel bucket list.
I´ve never been there, I just loved every single detail of each picture, so beautiful place to visit! thanks for sharing!
I can’t stay away from New Orleans for too long. Its vibrancy has gotten into my soul. But judging from your photos I’m missing some of the magic the rest of Louisiana has to offer. Thanks for your post.
This brings me back to when we visited plantations as a kid. Such a beautiful place.
What a gorgeous area. I have never been there before, but I’ve heard wonderful things. That food looks amazing.
I always love the ambiance of a farm. The fresh air makes me appreciate the beauty of nature. The artistic side of Northern Louisiana’s people shows by their wallpapers and especially the stunning city murals. I am looking forward to being there.
I have never been to Louisiana. It is on our to go to list though. That little chapel is so cute!
Love all these pics! I would love to live in a big ole plantation style house, they are amazing.
Wonderful photos & we stop in New Orleans every fall, so maybe we should pick some other places to visit.
Wow these are the wonderful pics. I love them all. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I have never been to Northern Louisiana! But I want to….. Cause um… SEAFOOD but of course, LOL!
And um, looks like I need to go in the FALL!
love love love
LOVE New Orleans. They have the best food and I always have so much fun there. I haven’t been to Northern Louisiana though. Great post!
your photos looks amazing! got a chance to see the place via your photos, Can’t remember if i had pecan pie yet or have not. will put this in my list to try if ever. Don’t we all love fried foods as our comfort food? they are just divine!
These photos are so amazing. I felt like I was there!
Mardi Gras! I hope to be able to go one day. We’ve driven through Louisiana before but never spent much time there, but it looks amazing!
Beautiful big trees and pecan pie – right up my alley! What a wonderful range of photos as well!
I have wanted to go to New Orleans since, ever! It is high up on my bucket list. Never been to the rest of Louisiana though.
I’ve been to New Orleans so many times, but this was a real treat to see another part of Louisiana… gorgeous photos!
These photos are so beautiful, this is going on my travel bucket list.
What a beautiful place! I would love to go one day.
Such lovely views! Sounds like a wonderful trip. Glad you were able to experience something like this.
Would love to visit this place. Looks so serene and seems like a yoga retreat.
My boyfriend was just in Louisiana for 2 weeks for work and all he did was rave about the food. I have to admit I was jealous since I was at home eating the usual. I feel like I need to visit just to experience the food!
Oh this place looks great! All photos are so pretty. Hope i can visit here someday.
Omg just loving the pics!!! I’ve never been to Louisiana before! Hopefully one day I make the trip
I am from Central Texas and used to drive to Northern Louisiana all of the time. Other than the roads (which can be atrocious some places) I loved it. The weather is nice, the food is to die for, and the history is amazing. This post just made me super homesick! 😛
I’ve never been to Louisiana (only thru movies). I only knew that some old-money families lives here and became a huge part of the American history.
Wow! The houses are breathtaking. I really enjoyed the pictures that you’ve shared with us. I’m sure you had a great time touring each place. The food is traditional, which makes it incredible.
My friend Jada is a Shreveport blogger who keeps me up to date on things going on around town. She always finds the most fascinating topics to write about, especially the food! I honestly had never ever HEARD of Shreveport until I met her!
What a fabulous experience that must have been for you, judging by the photos! I would love to visit one day!
Northern Louisiana is very different from Southern Louisiana – both beautiful though! As a native Louisianian, I can say we have some pretty amazing places to visit! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
These photos are amazing it looks beautiful there and the food also looks so good.
I have always wanted to visit Norther Louisiana, simply because of the food!! There is just something about how they cook down there that makes everything taste scrumptious
It looks like such a charming peaceful place. I love the covered walkway in the gardens – so stunning and the houses and surrounding look exactly how i imagine the South to be. I’d love to explore more of America rather than just the big cities.
Love these photos! It looks like a peaceful and quiet place to rewind and reflect. Haven’t been to Louisiana yet wish to visit one day. Happy Mardi Gras!
This is really beautiful place! Never been there, it looks quite peaceful. Those wallpapers are so stunning
These photos are really beautiful and unique! That place is exactly what I want to visit. Hoping this year.
wow you captured some awesome photos and moments. i havent heard of nola but it looks amazing.
I would loved to stay in the Fairfield Manor! It looks so amazing, like being a princess!! And that pecan pie…!!!
lol on the pecan pie. I don’t blame you, I’d have no regrets either. 🙂 And it does look very lovely.
NOLA looks like such a pretty place!! Would love to visit it!! Your pictures are amazing!!
I love these photos! So beautiful glad you shared this place, never been there but I love it, it’s really romantic as well.
Interesting wall papers and that slice of pecan pie looks so delicious! I haven’t been to North Louisiana but your post is so inviting, makes me want to visit it with my family. 🙂
NOLA is such a beautiful place with a unique history and people. I love watching the floats during Mardi Gras, I heard they had to kick people off Bourbon Street.
Oh wow, because there was too many people there during Mardi Gras this year?
This is somewhere I hope to visit one day. The entire culture with New Orleans is just amazing and so much fun but I’ve never been North.
Beautiful indeed! Natural beauty, comfort food, gorgeous home – So perfect! Can’t ask for more. Thanks for sharing these beautiful shots
The place looks relaxing specially with the trees and bushes around the area. The food looks delectable as well. Hope to spend Mardi Gras there as well.
What a beautiful place and your pictures are gorgeous! Would love to stay at that hotel!
I have never traveled to Northern Louisiana yet, but I love your photos in this post. It looks like a place where you’d love to retire in. The community looks like they are full of warm, friendly and hospitable folks.
I have been meaning to go to Louisiana forever. Will surely refer to your awesome post when we plan a trip.
This was a great photo tour of Northern Louisiana. When I saw NOLA in the I assumed this was about New Orleans because NOLA is the acronym for that city. I was quite surprised to see it was something different. I lived in Gulfport, MS for about 7 years and was about 45 minutes from New Orleans so I was there often. But, I never made the trip to the northern part of the state and I see I’m really missing out.
wow! beyond gorgeous and paceful!Thanks for sahring!