Louisiana

Cultural Regions

Sportsman ‘s ParadiseUpper-land South Region

• If you're looking for excitement, you will find both indoors and out in Sportsman's Paradise. You can hit the jackpot in one of our big-city casinos or land a trophy-size bass on one of our many fishing holes. Either way, the odds for having a great time are in your favor.

Parishes

Physical FeaturesRolling Hills Dense Forests

Clear Lakes

Rushing Rivers

Bountiful Wildlife

Attractions:Outdoor Adventures

•Bird watching•Deer•Quail hunting

•Trout Fishing

Shopping

Riverboat CasinosGardens of the American Rose Center and the Barnwell Garden and Art Center.

State Parks:Jimmie Davis State Park, Lake D’Arbonne State Park Lake Bistineau State Park .

Sportsman’s ParadiseFestivals – this is just a few

Louisiana Watermelon Festival – Union Parish

D'Arbonne BBQ Fest & Louisiana. State BBQ Championship – Union Parish

Red River Western Festival – Bossier Parish

LA Blueberry Festival –Desoto Parish

Christmas Festival – Claiborne Parish

Mudbug Madness-Shreveport

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzm5H2s7QWI

Landmarks

Poverty Point-

Delhi, West Carroll

Shreveport-municipal-auditorium

Waterworks

pumping stationShreveport

Religion/FoodReligion is Primarily Protestant

Brief History:

The Upland South region was

primarily populated by Scotch-Irish who

migrated from Georgia, Alabama, South

Carolina, Mississippi, and Tennessee

(Roach-Lankford 1985). The majority of

these immigrants were Baptist or

Methodist small farmers with a strong

Protestant work ethic.

Food traditions include:•relishes and chow chow jellies, jams, and preserves•vegetable crops •Hogs and cattle. •venison, squirrel, raccoon, rabbit,

and quail •fish (both farm-raised catfish and gamefish such as crappie and bream). •All of these may be fried. Sunday dinners at noon, fish fries, and barbecues are common occasions.

Food

Music•Gospel•Blue grass•Old Time Country

Weekly country music shows such as the Dixie Jamboree in Ruston and the former Louisiana Hayride radio show in Shreveport reflect this heritage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T5ToaJowPk&feature=related

Cross Roads• Located in the center of

Louisiana, the Crossroads region was once known as "No Man's Land," and wasn't included in the original purchase in 1803. But times have changed and this area is now notorious for its rich culture and beautiful and diverse natural habitat.

ParishesAllen ParishBeauregard ParishCatahoula ParishConcordia ParishGrant Parish La Salle ParishNatchitoches ParishRapides ParishSabine Parish Vernon Parish.

Physical Features

Extensive prairies

piney hill

country

minor swamplands

large rivers that carry waterborne freight clear streams with

sandy bottoms

deciduous forests

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=872ATU4IjN0

Attractions

recreational activities such as water sports, fishing, hunting, and camping as well as the dining

Historical attractions in the larger cities of Alexandria and Natchitoches (the oldest city in Louisiana). Kate Chopin House

in Cloutierville, LA; Kisatchie National Forest, with over 800,000 acres of unspoiled wilderness; and Melrose and Frogmore Plantations

•next

1 of 7

Wilderness in the Heart of Louisiana

                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Festivals in Central LouisianaFall Festival – La Salle Parish

Natchitoches Jazz R&B Festival

Louisiana Piano Series International

Fall Pilgrimage Tour of Homes

Art Along the Bricks

Bloomin' on the Bricks

Landmarks

Home of Kate Chopin, author of The Awakening, source for her writings on bayou

Los Adaes was the capitol of Tejas on the northeastern frontier of New Spain from 1729 to 1770. It included a mission, San Miguel de los Adaes and a presidio, Nuestra Senora del Pilar de Los Adaes (Our Lady of Pilar of the Adaes).

Magnolia Plantation

Natchitoches Historic District

Oakland Plantation

Yucca Plantation

Food

• The area’s culinary heritage consists of rib-stickin’ home cookin’, whether that’s fluffy, buttery biscuits or an alligator jambalaya. The food the area is most famous for, however, is pie – meat pie, that is. These pies consist of a pastry crust, folded in half, stuffed with spicy meat and pine nuts, baked until flaky and brown. Indulge in one (or two!) at Lasyone’s Meat Pie Restaurant in Natchitoches.

Baked-ham sandwiches Tamale

Music

Zydeco, Folk and CountryFeatures accordions and

washboards known as rub-boards or frottoirs. Throughout the year, live entertainment is found on the riverbank in downtown Natchitoches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5g51M1SNjI

Religion

• Protestants are concentrated in the northern and central parts of the state.

Current religious affiliations of the people of Louisiana:

Christian: 90% Protestant: 60%

Evangelical Protestant 31%[62] Historically black Protestant: 20%[62] Mainline Protestant 9%[62]

Roman Catholic: 28%[62] Other Christian: 2%

Jehovah's Witnesses: 1% [62] Other Religions: 2%

Islam: 1%[62] Buddhism: 1% [62] Judaism: less than 0.5%[62]

Non-religious (unaffiliated): 8%

Acadiana – Cajun Country• Cajun County is a perfect

place to attend a lively crawfish boil, explore a historic antebellum home, tour the TABASCO® hot sauce factory, embark on an exciting Cajun swamp tour or stop by one of the region's many festivals and celebrations. One visit to Cajun Country and it's easy to see why the region's residents believe in joie de vivre — "The Joy of Life!"

Cajun Country spans across

the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, with the heart of the region in

Lafayette. The first French Canadians settled in Cajun Country and developed a unique culture known for their

dialect (Patois), spicy food, and Zydeco music.

1. Calcasieu 2. Cameron 3. Jefferson Davis 4. Evangeline 5. Acadia 6. Vermilion 7. Avoyelles 8. St. Landry 9. Lafayette 10. Pointe Coupée 11. St. Martin 12. Iberia 13. St. Mary 14. W. Baton Rouge 15. Iberville 16. Assumption 17. Ascension 18. St. James 19. Lafourche 20. Terrebonne 21. St. John the Baptist 22. St. Charles

Cajun Country Parishes

Physical Features

Cajun Country folks actually have thrived along these swamps, marshes, prairies and the Gulf Coast for two-and-a-half centuries.

Food One of the best discussions to have is the difference between Cajun food and Creole food, and you can sample the difference in the many classic places around Acadiana. These spots offer the ultimate examples of gumbo, étouffée and po-boys (and don’t forget to save room for bread pudding). Try big, boisterous Prejean’s Restaurant in Lafayette; Café des Amis or the legendary Mulate's®, The Original Cajun Restaurant in Breaux Bridge. Along the road in Lafourche Parish, look for stands selling fresh Creole tomatoes, boudin and andouille (two types of sausage); or gratons (cracklins).

Festivals

• Cinema on the Bayou International Film Festival

• Festival International de Louisiane • Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival• Zydeco Festival• Frog Festival• Rice Festival

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82b_MOHvu7I

Music

• Creole music (i.e. zydeco), swamp blues, swamp pop and Cajun music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etffxJVAwIc&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj7uuezieqM&feature=related

Attractions• Casinos -Delta Downs Racetrack • Swamp tours, Zydeco Hall of Fame • Museums, Restaurants, Cajun Hall of Fame and

Museum• Fishing, hunting, canoeing• And despite all the eating, dancing, fishing, hunting,

biking, antiquing, casino gambling and “festival-ing” to be done, the most common recommendation from those who know is to meet people.

Landmarks

Acadian House

Marksville Prehistoric Indian Site

San Francisco Plantation House

Religion

• Because of French and Spanish heritage, whose descendants are Cajun and French Creole, and later Irish, Italian, and German immigrants, there is also a large Roman Catholic population, particularly in the southern part of the state.

• Greater New Orleans: From the world-renowned festivals of New Orleans, to the end of the Great River Road in Plaquemines Parish, this area offers a variety of experiences for visitors. The city of New Orleans has long been a refuge for the creative powers of artists, writers and musicians, and their influences can be seen around the city. New Orleans offers visitors beautiful architecture, a distinguished zoo and aquarium, night clubs, art museums and galleries, shopping, first-class cuisine, authentic music and streetcar and riverboat rides. Outside of this iconic city travelers can find a myriad of Louisiana adventures such as 900-acre exotic animal safari in Tangipahoa Parish, free ferry ride to visit the National Historic Districts of Algiers Point or a fishing boat charter from Venice or Empire in Plaquemines Parish. Throughout all of these regions visitors will find the kindness of the locals infectious and the unique culture of the areas fascinating.

• Plantation Country: Home to Baton Rouge, Louisiana's capital, this aptly-named region counts the majority of Louisiana's historical plantations, each one with its own unique history. Visitors to this region can experience these old antebellum estates by driving River Road or taking a walking tour in any one of Plantation Country's Parishes. From 1830-1831, Donaldsonville served as the state capital and it still contains pre-Civil War architectural structures including Ascension Catholic Church and St. Emma Plantation. For those visitors who enjoy outdoor sports, St. Charles Parish boasts swamps, bayous, lakes and the Mississippi River, making it the prefect place for any type of water sport or recreation. This region is also famous for antique shops, rustic churches, art galleries, and heritage museums, so take some time and explore all that this historical region has to offer.