Get that Southern Fever in Creole Country

Take a grand tour of Louisiana's Creole Country with a road trip along Cane River Road. This 70-mile route traverses several highways and features beautiful scenery and several plantation-era landmarks. With some car travel tips directing you to key sights in the area, you'll be ready to soak in the antique glory of Creole Country.

Start in Natchitoches, which was part of the Louisiana Purchase and also served as the location for the much beloved film Steel Magnolias. The town's Landmark Historic District hosts several festivals to display what the region has to offer, from barbecue cookoffs to art shows. Much of the original architecture remains.

Head to the Oakland Plantation, which is open to the public (many former plantations in the area are privately-owned) and hosts the Cane River Creole National Park headquarters. Be sure to check out the rare bottle garden. Further south you'll reach the Melrose Plantation, which was founded by a freed slave named Marie Thérèse Coincoin.

This route can provide an opportunity to teach your kids more about key historical developments they may have been introduced to at school.  

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