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Any way you slice your muffuletta or dice your beignet, you\u2019ll find that New Orleans is utterly captivating. Yes, one spoonful of gumbo and you\u2019ll be plotting ways to reside here, but this eclectic city has more to offer beyond its food (and nightlife and music!) scene. In fact, it has more to offer beyond its city limits, too.<\/p>\n
New Orleans didn\u2019t just pop up out of nowhere. It\u2019s part of a much bigger network of neighboring cities and communities, where the nature is thriving, the music is streaming, and the food is sizzling. Creole Country, Bayou Country, and swamp country are just a short car ride away from the bead-strewn streets of NOLA. In just a few hours, you\u2019ll find yourself tapping your feet at fais do-dos, stepping back into the past, and maybe even dodging alligators.<\/p>\n
After conducting a survey of 1,000 Americans, we discovered that 83.7 percent of travelers like to explore outside of the main city they\u2019re visiting, so we determined it was time to reveal 11 destinations that are an easy one-day trip from New Orleans. What are you waiting for? Laissez les bon temps rouler!<\/p>\n
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Slidell<\/strong><\/a>: 40 mins away<\/span><\/p>\n Why go:<\/strong> If you\u2019re looking for a different kind of thrill outside of the NOLA party scene<\/p>\n Ready for excitement beyond the Bourbon Street revelry? Adventure awaits in Slidell, where gators lurk below the bayou, less than an hour away from the French Quarter. The good times begin by reeling in trophy trout on Lake Pontchartrain with Angling Adventures of Louisiana, and blasting above the water on an Aquafly New Orleans flyboard. Better yet, venture ridiculously close to the wild boars and alligators on a Honey Island Swamp Day Tour<\/a>. Between catching sight of turtles and snakes beneath the cypress trees, you might even get a glimpse of the ever-allusive Honey Island Swamp Monster\u2014take a photo for evidence! Don\u2019t worry, if you\u2019re looking for something a little tamer on the outskirts of NOLA, you can find it in Slidell, too: order a scoop of Creole Cream Cheese at Old Town Slidell Soda Shop and scour the knick-knacks at the antique shops.<\/p>\n Mandeville<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>45 mins away<\/span><\/p>\n Why go: <\/strong>If you\u2019re looking for nightlife vibes, away from the tourist traps<\/p>\n Yes, the Birthplace of Jazz rattles with rhythm and blues as the bartenders whip up stiff cocktails, but the nightlife doesn\u2019t stop and end with New Orleans. Brass bands wail on stage, long into the night, in neighboring towns, like Mandeville, just across the lake from NOLA. Here you\u2019ll find Dew Drop Jazz & Social Hall, one of the world\u2019s oldest rural jazz halls, built in 1895, the same year scholars agree that traditional jazz started making noise. Ruby\u2019s Roadhouse is another local joint that\u2019s been bringing down the house since 1984. Indulge in more than just jam sessions while you\u2019re in town\u2014imbibe some of the local brews at Old Rail Brewing Company and Chafunkta Brewing Company. A pint of Cow Catcher Milk Chocolate Stout or Voo Ka Ray IPA, and you\u2019ll be ready to crank up the sound.<\/p>\n Houma<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>1 hour 15 mins away<\/span><\/p>\n Why go?: <\/strong>If you\u2019re looking to see what Bayou Country is all about<\/p>\n In just a little over an hour\u2019s drive away, you can leave behind the cobblestone streets of New Orleans for the wetlands of Houma. In the thick of Bayou Country, you\u2019ll find yourself surrounded by marshlands, accented by shrimp boats and moss-draped trees, an enchanting sight to be sure! Do yourself a favor and experience the region\u2019s very first tour of its kind: Annie Miller\u2019s Son\u2019s Swamp & Marsh Tour, which winds through the Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge. Perhaps the ultimate way to explore Houma is on a GeoTour though. After all, Houma is one of the world\u2019s select geocache locations, where you hunt for and unlock hidden caches along the way. Before leaving Houma, add Jolly Inn to your treasure map, where you\u2019ll discover the meaning of fais do-dos for yourself.<\/p>\n Bush<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>1 hour 10 mins<\/span><\/p>\n Why go: <\/strong>If you\u2019re looking to explore (and sample!) the local harvest<\/p>\n Some of the spiciest and most flavor-packed cuisine comes straight from this state, but there\u2019s plenty of goodness to be found before the ingredients even hit the gumbo bowl. Get down to the root of things in nearby Bush, where you can sample the local Louisiana crops. Keaton\u2019s Blueberries, and Blue Harvest Farm (in neighboring Covington) invite you to grab a bucket and pick your weight in berries galore. Prefer to sample some harvest of the 21-and-up variety? Pack a picnic for a tipsy afternoon at Pontchartrain Vineyards & Winery, or plan a visit during the annual Jazz in the Vines concert series. For more fermented pleasure, toast a glass of white at LA Serendipity Vineyards and relish the grapevine-tangled landscape.<\/p>\n Grand Isle<\/strong><\/a>: 2 hours 10 mins away<\/span><\/p>\n Why go:<\/strong> If you\u2019re looking for a beach getaway<\/p>\n If your home base is in New Orleans, you\u2019re just two hours from salty air whipping through your hair and waves splashing the shoreline. It\u2019s too tempting to resist, huh? Make the trek to Grand Isle, where you\u2019ll be greeted by seven miles of beaches along the Gulf Coast. Kick your shoes off and stroll along Grand Isle State Park, scanning the horizon for brown pelicans, or go kayak fishing through the marshes with Calmwaters Charter. If your timing\u2019s right, plan to venture here during April when you can join the flocks of visitors at the Grand Isle Migratory Bird Celebration, where more than 100 kinds of feathered ones gather to rest during their journey up north. Bring your binoculars on the Grand Isle Birding Trail and listen for the music of the songbirds\u2014bliss at its finest!<\/p>\n Avery Island<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>2 hours 15 mins away<\/span><\/p>\n Why go: <\/strong>If you\u2019re looking to add some spice to your vacation<\/p>\n Ready to spice up your life? Feel the heat on Avery Island, where fields of red peppers supply the zest for the hot sauce favorite: TABASCO. You may not have even known Tabasco ice cream and Tabasco soda existed, but now\u2019s your chance to sample the good stuff during a tour of the TABASCO factory and museum. Discover the story behind the zingy red condiment, and then dare your taste buds to brave a meal at the TABASCO Restaurant 1868. When it\u2019s time to beat the heat, romp around the semitropical Jungle Gardens along the Bayou Petite Anse\u2014seek some shade under the willow-like limbs of Southern live oaks and wander under the whimsical Wisteria Arch. With your pockets filled with miniature bottles of hot sauces and your tongue still sizzling, you\u2019ll know you\u2019ve done Avery Island justice.<\/p>\n St. Francisville<\/strong><\/a>: 2 hours away<\/span><\/p>\n Why go: <\/strong>If you\u2019re looking to uncover the past<\/p>\n Two hours in the car is nothing when you discover just what\u2019s waiting for you in time-honored St. Francisville. The past is perfectly persevered here, where you can uncover its allure at historical stops in town, from the Freyhan School to the Afton Villa Gardens. Tour the WFP Historical Museum and read the tombstones at the Locust Grove State Historic Site. Intrigued by more mysterious elements of the past? Take a lap of the Rosedown Plantation<\/a>, which is said to be haunted by its original owners, or listen for the sounds of a crying woman at Myrtles Plantation, regarded as one of the most haunted locales in the nation. Your time here may be spooky and a little kooky, but that\u2019s half the fun!<\/p>\n Breaux Bridge<\/strong><\/a> & Lafayette: <\/strong>2 hours away<\/span><\/p>\n Why go:<\/strong> If you\u2019re looking to get an authentic taste of Louisiana<\/p>\n Allow yourself to follow the scent of crawfish etouffee and boudin blanc to Breaux Bridge and nearby Lafayette, where Creole and Cajun cooking is the main course. They don\u2019t call Breaux Bridge the Crawfish Capital of the World for nothin\u2019, so get ready to start peeling those critters! Breaux Bridge has as long history of serving up crustaceans on the menu, and the delicacy has become such a treat, the town has hosted the annual Crawfish Festival since 1960. Meanwhile, day trips from New Orleans to Lafayette will bring you to another LA staple: boudin. Here you can explore the Boudin Trail, sampling the sausage links, from Johnson\u2019s Boucaniere to Earl\u2019s Cajun Market. And whatever you do, don\u2019t forget to get crackin\u2019 on some cracklin\u2019!<\/p>\n Lake Charles<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>3 hours 20 mins away<\/span><\/p>\n Why go: <\/strong>If you\u2019re looking to embrace the great outdoors<\/p>\n New Orleans has a lot of allure, from its architecture to its history, but when you\u2019re craving some fresh air and open space, Lake Charles is where you belong. Celebrated for its Creole Nature Trail All-American Road, this region is celebrated as one of the nation\u2019s top birding destinations, where you can spot more than 400 kinds of avians and maybe even an alligator along the way. Visit Lake Charles, where 619 square miles of water in the area means it\u2019s prime time for some fishing! Scout out some crawfish, cast a net for some shrimp, and reel in some bass to put dinner on the table. And as long as you\u2019re exploring, soak up some vitamin D among the lagoons and hardwood forest at Sam Houston Jones State Park<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n1-2 hours away<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Left Bottom Via Flickr\/converting<\/a>
Right Via Yelp\/Morgan F.<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n2-3 hours away<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Bottom Right Middle Via Yelp\/Clarissa L.<\/a>
Bottom Right Bottom Via Flickr\/jc.winkler<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n3+ hours away<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Right Top Via Yelp\/Diron K.<\/a>
Right Bottom Via Flickr\/Kimble Young<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n