Outside New Orleans

Facing Uptown on Chartres Street

We don't leave New Orleans often.  When you live on a beautiful street in a beautiful city, there isn't much urge to venture too far.  We do get some guests who rent a car in order to take a trip out to the plantations. 

We always recommend a plantation tour, if you're interested in that.  There are tours, though, that will drive you out to the plantation so that you don't have to rent a car.  On the bus, there's a guide who will describe what you're driving through and the history of the area.  It's very interesting.  On the way back, most people nap.

Some people want to rent a car anyway.  If you want to, there's no reason not to.  Some people say, "We don't want the touristy version.  We want to see the real Louisiana."  Renting a car is certainly one way to do that.

If you want, I can tell you the exit number for the best gas station upriver.  It's past Destrehan.

Gator's One-Stop

Since we get our wine from a winery upstate, we always stop at that exit.  Nobody says "upstate" here, but you're not from here either so you know what I mean.  I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about that gas station that makes me want to pick up some cracklin's and a bottle of Gatorade.

Gas station off the Interstate 10

People ask what it's like outside New Orleans.  Well, it's Cajun country, to start with.  It's a different world out there.  The food is different, for one thing.  The accent is different, too.  It's much more rural, i.e. there's more wildlife.

There are alligators out there.

There are alligators out there

Gator's One-Stop is in Mississippi, not Louisiana.  It's in the small print in the photo above.  These aren't pictures of the gas station I'm talking about.  That one is even better.

A votre santé,
La Belle Esplanade bed and breakfast.