Things to do in Natchitoches, Louisiana

Natchitoches, Louisiana is the oldest continuous settlement in the Louisiana Purchase. It's an interesting place for artists, romantics, history lovers, and anyone with an interest in times gone by. The founder of Natchitoches, Louis Juchereau de Saint Denis, has descendants who now must number in the thousands, because he had several children, who had several more, and on and on. I am one of those descendants, and if you have Louisiana ancestry, there is a chance that you too, are a descendant, which would make us distantly related.

The historic district of Natchitoches is a fun place to be, and there are lots of things to do. Pictures are posted below the following list of things to do:

1. Rent a paddle boat and paddle around Cave River Lake.

2. See an old house made of bouselage, consisting of deer hair, mud, and Spanish moss.

3. Take a trolley tour.

4. Ride a horse-drawn buggy.

5. See the gnarly oak tree that grows down the hill from Front Street, near the river(actually Cane River Lake, a horse shoe lake).

6. See the hugely wide oak tree on Second Street, one block from Front Street.

7. Eat Natchitoches Meat Pies.

8. Walk the brick streets and see the wrought iron--there is a lot of it! It reminds me of New Orleans.

9. If you're an artist or photographer, you can take pictures and sketch things like the wrought iron, the Cane River Lake and fountain, the lamp posts with flags and flowers hanging from the poles, the brick streets, the old churches, and more.

10. Stay in a bed and breakfast inn. There are several of them.

11. As you stroll Front Street and beyond, shop in the galleries, gift shops, clothing stores, and general store. And, shop in whatever-I'm-leaving-out here.

12. Eat in one or two of the historic district restaurants.

13. Go by the historic cemetery. It's shady there, and nice on warm days. I don't mean to seem strange, but I noticed some of the prettiest insects at this cemetery.