The other day as I was planning our next anniversary getaway (New Orleans in just a couple weeks!!!) I realized that I never shared our pictures from our Natchitoches visit with you.
Last year, around this time, my husband and I spent our anniversary in the quaint little town of Natchitoches, Louisiana. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, Natchitoches is the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase. The community (pronounced nak-ə-təsh or nak-uh-tush) was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe.
It may be a small town of less than 19,000 but there are loads of fun things to do in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
Here are 7 things you must do in Natchitoches, Louisiana:
1. Stay in one of the 27 bed-and-breakfasts. Natchitoches is a town supported largely by tourism (over 1 million visitors a year!). Despite it’s large tourism draw, the city still has a very quaint, homey feel. The bed-and-breakfasts are tasteful and have an air of old time southern hospitality. We stayed in the Sweet Cane Inn bed-and-breakfast.
We stayed in the Azalea room. The room was beautiful and bright, and though I don’t have a picture of it, I was so impress with the way they had updated the bathroom.
2. Take a carriage tour: If you are short on time, or don’t want to walk all over town, a horse-drawn carriage tour can be a fun (and romantic!) way to take in historic Natchitoches.
On the tour you’ll see some of the great houses of Louisiana history. You’ll also see some famous houses like the Steel Magnolia house (from the movie, now a B&B).
3. Eat at one of the delicious restaurants in historic Natchitoches: We ate at the Pioneer Restaurant & Pub on Washington St. We heard great things about Maglieaux’s on the Cane, but they were closed for a private wedding dinner. For a quick lunch, snack, or dessert I’d highly recommend the Canebreak Cafe on Front Street.
4. Eat a meat pie from Lasyone’s: A few streets back from the main historic area of Natchitoches, Lasyone’s Meat Pie Kitchen & Restaurant can be easy for the casual visitor to miss. Lasyone’s has been open since 1967 and has been serving up their now-famous meat pies since.
5. Visit one of the local historic plantations: There are 3 plantation homes in/around Natchitoches that are open for tours: Melrose Plantation, Oakland Plantation, and Magnolia Plantation (this home is a private residence and not open for tours, but the grounds are). We visited the Melrose Plantation which was just a short drive from historic Natchitoches.
The grounds were gorgeous and the buildings (of which there were several) were so well preserved.
We were only in Natchitoches for a little under two days and we packed in as much as we possibly could. There are plenty of other fun things to do in Natchitoches, Louisiana to fill an adventurer’s time. Make sure you check out the Natchitoches Calendar of Events for fun seasonal activities and festivals!
View to the Cane River.
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