By Andy Noorlander
For an authentic taste of the Deep South on Louisiana's North Shore, you need go no further than St. Tammany Parish. Not far from
New Orleans, the parish shares its colorful character and charm while keeping a more laid-back atmosphere. A small cluster of towns bordering a beautiful lake, St. Tammany has all the best of Southern cuisine, wildlife, festivals and hospitality.
Geography
St. Tammany Parish is in southeast Louisiana, about 45 minutes from New Orleans. It faces Lake Pontchartrain and contains the towns of Covington, Mandeville, Slidell, Folsom, Abita Springs, Madisonville and Lacombe.
Activities
Bike the 30 miles along the scenic Tammany Trace, which traces an old rail line. Check out the Old World tasting room at Pontchartrain Vineyards to sample some wines. Sight exotic animals such as giraffes and camels on at the Global Wildlife Center or alligators at Honey Island Swamp. Shop along downtown Covington's row of interesting galleries and stylish boutiques. And after a day of sightseeing, enjoy a stunning lakeside sunset at Mandeville with sailboats silhouetted in the foreground.
Accommodations
There is no shortage of places to stay in St. Tammany Parish, with a range of accommodation choices suiting any budget range. In Slidell, Covington and Mandeville you'll find budget options like RV parks and campgrounds, motels like Super 8, La Quinta and Comfort Inn & Suites, home-style guest houses like Slidell's Woodrigdge Bed and Breakfast, as well as top end hotel chains like Marriott and Holiday Inn.
Festivals
Louisiana is renowned for its celebrations, and St. Tammany Parish is no different. The Mandeville Seafood Festival as well as the famous Lacombe Crab Cook-Off lure both locals and tourists to come taste some of the best dishes in the state. Mandeville's Wooden Boat Festival attracts people to the shores of the Tchefuncte River to check out hundreds of unique wooden boats. Traditional holidays like Halloween and Christmas are also celebrated in style, with locals tending to go all-out on holiday decor. The town of Slidell hosts Christmas Under the Stars, decking the trees of Griffith Park with lights and drawing crowds all through December.
Food
In each of St. Tammany's major towns you can find a range of fine dining options. Be sure to sample seafood such as oyster, shrimp, crab and catfish. For a list of dining options in the St. Tammany region, go to www.louisiananorthshore.com/cms/d/dining.php.
Resources
About the Author:
Andy has attended schools all over the world but is now on the leg last of her Bachelors Degree at Brigham Young University through Independent Study while living in China. She has studied Spanish, Finnish, and Mandarin and is majoring in English literature. She has been a writer fro Demand Studios for over a year.
