There are so many attractions between Houston and New Orleans that finding the best road trip route is so clear. So what is the best route for this 350-mile road trip? You pass quaint small towns and natural wonders, historic sites here and there, and a few national forests. There is a lot of open road between Southeast Texas and Central Louisiana. Our trip starts with seeing a few sites in Houston. If you go a bit North of Houston and you end up in the quaint town of New Waverly you will find
1 Sam Houston National Forest (New Waverly, Texas)
One of the best times to visit is in October. Camping is permitted and they do have areas that you can hunt. There are areas where you can boat and fish. So this could easily be a place where you can spend the day and even the night. Then wake up the next day and take a short drive to H-Town.
Before we leave Houston.
2 Buffalo Bayou Park (Houston, Texas)
At the park, you can have a picnic at a picnic table. see public art. This a 160-acre park where visitors enjoy beautiful gardens, hikes, and bike trails (bike rentals are available) There are food trucks at the entrance if you are hungry or a Mexican Kitchen that is located at Lost Lake. You could easily spend an afternoon here enjoying this beautiful park.
3 Discovery Green (Houston, Texas)
This park is a good time. It has a lot of activities, they often have live music and events going on. but it is also a great place to just hang out and catch up with friends. There are also a lot of restaurants in the area that you can visit. You are welcome to bring a picnic, lawn chair, and blankets but alcohol and glass containers are prohibited. Food, beer, and wine can be purchased at the Lake House Café.
4 Museum District (Downtown Houston, Texas)
Houston does not have a shortage of Museums. There are 20 museums in 4 walkable Zones.
In Zone One is the Houston Center for Photography, Inprint, Rothko Chapel, The Menil Collection
In Zone Two Asia Society Texas, Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, Czech Center Museum Houston, Diverseworks, Holocaust Museum Houston, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston Museum of African American Culture, and Lawndale Art and Performance Center
In Zone Three Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, The Jung Center, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
In the Fourth Zone The Children’s Museum, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston Zoo, Moody Center for the Arts, and the Health Museum.
5 Minute Maid Park (Houston, Texas)
This is a great place to catch an Astros Baseball Game. They have a Team store that you can visit on Non- Game Days. Minute Maid Park often has Concerts with large headliners. Past acts have been Def Leppard, Journey, and Billy Joel.
Let’s head to Beaumont next.
6 Spindletop Hill Salt Dome (Beaumont, Texas)
This is a salt dome near Beaumont that helped establish the Gulf Coast as the epicenter for oil and gas. This site is largely depleted of oil now and is currently used as an underground storage site for oil and gas and waste injection.
7 Lamar University (Beaumont, Texas)
This University has a close community feel to it. The University’s institutional identity is tied to the 1901 Spindletop oil gusher. This is a State of Texas accredited school. If you have an interest in seeing the Boomtown Museum you will find it on campus.
8 Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum (Beaumont, Texas)
This museum takes visitors back in time to experience what life was like on the hill for the workers, the deal makers, and families who called this area home during the early 20th century boom days.
Let’s head to Port Arthur.
9 Museum of the Gulf Coast (Port Arthur, Texas)
The Hall of Fame portion of this museum has a Music Hall of Fame, a Sports Legend Gallery, and a Notable People Gallery.
The Pompiian Villa is a historic house that was built in 1900.
This museum also has an impressive collection of items ranging from photographs, documents, and physical objects representing the biology and history of the Gulf Coast region ranging from prehistoric to the present.
10 Sea Rim State Park (Sabine Pass, Texas)
You can stay at this park at one of the campsites or in a cabin if you are looking for a place to stay overnight. You can fish here, they will loan you fishing gear, and no license is needed in a state park or from a shore. They also have horseback trails that are 3 miles long. You will need to bring your horse for horseback riding. Alligators are known to live in the park. Your gator country, baby! There is a wildlife refuge nearby.
Let’s cross the border and go into Louisiana
11 Kisatchie National Forest (Provencal, LA) (Louisiana Border)
You are crossing the border when you head into Louisiana’s only National Forest. Here you can bike, hike, go horseback riding, and off-roading for a little bit of muddy fun! Of course, they offer fishing, camping, and some hunting, if you’re interested. There is a little bit for everyone here.
12 Creole Nature Trail (Sulphur, TX)
This scenic byway is affectionately known as the “Louisiana Outback.” It is one of only 150 designated scenic byways in the USA. You will see alligators, many species of birds, and 26 miles of the Gulf of Mexico beaches where many fish and crabs. You will experience Cajun culture as you travel the Creole Nature Trail. There are a few places to stop if you wanna try out some of that Cajun culture when you enjoy this beautiful drive. Click here for a list of establishments.
From here we head to Lake Charles
13 Museum of Imperial Calcasieu (Lake Charles, LA)
This museum was founded in 1963 and for nearly 60 years the museum has housed a permanent collection of artifacts and memorabilia depicting life in the old Imperial Calcasieu region from the Native Americans to the present.
14 Golden Nugget (Lake Charles, LA)
The Golden Nugget is a Las Vegas-style Casino Resort and it is the perfect place for an overnight stay if you are looking to trade in the tent and blow-up mattress for a king-size bed. They have many musicians who flow through the entertainment area. Some notable people I have seen there are Richard Marx, Little River Band, and Rick Springfield. They also have a full casino area and a beautiful area to swim in for hotel guests. They do have limited spots for guests not staying at the resort who want to enjoy the pool. A wristband can be purchased. If you are hungry you will find a wide range of establishments and of course a Vegas-style buffet.
15 L’Auberge Casino (Lazy River and Pool) (Lake Charles, LA)
L’Auberge Casino Resort has a different feel and it is right next door to the Gold Nugget. L’Auberge has a spirit of Texas Hill Country. They also offer many dining options and entertainment with headliners such as KC and the Sunshine Band, Trace Askins, and Clint Black. They have an outdoor pool as well with a Lazy River for guests to enjoy They do have limited spots for guests not staying at the resort that want to enjoy the pool. A wristband can be purchased. 16 Prien Lake Park (Lake Charles, LA)
This is a beautiful area for a quick stop and also has a boat lunch if you would like to get in the water. This park has an outdoor pavilion for a quick lunch or a place to stretch your legs. This park has offered movies under the stars in the past. There are many parks in this area to let the kids stretch their little legs and run at if you would like to see a full list you will find it here.
Let’s go see the Atchafalaya
17 Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge
This wildlife conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System. You will see a mixture of swamps, and scenic bayous oxbow lakes, it is a great place to hunt and fish, boat, bird watch, paddle, or just enjoy the scenery. This refuge is on the east side of the Atchafalaya River.
18 Atchafalaya Basin
This is America’s largest freshwater swamp. These swamp lands are a part of the Louisiana heritage and stretch 14 parishes. Atchafalaya means “long river” in American-Indian. That is exactly what this is. It is home to sugarcane and cotton, ancient live oaks, and towering cypress, Alligators, raccoons, and bears roam the land. Come see the swamp lands of Louisiana.
We have made it to Baton Rouge.
19 USS Kidd Veterans Museum(Baton Rouge, LA)
You can tour Downtown Baton Rouge’s Fletcher-Class Destroyer USS Kidd (DD-661) and Louisiana Veteran’s Museum. Open daily from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. The site offers overnight camping trips for groups and houses Military service ceremonies. It is the perfect educational experience for young and adults alike.
20 Blue Bayou Water Slides and Dixie Landing (Baton Rouge, LA)
These two parks are loaded with attractions. One is a waterpark that would be a great place to burn some energy and cool off from the southern summer heat. From the pirate experience to the lazy river and the many slippery slides, this place is a place that will bring joy to young and grown alike. Dixie Landing is perfect for the roller coaster-loving crew. The thrill seekers are there for the best time! From the roller coasters to the train and tea cups. It has a little bit for everyone.
Next up is Vacherie!
21 Oak Alley Plantation (Vacherie, LA)
You cannot go to New Orleans without visiting a Plantation on the way. This is an immersive journey into the antebellum South. This historic site reveals the grandeur, challenges, and undeniable impact on American History. This site shares its time as a working sugarcane plantation. The plantation has interpretive exhibits including the slavery at the Oak Valley, the Big West and East Gardens, and various exhibits. There is a beautiful gift shop on site.
Last stop before New Orleans.
Let’s see LaPlace.
22 Cajun Pride Swamp Tours (Laplace, LA)
Let’s see some Alligators. Swamp creatures, seeing the boats daily, recognize them as part of their normal environment. Unafraid and responsive to their boat captain’s call, they peak out from the underbrush and between moss-draped trees and shrubs, frequently coming directly to the boat. In the safety and comfort of the boat, you can come within a few feet of jumping alligators.
We made it to New Orleans!
23 Lake Pontchartrain (New Orleans, LA)
Many people love to go fishing here. but most just drive over it to enter New Orleans. However, if you are a die-hard and want to get in a bit more wildlife here is a list of places you can stop and cast a line.
24 French Quarter (New Orleans, LA)
While in the French Quarter be sure to visit Pirates Alley a thin throughcare off Jackson Square that is believed to be the place where Andrew Jackson met pirate Jean Lafitte in a clandestine pow-wow are probably that — myths. If a powerful official was going to meet with a wanted pirate, they probably wouldn’t do so on a pedestrian alley that ran alongside the city’s then-largest church.
Cafe Du Monde is a charming little cafe on the streets where you can enjoy coffee and pastries but be sure to bring cash, as they do not accept cards. Ten dollars will get you a couple of beignets and coffee. they do have an ATM available.
Also be sure to visit the French Market which is full of a large, open-air bazaar of local gifts and souvenirs, fresh fruits and produce are often sold there. it is a local flea market, of sorts. You will find many restaurants and places to stay in the French Quarter.
25 Jackson Square (New Orleans, LA)
This is a park and area square that is one of the most recognizable landmarks. This area hosts many events and has been a backdrop in a few movies as well. In the center of Jackson Square, you will find a bronze statue of Andrew Jackson. Located on Decatur Street, between the Jax Brewery Shopping Mall and the French Market, in front of the St. Louis Cathedral, you’ll find Jackson Square. Jackson Square is also the location of an open-air artist colony, where artists display their work on the outside of the iron fence. Visitors even have the opportunity to see the artists at work and perhaps have their portraits drawn by one of the many talents utilizing Jackson Square as their studio.
This post has been about all the fun attractions you find between Houston and New Orleans.
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