In Lake Charles, Louisiana, it wasn’t tourism that was halted by hurricanes. Instead, it was the storm itself.
“Thank goodness, Hurricane Harvey basically stopped about 25 miles west of us,” says Anne Klenke of the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana CVB. “While we did have several residential subdivisions flood in the area, none of our tourism product was impacted by flooding from Harvey.”
Klenke says she was full of sorrow for friends in neighboring Texas communities. “We in Southwest Louisiana sent prayers, assistance and supplies, as we know the whole country and world did.”
Lake Charles, located two hours from Houston, offers visitors a multicultural experience that bridges Texas and Louisiana. “We can give your clients Cajun, Creole, cowboy, casino gaming, the great outdoors, seafood, steak, barbecue, king cake—the list goes on and on,” Klenke says.
Motorcoach tours that visit the area focus on two activities: following the Creole Nature Trail and visiting the Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu.
The Creole Nature Trail is one of 43 scenic byways in the U.S. designated as an All-American Road. “It really connects people of all abilities with nature in its most elemental form,” Klenke says. “Right from the vehicle window they will see alligators—not in cages, this is where the alligators live—as well as birds galore. Over 400 different bird species are spotted in our area each year; it’s birding nirvana!”
She adds that step-on guides who know and love the trail are available to explain what visitors are seeing and to regale them with local stories.
The Mardi Gras Museum showcases the largest collection of Mardi Gras costumes in the world. “And it’s not a behind-glass museum. You can get right up to the pieces to take photos, see the amazing amount of handwork that goes into them and even try on a headdress or two—with the docent’s permission, of course,” Klenke says. “My favorite thing about this museum is that people really get an understanding that Mardi Gras is not just a party; it is actually the celebration before repenting on Ash Wednesday, in preparation for Easter.”
Klenke says groups need at least a day and a half to tour the area, and that the best rates for accommodations are on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights—“Mardi Gras week excluded.”
For more information, email Klenke or go to visitlakecharles.org.
Top photo by Visit Lake Charles
