For the weekend we did a road trip through 3 of the deep south states Louisana, Mississippi and Alabama. We flew into New Orleans as our starting point for the weekend.
Hiring A Car
The rental car building at New Orleans Airport is a short 5 minute walk from the main airport terminal, they do offer golf buggy service for those who are not able to walk or have a lot of luggage to transport. We hired our car through Thrifty Rent A Car, the counter staff will take a copy of your drivers license and then will take payment from your credit card. One thing we did notice was we had to question our Thrifty representative if they were holding money on our credit card which is something they will normally advise you without having to ask. After collecting the paperwork we went up to the garage and advised to pick any vehicle we like in the compact car row, which was great as you can then choose something that suits you.
Places to visit
Plantation Alley is definitely a must see if you are interested in learning about the history of the deep south and see some amazing plantation houses which have been restored. We visited a few on the drive along the Mississippi river. Each of the plantation houses do charge entrance fees which can get expensive, we chose to stop at a few of them to only take photos. However the one which i believe is most spectacular to look at is Oak Alley. The entry fee for this plantation is USD25 per adult, this will allow you to walk around the grounds, have a guided tour of the plantation house. We also enjoyed a nice Cajun lunch at the on site restaurant. Now if you would like to do this one on the cheap you can enter the restaurant/ shop from the car park if you walk on the path along the fence line without needing to pay an entry fee. Also if you want to take the risk you can then enter the grounds from here as we didn’t have anyone ask to look at our tickets until we did the guided plantation house tour.
Self Drive Map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1sBBB3fgGZ56drkCW4Te7xDAEDJd8T2xC&hl=en&usp=sharing
Swampland in Louisana is everywhere. We found 2 places just on the outskirts of New Orleans where we could visit for free and do a walk along a boardwalk into the swamp to see the wildlife and plants. The first one we visited was Madere Marsh boardwalk, which is a small boardwalk out into the marsh to a viewing platform where you will overlook the swamp. This is where we spotted out first and only alligator of the trip. The second one we went to which is just the down the road is Bayou Savage Ridge Trail & Boardwalk, here they provide information of the Swamp and wildlife you may see on your walk. The boardwalk is about 1 mile loop. The only wildlife we came across were some birds but was still a nice walk through the swamp.
After exploring the swamp we took the scenic hwy 90 along the coast of Louisana, Mississippi to Mobile, Alabama. There are some lovely beaches you can stop along the way to have a walk or swim at with plenty of parking. Unfortunately the day we drove along the coast was very overcast and foggy, so we couldn’t see much of the ocean unfortunately. The drive will take you about 3 hours depending on traffic and stops.
Mobile was our final stop on the road trip before we were to drive back to New Orleans for a few days. The town itself is small, with not a lot of tourist attractions to see. They have a few parks around, one to visit is Mardi Gras Park which there are statues of the Mardi Gras figures you will see in the parades and what they stand for. They also have a few old historic buildings to visit, as well many different restaurants to try.
Recommended Hotel: The Admiral Hotel- Mobile
Recommended Cafe: Spot of Tea – Mobile
