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When you tell someone that you are visiting Louisiana, they invariable assume that you are heading to New Orleans. But as most American travel lovers know, Louisiana is a whole lot more than its Lake Pontchartrain town. Nestled between Cajun Country and Louisiana's Sportsman's Paradise resides Louisiana's perfect town, Alexandria. The Red River runs through Alexandria which is where its history begins. Used for travel and trade, the Red River supported the Native Americans, the French, the Spanish and the final settlers who developed the land by establishing plantations of cotton and sugar using the river to ship their goods to market. Between these cash crops, slavery, the civil war and later support for American troops heading to Europe in world war two, Alexandria contains more history than most U.S. cities of its size.

Nowadays Alexandria is a thriving community of over 200,000 people. It has clean streets, great restaurants, plentiful golf courses, a mild climate (except for summer), a convention center, art workshops for artists and a modern art museum (bringing the Heart of Spain exhibit in 2003.) Alexandria has a modern airport and is also accessible via interstate highway 49.

The Kent Plantation House is central Louisiana's oldest standing structure and official site of the Opening Ceremony for the upcoming 2003 Louisiana Purchase bicentennial celebration. This plantation was completed in 1800 and is a classic example of French Colonial architecture. It has museum-quality items dating back to 1855. Kent house offers open hearth cooking in the outdoor kitchen and also sponsors and annual Sugar Day the second weekend of November with sugar making in its recreated 1840s sugar mill. Kent Plantation House is near the Alexandria airport.

Tunit and Biloxi owned Paragon Casino and Resort which an award winning restaurant, gaming area, name entertainment at great low rates, a beautiful full service hotel and the beautiful Tamakha Trails golf course.

Loyd Hall Plantation B&B - a real working farm with a swimming pool, modern rooms filled with antiques, kitchens, porches, gardens and a mansion with ghosts on the national historic registry.

The Bentley Hotel downtown Alexandria for parties, conventions, proms and meetings. The Bailey has a climate-controlled walkway over to the convention center. It comes as a full service hotel with restaurants, caterers, lounges, a comedy club, and a wedding planner. The Bentley was used to train U.S. troops just before entering world war two.

Alexandria Zoological Park which exhibits in a natural setting and cares for over 500 animals including 20 endangered species and local birds.

Bayou Pierre Alligator Park and show where you can see Louisiana's most famous reptiles

Beau Fort Plantation with renovated buildings and knowledgeable tour guides

Cypress Bend Golf Resort and Conference Center

Emerald Hills golf resort

Frogmore Plantation and gins where cotton was cleaned and spun into fabric

Grand Casino Avoyelles for the best in gaming fun

Hodges gardens where the seasons of Louisiana are displayed in its plant life

River Oaks Square art center where local artists come to work

Tunk's Cypress Inn restaurant where you can dine on Alligator and great Louisiana seafood.

Semolina's Restaurant in the heart of Alexandria, the only Italian restaurant serving Thai Curry Crawfish on angel hair pasta (my favorite) and other great seafoods creatively cooked and presented by the local chef.

Louisiana Maneuvers and Military museum located on Camp Beauregard, an active military base in Pineville, Louisiana. Guided tours are provided at the museum which contains both indoor and outdoor displays.

Alexandria Museum of Art downtown Alexandria with a Children's Interactive Gallery.

The Cottage Restaurant which is lovely for lunch

The "A Shoppes" where treasures from your trip to Alexandria, Louisiana can be found

Natchitoches (pronounced Nak - a- dosh) is one of Louisiana's best small towns to visit, stay and relax. Famed by the filming of "Steel Magnolias" this town is graced by the Cane River, natural beauty, lovely parks, a developed water front, 38 bed and breakfasts (B&Bs), great restaurants, an art museum and antiques galore. So many of America's small towns offer little to visitors, but Natchitoches has benefited by one of the smartest moves in the country i.e., self-investment. Nearly all the B&B's are restored Louisiana style buildings. Many are on the national registry of historic buildings. All are beautifully decorated and furnished with antiques.

Natchitoches reeks with pride and caters to visitors from all over the world. Investors flock to developing towns like Natchitoches where housing has been restored, history has come alive and Lasyone's Meat Pies are still made the old fashioned way - with lots of meat. Mr. Lasyone began selling meat pies as a street vendor. They become so popular that he opened a restaurant in an 1850s building which had been the Masonic Lodge. The pies are still hand made using an 80/20 mixture of beef and pork. The pies are then deep fat fried in peanut oil. The rest of the recipe is a secret. The Cane river Cream pie is the best at Lasyone's as well.

The Kate Chopin House is available for tours. Kate wrote Creole short stories set in the famed Cane River country. She wrote, The Awakening, which paints the colorful history of the famous families of Natchitoches.

Magnolia Plantation is operated by the National Park Service and has eight saddlebag-style quarters with a rare masonry slave village. The cabins were initially built in the 1840s to house two slave families each. Magnolia's huge gin barn houses a rare wooden screw cotton press. The 11 by 30 foot structure still stands in its original location and was used until the late 19th century when the plantation converted to steam.

The U.S. congress established Cane river Creole National historic Park in November 1994. The park consists of Oakland and Magnolia Plantations located along Cane River in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. As part of the National Park system, the sites demonstrate the history of colonization, frontier influences, French Creole architecture, slavery and tenancy labor systems, changing technologies and evolving social practices over two hundred years. The park's physical resources consist of over 47 historic buildings, impressive plantation landscapes, family and plantation records, and an extensive collection of tools.

The Creole cultural Center is located near St. Augustine Catholic Church founded by descendants of the original Creole families of Cane River. The church's cemetery still bears the names of families living in the area today.

The Melrose Plantation dates back to 1796. It was established by descendants of Marie Therese Coincoin, a former slave who became a wealthy landowner and businesswoman., The nine-building plantation includes Yucca House, the colonial residence, African House salve fort and provision house , and the Big House which is an early Louisiana plantation home.

The Oakland Plantation is the most complete Creole plantation in the South with 17 of its original outbuildings still remaining. The plantation house was probably constructed by slaves in 1818 and exemplifies early construction methods and the use of such materials as hand-hewn timbers and bousillage fill (made from mud, Spanish moss and deer hair.)

Fort St Jean Baptiste is a state historic site and consists of a full-scale replica of the 1734 French fort built in Natchitoches. French marines lived inn this colonial fort until the Cane River changed its boundaries. Tours are provided by costumed hosts whose knowledge of life and war in colonial Louisiana makes the place come alive.

Natchitoches provides a streetcar tour of the National Historic Landmark District which shows off most of the restored B&Bs in town, areas where Steel Magnolias was filmed, and the American Cemetery, one of the few where the author, Payne Williams, provides tours of the American Cemetery on which he published his book, The American Cemetery: The Oldest Cemetery in the Louisiana Purchase and a Shrine to God and History. Pick up the streetcar at the Riverside Park.

The Old Courthouse and State Museum houses the best collection of Clementine Hunter's paintings. The building dates to 1896 and chronicles the life, impact and art of one of America's most important self-taught artists. Hunter's life spanned over a century and she spent all of those years residing in the Cane River region. She lived on Melrose Plantation until her death in 1987 at the age of 102. Starting out as a slave, she watched artists work at the Plantation whose owner catered to artists. Clementine would pick up discarded paint tubes and began to paint. She was recognized as a talent by one of the visiting artists who encouraged her to continue developing her own style.

For the children, a visit to Bayou Pierre Alligator Park and Show is a must. This five-acre park is an authentic Cajun countryside complete with Cajun music, genuine Cajun cuisine and an abundance of world-famous Louisiana "joie de vivre." Alligators are bred here where a portion are released into natural areas where they now thrive.

For the outdoor lover, Kisatchie National Forest is one of the most unique national forests with over 600,000 acres and areas set aside for off-road vehicles. One to five-hour hiking and driving tours are available in recreational areas of Kincaid and Valentine Lake. Endangered species reside in the forest and can be viewed along with unusual geologic formations and tree identification routes. The Forest is perfect for picnics, swimming, fishing, hiking, biking, motor biking, 4 wheeling, and camping. Kisatchie's Wild Azalea Trail is Louisiana's longest as it travels through 31 miles of wooded areas. Hunting for wild turkey is allowed here at various times of the year with no lottery.

With the terrible events of September 11, 2002, most people flying today are doing so out of necessity, not for vacations. This is evident in the loss of business for the recreational travel industry including international tours, cruise lines, and even Hawaii. But all is not lost.

Coming to Alexandria, Louisiana is the "Heart of Spain." To celebrate the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase, a coveted exhibit was awarded to the Alexandria Museum of Art (despite heavy competition from the New York City and Washington D.C. art museums.) Starting Labor Day in 2003, the "Heart of Spain" will display religious icons art and antiquities. Starting in May 2002, Dr Javier Morales, special curatorial appointee by Spain's Minister of Cultural Affairs, and his delegation have been working with the Alexandria Museum of Art on the design for this special exhibit.

The exhibit features works of art from the pre-Christian Byzantine and Gothic eras and includes renaissance masterpieces by El Greco, Valasquez and Goya. Also included are works from the late 18th and early 19th centuries - when Spain's influence was felt so deeply in Louisiana.

The Alexandria Museum of Art is located downtown near the historic Hotel Bentley. A few blocks away, you can chat with resident artists in their studios at River Oaks Square Arts Center or browse in the galleries and gift shop. Two juried contemporary exhibits - March 4th to April 12th, 2003 and September 2 to October 11th, 2003 - feature Cervantes School of Hispanic art in the Bolton Davis Gallery.

The "Heart of Spain" exhibit is made possible through the cooperation of the Minister of Cultural Affairs; Embassy of Spain; the Secretary of State of Culture, Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports; The Patrimonio Nacional; the Louisiana Department of Culture Recreation and Tourism; and the Louisiana Bicentennial Commission.

"Loyd" Hall Plantation is spelled correctly. Mr. Loyd was not only the outcast of the family, but his relatives forbade him from taking their name, "Lloyd." He left home to develop his own life and built a huge, two-story mansion in the middle of the woods. No one knows what happened to Mr. Loyd, but subsequent owners suffered murders, strange deaths and frightening ghostly appearances.

Loyd Hall Plantation's colorful past is marked by countless tales of survival throughput is 175-year history. Exquisitely restored now, the house had once been in such disrepair it wasn't even listed on the legal deeds. In fact, parents of the current owners discovered the house only after they had purchased the land. A fly over indicated a building covered by vegetation thus not visible to people viewing the area on the land.

Loyd Hall is now a 640-acre plantation in continuous operation since 1800. It provides guests with a hands-on look at Louisiana agriculture. The plantation house itself features ornate plaster ceilings, a suspended staircase, and rare antiques. The house is a registered national historic site and is available for tour, catered dinners and receptions (I experienced a hearty pig roast dinner where the pig is fastened between two wire racks and roasts vertically in front of a cottonwood fire. It pivots in a vertical circle so the fat can drip to the ground. The result was wonderfully smoked and roasted pork.)

The B&B guest rooms are separate from the plantation house but surround a swimming pool, fountain, gardens, a real tree swing, picnic table and friendly outdoor resident cats and dogs. My unit was formerly the plantation kitchen (always separate from the main house so the kitchen fires did not affect the main house.) It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever stayed. The wood porch contained a cushioned bench, and wood rocking chairs. The unit had climate control, stained glass windows, its own eat in kitchen which was stocked with wine, snacks, fruits and breakfast foods which you can cook to your own specifications.

The canopy bed was of antique mahogany with matching dressers and tables. The unit had a fireplace, fluffy pillows, matching rose style canopy with fabrics matching the comforter and curtains. Some units had sofas and Jacuzzi tubs. Each room comes with cable television, VCR, antiques, a modern bath with big billowy towels, clocks, hair dryers, big mirrors, a glass and wrought iron kitchen table and chairs and all the appliances you need. The tasty Louisiana coffee is served and the refrigerator is stocked with sodas and drinking water.

For a relaxing time in rural Louisiana, stay at the Loyd Hall Plantation, just a 16 miles south of Alexandria, LA.

Alexandria, Louisiana, Located on the banks of the Red River stands the Hotel Bentley in Alexandria, Louisiana. This magnificent structure was built in 1908 with and bears a Neo Classical design. The colossal columns, Bedford limestone and terra cotta façade give entrance from its gallery to a grand lobby. A domed ceiling with stained glass highlights the interior gray marble columns and ornately styled mosaic tile floor. All are original from 1908.

Mr. Joseph Bentley constructed the hotel. Mr. Bentley came to western Louisiana from Pennsylvania at the turn of the century to work in the virgin forests of eastern-owned lumber companies. Soon he entered business for himself and was quickly a very wealthy man. Seeing the need for a hotel in Central Louisiana he began construction on Hotel Bentley in 1907.

Hotel Bentley became the focal point of all social life in Central Louisiana. World War I brought many soldiers and families to this area and the reputation of the Bentley became firmly established. With the beginning of World War II, Central Louisiana became the center of a nine-state area for the training of military personnel. Many troop commanders lived at Hotel Bentley such as Major General George Patton, Lt. Col. Omar Bradley and Col. Dwight Eisenhower. They practiced battlefield maneuvers that were later put into practice in Europe during the war.

In 1983, Mr. R. B., (Buddy) Tudor, Jr. began restoration of the property retaining all historic areas. Hotel Bentley is listed on the National Register of Historic places and the restoration was required to meet their guidelines. The hotel was sold once more to Mr. Bob G. Dean, Jr. of Baton Rouge. He again renovated and modernized the hotel still keeping the traditional elegance and romantic ambiance.

Numerous celebrities and politicians have enjoyed the Bentley over the years. The owner's suite was the most magnificent room I have had the pleasure to visit. It consists of a large entryway, dining room, living room, bedroom and meeting room. Butler and kitchen catering have direct access to this owner's suite. A full size lion skin rug graces the comfortable sitting area of the meeting room. Elaborately decorated and smartly appointed for the business travelers, the owner's suite provides the comforts of a fine hotel with the working space needed for relaxing meetings.

Equally elegant are the wedding suites (one for smokers and one for non smokers.) These suites also come with a Jacuzzi tub for couples, impeccable wedding planning and arrangement service, champagne and limousine.

Hotel Bentley offers meeting rooms, ballrooms, restaurants, a comedy club, lounges and grand piano player. It also offers a walkway to the adjacent convention center and both offer plenty of parking.

Not only does Hotel Bentley offer modern and stately accommodations, but its remarkable service is maintained along with the continued elegance. Unmatched service to individuals, couples and businesses is the final crown to this remarkable, historic hotel.