On a day trip to St. Bernard Parish, the aroma of chargrilled oysters drifts past an impromptu dance floor, where couples sway to King Harvest’s “Dancing in the Moonlight.” A trio of pageant queens in sashes, tiaras and rain boots share a tray of freshly boiled shrimp beneath the white canopy.
The darkening sky doesn’t seem to worry lively locals who’ve shown up to buy shrimp straight off the net-winged trawlers docked along Bayou la Loutre.
This seafood market in Hopedale is just one of a surprising variety of attractions — from arthouse movies and consignment shopping to idyllic fishing villages and deep dives into local history – awaiting New Orleans day trippers in “Da Parish” right next door.
Scenic Highway 46 links together major stops like a string of pearls, starting in the burgeoning artists’ enclave of Old Arabi and stretching out into the Gulf of Mexico. A day trip to St. Bernard Parish offers visitors a true choose-your-own-adventure-style drive and a glimpse of authentic south Louisiana culture.
This story originally ran in The New Orleans Advocate/Times-Picayune. Read the full article at Nola.com. (Don’t miss the newspaper’s slideshow.)
Looking to get way out of town? Try Fairhope, Alabama, a quaint, beach-side town flush with flowers and open-air entertainment.
