Maggie Martin

maggiemartin@gannett.com

From lunch at a small north Caddo restaurant where you eat alongside planters in from the field to a walk in a downtown cemetery or ziplining over alligators in Greenwood, there is plenty to do and see in northwest Louisiana.

We discovered many treasures when we dug for things to do, places to go, stops to eat and sights to see for this article.

There are thousands — well, perhaps only hundreds — of area sights, so we had to hunker down and cull to feature small as well as major items. Our quest led us to the unfamiliar and places best recognized. Some were off-the-beaten-path and others we found right in our backyard. In addition, we wanted our list to feature some activities and locations in small towns as well as those in Shreveport-Bossier City.

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We asked public officials such as Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler and Bossier City Mayor Lo Walker and local celebrities like Bill Joyce to weigh in. A host of well-known community faces who roam the area as business people and community volunteers also offered recommendations.

And, of course, we had to enlist the help of our local experts — the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau and the Minden-Webster Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Although we had fun compiling this list of places to see and things to do, we expect a few of you will disagree with our choices and omissions. Write us at news@shreveporttimes.com to vent, but be sure include your own suggestions of favorite places. They could be featured in a future publication.

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1.Dine at Lucky Palace in Bossier City. “My dear friend Kuan Lim has been setting the bar for the service industry since I moved back 17 years ago. He is the most gracious host I have ever met in this industry with incredible wine knowledge and a menu to match. Order (dinner) and whatever wine he is recommending that night,” Chef Jason Brady, affiliated with Wine Country,Zocolo Neighborhood Eatery and Drinkery, Southern Fork Catering.

Downtown Shreveport

2. Get to the Shreveport Water Works Museum. "Grab a volunteer guide and experience a true Victorian Treasure," Liz Swaine, executive director of Downtown Development Association.

3. Jam at JOSH. Downtown’s Just Old School Heritage Jazz and Blues Club. It’s tiny and tucked away and chances are you have missed it.

4. Shreveport Farmers’ Market. Suspend wonder and take in all that the Shreveport Farmers’ Market has to offer. Fresh, juicy and creative — it's a weekly renewal of why farmers are worthy of our love, respect and money.

5. History got us to where we are and many of the famous and infamous are interred at Oakland Cemetery. Take the Saturday tour and learn why both madams and ministers matter to us.

6. Two thousand people painted it, it represents 200,000 more. The giant (SRAC driven) Millennium Mural on the AT&T Building downtown deserves a serious study. How DID artist Meg Saligman get it all so perfect on such a large scale?

Caddo Parish

7. Go to “Little Union Baptist Church to walk the floors where Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Martin Luther King once walked.” state Sen. Greg Tarver.

8. Zipline over alligators at Gators and Friends Alligator Park and Exotic Zoo. One of only two ziplines over alligators in the United States and an unforgettable adventure.

9. Meet the chimps at Chimp Haven during Chimpanzee Discovery Days.

10. Eat a piping hot doughnut at 4 p.m. from Southern Maid Donuts’ Hearne Avenue location. If you’ve never had one of these tasty treats fresh from the fryer, you’re missing out on one of Shreveport’s tastiest and oldest traditions.

11. Experience “peak bloom” at the Gardens of the American Rose Center. At that time, the grounds of America’s largest park dedicated to roses becomes an ocean of colorful blossoms.

12. Run the Sportspectrum Firecracker 5K Race for Research along with 3,500 of your closest friends. Shreveport’s hilly, scenic South Highlands neighborhood and a festive Independence Day atmosphere make this race an essential Shreveport experience.

13. Village Grille “I love to go to the Village Grille on Louisiana around 5:30 p.m. and sit on the corner of the bar. I love the old school 1950s ambiance … I have a glass of wine, a cup of coffee and an ice water.” (Also famous for its “Snow Bears.) Academy Award winner Bill Joyce.

14. Go from zero to 140 miles per hour in 5.2 seconds at Thunder Road Raceway Park’s Driven to Win Drag Racing School in Gilliam.

15. Attend the Lead Belly Memorial Graveside Jam at Shiloh Baptist Church. This graveside jam in honor of the legendary blues musician is a one-of-a-kind experience.

16. Chow down on crawfish at the Slow Food North Louisiana Crawfish Boil, featuring mudbugs, local beer and a neighborly atmosphere.

17. Join the hip crowd at Texas Avenue Makers’ Fair street festival.

Webster Parish

18. Explore the Northwest Louisiana Film Trail in downtown Minden, featuring new movie location signage. Each sign has a QR code, when scanned, a film clip will download on your mobile phone or iPad showing the movie trailer and a scene from the movie filmed at that location.

19. “Gone with the Wind Tour” Hosted by owner Frances Irving, a descendant of Margaret Mitchell, author of the American fiction bestseller, “Gone with the Wind.” Reservations are required with a minimum of 15.

20. Spend a weekend at Muddy Bottoms ATV& Recreation Park, Sarepta. It’s billed as the “Largest ATV park in the nation” and spans over 5,000 acres.

21. Take a canoe and put in at Bayou Dorcheat, a Louisiana designated Scenic River stretching 87 miles from Arkansas to Lake Bistineau in Webster Parish.

22. Take a walking tour of the Minden’s Historic Residential District featuring more than 70 historic properties within walking distance of downtown.

Shreveport

23. “I love Norton Art Gallery. It is a wonderful place with the most beautiful 40 acres of incredible manicured gardens.” Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler.

24. Eat a funnel cake at the Red River Revel. Is it possible to eat a crispy, powdered sugar-covered fried confection while dancing to great live music? Find out at this huge annual festival filled with music, art and food.

25. Logan Mansion’s Halloween Tour. During Halloween weekend each year, the mansion hosts creepy, fun tours of the reputedly haunted residence in downtown Shreveport.

26. Eat a stuffed shrimp at Eddie’s Seafood and Soul Food named by Southern Living as one of the “Best Soul Food Restaurants in the South.”

27. Shout “Throw me somethin,’ mister!” at a local Mardi Gras parade. From the huge Krewes of Centaur and Gemini to neighborhood parades like the Krewes of Highland and Harambee, Shreveport’s Mardi Gras parades are fun, diverse and family-friendly.

28. Experience the spirit of independent film at the Louisiana Film Prize. Film screenings, late-night parties, food trucks and a $50,000 prize – the Louisiana Film Prize is a film fest unlike any other.

29. Sit down to the signature shrimp buster and an ice-cold chalice of beer at iconic Herby-K’s, now celebrating 80 years in business.

30. When the Krewe Highland Parade is done, saunter over to Marilynn’s Place After-Party, a rambunctious affair which sometimes ends with restaurant owner Boz Baucum tossing money from the rooftop.

Bossier Parish

31. Take flight with water-powered jetpacks at iFlyH2O. Ever dreamed of flying? Strap on a water-powered jetpack and soar above Cypress Black Bayou with the folks at iFlyH2O.

32. Bet on a long shot at the Super Derby. Harrah’s Louisiana Downs is home to this annual horse racing event.

33. See Barksdale Global Power Museum’s Sept.11, 2001 exhibit. It showcases the moment when President George W. Bush stopped and recorded a message after he left Florida where he was alerted about the attacks. You have the opportunity to stand at the same podium. Linda M. Biernacki, president of Fire Tech Systems, Inc.

Off the beaten path

34. “On a still morning, catch a mess of bream in the Green Break on Caddo Lake." Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator.

35. Jump on your motorcycle! Take a backroads road trip to historic Natchitoches on your favorite style of motorcycle, starting out early from Shreveport or Bossier City, Alan English, president and publisher of The Times.

36. Geek Out at Geek’d Con. From Chewbacca to Elvira, this annual fan convention delivers the goods when it comes to geek-friendly celebrity appearances.

37. Catch a touring Broadway show or concert at the grand and spectacular, vintage Strand Theatre, the Official State Theatre of Louisiana.

38. Visit the Eddie G. Robinson Museum at Grambling State University in Grambling. David Aubrey, State Director of External Affairs AT&T Louisiana, Grambling University Foundation Board of Directors Board Member and Chairman, “Paint Your Heart Out, Shreveport,” 2016.

Explore like me

39. Counter Culture, original Kings Highway site, for a famous Humphrey Yogurt, Maggie Martin, society reporter and columnist at The Times.

40. An early lunch at Main Street Restaurant in Gilliam to eat alongside planters in from the fields.

41. Ernest’s New Orleans Restaurant for one of Steve’s bananas fosters.

42. Ed Lester Farms, Cabin Point Plantation in Coushatta. It is open seasonally from May-July for vegetables – corn, tomatoes, lettuce, eggplants, peaches, butterbeans, etc. and etc. – locally grown in Red River soil. Go for the ambiance, as well as the veggies and for The Hamptons-inspired Farm Stand that sits under a sprawling ancient oak tree at the foot of the Red River Bridge.

43. Take a walk around the round Louisiana State Exhibit Museum and view the 22 dioramas by the well-known H.B. Wright and five other diorama artists who worked from 1939 to 1941. The detailed dioramas depict Louisiana’s agriculture, industry, natural resources in such scenes as cotton picking, oil production, salt mining.

44. “I love historical Milam Street which stretches from Freeman & Harris to Hearne Avenue, just past historical Booker T. Washington High School. It is west of downtown and once and still is the hub of black businesses and the cradle of the Civil Rights movement here. Although the area has changed, BTW is still here and so are many long time businesses. Lloyd Thompson, president of the local NAACP.

Minden

45. Take the Burrito Challenge and share the famous gigantic margarita at Habacu's Mexican Restaurant in downtown Minden.

46. Head to Roma Italian Bistro in downtown Minden on your birthday. After you eat, a complimentary dessert awaits.

47. For the best of soul food and sweet tea, order lunch at off-the-beaten-track Moody’s Restaurant in Minden. (If it is Thursday, you’ll have to try fried pork chops, turnip greens and yams.)

48. For fried chicken, there is Louisiana Fried Chicken on Shreveport Road near Minden.

49. Shop the antique stores & specialty shops in Minden, featured as “a roadside treasure hunt” in Southern Living magazine.

Hidden gems

50. Don’t miss the June “Let the Good Times Roll Festival” for memorable soul, gospel, hip-hop and R&B. Leslie Scott, president, Shreveport alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

51. Take Communion in the Garden Sundays at 9 a.m. at Church of the Holy Cross Episcopal.

52. Be part of a Southern tradition when you stop to browse at Paul’s Garden & Supply, a “feed and seed store,” on North Market.

53. Sip some of the famous Church of the Holy Cross Episcopal homemade soup in the legendary undercroft on Wednesdays during Advent and Lent.

54. Chianti’s for gazpacho in the hot old summer time.

55. Visit Municipal Auditorium where Elvis Presley once rocked and rolled.

56. The David Toms AngelWorks Gift Shop. Pick up products produced by clients who are “Angel Artists” and work under direction of community artists. A hot new find: hand-made one-of-a-kind “Block Crosses,” featuring stylistic gold crosses on a block of wood, three sizes, four colors and developed by Paula Frierson, Holy Angels CEO Laurie Boswell.

57. Stop by Anthony’s Steak & Seafood. Situated on a busy street, diners feel tucked away from the maddening crowds once inside. It offers a warm and comfortable atmosphere. It's where I take my wife Friday for 'date nights.' Salad bar is great, desserts to die for and music soothing. Frank Williams, executive director Southern University Shreveport Foundation.

Webster Parish

58. Enjoy a cold scoop of homemade ice cream at AMJenn’s old fashion ice cream parlor on Main Street in Springhill.

59. Spend a day boating or fishing at Lake Erling.

60. See a first run movie at the beautifully restored Spring Theatre in Springhill.

61. Hike or bike along the Cane National Recreational Trail at the Caney Lakes Recreation Area in Kisatchie National Forest.

62. Picnic along the banks of Lake Bistineau, marveling at its beautiful stands of cypress trees and clinging Spanish moss as you while away the day.

City treasures

63. Visit Walker Place Park on the Bossier City side of Red River. It has access to the Red River pedestrian and bicycle trail, rest stops along the way and stretches from DiamondJacks on the north to Wildlife Refuge to the south. Bossier City Mayor Lo Walker.

64. Search for literary treasures at Centenary College Book Bazaar.

65.Attend Dirty Redd’s Thursday night jam session at Noble Savage Tavern. Live music in an intimate, authentic pub atmosphere, makes it the very best live music experience in Shreveport.

66. Take a craft brewery tour of Shreveport-Bossier City to see Flying Heart, Great Raft and Red River.

67.Taste as many gumbos as possible at Battle of the Gumbo Gladiators. Sample nearly 100 and vote for a champ.

68. Dance up a storm at Highland Jazz and Blues Festival presented by Twisted Root.

69. Tour the Talbot Medical Museum at Willis-Knighton Innovation Center, where you’ll learn about people, places and events that have shaped medicine in this region over the past century and a half. Jim Elrod,President & CEO Willis-Knighton Health System.

More Webster Parish

70. Scottish dancing, costumes, music and food. Experience them all at Scottish Tartan Festival each spring at Scotland Farms.

71. Plan to spend time at Fasching Festival in November to celebrate all things German.

72. Head east to Dixie Inn to get the flavor of a small town while eating a country breakfast at Hamburger Happiness.

73. Still Hungry? On the opposite side of the traffic light at Dixie Inn, there is Huddle House where you’ll find a brightly decorated diner, a friendly staff and where fans say the scrambled eggs are yummy and the waffles melt in your mouth.

74. On a pleasant afternoon, explore the Webster Parish country roads in Webster Parish.

Adventure awaits

75. Order a piece of Strawn’s legendarystrawberry pie. Lynn McCary Thomas, owner of McCary’s Jewelers and community volunteer.

76. Take in an IMAX Film at Sci-Port; Louisiana’s Science Center’s unusual domed IMAX Theater, community activist Sylvia Goodman, a founder of Sci-Port and Robinson Film Center.

77. “Do not leave this life without experiencing Robinson Film Center. It is an art house theater, a book club, a bistro, a place to delve into details of medicine, religion and physics, or a palce to talk film and visit with friends … in one small historic building in the heart of downtown. Liz Swaine, executive director DDA/DSDC

78. Make a visit to Keachi Heritage Foundation Classical Christmas Evening the third Sunday of December at 1858 Keachi Presbyterian Church, Keachi Mayor Travis Whitfield.

79. Order your best bib and tucker and get ready for the over-the-top arts fundraiser Christmas in the Sky put on by volunteers and held every other year at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs, Sky chairwoman Waynette Ballengee.

80. Make a stop at Days Old Blues Records on Line Avenue for old and new vinyl, Chef Jason Brady.

81. Attend a Louisiana Tech baseball game, a family affair with $1 hotdogs on Fridays. Kids get in free and get to go on the field and stand with the players at their favorite position for the National Anthem, Lori Allen executive director Demoiselle Club.

82. Attend a Shreveport Symphony Concert, something you will find unforgettable, Symphony Music Director Michael Butterman.

83. For a fine treat, order King Cake Bread Pudding at Bistro Byronz, community leader Lisa Babin.

Area attractions

84. If it is history you look for, check out LSUS Archives, where local history can be gleaned from diaries, ledgers, maps, books and postcards and/or the James Smith Noel Collection. The collection has some of rarest items in the region, and, in some instances, the world, historian Gary Joiner.

85.Attend a church service at Antioch Baptist Church, founded in 1866 and the oldest African-American Church in Shreveport. A meeting with Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. Martin Luther King was held here. Caddo School Board Member Dottie Bell.

86. Stop by Multicultural Center of the South to celebrate the cultural tapestry which is representative of northwest Louisiana ethnic groups and includes Greece, Creole and Native American, Multicultural Center of the SouthExecutive Director Janice R. Gatlin.

87. “Watch a sunset and sunrise from a boat on Lake Bistineau while Yoyo fishing, W. John Hubbard, external affairs manager for AEP SWEPCO and president of the Military Affairs Council.

More Maggie Martin suggestions

88. Make a reservation for tea or lunch – or spend the night – at Dove House Bed & Breakfast, Arcadia, where Bonnie Stephenson’s Dove House chicken salad and apricot-walnut muffins are legendary.

89. Spend a day at Caroline Dormon’s Briarwood Nature Preserve in Saline. It's recognized nationally for its more than 700 recorded species of native plants, including its native azaleas, mayapples, and sweet shrub and a favorite of conservationists and horticulturists from all around the world.

90. You’ll find history of oil in this neck of the woods at Louisiana State Oil and Gas Museum in Oil City.

91. If you’ve ever wondered what a cathedral looked like and haven’t been in one, attend church at one of Shreveport’s – Cathedral of St. John Catholic Church or St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral - both of which are grand structures.

92. Plan to spend the night at The Mahaffey Farm House in Princeton where proprietor Sandra Evans serves a farm-to-table country breakfast and where a guest can savor the flavor of life on a farm.

93.Find time to visit Melrose Plantation in Natchitoches, where self-taught artist Clementine Hunter got her start. Hunter's work will be in the new Smithsonian Institution African-American Museum of History and on The Mall in Washington, D.C.

94. If barbecue is on your mind, then gather at the highly regarded LBK’s Barbecue and Soul Food, very famous to folks in Farmerville, many of whom head there Sundays after church.

95. Seek and ye shall find Edgewood Plantation in Farmerville. The 1902 steamboat Gothic-style house on the National Register of Historic Places is now a B&B.

More Webster Parish

96. Spend an afternoon at the Webster Parish Library in Minden’s Historic Residential District, a national historic site.

97. Step back in time at the Germantown Colony Museum and see how German settlers lived in the early 19th century.

98. Savor the legendary white chocolate bread pudding and marvel at the beauty of the house’s 1910 construction details at The Grace Estate B&B and Tea Room in Minden.

99. Check out arty exhibits at City Art Works on Main Street, owned and operated by the City of Minden.

100. Explore the nature trail at The Farm, Minden’s Cultural Art and Music Center owned by Cultural Crossroads.