SPONSORED salt and freshwater marshes teeming with wildlife and some of the best birding in America. Whether it’s shrimp, ducks, flowers or eggs—just a few of Vermilion Parish’s festival focuses—these communities celebrate with great music, flavorful food, and plenty of dancing. Vermilion Parish is located just two hours from New Orleans, so take the easy jaunt and join the fun. Call 337-898-6600 or visit mostcajun.com to discover more ways to experience “The Most Cajun Place on Earth!” Ritz-Carlton New Orleans Spend a staycation in New Orleans this fall and experience “Paris without the Jetlag.” The world-renowned French Quarter offers streets lined with art and antique galleries, patisseries, and award-winning cuisine to enjoy al fresco. Bienvenue en Nouvelle Orleans, where The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans currently offers deluxe accommodations, two specialty coffees (non-alcoholic), beignets for two, and savings on valet parking now through December 27, 2020. Now is the time to rediscover how charming and romantic the French Quarter can be. Begin planning your stay in the luxurious accommodations of The RitzCarlton, New Orleans. The hotel’s stunning third-floor courtyard will reopen after a thorough refresh at the end of September, just in time for dining and imbibing in the cool breezes of a Southern fall. For more details, full terms and conditions of the Paris Without the Jetlag package, and to book your stay, visit ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/neworleans or call 504-524-1331. Frogmore Cotton Plantation & Gins A visit to the Vidalia/Natchez area is incomplete without experiencing all facets of the Delta lifestyle: gracious town homes of the Natchez elite and the cottonfields that created the area’s wealth. Explore Louisiana history and music with an experience unlike any classroom— take an unforgettable trip to Frogmore Cotton Plantation & Gins, a Rand McNally “Must-See Site.” From now through mid-November, the cotton harvest is underway, a sight to see. Visitors view an impressive, informative video before touring the computerized gin. An interactive, guided display illustrates the products derived from cotton and cottonseed, world production, and trivia facts. Call 318-7572453 for times and dates to verify the modern gin operation. Additionally, the 1800-acre working plantation and computerized cotton gin offers a number of individual tours and specialty group tours involving professional videos, voices of former slaves, trials and triumphs of freedom, music originating in the cotton fields, and today’s high-tech operation. Guided tours include eight of the 19 historical buildings on site, including a National Register steam cotton gin, furnished cabins, a hand-hewn church, and an authentic plantation store. For information, visit FrogrmorePlantation.com. St. Joseph Throughout October, the historic property of St. Joseph offers its annual, soughtafter “Mourning Tour,” which features the grieving and funeral customs and rituals of 18th- and 19th-century Creole Louisiana. The house will be “dressed in full deep mourning,” according to the old prescribed protocol of mourning. Take a somber walk through time and enjoy a glimpse into the lives of those who have called St. Joseph home. Learn about the Priestly family and grandson H. H. Richardson, who became one of America’s most important 19th-century architects. Get to know Valcour Aime, known as “The Louis XIV of Louisiana,” and his two daughters, Felicite and Josephine, to whom Valcour gave St. Joseph and neighboring Felicity. Hear the stories of the enslaved that lived here and the work they did. View the vast sugarcane farm with 1,000+ acres planted and learn about this thriving Louisiana industry. Additionally, see where scenes from films such as 12 Years a Slave, All The King’s Men, Skeleton Key, and four-time Oscar nominee Mudbound were filmed. For information, visit StJosephPlantation.com or call 225-265-4078. CDC-advised precautions are being taken for guest safety.
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