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Thursday, December 4, 2008
TRAVEL
Explore Gulf Coast Destinations:
Sponsored by Alabama Gulf Coast CVB
Always magical, Christmas at the Biltmore in Asheville, N.C., is one of America’s premier holiday events. In keeping with traditions that started when George W. Vanderbilt first welcomed friends and family to his estate on Christmas Eve 1895, the Biltmore continues its lavish presentations now through Jan. 4, 2009.
A November sky casts a soft light across the Port Hudson landscape. Tucked amid the green of the pines, hardwood trees are turning burnished gold and rust. Time stands still on the Civil War battle ground. Sunday, Nov. 23, 1862, was a quiet day at Port Hudson. Soldiers spent time writing in diaries and letters home.
Thanksgiving starts the holiday season in Louisiana, and there will be plenty to do and see in the weeks to come. Fortunately, the state enjoys pleasant weather during most of December, making this a perfect time for getting out and visiting all areas of the state.
Holiday travel is expected to decline about 1.4 percent compared to last year, but the Travel Industry Association reports tradition will keep holiday travel strong.
The second annual North RampArt Festival in New Orleans will showcase more than 20 artists and musicians tomorrow, Nov. 22, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors taking in the lively urban block party will find that North Rampart access to Toulouse and St. Peter streets will be closed during the event.
A press notice arrived last week from Spencer County, Indiana, with two faces on its letterhead — Abraham Lincoln and Santa Claus. The somewhat unusual pairing is perfectly reasonable to Spender residents. A flatboat trip in celebration of Lincoln’s bicentennial recently landed in Baton Rouge.
Hodges Gardens State Park in the Sabine Parish wilderness area can be described as a gardener’s dream, with 900 acres of wild and cultivated beauty. Joining with the Louisiana Crafts Guild and Gallery One Eleven in Leesville, the park will present its first show, “Art in the Park” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22
Last week, I listened to two Baton Rouge couples as they talked about trips taken far beyond the borders of Louisiana. One couple (the husband on an LSU sabbatical) spent months in Spain, where they absorbed the history and timeless traditions of the country.
Veterans, along with active and retired military and their families, will be honored at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans on Veterans Day, Tuesday, Nov. 11, with daylong programs and free admission.
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