Treasures of Central and Northern Louisiana
North Louisiana has treasures to share, just get off the highway and look around.
The flight from New York was easier than I expected and might have been somewhat cheaper if I had left out of Newark. I took a two-step process that had a short wait in Atlanta before landing at the Monroe Airport, where I started a quick paced and well designed tour of central and northern Louisiana.
The first stop of the trip was Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge; a nature preserve on the lake established in 1997, with new hiking boardwalk and trail, observation deck and education center. It is located in a historic building on a former plantation. Established in 1997, it specializes in the local fauna and flora. An unusual aspect of the education from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is that they recognize the land must be managed to the advantage of all the citizens. There is also the recognition that most of the urban areas do not have a natural wildlife setting for children to observe. And as land is being developed at a fast rate, if it is not preserved now, there will be an issue in the future.
They have a nature lodge with exhibits and a long pathway to a boardwalk which goes out into Black Bayou Lake. By the look of their full buckets, the "fisher folk" seemed to be quite satisfied with their catch of the day and the boardwalk is long enough to give everyone privacy and quiet. While the birds and frogs had no problem getting lunch, it is better if you bring your own and practice "leave no trace."
Poverty Point: (Hint) It has nothing to do with poverty and the land doesn't come to a point.
Louisiana is generally shaped like a hiking boot, with the toe facing to the east. At the top of the boot, in the northeast corner (where the laces would tie), is a mystical and mysterious place with the unlikely name of Poverty Point. The name has nothing to do with the exhibit. It was named after a prior owner of the property. One caution here: Be prepared to be overwhelmed.
Before you go, check out both of these Web sites: Nps.gov/popo and Povertypoint.com. There are two Web sites, since Poverty Point is a national monument administered by the state of Louisiana, and both entities deserve credit. The sites are interesting, mostly academic, very informative, but low key. Of course, I was not the one to develop the sites, which was fortunate because I would be yelling and screaming every descriptive word.
After seeing the park, I have to wonder how did these treasures escape me? Here, in the northeastern section of Louisiana, is a really prehistoric "village" or gathering spot.
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In the 1950s, a 20-year-old aerial picture of the area was discovered that showed unusual markings on the ground. What they observed from the picture were five broken lines of small rows of elevated land, or mounds, in the shape of an almost perfect letter "C." On-site research revealed an additional two, larger and more prominent, separate hills. The settlement has been dated back to approximately 1800