November 14, 2025 • 32 mins
Episode 202: Christmas Magic and History in Natchitoches, Louisiana with Paige Alost In this episode of The Family Vacationer, we continue our Christmas in the U.S. series with a visit to Natchitoches, Louisiana (pronounced Nack-a-tish). Known as the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase, Natchitoches blends French and Creole heritage, small-town charm, and one of America’s most beloved holiday traditions—the Natchitoches Christmas Festival, now in its 99th year. Rob and Traci sit down with Paige Alost, Director of the Natchitoches Convention and Visitors Bureau, to uncover the rich history, cultural diversity, and holiday magic that make this town a must-visit destination. From historic architecture and Creole cuisine to Mardi Gras parades, Steel Magnolias filming locations, and the famous Natchitoches meat pie, this episode is full of inspiration for families looking to create unforgettable holiday memories. What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- The fascinating history of Natchitoches as the oldest city in Louisiana (even older than New Orleans!)
- How the town’s French, Spanish, Creole, and Native American influences come alive for visitors
- Why the Natchitoches Christmas Festival is one of the most magical holiday events in the U.S.
- The best times to visit during the six-week holiday season
- Unique year-round family attractions, from historic forts to Dark Woods Adventure Park
- Where to taste the town’s signature dish—the Natchitoches meat pie
- How to explore Steel Magnolias filming locations (and even stay in the famous house)
- A perfect 48-hour itinerary for families visiting Natchitoches
- Plan your trip: Natchitoches.com
- Follow Visit Natchitoches on Facebook
- Connect with The Family Vacationer on Instagram and Substack
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Today, I'm a Family Vacationer. We're continuing our Christmas in
the US series and we're exploring the oldest permanent settlement
in the Louisiana Purchase. It's a place that blends history,
small town charm, and one of the nation's most beloved
holiday traditions. We're headed to Nakatush, Louisiana. Episode two O
two starts right now.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Welcome to The Family Vacationer with Robin.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Tracy, your go to podcast for families on the moon.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Hey guys, I'm Tracy and I'm rob and thanks for
joining us again.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
In this series, we're spotlighting towns across America that really
shine during the holidays, and Nakatush is one of those
places that feels like stepping back in time while also
offering families plenty of festive fun.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
I'm did in seventeen fourteen. Nakatush is the oldest permanent
settlement in the Louisiana Purchase. Its French and Creole influences
are still felt today in the architecture, the food, and
the culture at in the Cane River Lake running through
the heart of downtown, and it's a picture perfect setting
(01:16):
for both everyday travel and holiday celebrations.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
And speaking of celebrations, the Naicatish Christmas Festival has been
delighting families since nineteen twenty seven. We'll dive into all
of that with today's guests. Joining us today is Page
A Loss, director of the Nakotish Convention and Visitors Bureau. Paige,
welcome with the show.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Hey Page. For listeners who haven't visited before, can you
give us a quick overview of what makes Nakotosh so
unique as a destination.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Well, first of all, we're the oldest city in Louisiana,
even older than New Orleans. We were founded in seventeen fourteen,
and actually we were the end of the famed El
Camino Real, which ran from Mexico City through Texas and
into Nakatish where it deaded and dead ended at Fort
(02:14):
Saint John Baptiste, which was our first fortification in the
state of Louisiana on the Red River at the time.
The river's change course. It's now on the Cane River Lake,
but in its original location. You can actually tour the fort.
It is built to scale. But that's our claim to
fame oldest city in Louisiana, older than New Orleans. We're
(02:34):
New Orleans, big sister. That's pretty much us.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Awesome. Well, for our listeners who aren't exactly sure where
Nakotish is, can you kind of help us put a
pin in it? Where is Nackatish in Louisiana.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
So we are in the northwest corner of Louisiana, due
west of US forty miles is to lead a ben
and the Texas border one hour north of US in
the corner. The northwest corner of the state is Shreveport, Louisiana.
So we are one hour from Shreveport. Then you can
go south of US to hit the Ien. It's about
(03:10):
two hours to Lafayette, four hours from Dallas, four hours
from Houston.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
All right, that's perfect. Can you share a little bit
more about the story of the city and how that
history comes alive when families are visiting.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
So we were established right at the edge of what's
now known as No Man's Land. And No Man's Land
was a neutral ground that ran from basically south of
Sreeport all the way down to the coast along the
Texas border, along the Louisiana Texas border. And this it
was called no Man's Land because there was no jurisdiction.
(03:44):
You know, there were French, the Indians were here, the
Spanish were here, no doubt. It was a great mix
of cultures and populations here. And it really wasn't until
the Bunch claimed it in seventeen fourteen with Saint Denis,
who is our founder, that we really became really sort
(04:08):
of ingrained in the French culture. But surrounding all of
us remain Spaniards, remained several Indian tribes, two of which
still exist here in Nacotish Parish, and of course we
remained right on the border of No Man's Land. And
(04:29):
even though we eventually became part of the Louisiana Purchase,
the oldest settlement of Louisiana Purchase, and retained our French heritage.
The most striking thing that you'll find about Nacotish is
its diversity. For a parish that only has thirty six
thousand people, you'll find us to be incredibly diverse, including
the oldest Creole population and settlement in Louisiana as well,
(04:53):
which visitors can enjoy in what we call Downriver. Down
the Cane River takes you into where the Creole culture
really thrived at that particular time, and it's such an
important piece of history that the National Park Service manages
and operates the National Cane River Creole Historical Park there
(05:13):
as well. So for me, being a Nacotish is really
just about immersing yourself in all of the cultures. Of course,
you're going to see all of the classic French architecture,
and always tell people if you live in Texas or
Mississippi or Arkansas, are anywhere around us and you want
to see the architecture and have the feel of being
(05:34):
in a place like New Orleans, but you don't want
to drive all the way to New Orleans. Now get
a shisure place so that the French colonial architecture you
will see on our brick paved front street. And then
we do face the Cane River Lake, which is a
thirty eight mile lake. It looks like a river, so
we're right on the waterfront, beautiful Amphitheater. You look up
(05:55):
from the Amphitheater and the river and see that classic
New Orleans style archeitecture, which is really in truth Nakatish
style architecture.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
So you know, I'm the history buff in the family.
So and you've kind of you kind of spoke to this,
But Louisiana to me is so unique, just because it
is such a unique blend of the different cultures that
created it. And I'm curious, what does that look like
(06:24):
in town, Like, how would you experience the different cultures,
or how would you recommend a family coming in that
wanted to kind of, you know, immerse themselves in the
different cultures. You know.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
The best way to really get the lay of the
land here is to come to the Visitors Center and
take the walking tour, which we do a couple of
different times a week. They leave at ten am in
the mornings, and that's a guided one hour tour up
our National Landmark Historic district. By the way, there are
only two National Landmark Historic districts in Louisiana, hours in
(06:58):
the French Quarter, and this walking tour takes you all
the way through some of our oldest buildings in Nakadish.
Talks about the history, the fort, our situation on the
Red River, how we were founded, and it discusses the
cultures where all of the cultures live, not just within
the city of Nakodish or the establishment of Nakodish, but
(07:21):
in the whole region. And that's the best way is
to start with that walking tour. The tour also can
include an American Cemetery tour. The American Cemetery is our
oldest cemetery in nakadish It's where Saint Denis, our founder,
is buried, and it really tells a great cultural story.
(07:41):
You can go to the Lasa Dayas Indian Tribe site
just to the west of us and experience our Indian
and Native American heritage. You can go down river and
really immerse yourself in the Creole culture, including at Melrose
on the Cane and the National Park, as well as
as eating at the Cane River Commissary. And it is
(08:03):
just that it's an old fashioned commissary with the very
best in Creole food here and that's the best way
for people to really see it. But you'll see it
in everyday life here. You'll see it on front Street,
and it really is It's just a great mix of
you know, I always think of Louisiana as a crossroads
of culture, sure, and I love that we're fully integrated
(08:27):
with each other here and that that's fun.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
So let's talk about the holiday season. The Naketish Christmas
Festival is legendary it's been running since nineteen twenty seven.
So what can and families expect if they visit during
the festival.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Well, this year is our ninety ninth annual Christmas Festival,
and what started out is just a Saturday has now
run into a six week festival. So we will turn
on the lights the Saturday prior to Thanksgiving week. Those
lights remain on until January sixth. Every Saturday night we
(09:04):
have fireworks right out here on the river front. After
a full day of shopping all our streets, all our
shops on Front Street and around the historic district. Families
can enjoy the beautiful lights when they come on in
the evenings and then fireworks on Saturday nights. We'll also
have three drum shows over the course of those six weeks,
as well tons of great food vendors, kids area Cookies
(09:28):
with Santa events, which is quite a thing here. If
you're bringing children to have a Christmas experience, you definitely
want to do the Cookies with Santa with us. And
it really is just it's magical, but it's also it's
very quaint, you know. It's three hundred thousand lights, one
(09:49):
hundred lighted displays along the river and it is. People
just describe it as magical and it's something that's so
near and dear to our hearts. We actually we talk
Aboutristmas every day here. I've talked about Christmas like twelve
times a day already. You know, it's just September. It
is a labor of love between a large group of
(10:11):
volunteers and our city of Nacodish, who puts up our lights,
who maintains our systems for us. We have a local
gentleman who handles our fireworks for us. Spectacular state of
the art fireworks shows that happen here. And I think
the most important thing is that it's easy to park,
(10:32):
it's easy to get to, it's inexpensive, and it's just
a wholesome, wonderful lighted experience for that time of year.
And the fact that it's not just one day means
that you have a chance to get here. You have
a chance in a six week time period to be
able to see some amazing lights in Louisiana's oldest city.
(10:54):
That's pretty hard to beat.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Is there a what you would consider a best time
visit during the holiday season, Well, the our.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Opening lighted up weekend is going to be November twenty second,
which again is always that Saturday before Thanksgiving. We do
have a festival weekend, which is the traditional way before
Christmas became six weeks long. Our festival weekend is always
the first Saturday in December, and so that is December
sixth of this year of twenty twenty five. We have
(11:25):
a parade that day, We have fireworks and a drone show.
That evening, we have music on the river bank. Our
Missiletoe Market is going on in our Special Events Center,
and really the big draw is the parade. You know,
we'll have one hundred floats in this parade. I don't
know yet who the Grand Marshal is of the parade,
but it's always a fun group. And if you like
(11:48):
parades and you like a true festival atmosphere, then the
festival day, the first week of Saturday is the best
time to come. Our other saturdays are big as well,
just no parade. The parade on we happens once and
I would tell you the lights are on all the
time here, so don't just think that you have to
(12:10):
come on a Friday or Saturday night if fireworks aren't
your thing and you just want to have a leisurely,
stroll through the shops, have a great meal, and walk
along the riverside at night under the lights. Any day
of the week works for you, and we always encourage
people who want a quieter experience, maybe with smaller crowds
to come during the week Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or optimum.
(12:33):
But during the Christmas holidays, any day of the week
is good. So it's such a fun experience. And you know,
it's all ages, all kinds of floats, all kinds of cars,
dance troops, vands, the whole everything, and it is you know,
it's Marty Grot Christmas for us. It's an event that
we look forward to and we talk about, like I said,
(12:54):
every day around here.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
So well, not to go off on a tangent, but
you know, when people think of Marty Gras, they typically
have a certain visual but Marty Gras, like it's really
a family oriented festival. The visuals that they're familiar with
really aren't the heart of Marty Gras, at least what
I've experienced.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
I always tell people at the if they really want
to experience the Louisiana Marty Gras, go to New Orleans
once and then pick any other small town in Louisiana
and go to theirs because the experiences are not the same, right,
And you know, we have two different Marty Graus parades
here and I love that time of year because people
(13:36):
are just happy. Yeah, it's just fun. It's just a
classic Louisiana celebration. And Nakodish is a great place to
see a good old fashioned Marty Gras parade on a
brickline street overlooking the river, you know, with a backdrop
of some really great old buildings, beautiful architecture. It's a
very fun time. And not just Nakodish, but so many
(14:00):
other smaller cities and towns across Louisiana have truly local,
great Marty Gross celebrations that any visitor would have a
great time at.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Well, that's a good segue, so let's step outside of
the holidays for a moment and talk about what are
some other can't miss family friendly activities in town year round.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Absolutely so, of course, we are the home of Northwestern
State University. We are a part of the state university
system here and there's such a large part of what
we do beautiful campus, outstanding academics. But always encourage visitors
to go take a look at the campus. You can
(14:42):
do it right out here on the riverfront, or you
can choose Chaplain's Lake on campus. In addition, our down
River experiences are open throughout the years that the National
Cane River Creole Historical Park is open throughout the year.
Melrose on the Cane, which is a former plan tation home,
is also open. That plantation is actually the home to
(15:05):
Clementine Hunter, who is a world renowned folk artist, and
of course her work is highly regarded and very expensive
to purchase, but you can actually visit Melrose on the
Cane and see where she lived in where she created
her art at We're also home to a very unique
place called dark Woods, and dark Woods is just outside
(15:28):
of the downtown area. It's in a wooded setting, as
it's described, but it has a nineteen hole pro rated
mini golf course that's called Buccaneer by You, and Buccaneer
by You is absolutely amazing. It's like something you'd see
at Dollywood or Six Flags. With equality is huge. In
(15:50):
addition to that, operating year round, they also do a
dark Wood's Halloween. Well they were just scare you to
death out there in the woods are so inclined, and
then at Christmas time it quickly converts into a beautiful
lighted walk. You know, probably about two hundred thousand lights
and lighted displays, hot chocolate. They have a build a
(16:12):
Bear workshop, little cabins filled with great holiday experiences. And
I never get enough of Christmas at Darkwoods. And what
I love about Christmas at Darkwoods is that you can
be downtown, see the fireworks at the Drone show if
it's happening that night, and then on your way out
of the Historic District you can go to Darkwoods and
(16:34):
have another lighted experience out there. That's just a beautiful
walk in the woods to be able to see these lights,
enjoy hot chocolate, and enjoy It's a great time for family,
for families to get together. It's wonderful for small kids
as well. So dark Woods is a really unique thing
that people don't expect to see in Nakedish, but boy,
(16:56):
they put on a show out there no matter what
the season is. And uh, like I said that miniature
golf it just opened earlier this year. This is our
first year in operation with Buccaneer by You. It is
pirate themed and buy You themed and it is pro rated.
So if you're a beginner or if you're on the
Mini golf Tour, Buccaneer by you is a must put
(17:19):
experience for sure.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
My kids love to go putt putt.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Yeah, I was just thinking. I was just thinking my
brother in law, who oh yeah, yeah, he would love that.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
So very competitive.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Yeah, well this will be one that will put him
to the test.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
Okay, Well, we know that food is a big part
of Louisiana culture. Those awful crawheads awful for me.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
I can't thanks than by the pound.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Oh my gosh, they're so good. She doesn't like see
any kind of seafood, so.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
I understand, I don't. Okay, we have things for you too.
So we are home of the Louisiana meat Pie and
Lasion's meat Pie Kitchen, which is a restaurant just behind
Front Street on Second Street, and that is a must
eat place when you come to Nacotish. So it's definitely
sort of a very family environment there. It's kind of
(18:19):
like a like your favorite diner to go to, but
they make and sell more meat pies than you can imagine.
And if you come to Nacotish and don't have a
meat pie, it's not our fault because literally we'll list
off six places for you to go get meat pies
right now. So in those meat pies, usually they'll have
(18:40):
a sort of a combination ground beef and pork filling.
Some of them are spicy, some of them are mild,
but it's a it's a flaky little pastry with a
little surprise on the inside. You can also get them
for crawfish or shrimp. But it is a staple here
and I think we've been making meat pies here almost
(19:01):
as long as Nackotish has been in existence. But it's
our favorite thing. We love meat pie so much. We
have Christmas ornaments that look like bot pies. I mean,
that's a that's helped me. I had a meat piper
lofe yesterday. It is our thing and we're so excited
to be able to always share a meat pie with
(19:21):
a visitor, with a friend here. It is a very
classic clint essential thing to have.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
So what all do you put in a meat pie?
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Yeah, I'm curious.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
So you can actually find the recipe. The most searched
page on our website is the Naketish meat pie, and
so you can go to Naketish dot Com and find
the recipe there, and that recipe is the traditional one
that has a ground beef filling. Some people will mix
ground beef and pork. We see them with all. We
(19:50):
see them stuff with all kinds of things, but they
tend to be savory and not a sweet pie, although
we have those here too, but most of them are savory.
So they're either going to be stuff with the ground
beef and pork filling or the shrimp crawfish jumbali. We
see them stuff with all kinds of stuff, boot and everything.
(20:11):
So but it's really just a little pastry that's stuffed
like a little pocket and then it's baked. Some people
will deep fry them. It just depends on the place
that you're at. Some of them are small. Mini meat
pies are a big thing, a good appetizer around here,
and a regular sized meat pie two will two will
(20:31):
be a full meal for you.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
So okay, all right, Well, you know, going to Louisiana,
the food is probably one of my favorite things about Louisiana.
So what are some other restaurants, maybe some other dishes
that we should try when we're there.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Well, absolutely, when you're here, you know we are Louisiana,
so we always have the gumbo pot on I love.
Our Lieutenant governor the other day suggested that the Gulf
of Mexico should be called the Gulf of Gumboat. And
that's because you you if you go somewhere in Louisiana
and you don't get the gumbo. Uh, I can't imagine
where you would go a place here where gumbo wouldn't
(21:08):
be on the menu somewhere. So gumbo was really big
with us. Jambalaya is always really big with us. And
great places to eat here include the Cane River Commissary,
which is down river. It's about ten minutes outside of
Nakadish and one of my favorite places to eat. They
have a very broad menu with a lot of you know,
(21:29):
American options, but also a lot of great kreole options, fry,
green tomatoes, just all your all your favorite things that
you're going to want to have, and of course here,
you know, we we like things with rice. But you
can also at Lasion's get the mashed potatoes and the
pot roast or a vegetable plate. All those regular more
(21:51):
Southern types of food you will find here as well.
May Used Steakhouse, which is on Front Street down at
the far into Front Street from US is a great
place to get fried catfish. They also will have trout
dishes there. They serve redfish there, which is a classic
Louisiana fish, in addition to their steaks, gumbos, red beans,
(22:15):
and rice. All those favorites, all those things that you
typically hear about Louisiana, You're gonna get here in Nackot Dish.
And I'll tell you, the South Louisiana food tastes different
than the North Louisiana food. But Kreole for us gives
us a very special blend of seasonings and a very
special taste. So I would encourage you if you come
(22:38):
to Naketis, drive a little bit further south to Lafayette
and see how the flavors change even in the same
kinds of dishes. And that's the thing I love the
most about Louisiana. It's so diverse, even when it just
comes to the same dish, the same pot of gumbo,
served many different ways across the state.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Now that sounds like a challenge I would gladly accept.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Oh yeah, let's do let's do the gumbo trail. Yeah,
let's do something.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
I'll do that all right. So talking about the diversity
again in the mix of cultures, I'm curious during the
holiday season, how does that play out in the food.
Is there unique dishes that you guys have during the
Christmas season that we might not experience other places.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
No, I mean, I think the Christmas season you're going
to see exactly what all of us eat. And even
though we're diverse culture here, we tend to all eat
the same things. We tend to all like the same dishes,
and I'd love that. And again, if you come for Christmas,
the meat pots are going to be vended out on
the street. Lasion's will have a booth out there so
(23:43):
you can go on the restaurant and get it, or
you can walk around Front Street with it. You can
hold it in your hand and walk around and eat
with it. It's not messy, doesn't require fourk It's my
favorite kind of food, you know, a real meal that
you don't have to use any utensils for. But definitely
you know, we also have other classic festival food, you know,
the funnel cakes, Bennet's, all those kinds of things. And
(24:06):
you know, we didn't talk about the French market express,
but we do have a regional what we call gas
station eats map, and it is a list of all
of the best gas stations from here to Lake Charles
that and this is a way of life for us,
and even in you know, some of our really rural areas.
People depend on these gas stations sometimes for a hot
(24:29):
plate lunch, and a lot of them will serve everything
from fried catfish and okra all the way up to
Begnet's Poe Boys. The French Market Express is in Nakodish
right at I forty nine, right around where the majority
of our hotels are. They are open twenty four hours
a day. If you want a benye at three o'clock
(24:50):
in the morning, French Market Express is your place, and
same goes for many other gas stations in this region.
All the good stuff. You can get Po Boys plate lunches. Definitely.
There's one that's just south of here on our way
down river that does a pork chop plate lunch with
(25:11):
three vegetable sides. It's hard to be at a gas station.
You can get gas. They also have a tackle shop
and you can get a plate lunch. It is a
way of life and I always encourage people, especially people
from bigger cities who are not used to eating at
gas stations. That's how we eat here and French Market
Express is probably the number one gas station eats stop
(25:33):
in this part of Louisiana. Love that gas station food.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Well, the town has a big claim to fame with
the movie Steel Magnoias being filmed there, so how can
fans explore those filming locations.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
So we do have a map. You can find it
on our website or I always encourage people when you
come to Nacodish make the visitors Center on Front Street
your first stop. We do have a film trail map
that has a listing of all the film sites that
were associated with filming of Steel Magnolia's, which was filmed
in its entirety here in nakadish. We also have a
(26:15):
film trail for Horse Soldiers, which was a John Wayne film,
and A Man in the Moon, which was Reese Witherspoon
film that was made here in the early nineties. The
Steel Magnolia's House, where the family lived is right here,
just down from the historic district. It operates as a
bed and breakfast, so you can actually stay in the
(26:36):
Steel Magnolia's House and it is part of the walking tour,
and then this Christmas for a couple of different weekends,
we do have a Christmas tour of homes and they
are doing a Steel Magnolia's Porch tour, So if you
want to walk and see some of the other houses
that were associated with the characters in the movie, they
(26:58):
will have a porch tour for you to be able
to enjoy. Still, Magnois is still a very big deal
for us, and we love every week we see people
who will come into the visitors center and want to
see the Steel Magnoia sides, So.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
That sounds fine.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
It's a gift for us for sure, even after all
these years. It's based on a true story. The author,
Robert Harling, does live here in Nakotish and it was
based on a story about his sister, and so for
a lot of the people, especially the local extras in
the movie, it was a very big deal because it
was a story they knew right and it was I
(27:37):
think one of the things that sort of launched people
to know more about Naketish or Chinkapins it's called in
the movie. But I think people saw it in the
movie and didn't believe it was a real place, and
then they get here and they see all of the
scenes of the movie. You know that they saw and
(27:59):
Nacottish is just and like I said, the movie tour
will take them around to all those locations.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
So well, finally, if a family only had forty eight
hours in that condition, what would you what would your
perfect itinerary be for them? I know that the meat
pie is on the list, so what else I would say?
Speaker 2 (28:19):
You know, a meat pie for sure. A walk down
not just Front Street for shopping in and out of
the shops because kids and mom and dad are going
to find things that they like, but also an ice
cream cone or a cold drink or a cup of
coffee through Baujar Dam, which is a park, through the
Rock House, which is our original creole structure home that's
(28:40):
right on the river here down town. And a walk
down the river front to see the beautiful magnolias and
oak trees, see the river with the boats going down.
I would definitely see Fort Saint John Baptiste. It is
five minutes from the historic district and it is a
two scale model of the fort. It was built way
(29:01):
back in seventeen fourteen when Nacodish was founded. I would
definitely go to the National Park and see the Cane
River Creole Historical Park and that home there and the
grounds great for kids to see. And I would top
it off with an afternoon at Darkwoods for a mini
golf challenge and walk through the woods there for sure. Well, Page,
(29:22):
thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
This has been amazing in Nakotish. Sounds like a really
cool place to go. But can you tell us where?
Tell our listeners where they can go to learn more
and start planning their trip if they want to visit.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Absolutely, Nakotish dot com is our website. You'll find everything
from lodging to restaurants. You'll find a full calendar of events.
So if you're looking for a weekend where there's something
going on, the calendar will help you. If you're looking
for a weekend where there's not anything going on, you
just want to stay at the Judge Porterhouse and sit
on the front porch and drink some mice tea and
(29:57):
take a stroll down Front Street and the river. There
are weekends for that as well, so Nacotish dot com
is the best place to start. You can also follow
us on Facebook. Just look for a Nacatish or visit
Nakadish on Facebook and you'll see regular posts about things
that are happening. So we're gearing up for bigfoot Fest
this weekend, so our social media is going to have
(30:20):
some special guests appearing this week, so it should be fun.
But social media gives you an update on what's happening
and what Nacais looks like today, and then the website
gives that comprehensive view of all the maps, where to stay,
what to do, where to eat.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
So perfect. We'll make sure to link that in the
show notes page. Thank you so much for joining us
today and talking about Nakatish.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Thank you so much for having me. I really enjoyed it.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
And thank you to our listeners for being part of
today's episode. Be sure to subscribe to The Family Vacationer
wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also find us
on Instagram and substack for more family travel inspiration.
Speaker 1 (31:02):
And before we go, I want to share some exciting news.
My new book, The Family Vacationer, a Parent's Guide to
Meaningful Travel, is releasing this December. It's full of stories, strategies,
and tips to help families make the most of every
trip together, so keep an eye out for preorder details. Remember, folks,
to keep your passports and your heart's open.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
Save travels everyone.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
I'm guiding.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
All the places in the hotel stasis.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
I'm using the.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
Buck rides and water slides.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
Mountain ranges and seasonal changes.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
I'm need to serve.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
I'm the family vacation I've got skin food, all the
beach places and hotel spaces.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
Amusement park rides and water slides, mountain ranges and seasonal changes.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
I'm here to serve on the family vacationers. Yeah,
Today, I'm a Family Vacationer. We're continuing our Christmas in
the US series and we're exploring the oldest permanent settlement
in the Louisiana Purchase. It's a place that blends history,
small town charm, and one of the nation's most beloved
holiday traditions. We're headed to Nakatush, Louisiana. Episode two O
two starts right now.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Welcome to The Family Vacationer with Robin.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Tracy, your go to podcast for families on the moon.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Hey guys, I'm Tracy and I'm rob and thanks for
joining us again.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
In this series, we're spotlighting towns across America that really
shine during the holidays, and Nakatush is one of those
places that feels like stepping back in time while also
offering families plenty of festive fun.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
I'm did in seventeen fourteen. Nakatush is the oldest permanent
settlement in the Louisiana Purchase. Its French and Creole influences
are still felt today in the architecture, the food, and
the culture at in the Cane River Lake running through
the heart of downtown, and it's a picture perfect setting
(01:16):
for both everyday travel and holiday celebrations.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
And speaking of celebrations, the Naicatish Christmas Festival has been
delighting families since nineteen twenty seven. We'll dive into all
of that with today's guests. Joining us today is Page
A Loss, director of the Nakotish Convention and Visitors Bureau. Paige,
welcome with the show.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Hey Page. For listeners who haven't visited before, can you
give us a quick overview of what makes Nakotosh so
unique as a destination.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Well, first of all, we're the oldest city in Louisiana,
even older than New Orleans. We were founded in seventeen fourteen,
and actually we were the end of the famed El
Camino Real, which ran from Mexico City through Texas and
into Nakatish where it deaded and dead ended at Fort
(02:14):
Saint John Baptiste, which was our first fortification in the
state of Louisiana on the Red River at the time.
The river's change course. It's now on the Cane River Lake,
but in its original location. You can actually tour the fort.
It is built to scale. But that's our claim to
fame oldest city in Louisiana, older than New Orleans. We're
(02:34):
New Orleans, big sister. That's pretty much us.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Awesome. Well, for our listeners who aren't exactly sure where
Nakotish is, can you kind of help us put a
pin in it? Where is Nackatish in Louisiana.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
So we are in the northwest corner of Louisiana, due
west of US forty miles is to lead a ben
and the Texas border one hour north of US in
the corner. The northwest corner of the state is Shreveport, Louisiana.
So we are one hour from Shreveport. Then you can
go south of US to hit the Ien. It's about
(03:10):
two hours to Lafayette, four hours from Dallas, four hours
from Houston.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
All right, that's perfect. Can you share a little bit
more about the story of the city and how that
history comes alive when families are visiting.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
So we were established right at the edge of what's
now known as No Man's Land. And No Man's Land
was a neutral ground that ran from basically south of
Sreeport all the way down to the coast along the
Texas border, along the Louisiana Texas border. And this it
was called no Man's Land because there was no jurisdiction.
(03:44):
You know, there were French, the Indians were here, the
Spanish were here, no doubt. It was a great mix
of cultures and populations here. And it really wasn't until
the Bunch claimed it in seventeen fourteen with Saint Denis,
who is our founder, that we really became really sort
(04:08):
of ingrained in the French culture. But surrounding all of
us remain Spaniards, remained several Indian tribes, two of which
still exist here in Nacotish Parish, and of course we
remained right on the border of No Man's Land. And
(04:29):
even though we eventually became part of the Louisiana Purchase,
the oldest settlement of Louisiana Purchase, and retained our French heritage.
The most striking thing that you'll find about Nacotish is
its diversity. For a parish that only has thirty six
thousand people, you'll find us to be incredibly diverse, including
the oldest Creole population and settlement in Louisiana as well,
(04:53):
which visitors can enjoy in what we call Downriver. Down
the Cane River takes you into where the Creole culture
really thrived at that particular time, and it's such an
important piece of history that the National Park Service manages
and operates the National Cane River Creole Historical Park there
(05:13):
as well. So for me, being a Nacotish is really
just about immersing yourself in all of the cultures. Of course,
you're going to see all of the classic French architecture,
and always tell people if you live in Texas or
Mississippi or Arkansas, are anywhere around us and you want
to see the architecture and have the feel of being
(05:34):
in a place like New Orleans, but you don't want
to drive all the way to New Orleans. Now get
a shisure place so that the French colonial architecture you
will see on our brick paved front street. And then
we do face the Cane River Lake, which is a
thirty eight mile lake. It looks like a river, so
we're right on the waterfront, beautiful Amphitheater. You look up
(05:55):
from the Amphitheater and the river and see that classic
New Orleans style archeitecture, which is really in truth Nakatish
style architecture.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
So you know, I'm the history buff in the family.
So and you've kind of you kind of spoke to this,
But Louisiana to me is so unique, just because it
is such a unique blend of the different cultures that
created it. And I'm curious, what does that look like
(06:24):
in town, Like, how would you experience the different cultures,
or how would you recommend a family coming in that
wanted to kind of, you know, immerse themselves in the
different cultures. You know.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
The best way to really get the lay of the
land here is to come to the Visitors Center and
take the walking tour, which we do a couple of
different times a week. They leave at ten am in
the mornings, and that's a guided one hour tour up
our National Landmark Historic district. By the way, there are
only two National Landmark Historic districts in Louisiana, hours in
(06:58):
the French Quarter, and this walking tour takes you all
the way through some of our oldest buildings in Nakadish.
Talks about the history, the fort, our situation on the
Red River, how we were founded, and it discusses the
cultures where all of the cultures live, not just within
the city of Nakodish or the establishment of Nakodish, but
(07:21):
in the whole region. And that's the best way is
to start with that walking tour. The tour also can
include an American Cemetery tour. The American Cemetery is our
oldest cemetery in nakadish It's where Saint Denis, our founder,
is buried, and it really tells a great cultural story.
(07:41):
You can go to the Lasa Dayas Indian Tribe site
just to the west of us and experience our Indian
and Native American heritage. You can go down river and
really immerse yourself in the Creole culture, including at Melrose
on the Cane and the National Park, as well as
as eating at the Cane River Commissary. And it is
(08:03):
just that it's an old fashioned commissary with the very
best in Creole food here and that's the best way
for people to really see it. But you'll see it
in everyday life here. You'll see it on front Street,
and it really is It's just a great mix of
you know, I always think of Louisiana as a crossroads
of culture, sure, and I love that we're fully integrated
(08:27):
with each other here and that that's fun.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
So let's talk about the holiday season. The Naketish Christmas
Festival is legendary it's been running since nineteen twenty seven.
So what can and families expect if they visit during
the festival.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Well, this year is our ninety ninth annual Christmas Festival,
and what started out is just a Saturday has now
run into a six week festival. So we will turn
on the lights the Saturday prior to Thanksgiving week. Those
lights remain on until January sixth. Every Saturday night we
(09:04):
have fireworks right out here on the river front. After
a full day of shopping all our streets, all our
shops on Front Street and around the historic district. Families
can enjoy the beautiful lights when they come on in
the evenings and then fireworks on Saturday nights. We'll also
have three drum shows over the course of those six weeks,
as well tons of great food vendors, kids area Cookies
(09:28):
with Santa events, which is quite a thing here. If
you're bringing children to have a Christmas experience, you definitely
want to do the Cookies with Santa with us. And
it really is just it's magical, but it's also it's
very quaint, you know. It's three hundred thousand lights, one
(09:49):
hundred lighted displays along the river and it is. People
just describe it as magical and it's something that's so
near and dear to our hearts. We actually we talk
Aboutristmas every day here. I've talked about Christmas like twelve
times a day already. You know, it's just September. It
is a labor of love between a large group of
(10:11):
volunteers and our city of Nacodish, who puts up our lights,
who maintains our systems for us. We have a local
gentleman who handles our fireworks for us. Spectacular state of
the art fireworks shows that happen here. And I think
the most important thing is that it's easy to park,
(10:32):
it's easy to get to, it's inexpensive, and it's just
a wholesome, wonderful lighted experience for that time of year.
And the fact that it's not just one day means
that you have a chance to get here. You have
a chance in a six week time period to be
able to see some amazing lights in Louisiana's oldest city.
(10:54):
That's pretty hard to beat.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Is there a what you would consider a best time
visit during the holiday season, Well, the our.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Opening lighted up weekend is going to be November twenty second,
which again is always that Saturday before Thanksgiving. We do
have a festival weekend, which is the traditional way before
Christmas became six weeks long. Our festival weekend is always
the first Saturday in December, and so that is December
sixth of this year of twenty twenty five. We have
(11:25):
a parade that day, We have fireworks and a drone show.
That evening, we have music on the river bank. Our
Missiletoe Market is going on in our Special Events Center,
and really the big draw is the parade. You know,
we'll have one hundred floats in this parade. I don't
know yet who the Grand Marshal is of the parade,
but it's always a fun group. And if you like
(11:48):
parades and you like a true festival atmosphere, then the
festival day, the first week of Saturday is the best
time to come. Our other saturdays are big as well,
just no parade. The parade on we happens once and
I would tell you the lights are on all the
time here, so don't just think that you have to
(12:10):
come on a Friday or Saturday night if fireworks aren't
your thing and you just want to have a leisurely,
stroll through the shops, have a great meal, and walk
along the riverside at night under the lights. Any day
of the week works for you, and we always encourage
people who want a quieter experience, maybe with smaller crowds
to come during the week Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or optimum.
(12:33):
But during the Christmas holidays, any day of the week
is good. So it's such a fun experience. And you know,
it's all ages, all kinds of floats, all kinds of cars,
dance troops, vands, the whole everything, and it is you know,
it's Marty Grot Christmas for us. It's an event that
we look forward to and we talk about, like I said,
(12:54):
every day around here.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
So well, not to go off on a tangent, but
you know, when people think of Marty Gras, they typically
have a certain visual but Marty Gras, like it's really
a family oriented festival. The visuals that they're familiar with
really aren't the heart of Marty Gras, at least what
I've experienced.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
I always tell people at the if they really want
to experience the Louisiana Marty Gras, go to New Orleans
once and then pick any other small town in Louisiana
and go to theirs because the experiences are not the same, right,
And you know, we have two different Marty Graus parades
here and I love that time of year because people
(13:36):
are just happy. Yeah, it's just fun. It's just a
classic Louisiana celebration. And Nakodish is a great place to
see a good old fashioned Marty Gras parade on a
brickline street overlooking the river, you know, with a backdrop
of some really great old buildings, beautiful architecture. It's a
very fun time. And not just Nakodish, but so many
(14:00):
other smaller cities and towns across Louisiana have truly local,
great Marty Gross celebrations that any visitor would have a
great time at.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Well, that's a good segue, so let's step outside of
the holidays for a moment and talk about what are
some other can't miss family friendly activities in town year round.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Absolutely so, of course, we are the home of Northwestern
State University. We are a part of the state university
system here and there's such a large part of what
we do beautiful campus, outstanding academics. But always encourage visitors
to go take a look at the campus. You can
(14:42):
do it right out here on the riverfront, or you
can choose Chaplain's Lake on campus. In addition, our down
River experiences are open throughout the years that the National
Cane River Creole Historical Park is open throughout the year.
Melrose on the Cane, which is a former plan tation home,
is also open. That plantation is actually the home to
(15:05):
Clementine Hunter, who is a world renowned folk artist, and
of course her work is highly regarded and very expensive
to purchase, but you can actually visit Melrose on the
Cane and see where she lived in where she created
her art at We're also home to a very unique
place called dark Woods, and dark Woods is just outside
(15:28):
of the downtown area. It's in a wooded setting, as
it's described, but it has a nineteen hole pro rated
mini golf course that's called Buccaneer by You, and Buccaneer
by You is absolutely amazing. It's like something you'd see
at Dollywood or Six Flags. With equality is huge. In
(15:50):
addition to that, operating year round, they also do a
dark Wood's Halloween. Well they were just scare you to
death out there in the woods are so inclined, and
then at Christmas time it quickly converts into a beautiful
lighted walk. You know, probably about two hundred thousand lights
and lighted displays, hot chocolate. They have a build a
(16:12):
Bear workshop, little cabins filled with great holiday experiences. And
I never get enough of Christmas at Darkwoods. And what
I love about Christmas at Darkwoods is that you can
be downtown, see the fireworks at the Drone show if
it's happening that night, and then on your way out
of the Historic District you can go to Darkwoods and
(16:34):
have another lighted experience out there. That's just a beautiful
walk in the woods to be able to see these lights,
enjoy hot chocolate, and enjoy It's a great time for family,
for families to get together. It's wonderful for small kids
as well. So dark Woods is a really unique thing
that people don't expect to see in Nakedish, but boy,
(16:56):
they put on a show out there no matter what
the season is. And uh, like I said that miniature
golf it just opened earlier this year. This is our
first year in operation with Buccaneer by You. It is
pirate themed and buy You themed and it is pro rated.
So if you're a beginner or if you're on the
Mini golf Tour, Buccaneer by you is a must put
(17:19):
experience for sure.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
My kids love to go putt putt.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Yeah, I was just thinking. I was just thinking my
brother in law, who oh yeah, yeah, he would love that.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
So very competitive.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Yeah, well this will be one that will put him
to the test.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
Okay, Well, we know that food is a big part
of Louisiana culture. Those awful crawheads awful for me.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
I can't thanks than by the pound.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Oh my gosh, they're so good. She doesn't like see
any kind of seafood, so.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
I understand, I don't. Okay, we have things for you too.
So we are home of the Louisiana meat Pie and
Lasion's meat Pie Kitchen, which is a restaurant just behind
Front Street on Second Street, and that is a must
eat place when you come to Nacotish. So it's definitely
sort of a very family environment there. It's kind of
(18:19):
like a like your favorite diner to go to, but
they make and sell more meat pies than you can imagine.
And if you come to Nacotish and don't have a
meat pie, it's not our fault because literally we'll list
off six places for you to go get meat pies
right now. So in those meat pies, usually they'll have
(18:40):
a sort of a combination ground beef and pork filling.
Some of them are spicy, some of them are mild,
but it's a it's a flaky little pastry with a
little surprise on the inside. You can also get them
for crawfish or shrimp. But it is a staple here
and I think we've been making meat pies here almost
(19:01):
as long as Nackotish has been in existence. But it's
our favorite thing. We love meat pie so much. We
have Christmas ornaments that look like bot pies. I mean,
that's a that's helped me. I had a meat piper
lofe yesterday. It is our thing and we're so excited
to be able to always share a meat pie with
(19:21):
a visitor, with a friend here. It is a very
classic clint essential thing to have.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
So what all do you put in a meat pie?
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Yeah, I'm curious.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
So you can actually find the recipe. The most searched
page on our website is the Naketish meat pie, and
so you can go to Naketish dot Com and find
the recipe there, and that recipe is the traditional one
that has a ground beef filling. Some people will mix
ground beef and pork. We see them with all. We
(19:50):
see them stuff with all kinds of things, but they
tend to be savory and not a sweet pie, although
we have those here too, but most of them are savory.
So they're either going to be stuff with the ground
beef and pork filling or the shrimp crawfish jumbali. We
see them stuff with all kinds of stuff, boot and everything.
(20:11):
So but it's really just a little pastry that's stuffed
like a little pocket and then it's baked. Some people
will deep fry them. It just depends on the place
that you're at. Some of them are small. Mini meat
pies are a big thing, a good appetizer around here,
and a regular sized meat pie two will two will
(20:31):
be a full meal for you.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
So okay, all right, Well, you know, going to Louisiana,
the food is probably one of my favorite things about Louisiana.
So what are some other restaurants, maybe some other dishes
that we should try when we're there.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Well, absolutely, when you're here, you know we are Louisiana,
so we always have the gumbo pot on I love.
Our Lieutenant governor the other day suggested that the Gulf
of Mexico should be called the Gulf of Gumboat. And
that's because you you if you go somewhere in Louisiana
and you don't get the gumbo. Uh, I can't imagine
where you would go a place here where gumbo wouldn't
(21:08):
be on the menu somewhere. So gumbo was really big
with us. Jambalaya is always really big with us. And
great places to eat here include the Cane River Commissary,
which is down river. It's about ten minutes outside of
Nakadish and one of my favorite places to eat. They
have a very broad menu with a lot of you know,
(21:29):
American options, but also a lot of great kreole options, fry,
green tomatoes, just all your all your favorite things that
you're going to want to have, and of course here,
you know, we we like things with rice. But you
can also at Lasion's get the mashed potatoes and the
pot roast or a vegetable plate. All those regular more
(21:51):
Southern types of food you will find here as well.
May Used Steakhouse, which is on Front Street down at
the far into Front Street from US is a great
place to get fried catfish. They also will have trout
dishes there. They serve redfish there, which is a classic
Louisiana fish, in addition to their steaks, gumbos, red beans,
(22:15):
and rice. All those favorites, all those things that you
typically hear about Louisiana, You're gonna get here in Nackot Dish.
And I'll tell you, the South Louisiana food tastes different
than the North Louisiana food. But Kreole for us gives
us a very special blend of seasonings and a very
special taste. So I would encourage you if you come
(22:38):
to Naketis, drive a little bit further south to Lafayette
and see how the flavors change even in the same
kinds of dishes. And that's the thing I love the
most about Louisiana. It's so diverse, even when it just
comes to the same dish, the same pot of gumbo,
served many different ways across the state.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Now that sounds like a challenge I would gladly accept.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Oh yeah, let's do let's do the gumbo trail. Yeah,
let's do something.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
I'll do that all right. So talking about the diversity
again in the mix of cultures, I'm curious during the
holiday season, how does that play out in the food.
Is there unique dishes that you guys have during the
Christmas season that we might not experience other places.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
No, I mean, I think the Christmas season you're going
to see exactly what all of us eat. And even
though we're diverse culture here, we tend to all eat
the same things. We tend to all like the same dishes,
and I'd love that. And again, if you come for Christmas,
the meat pots are going to be vended out on
the street. Lasion's will have a booth out there so
(23:43):
you can go on the restaurant and get it, or
you can walk around Front Street with it. You can
hold it in your hand and walk around and eat
with it. It's not messy, doesn't require fourk It's my
favorite kind of food, you know, a real meal that
you don't have to use any utensils for. But definitely
you know, we also have other classic festival food, you know,
the funnel cakes, Bennet's, all those kinds of things. And
(24:06):
you know, we didn't talk about the French market express,
but we do have a regional what we call gas
station eats map, and it is a list of all
of the best gas stations from here to Lake Charles
that and this is a way of life for us,
and even in you know, some of our really rural areas.
People depend on these gas stations sometimes for a hot
(24:29):
plate lunch, and a lot of them will serve everything
from fried catfish and okra all the way up to
Begnet's Poe Boys. The French Market Express is in Nakodish
right at I forty nine, right around where the majority
of our hotels are. They are open twenty four hours
a day. If you want a benye at three o'clock
(24:50):
in the morning, French Market Express is your place, and
same goes for many other gas stations in this region.
All the good stuff. You can get Po Boys plate lunches. Definitely.
There's one that's just south of here on our way
down river that does a pork chop plate lunch with
(25:11):
three vegetable sides. It's hard to be at a gas station.
You can get gas. They also have a tackle shop
and you can get a plate lunch. It is a
way of life and I always encourage people, especially people
from bigger cities who are not used to eating at
gas stations. That's how we eat here and French Market
Express is probably the number one gas station eats stop
(25:33):
in this part of Louisiana. Love that gas station food.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Well, the town has a big claim to fame with
the movie Steel Magnoias being filmed there, so how can
fans explore those filming locations.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
So we do have a map. You can find it
on our website or I always encourage people when you
come to Nacodish make the visitors Center on Front Street
your first stop. We do have a film trail map
that has a listing of all the film sites that
were associated with filming of Steel Magnolia's, which was filmed
in its entirety here in nakadish. We also have a
(26:15):
film trail for Horse Soldiers, which was a John Wayne film,
and A Man in the Moon, which was Reese Witherspoon
film that was made here in the early nineties. The
Steel Magnolia's House, where the family lived is right here,
just down from the historic district. It operates as a
bed and breakfast, so you can actually stay in the
(26:36):
Steel Magnolia's House and it is part of the walking tour,
and then this Christmas for a couple of different weekends,
we do have a Christmas tour of homes and they
are doing a Steel Magnolia's Porch tour, So if you
want to walk and see some of the other houses
that were associated with the characters in the movie, they
(26:58):
will have a porch tour for you to be able
to enjoy. Still, Magnois is still a very big deal
for us, and we love every week we see people
who will come into the visitors center and want to
see the Steel Magnoia sides, So.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
That sounds fine.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
It's a gift for us for sure, even after all
these years. It's based on a true story. The author,
Robert Harling, does live here in Nakotish and it was
based on a story about his sister, and so for
a lot of the people, especially the local extras in
the movie, it was a very big deal because it
was a story they knew right and it was I
(27:37):
think one of the things that sort of launched people
to know more about Naketish or Chinkapins it's called in
the movie. But I think people saw it in the
movie and didn't believe it was a real place, and
then they get here and they see all of the
scenes of the movie. You know that they saw and
(27:59):
Nacottish is just and like I said, the movie tour
will take them around to all those locations.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
So well, finally, if a family only had forty eight
hours in that condition, what would you what would your
perfect itinerary be for them? I know that the meat
pie is on the list, so what else I would say?
Speaker 2 (28:19):
You know, a meat pie for sure. A walk down
not just Front Street for shopping in and out of
the shops because kids and mom and dad are going
to find things that they like, but also an ice
cream cone or a cold drink or a cup of
coffee through Baujar Dam, which is a park, through the
Rock House, which is our original creole structure home that's
(28:40):
right on the river here down town. And a walk
down the river front to see the beautiful magnolias and
oak trees, see the river with the boats going down.
I would definitely see Fort Saint John Baptiste. It is
five minutes from the historic district and it is a
two scale model of the fort. It was built way
(29:01):
back in seventeen fourteen when Nacodish was founded. I would
definitely go to the National Park and see the Cane
River Creole Historical Park and that home there and the
grounds great for kids to see. And I would top
it off with an afternoon at Darkwoods for a mini
golf challenge and walk through the woods there for sure. Well, Page,
(29:22):
thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
This has been amazing in Nakotish. Sounds like a really
cool place to go. But can you tell us where?
Tell our listeners where they can go to learn more
and start planning their trip if they want to visit.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Absolutely, Nakotish dot com is our website. You'll find everything
from lodging to restaurants. You'll find a full calendar of events.
So if you're looking for a weekend where there's something
going on, the calendar will help you. If you're looking
for a weekend where there's not anything going on, you
just want to stay at the Judge Porterhouse and sit
on the front porch and drink some mice tea and
(29:57):
take a stroll down Front Street and the river. There
are weekends for that as well, so Nacotish dot com
is the best place to start. You can also follow
us on Facebook. Just look for a Nacatish or visit
Nakadish on Facebook and you'll see regular posts about things
that are happening. So we're gearing up for bigfoot Fest
this weekend, so our social media is going to have
(30:20):
some special guests appearing this week, so it should be fun.
But social media gives you an update on what's happening
and what Nacais looks like today, and then the website
gives that comprehensive view of all the maps, where to stay,
what to do, where to eat.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
So perfect. We'll make sure to link that in the
show notes page. Thank you so much for joining us
today and talking about Nakatish.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Thank you so much for having me. I really enjoyed it.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
And thank you to our listeners for being part of
today's episode. Be sure to subscribe to The Family Vacationer
wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also find us
on Instagram and substack for more family travel inspiration.
Speaker 1 (31:02):
And before we go, I want to share some exciting news.
My new book, The Family Vacationer, a Parent's Guide to
Meaningful Travel, is releasing this December. It's full of stories, strategies,
and tips to help families make the most of every
trip together, so keep an eye out for preorder details. Remember, folks,
to keep your passports and your heart's open.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
Save travels everyone.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
I'm guiding.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
All the places in the hotel stasis.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
I'm using the.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
Buck rides and water slides.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
Mountain ranges and seasonal changes.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
I'm need to serve.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
I'm the family vacation I've got skin food, all the
beach places and hotel spaces.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
Amusement park rides and water slides, mountain ranges and seasonal changes.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
I'm here to serve on the family vacationers. Yeah,
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