Guide to Lake Charles: how to get there and where to stay, what to see and where to go in the evening. Highlights of Lake Charles: fresh reviews and photos, places to see, branded entertainment and shopping.
According to toppharmacyschools, Louisiana Lake Charles is located in what is sometimes called the Lake Territory. The city is known not only for the abundance of water bodies, but also for culinary delicacies, rhythm and blues, the gaming industry and many events throughout the year – about 75 festivals alone take place here, from the vibrant Mardi Gras to the pirate festival. Lake Charles is favorably located halfway between New Orleans and Houston, so there are always enough tourists here, and thanks to a rather large university, young people.
Smuggling Days is a twelve-day annual festival held during the first two weeks of May. The holiday traditionally begins with the “capture” of the city by the pirates of Jean Lafitte, who force the mayor to walk on the board.
How to get to Lake Charles
Lake Charles Regional Airport receives United Airlines flights from Houston, as well as American Eagle flights from Dallas. In addition, you can get to Lake Charles by Amtrak train and Greyhound bus from Houston, Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
A bit of history
Lake Charles was officially recognized as a city in 1861 and named Charleston, but six years later the name no longer seemed so appropriate, and the city was renamed. In 1910, the Great Fire destroyed most of Lake Charles, but the city quickly recovered and continued to grow throughout the 20th century. Economic growth was observed here in the post-war years thanks to the petrochemical industry. And although later the population decreased somewhat, in general, Lake Charles cannot be called provincial: there is still order with industry.
Together with Port Arthur of Texas and Astoria Lake of Oregon, Lake Charles has earned the title of the wettest city in the continental United States. The average air humidity during the year here is kept at 72% during the day, and in the morning it reaches 90%.
Attractions and attractions in Lake Charles
The largest city museum is the Imperial Kalkasjo. It houses a collection of historical artifacts, as well as a gallery with an exposition dedicated to culture and art. The Sallier Oak that grows on West Sallier Street, behind the museum, is almost 400 years old. It is considered the third oldest oak tree in Louisiana.
4 things to do in Lake Charles:
- Take a picture of a “pirate” ship on the lake.
- Finding sculpted alligators in downtown is something like a city totem.
- Look at the wicker analogues of nesting dolls in the Kalkasjo Museum. The principle of operation is the same, but these “matryoshkas” were made by slaves according to the principle of wicker baskets.
- Experience the Cajun culture of southern Louisiana through local food and music.
The destroyer Orlek, where the Naval Museum is today, served faithfully from 1945 to 1982, taking part in both the Korean and Vietnam wars. Then the ship was sold to Turkey, but after the final decommissioning, it was returned to the United States in 2000. The ship was damaged when Hurricane Rita hit Texas in 2005, and after restoration in 2010, it was relocated to Lake Charles. Today it can be viewed with a group tour.
The name of the historic district of Charpentier is translated from French as “carpenter”. The district received this name because of the Victorian houses that can still be seen here. Most of the buildings belong to the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th century. Charpentier is home to the Central School of Art, which has an art gallery of African American art and a Mardi Gras museum. The latter has the largest carnival-related collection in the American South, including a variety of costumes.
In the pretty building of the old City Hall, restored in 1911 after a fire, a center of culture and art is now open. Every month, new temporary exhibitions are held here on three floors. There is also a farmers’ market. Another fine arts center is on the campus of McNeese State University, which opened in 1939.
A 911 memorial has been erected on the boardwalk along the lake to commemorate the victims of 9/11. It consists of two beams of the World Trade Center and a mosaic of over 3,000 pieces, one for each victim.
The city will certainly interest gamblers as well. In 2005, a huge casino-hotel L’Auberge du Lac was opened here. The hotel with recognizable architecture, clearly visible from a distance and especially impressive in the evening illumination, has almost 1,000 rooms, and 400,000 people visit it every month. In addition to the casino, on the territory of almost 100 hectares there is a golf course, a spa, pools with an artificial swimming river and an Asian restaurant. In total, there are about half a dozen large casinos in Lake Charles, and Americans come here from almost half of the country – after all, gambling is illegal in the vast majority of states.
The I-10 bridge was built in 1962 and is notable for its steepness: its central fragment rises sharply as much as 40 m. It is worth driving slowly across the bridge to appreciate the cast iron pistols that adorn the roof rails throughout the structure. Another recognizable city bridge is named after the creator, Israel LaFleur, and looks like a kind of loop with a length of 2600 m.
Charles Lake North Beach is the region’s only natural inland beach. Plus, it’s very close to I-10. Here, vacationers are waiting for volleyball nets, picnic tables and a view of the entire lake. The water in it is not the cleanest, but in principle you can swim. Along the northern and eastern shores of the lake stretches the veterans’ memorial park – Bord du Lac. There are signs telling about the history of Lake Charles, gazebos for relaxing, geese for aesthetics (and feeding) and carts with horses for riding.
Lake Charles Events
The most famous and largest event in the city, where almost every weekend there is some kind of holiday, is Mardi Gras. The tradition of carnival dates back to 1882, when the king of Mardi Gras, Momus, moored his yacht at the beginning of Puyo Street. During the two world wars, interest in the holiday faded a little, but since then the tradition has been revived in all its splendor and splendor. Today, about 150 thousand spectators come to watch the parade every year.
Smuggling Days is a twelve-day annual festival held during the first two weeks of May. At the festival, you can try a huge number of Cajun dishes and have fun at many events and shows. The holiday traditionally begins with the “capture” of the city by the pirates of Jean Lafitte, who force the mayor to walk on the board. About 200 thousand people come to see it every year.
Other Lake Charles events are the Martin Luther King Jr. Festival, Livestock Rodeo, African American Festival, Gardening Festival, Lobster Festival, Asian American Festival, Cajun Music and Food Festival, Simply Music and Food Festival, Art Festival, Fall fest… It’s almost impossible to list everything.
