So my boyfriend Chris' family does a family trip every year instead of Christmas presents, and I got to go on my first family trip this year! This trip I did not make the itinerary, Chris' sister Ashley did and she planned a fantastic trip! We took a mini road trip and stayed in Baton Rogue, Louisiana. We made the 3 hour drive from Bridge City, Texas around 7 pm and arrived at our hotel around 10. The first night we all hit the hay so we could get an early start in the morning.
The next day we woke up early and made the two hour drive to Jackson, Mississippi to explore and see the capitol building. We ate lunch at a barbeque place called The Pig and Pint. Chris and I split the all the way French fries, and although they do not look the greatest, they were delicious. For dessert we stopped at a popsicle place called Deep South Pops. They had specialty in house made popsicles with fun flavors like Arnold Palmer and Gingerbread! They were so cute and yummy! After our bellies were full we headed to see the capitol building! Our favorite part of this capital was the marquee lighting that was found all over the building. There was also a beautiful statue that honored the women of the confederacy.
Once we were done adventuring around Jackson we made our way back to Baton Rogue, Louisianna. We had a delicious Italian dinner at Bistro Italia. The chicken parmesan was big enough for three of us to split! Also do not pass on the garlic knots, they are fantastic! After dinner, we drove through a Christmas light show that is through a parking lot and synced to holiday music. It was a little pricey per vehicle but it was in the Christmas spirit!
The next day we headed to the capital building in Baton Rogue! This capital is really fantastic and full of beautiful décor and history. There is a pencil stuck in the ceiling from an explosion, and a bullet hole from an assassination that took place in the building. You also have the option of riding to the top to an observation deck and seeing the beautiful view of the Mississippi River and Baton Rogue.
After the capital we drove through the LSU campus and saw the real tiger mascot! His enclosure is beautiful and the history of these majestic creatures on the campus is worth the read. We then stopped at Frank's Country store for some famous biscuits and gravy and they did not disappoint
After observing the tiger for awhile, we went to 13th Gate Escape! We made a reservation to participate in an escape room! (One of the families' favorite adventures on trips!) We chose "The Collector" room, which has a killer vibe. We have all done multiple escape rooms but this was by far the best any of us had done! The props and rooms were impeccably made! It felt so real I highly recommend this experience! And we escaped adding to our perfect track record!
Once we escaped we made our way towards Myrtle's Plantation, on the way we found a quirky restaurant to eat at called Magnolia Café. They had a band playing and we killed some time before our evening tour at the Plantation.
Our evening tour started at 8pm. The tour is completely indoors and the air conditioning is not the best so dress accordingly. The tour was cute and interesting. A costumed tour guide leads you through the main house and tells stories in each room about the common ghost sightings, or how someone died in the room. I personally did not see any ghosts, but Chris' dad swore he saw the rocking chair rocking by itself. The plantation is beautiful and we regretted not enjoying it during the day as well. This plantation is one of the most haunted places in America and arguably the world. The tour ended with a story of the plantation's famous ghost, Chloe!
The next day was our last day of the adventure! We ended on a great note with having beignets at the famous Coffee Call and they were delicious! The people in the group that had eaten at Café Du Monde's before said these were even better than those!
This trip was a great trip and the itinerary offered something for everybody! We had a blast and can't wait for next year adventures! I am so blessed they let me tag along on their family adventure!
