Canopied Hiking Paradise

If you and your Frugal Family Travelers are looking for something to do in the great outdoors, consider visiting the Mary Ann Brown Preserve in St.  Francisville.  Although in Louisiana, just outside Baton Rouge,  the terrain is quite hilly with several overlooks and bridges, which traverse over creek beds.  These features make the preserve a beautiful place for those seeking a hiking opportunity with a more rugged mountainous feel.   The trail is also completely canopied with trees which makes it the perfect hike on a hot day.  Also appealing is the opportunity to group this excursion with other attractions in the area to create a weekend or longer getaway (see links below pictures).

Admission:

Free

Website to Preserve: 

Mary Ann Brown Nature Preserve

Note:   Pack bug spray, water and snacks!  Several  benches can be found on the trail, so consider packing a lunch to enjoy during one of your hiking breaks! 

Additional Links: 

The Myrtles  - most haunted historic home!

Clark Creek - waterfalls in Louisiana.   

Cat Island - home to the 1,000+ year old bald cypress tree.  

Audubon State Historic Site/old Centenary Collage/Train Museum

Enjoy the pictures from our hike!

Disclaimer:

All content provided on Frugal Family Travelers blog is for informational purposes only. The owners of this blog make no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site.  The owners of Frugal Family Travelers blog do not share personal information with third-parties and are not responsible for the republishing of the content found on this blog on other Web sites or media without permission.  As with all travel, operating days, times, costs, etc., should be verified prior to departure.

1,000+ Year Old Tree in Louisiana?

Did you know that Louisiana is home to the largest bald cypress tree in the United States?  Don’t feel bad if your answer was no!   Actually, our Frugal Family Travelers were unaware of this as well until a recent trip to St. Francisville, Louisiana.     

At 83 ft. tall and 54 ft. in circumference, the bald cypress at Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge is the 6th largest tree in the US.   Even more impressive is that the tree is estimated to be between 1,000-1,500 years old.  This is pretty impressive considering that the 5 top oldest trees in the United States reside in California!

Piqued your interest yet?  We certainly hope so!   With that being said, do not be deterred from planning a visit here if you are not a skilled hiker.   The trail from the parking area to the tree is short and the terrain quite flat, which makes this a very accessible adventure for the youngest and even most inexperienced hikers.   

The record tree and surrounding grove of old growth cypress trees are breathtaking and certainly worthy to add to your outdoor bucket list!  Scroll down to view photos, details, directions and also other attractions in the area to make visiting St. Francisville a true get-away.

Admission: 

Free

Web-site:

Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge

Click below for Directions:

Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge

Driving Directions to the Headquarters

From U.S. Highway 61 in St. Francisville take Commerce Street into town. The office is located at 5720 Commerce St. It is co-located with the St. Francisville Inn, which is next to the park and across the street from the Ford dealership.

Driving Directions to the Refuge

From U.S. Highway 61 go north of St. Francisville to Highway 66 and turn left (west toward Angola). After 1.5 miles, turn left on Solitude Road. Go about 3.5 miles and turn right at the refuge sign. Go another 1.5 miles to the refuge entrance. Enjoy your visit to Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge!

Note:  The refuge is used by hunters.   Check the official website for hunting schedules, refuge rules and closures before traveling here.  However, don’t be deterred!   Plan a visit- it’s a spectacular place to behold! 

Follow the links below to discover and create a full weekend (or longer) itinerary of activities in the area!

Mary Ann Brown Nature Preserve

The Myrtles  - most haunted historic home!

Clark Creek - waterfalls in Louisiana.   

Audubon State Historic Site/old Centenary Collage/Train Museum

Enjoy the pictures from our Frugal Family Adventure: 

Look carefully to the right side base of the tree.  Our Frugal Family Traveler (pictured in purple) gives you an idea of the scale of the tree! 

Disclaimer:

All content provided on Frugal Family Travelers blog is for informational purposes only. The owners of this blog make no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site.  The owners of Frugal Family Travelers blog do not share personal information with third-parties and are not responsible for the republishing of the content found on this blog on other Web sites or media without permission.  As with all travel, operating days, times, costs, etc., should be verified prior to departure.

Hidden Hiking Treasure

A recent survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Fishing and Boating Recreational Foundation indicates that “six in 10 Americans now have a new appreciation of nature as a result of the coronavirus pandemic”. With that being said, enjoying the great outdoors is nothing new for our Frugal Family Travelers, but if there is anything good that has grown out of these trying times, it’s that people are rediscovering the beauty to be found outside within the world.  One can only hope that this will also cultivate an awareness of the growing need to keep trail systems, streams, and ponds free of litter, which is particularly important, in light of the survey’s finding. 

All of the above brings our Frugal Family Travelers to an outdoor gem discovered in Slidell, LA, not far from Camp Salmen Nature Park, on a trail system which encompasses part of the undeveloped Tammany Trace.   Our Frugal Family Travelers have hiked the trail numerous times now and have enjoyed the diverse terrain which includes hills, bayous, ponds, as well as ridges formed by an old rail line long since forgotten.  The unassuming trailhead is located at a small undeveloped parking area with signage that marks the trail entrance (see pictures and directions below for specific information).   At the start of the journey, hikers will embark on a blue “in and out” trail, with a loop section at the ending point, which leads back to the trailhead.   To discover an additional waypoint, hikers also have the option to take a green spur off the the blue trail.  Trails are clearly marked but be sure to pay careful attention to the directional arrows when hiking, especially on the more open stretches of the trail. You may also want to bring a camera to take pictures and, if you are a good steward of the earth, bring a trash bag to pick-up any litter you see.   As stated earlier, our Frugal Family Travelers have enjoyed this hidden gem, but more importantly have taken on the task of picking up litter during each hike.   Nothing makes us feel better than cleaning up the community and also cleaning up a beautiful part of nature that will hopefully bring other Frugal Family Travelers some outdoor joy! 

Directions: Use your GPS to map to the corner of Donya Street and Browns Village Road in Slidell Louisiana.  There you will find a small gravel parking area (on Browns Village) with a round blue hiking symbol and a trail sign affixed to a tree, which points the way to the trail entrance.

Map: 

Cost: Free

Don’t forget: water, bug spray, plastic bags for trash removal 

Enjoy the various sights our Frugal Family Travelers discovered on the trail: 

Disclaimer:

All content provided on Frugal Family Travelers blog is for informational purposes only. The owners of this blog make no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owners 

of Frugal Family Travelers blog do not share personal information with third-parties and are not responsible for the republishing of the content found on this blog on other Web sites or media without permission. As with all travel, operating days, times, costs, etc., should be verified prior to departure. 

Good times at Grand Gulf

Our Frugal Family Travelers were feeling a little stir crazy, not only from the pandemic, but also from Hurricane Zeta which blew through our town, leaving over 72,000 in our community without power and damage.   Fortunately though, we were blessed with beautiful weather after the storm passed!   The cool temperature, coupled with a desire to  break free from the house, thrust our crew, (complete with our newest Furry Frugal Family Traveler), into the van on an adventure to Grand Gulf Military Park in Port Gibson, MS.  This little gem of a place has been on the bucket list for quite some time.  We actually learned of it after visiting Natchez, MS a few years back when one of our guides on a tour told us that a church from the Ghost Town of Rodney, MS was actually moved to Grand Gulf.  He further explained that the church and other historic buildings were restored and open to the public. This recommendation prompted us to visit Rodney but until today Grand Gulf in Port Gibson remained unchecked. 

Upon arrival we stopped at the museum to pay a nominal entrance fee ($4 per adult and $1 for each child in k-12th grade).  Armed with a trail map, and information from the ranger, we hiked to each of the sights you will see in the pictures below.  It’s important to note that our Frugal Family Travelers enjoy both hiking and history, so this place provided the perfect mix. 

As we hiked to each of the buildings along the way we read the historic placards which explained the significance of each.   Our hike traversed through the woods, along bluffs, through a civil war cemetery, the river and an observation tower which provided amazing panoramic views of the rolling hills!  The last leg of the loop trail took us through the camping area, which is suitable for both RV and tent camping.   Readers may want to make a weekend of it by camping and then exploring  some other  nearby Frugal Family favorites such as Natchez, MS  and Rocky Springs. Finally, the loop brought us back to the entrance where we took time to explore the extensive civil war era items on display in the museum.

Overall, we had an amazing day as did our little furry friend at this pet friendly location.   Enjoy the pictures below which mark all of the places mentioned above and provide the visual piece to the story.  Let this inspire you and your Frugal Family Travelers to gas up the car and satisfy your wanderlust by exploring  a new place.  You won’t be sorry! 

Directions: 12006 Grand-Gulf Rd, Port Gibson, MS 39150 

Cost:  $4 Adults; $1 k-12th grade students 

Don’t forget: water, bug spray, picnic food or camping supplies, for those wishing to stay overnight!

Disclaimer:

All content provided on Frugal Family Travelers blog is for informational purposes only. The owners of this blog make no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site.  The owners 

of Frugal Family Travelers blog do not share personal information with third-parties and are not responsible for the republishing of the content found on this blog on other Web sites or media without permission.  As with all travel, operating days, times, costs, etc., should be verified prior to departure.