Louisiana Festivals are something that take place almost year-round. No matter what city you go to, there is always something to celebrate. Our rich culture and extensive history mixed with our love for food and celebration is the perfect combination of all things festival. This article, written by onlyinyourstate.com, highlights some of the most visited and exciting Louisiana Festivals you won’t want to miss out on this fall. From the Alligator Festival in Luling, Louisiana to the Highland Jazz and Blues festival in Shreveport, LA, these festivals are well worth the drive, even if it’s just for the food.
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The Louisiana Department of Education has developed a new program that would allow one teacher to take a year off to go around the State advocating for the education initiative of their choosing. The teacher that will be chosen will come from nominees for Louisiana Teacher of the Year from the previous year. The fellowship was announced at the 12th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Awards Gala, and was awarded to 2018 Louisiana Teacher of the Year Kimberly Eckert, who will continue her efforts to recruit and train the next generation of Louisiana educators.
Eckert, who is an English teacher at Brusly High School in West Baton Rouge Parish, spent some of her time as 2018 Louisiana Teacher of the Year recruiting new educators and elevating the teaching profession. She will continue this work by focusing her fellowship on pioneering the national “Educators Rising” program in Louisiana. The program identifies young people, starting with high school students, interested in teaching and provides them with the information, skills and hands-on experience to become successful educators.
The fellowship is supported by a $50,000 stipend of state funding that is paid directly to the recipient’s school system. It allows the teacher to take a year-long sabbatical and may be used to help pay for their substitute, travel costs, and any other expenses incurred during the advocation period by the recipient.
“Louisiana has taken the Teacher of the Year award and turned it into a true leadership opportunity. Our winners and finalists are scholars, spokespeople, mentors,” said State Superintendent John White. “We need to be doing more to nourish and support them in realizing their leadership potential.”
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Don’t sit at home and twiddle your thumbs this Labor Day weekend! Labor Day is one of the most traveled weekends of the year but if you haven’t made plans yet, don’t fret; it’s not too late. We’ve found some great deals for you to take advantage of. Grab your significant other or your best friends and rock this long weekend!
4-Diamond Resort near Scottsdale: Escape to “more luxurious-than-expected” (Gayot) We-Ko-Pa Resort in the Sonoran Desert with views of the Red Mountains. This deal saves 30% on regular rates, including a waived resort fee and daily dining credit.
Los Angeles Boutique Hotel: This converted mansion was once owned by silent film stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age and is a 10 minute walk from Rodeo Drive. Stay for Labor Day and save up to 20% compared to surrounding dates.
3 Night Getaway for Two Near Puerto Vallarta: Hidden in the charming surfing village of Sayulita (just an hour north of Puerto Vallarta), this hotel invites travelers to opt out of the big-box resort in favor of a colorful boutique experience. Save more than 50% on stays through fall.
Brand New Daytona Beach Oceanfront Hotel: Beach-lovers can stay at this newly opened Daytona Beach property into winter for 50% off with a $40 food and beverage credit.
Ranch Mirage, 4 Star Westin: Spread across 360 acres outside of Palm Springs, the Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa “lives up to the name ‘resort'” (Fodor’s). Enjoy mountain views, three pools and a waterslide, and two championship golf courses with this 50%-off deal.
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Labor Day weekend is one of the most traveled weekends of the year. Sometimes it is difficult to find a delicious recipe that also travels well, especially several hours away, and you don’t want to show up empty handed using the travel time as an excuse (we see your side-eye, Aunt Patty). This Labor Day Banana Cake is anything but laborious, but travels like a dream and satisfies even the most picky eaters. Soft, moist, perfectly sweet, this recipe is for you.
Ingredients
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant banana pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup mashed bananas
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 dash vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and pudding mix. Make a well in the center and pour in eggs, water, oil and mashed banana. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in a preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until cake tests done. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
To make glaze: In a small bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and of a drizzling consistency. When cake is cooled, drizzle icing over cake with a zigzag motion. Sprinkle chopped nuts over wet icing if desired.
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Louisiana is well known for its delicious food made not only at home but in its restaurants as well. Not only do we have some of the best food around but our landscaping is beautiful as well. Which is why this article put both of those together to bring to you eight of the best lakeside restaurants to visit in Louisiana during this time of year. So whether you are in New Orleans, Lake Arthur, Lafayette or Baton Rouge, you will want to stop by one of these amazing eateries to see what they have to offer.
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The Scilly Isles are a little cluster of islands off the tip of Cornwall and they are truly astonishing. There are five inhabited islands and they are like little English villages stranded out in the ocean. They’re the kinds of places where everybody knows everybody but it rarely feels claustrophobic. There is plenty of room, the opposite of crowded beaches full of colorful umbrellas and loud boomboxes. You could hike for miles and not see another person. They boast Britain’s most beautiful white sand beaches, miles of walking trails through gorgeous forest, and best of all, though strange, its own climate. With daytime highs barely reaching 57°F and rarely dipping below 50°F at night in the fall, it’s a welcome escape from Britain’s hot, muggy weather if you’re visiting that time of year. With such a comfortable temperature, you’d be a fool not to take advantage of the many shore-side restaurants and coffee shops. Take a seat, relax, slow down to the pace of the locals, and watch the waves crash and the ships tug by while partaking in some fresh-caught fish and seafood. At Adam’s Fish & Chips, the only diner, it’s Adam himself who will catch your dinner from the ocean and then prepare it in the kitchen: pollock and lobster tails fresh from the ocean.
Though the islands aren’t easy to reach, even for the Brits, that’s part of the appeal, and the journey is an adventure in itself. From London, you take the sleeper train then transfer by bus to a nearby airport where a twice-daily helicopter and a fleet of tiny planes serve the islands. An added bonus- from the air, the islands are tantalizing.
Slow travel is the name of the game here, as even getting between the islands isn’t as simple as hopping on the next boat. Times and pick-up locations are dictated by the tides. While the Scilly Isles might be hard to get to, it seems they’re equally hard to leave.
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