Author: Emily Gautreaux

Enjoy a Weekend in Alabama

If you’re looking for a weekend getaway in the great state of Alabama, then you’re in luck with this excellent, detailed, and informative travel guide from Southern Living. Whether you’re a local or just visiting, Alabama has plenty of great places to explore. From hiking to boating and camping, there’s something for everyone in this historic, cultural epicenter of the American South. So pack your bags and read on to discover the magic of Alabama.

Lake Martin, Alabama

Lake Martin is a picturesque lake in Tallapoosa County, Alabama It has become a weekend getaway for many of Birmingham, Montgomery, and even Atlanta, as it has become known for its clear water and beautiful scenery. The lake is home to a variety of fish, including bass, catfish, crappie, and bream. There are also several species of turtles and snakes. The lake is popular for swimming, boating, fishing, and camping. There are several public beaches and boat ramps on the lake. Wind Creek State Park offers a variety of activities such as hiking, biking, picnicking, and fishing. Also, if you’re visiting in the summertime, you can check out the array of float-up restaurants on boats that are popular that time of year!

Guntersville, Alabama

Situated among the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Guntersville is a scenic spot for a weekend getaway in Alabama. The city offers a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, fishing, and boating. There are also several historic sites to explore, such as the Guntersville Museum and Cultural Center. For a taste of the local culture, be sure to check out the Guntersville Farmers Market and the city’s annual ArtsFest.

Fairhope, Alabama

The quaint town of Fairhope, Alabama is the perfect place for a weekend getaway. The charming downtown area is full of boutique shops and local restaurants, and the beautiful Gulf Coast beaches are just a short drive away. There are plenty of things to do in Fairhope, from exploring the aquatic life via canoe or paddle boat along the Bartram Canoe Trail to exploring the natural wonders at the Mobile-Tensaw Delta.. And with fair weather year-round, it’s the perfect place to escape the cold winters up north.

Dauphin island, Alabama

Reached by way of a three-mile-long high-rise bridge, Dauphin Island is a beautiful barrier island off the coast of Alabama. It is known for its sandy beaches, clear Gulf waters, and charming small-town atmosphere. Visitors can enjoy fishing, swimming, shelling, and bird watching.

Florence And Muscle Shoals, Alabama

If you’re looking for a town inundated in Music History and American legacy, then look no further than the towns of Muscle Shoals and Florence. Muscle Shoals is located in northwest Alabama along the Tennessee River, and the city is home to the infamous FAME Studios, which is a must-see for music fans, as legends like Aretha Franklin and Etta James have recorded their music there. The city of Florence is located just south of Muscle Shoals. Like its northern neighbor, Florence is also home to a number of historic landmarks such as Helen Keller’s birthplace and housing theFrank Lloyd Wright house.

In addition to its musical history, Muscle Shoals and Florence are each also home to a vibrant arts scene. Muscle Shoals’s Downtown Arts District is home to a number of galleries, shops, and restaurants. Florence also has a thriving arts community, with several galleries and museums to explore. So, whether you’re a music fan or an art lover, Muscle Shoals and Florence are sure to offer something for everyone. So take a weekend trip and explore all that these two Alabama cities have to offer!

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The Lewis and Clark Trail Offers History, Adventure, and Scenery

If you’re looking for a unique, historical adventure in the St. Louis area that is devoid of the noise associated with any large metropolitan area, then look no further than the Lewis and Clark Trail, and thanks to this travel guide from Midwest Living, it’s never been easier. From breathtaking scenery to fascinating stories of the early 19th century, this trail offers it all, allowing you to explore the history of America’s western frontier as you hike, bike, or drive your way along the trail. Learn all about Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s 1803-1806 expedition that opened up the west and changed history forever by traversing this trail today.

Part of the National Trails System, the Lewis and Clark Historic Trail is nearly 4,900 miles in total length, and it extends through the homelands of over 60 Tribal nations as it follows the historic outbound and inbound routes of the famed Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1803-1806. In total, the Lewis and Clark Historic Trail begins in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and traverses through a total of sixteen states to the Pacific Ocean. The trail extends through portions of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.

While the complete trail is intimidatingly extensive to fully explore, Midwest Living suggests that if you are staying near St. Louis, Missouri that you check out the nearby portion of the Lewis and Clark Historic Trail, as it offers a lot of history, scenery, and peace without taking a three-year journey.

One of the best reasons to stop by the Lewis and Clark Historic Trail is to see the spectacular views of St. Louis, its landmarks, and the nearby scenery from the many vantage points that the trail offers. One such observable point is the mighty Missouri River. This is due to the fact that the trail follows the Missouri River from its confluence with the Mississippi River to the Mandan Villages in North Dakota. The trail is also a great place to simply enjoy the outdoors, as there are plenty of opportunities for hiking, fishing, and camping along the way. And if you’re looking for a challenge, you can even try your hand at paddling a canoe or kayak down the river.

While traversing the trail, visitors can see many important historic sites, including the Council Bluffs where Lewis and Clark met with the Otoe-Missouria tribe in 1804, and Fort Mandan, their winter headquarters. Additionally, the trail offers an excellent view of the St. Louis Gateway Arch, as the landmark is a mere 33.6 miles away.

The Lewis and Clark trailhead is located on the east side of MO94, and once you approach the trailhead sign, you’ll notice that the trail is divided into two trails: the Lewis Trail and The Clark Trail. The ClarkTrail stands at a length of 5.3 miles, and it takes approximately 3 hours to traverse, so this might be the trail to take for the more inexperienced hikers. Alternatively, The Lewis Trail is recorded at a length of 8.2 Miles, and it takes approximately 5 hours to traverse, so this might be the hiking choice for those more experienced.

Outside of this trail, there are plenty of other places to visit near St. Louis to learn more about history and see fantastic sights. Nearby, visitors can explore the Museum of Westward Expansion, which tells the story of Lewis and Clark’s journey west. The museum features exhibits on Native American culture, pioneer life, and the natural history of the region. There is also a theater where visitors can watch a short film about Lewis and Clark’s expedition.

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Nicholls Recognizes Recipients of Grants at Spring 2023 Convocation

Nicholls State University recently held its Spring 2023 Convocation in order to recognize grant winners, faculty, and staff for their hard work throughout the 2022 academic school year. At the  Spring 2023 Convocation, Nicholls recognized the top 10 grants award winners for the funding they had received in 2022, according to this news release from the school.

The Spring 2023 Convocation opened with opening remarks from Nicholls President Dr. Jay Clune and Dr. Sue Westbrook, who is the Nicholls State University Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. University President Dr. Jay Clune spoke about his outlook for the Spring 2023 semester by saying, “this semester, we look forward to not only changing the lives of the students we teach, mentor, and care for today but the lives of their children and the generations that will follow them.”

The ceremony awarded the ten faculty and staff members who received the most grant money for 2022. When collectively added together, these ten grant recipients represented over $8 million in grant awards for both programmatic support and research.

Nicholls State University awarded the following for being the top ten grant recipients for the funding they received in 2022: Dr. John Lajaunie (Bayou Region Incubator), Dr. John Doucet (Nicholls Coastal Center and College of Sciences and Technology), Zerica Washington (Nicholls Family Service Center), Dr. Jonathan Willis (Nicholls Department of Biological Sciences), Katie Lasserre (Little Colonels Academy), Dr. Balaji Ramachandran (Nicholls Department of Applied Sciences), Dr. Kimberly Reynolds (Department of Psychology and Louisiana Child Welfare Training Academy), Dr. Allyse Ferrara (Department of Biological Sciences), Dr. Darcey Wayment (Department of Chemistry), and Gina Bergeron (Nicholls Family Service Center).

Debi Benoit is the Director of Research and Sponsored Programs at Nicholls, and she spoke about the top ten grant award winners by saying, “rigorous academic research and creative scholarship is time-consuming, requires great attention to detail, strong adherence to the standards and principles of your discipline, and takes substantial persistence to complete. For that reason, Nicholls has initiated the annual Grantsmanship Award as a means to celebrate and recognize ten outstanding faculty or staff who obtained the largest funding in the past year. This year’s 10 recipients represent over $8 million in awards for both research and programmatic support.”

The grants awarded by Nicholls State University were made possible by direct support from alumni, private foundations, parents, corporations, and organizations; additionally, the grant funds are allocated by Nicholls’s Office of University Development. In order to provide financial support for Nicholls State University, The Office of University Development plans and executes annual fund campaigns, capital campaigns, endowments, planned giving initiatives, and other types of fund-raising activities.

Nicholls’s Spring 2023 Convocation also saw five professors and assistant professors awarded the Academic Affairs Award for Teaching Excellence. These five awardees were: Dr. John Lajaunie, Dr. Chantrelle Varnado-Johnson, Dr. Jason Ladd, Mrs. Jeanne Chaisson, and Dr. Himanshu Verma.

Additionally, the Student Affairs “Apple” Awards were given out to five staff members. These awards were for “Outstanding Faculty Advisor of a Student Organization,” “Outstanding Faculty Mentor,” “Outstanding Faculty Support for Student Activities,” and “Outstanding Faculty Merit Award.”

The ceremony also featured the introduction of a new program that is designed to help Nicholls State Universitysupport its students, communicate important information throughout the school year, and answer student questions. Renee Hicks, Assistant Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness, Access, and Success, announced the implementation of Nicholls State University + EdSights. The program was described as being “available to students 24/7 to answer any questions about Nicholls. The program can help the university support students, answer their questions and communicate important information throughout the school year creating an avenue for student feedback and a virtual community.”

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Delicious Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe

It’s widely known that Cajun cuisine is delicious, but many often feel guilty for how loaded with carbs it can be at times. Luckily there are ways of cooking traditional Cajun flavors of smoked andouille sausage and pork rinds while placing them within vegetables, making them healthier while still being delicious. Spice up your mealtime with this delicious andouille sausage-stuffed acorn squash recipe from the Louisiana Cookin’ food blog. Perfect for a cozy night in or as a unique feature on your next dinner party spread, this flavorful dish is sure to be a hit. Find out just how easy it is to make these andouille-stuffed acorn squash halves, plus get the tips you need to ensure that the perfect balance of flavor comes through in each bite.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. You’ll want to begin this Creole-infused acorn squash recipe by prepping all of your ingredients by portioning and finely chopping all of the necessary pieces. Once you’re ready to put it all together, preheat your convection oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  2. Next, you will fully remove all of the seeds from your three medium-sized acorn squashes and halve each of them lengthwise. Take all six pieces and place them atop your foil-lined baking sheet tray. Pour your extra-virgin olive oil over the acorn squash and ensure that the oil is all over the squash with gloved hands. Then, sprinkle your Creole seasoning over the squash and place the pieces cut-side down onto the foil-lined pan.
  3. Bake your seasoned acorn squash until they’re just barely tender, which should take approximately 20 minutes. Afterward, turn the squash over with the cut side facing upward, leaving the oven on.
  4. Then take a large saucepan and place your ground pork into it. Take your smoked andouille sausage with the casings removed and ensure that you’ve finely chopped the sausages in a food processor and then add it to the saucepan with the ground pork. Place this large saucepan over medium-high heat and break the meat up with a wooden spoon.
  5. Cook the ground pork and shredded sausage for approximately 10 minutes until the meat becomes brown and crumbly. Once the meat is of this texture and coloration, add in your chopped celery, diced bell pepper, chopped onion, and minced garlic to the pan. Cook the vegetables along with the meat while stirring occasionally with the wooden spoon until the contents of the pot become softened and fragrant, which should take about another 5 minutes to cook.
  6. At this point, remove the large saucepan from the heat and fold in your two cups of chopped fresh baby spinachand the single teaspoon of chopped fresh sage. Then, spoon the cooked sausage and vegetable mixture into your squash halves and sprinkle your crushed ½ cup of pork rinds on top.
  7. Bake the final product until it is heated through and golden brown, which should take about 15 to 20 minutes in total.
  8. Serve each acorn squash half separately alongside steamed vegetables, a side salad, or grilled asparagus, and enjoy!

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Louisiana’s Largest Marsh Creation Project On Track to 2025 Completion

Louisiana’s largest marsh creation project, which will create approximately 2,800 acres of marshland near Shell Beach, recently received a project update, according to this article from The Advocate.

The Lake Borgne Marsh Creation Project is a $115 million project that began its construction last year and is set to conclude in August 2025. The $115 million is being financed with settlement funds related to the 2010 BP oil spill; however, the federal government will be paying for a separate plan to restore wider wetlands that have been degraded by the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, or MRGO. The Lake Borgne Marsh Creation project is Louisiana’s single largest marsh creation project currently under construction. The area was visited by St. Bernard Parish officials, Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) representatives, and members of the Louisiana Legislature in order to gain a perspective on the project’s current level of completion ahead of the Coastal Protection Authority’s annual plan and the update of the state’s 50-year, $50 billion master plan.

Recently, the chair of the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Chip Kline, and other state and parish officials were able to visit the Lake Borgne Marsh Creation Project in order to provide an update ahead of the Coastal Protection Authority’s five-decade master plan that is updated every six years. Kline and other state and parish officials were able to visit St. Bernard Parish’s Shell Beach as well as take an airboat ride so that they could survey the eroded marsh that’s located between the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet and Lake Borgne.

This specific area has seen drastic erosion and changes over the past few decades thanks to saltwater intrusion, erosion, and subsidence that has been gradually degrading the area. It’s generally understood and accepted that most of Shell Beach’s erosion can be attributed to the MRGO after it fully opened in 1968 as a shipping shortcut from New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico. Unfortunately, this shortcut channel was also labeled as a “hurricane highway”after 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, when the channel was responsible for helping expedite the storm surge that hit New Orleans.

One member of the local community, Robbie Campo, spoke about the drastic need for a new marsh environment by saying, “if we don’t do something over here, the lake is going to be into the MRGO. We’re going to lose it all.” Campo’s family operates Campo’s Marina at Shell Beach, and the marina has existed for 120 years, meaning that he has slowly observed the wetlands eroding over his lifetime. While Campo is concerned that the area’s fishing environment will be changed on account of future separate river diversions, he is reportedly relieved to see progress on the new marsh construction.

Thankfully, the $115 million Lake Borgne Marsh Creation Project is set to use approximately 13 million cubic yards of dredged soil to create around 2,800 acres of marsh. It’s estimated that this project, like others of its kind, will have an expected lifespan of 20-30 years. Chip Kline spoke about what Louisiana’s experience with detrimental storms has taught it by saying, “I think one of the greatest lessons that we’ve learned over the last few decades is that a natural buffer is just as important as your hurricane risk reduction system. This natural buffer – our marshes, our wetlands – are helping protect us.”

During the visit, parish and state officials were able to see construction excavators work to build a containment dike and mud berms to hold in sediment. After the tour concluded, a press conference was held, and St. Bernard President Guy McInnis spoke about the project by saying, “it’s all for the resilience of our community, and to keep our culture and our heritage for future generations.”

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Exploring The Charm Of Lewes, Delaware

Are you ready to explore a charming seaside town that’s filled with hidden gems? If you are, then look no further than Lewes, Delaware. And thanks to this detailed travel guide from Southern Living, you will be set to enjoy a relaxing beach vacation, an educational journey through history, or a weekend of outdoor fun in Lewes, Delaware.

Located in Sussex County, Lewes, Delaware is a hidden gem of a town that is situated on the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal and therefore offers stunning views of Delaware Bay. Lewes has some excellent restaurants and shops spread throughout the town for all sorts of occasions and food cravings. If you’re looking for a place to celebrate a major accomplishment or a spot in town to have a formal evening out, then check out the upscale farm-to-table restaurant Heirloom. Though, if you’re looking for something more casual, be sure to visit Notting Hill for breakfast or house-roasted coffee or Surf Bagel for the perfect big city bagels.

Visitors who are interested in exploiting the town’s history are in luck, because Lewes, Delaware is home to a number of historical sites and landmarks that are worth exploring. The Lewes Historical Society Museum is a great place to start, as it houses a collection of artifacts and exhibits that tell the story of the town’s history. Other notable sites include the Zwaanendael Museum, which is dedicated to the town’s Dutch settlers, and the Lewes Ferry Terminal, which has been in operation since 1631. For those interested in architecture, Lewes also boasts a number of well-preserved 18th and 19th-century buildings, including the Ryves Holt House and the Cannonball House.

The town of Lewes is home to many parks and outdoor activities that are perfect for exploring the unique charm that’s abundant throughout the town. Lewes Beach is a great spot for swimming, sunbathing, and fishing. Additionally, Cape Henlopen State Park offers miles of hiking trails, biking paths, and picnic areas with stunning views of Delaware Bay. In fact, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can even take a kayak or stand-up paddleboard out onto Delaware Bay. There are also several smaller parks throughout Lewes that are perfect for a leisurely stroll or a quiet moment to enjoy the natural beauty of the area.

If you’re interested in grabbing a different perspective of Lewes, always take a scenic drive down Route 1A towards Rehoboth Beach. Along the way, you’ll pass through picturesque villages and get glimpses of the ocean. Furthermore, Fisherman’s Wharf is one of the hidden gems in Lewes, Delaware. This charming little spot is located on the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal and is a great place to enjoy fresh seafood. There are several cruises offered along Fisherman’s Wharf, allowing you and your party to watch for whales, dolphins, or sunsets. The wharf is also a popular place for fishing with both full-day and half-day rates available.

The Fort Miles Museum and Historic Area is another one of Lewes’s hidden gems. The museum is located in an old military fort, and it houses a collection of artifacts from the American Civil War. The historic area surrounding the museum is also worth exploring. There are a number of monuments and gravesites to visit, and the views of Delaware Bay are simply breathtaking. Because Lewes dates all the way back to 1631, it’s one of those few American towns that has a rich history resounding multiple centuries in everything from its architecture to its landmarks to its culture. Consider making a trip out to Lewes the next time you’d like to be inundated by a seaside town that’s brimming with charm and ambiance.

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