Bye, BR

Y'all, I have a confession to make...I have never truly been away from home.

Yes, I moved into a dorm, and apartment, and eventually my sorority house for college, but I have lived in Baton Rouge my entire life and I've never been gone for more than a few weeks at a time.

Living in Baton Rouge for so long though has its perks because I have gown up in an area with some of the most incredible food, festivals, and culture!

Now, as I prepare to leave my city for the summer, I need to soak up all of the food and fun that this city has to offer! What better way to do that, than by making a list of my favorite places in Baton Rouge?!





I'll start with places to eat, because food is a way of life here - and the more local, the better!

Before I move to Dallas I need to have brunch at:

• Mason's Grill
• Frank's Smokehouse Restaurant
• Bistro Byronz
• Louie's Café

I want to have lunch at:

• Lit Pizza
• The Velvet Cactus
• Breck's Bistro
• Curbside Burgers
• Eliza Restaurant & Bar

Dinner at:

• City Pork
• The Chimes
• Superior Grill
• Ruffino's
• Rum House
• Tsunami 

and drinks at:

• Merchant District
• The Bulldog
• Bin 77
• Blend
• Olive or Twist

Louisiana's culture and history is so unique, and you can easily experience it with the amazing plantations, parks, and museums that are nearby.

Baton Rouge's downtown may not be huge, but it has a great display of history and culture. Below are some of my favorite places to visit, and I hope to visit some before I move to Dallas:

• Louisiana’s Old State Capitol
• Louisiana State Capitol Building
• USS Kidd
• Louisiana Arts and Science Museum
• Capitol Park Museum, a Louisiana State Museum
• LSU Museum of Art

There's no shortage of great places to shop in Baton Rouge and before I leave, I absolutely need to take advantage of them!

First there are the local boutiques. My favorites are:

• Posh
• Rodeo
• Hemline
• Bella Bella

Next, there are the bigger shopping centers with more shops and something for everyone:

• Towne Center
• Perkins Rowe
• The Mall of Louisiana
• Tanger Outlet

Now unfortunately I will miss most of the area's great summer festivals and activities (due to graduation festivities for myself and my little sister, and previously planned trips), but if you're in the area, please take advantage of them for me!

• Hot Art, Cool Nights - May 12
• Red Stick Food Fest - May 13
• Rock n' Rowe - May 11, May 18, and May 25
• Live After 5 - May 12, May 19, and May 26
• The Jambalaya Festival in Gonzales - May 26, 27 & 28
• Bayou Country Superfest in New Orleans - May 26, 27 & 28  

Finally, a few miscellaneous things I MUST do before I leave include:

• celebrating my graduation from LSU and my sister's graduation from high school
• getting as many snowballs as possible
• taking walks around the LSU lakes
• enjoying lazy days by the pool
• spending as much time as possible with my family and friends

Do you have any Baton Rouge favorites that I forgot? Let me know!