3 minute read
Slidell
NATURE AND GOOD TIMES ARE never far apart or far away in Slidell. There are festivals, live music with “gotta-move dancing,” good food, play, adventure, history and serenity. In the city’s expansive and modern Heritage Park, which kisses the shore of Bayou Bonfouca for a quarter mile, you’ll find a walking trail, picnic table shelters, a playground, splash pad, and a boat launch at the marina end of the park. Better still, an amphitheater stands ready for the Bayou Jam spring concert series in March and April, and for the Northshore Community Orchestra’s Some Enchanted Evening in May.
If pickleball is your game, you’ll find courts open to the public at both John Slidell Park and Fritchie Park You can’t miss trying local cuisine at some of the restaurants and cafes. Have fun exploring historic buildings or browsing shops in Olde Towne Slidell. On Saturdays, the Camellia City Market is the place to stock up on homegrown produce, prepared foods, arts, crafts and specialty items—and to hear live music.
See nature close up, following a wooden boardwalk through the nearby Camp Salmen Nature Park on Bayou Liberty. Besides having a playground, amphitheater and pavilions, the park is home to the Camp Salmen House, a rare example of 1830's era French Creole cottage architecture.
Take a ride on the wilder side on a Honey Island Swamp boat tour through this permanently protected wildlife preserve. Cajun Encounters Tours or Dr. Wagner’s Swamp Tours can take you into the pristine fresh-water swamp for a mesmerizing experience.
If you love “mudbugs” you’ll want to go to the Olde Towne Crawfish Cookoff in March or the All You Can Eat Crawfish Cookoff in Fritchie Park in April – both with live music.
Yes, Slidell has a bit of everything, including drama—the good kind—like you’ll see in productions at Slidell Little Theatre and Cutting Edge Theater
Culinary Hot Spots
CRAWFORD’S 1-STOP SHOP - 715 Old Spanish Trail / (985) 445-1199
EIGHT60 WINE WHISKEY BITES - 860 Oak Harbor Blvd. / (985) 259-4051
GILLIGIL’S ISLAND - 4826 Pontchartrain Drive / (985) 201-8824
KENNEY SEAFOOD, INC. - 400 Pontchartrain Drive / (985) 643-2717
KY’S OLDE TOWNE BICYCLE SHOP - 2267 Carey St. / (985) 641-1911
NATHAN’S RESTAURANT - 36440 Old Bayou Liberty Road / (985) 643-0443
OLDE TOWNE PIZZA CO. - 285 Cousin St. / (985) 445-1273
PALMETTOS ON THE BAYOU - 1901 Bayou Lane / (985) 643-0050
PEARL’S SEAFOOD MARKET - 502 Gause Blvd. / (985) 214-9014
PECK’S SEAFOOD 2315 Gause Blvd. E. / (985) 781-7272
PHIL’S MARINA CAFÉ - 1194 Harbor Drive / (985) 641-0464
SOUTHSIDE CAFÉ -3154 Pontchartrain Drive / (985) 643-6133
