Book highlights Louisiana’s Main Streets

Readers can take an armchair visit to many of Louisiana’s towns through a new book, Main Streets of Louisiana, by local author Anne Butler.

Butler offers lively, informative text about 32 of the state’s communities and urban districts, accompanied by color photos of the Main Streets and surrounding landmarks of each. The photos are by Henry Cancienne.

“These Main Streets are the core of rural communities, the center of life, the repository of collective memories,” Butler writes. Her text gives brief histories of the communities, and details what awaits visitors to the communities today.

Cancienne’s photographs are average, with the exception of a few: the Clinton Courthouse at night, Columbia’s Main Street’s intersection with the Ouachita River, and brilliantly-colored azaleas at Shadows-on-the-Teche in New Iberia. Others seemed to have been shot at the wrong time of day, casting shadows over some of the buildings and streets.

Butler will have a free noontime lecture and book signing on Thursday, July 26, at the West Baton Rouge Museum, 845 N. Jefferson Ave. in Port Allen.

She’ll be discussing her book, and in particular how the Louisiana Main Street program helped revitalize some of these hearts and souls of our state.

The coffee-table book, published by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press, is priced at $35.

Military parade in N.O.

New Orleanians are always ready for a parade and this one will celebrate Louisiana’s bicentennial.

The Saturday, Aug. 4, parade will feature thousands of military men and women and will be the largest parade in the city since the state’s centennial celebration 100 years ago.

The parade will march through the French Quarter and end at the National World War II Museum.

Seniors sought for trip

A trip for seniors is planned to Savannah and Jekyll Island, Ga., and Beaufort, S.C., Oct. 6-13.

For more information, call Kirk Brown, [phone].

Fest in Lake Charles

The Marshland Festival takes place Friday-Sunday, July 27-29, at the Lake Charles Civic Center.

There will be music from throughout the region, a business expo, arts and crafts, children’s activities. food and more.

äON THE INTERNET:

http://www.marshlandfestival.com

Special golfing rates

Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville has announced that Tamahka Trails Golf Club will offer a discounted greens fee of $29 (plus tax) to all active military personnel, firefighters and law enforcement personnel every Monday.

To receive the discount, valid identification must be presented at the Tamahka Trails Pro-Shop upon arrival. The special rate includes greens and cart fees.

To reserve at tee time or for more information, call the Tamahka Trails Pro Shop at [phone], ext. 6300.

Tamahka Trails is an 18-hole, par 71 golf course located in Marksville, and offers a fully stocked pro-shop, practice facility and grillroom. Lessons are available with head professional, Matt Goldsmith. Tamahka Trails Golf Club is also a charter member of the Audubon Golf Trail.

Golf enthusiasts can view an interactive map of the entire Tamahka Trails golf course on the Paragon Casino Resort website, http://www.paragoncasinoresort.com. Click on the tab labeled “Amenities” and select “Golf” to access a virtual tour of Tamahka Trails.

Paragon Casino Resort provided an item for this column. Louisiana Travels is a biweekly column about travel destinations and events in Louisiana. Email items for Louisiana Travels to [e-mail] or [e-mail] or fax to [phone].