Dane Ashford

Some of the quietest places in this state are so peaceful on a weekday that you might think…

By Dane Ashford · Aug 11

Louisiana has a habit of hiding its biggest surprises in plain sight, and this vast wetland is one…

By Dane Ashford · Aug 10

I drove past the empty parking lot last summer and felt that particular sadness you get when a…

By Dane Ashford · Aug 10

My first visit, I waited in a line that curled around the parking lot for a king cake…

By Dane Ashford · Aug 9

I spent well over forty minutes in the spice aisle alone. Not because I am an indecisive shopper,…

By Dane Ashford · Aug 9

I never thought I would find myself waist-deep in a pool while a curious otter circled my legs.…

By Dane Ashford · Aug 8

I first heard about the turducken on a football broadcast and spent years assuming it was a myth.…

By Dane Ashford · Aug 8

Water so still it reflects the trees like a mirror. That was the first thing I noticed when…

By Dane Ashford · Aug 7

Four days. That is how long this tiny town in rice country shuts down every August to celebrate…

By Dane Ashford · Aug 7

The ceiling curved above me like the inside of a wooden ship. I had to tilt my head…

By Dane Ashford · Aug 6

I walked past the building twice before I realized what was inside. From the outside it looks like…

By Dane Ashford · Aug 6

I almost drove past it. The sign out front says world famous, but the building looks like every…

By Dane Ashford · Aug 5

My harness clicked into place and my stomach dropped before I even left the platform. Sixty feet above…

By Dane Ashford · Aug 5

I almost drove past it. The turnoff sits along a stretch of Highway 22 where most people seem…

By Dane Ashford · Aug 4

Louisiana’s oldest cafeteria does not try to impress you, which is exactly why it works. I slid my…

By Dane Ashford · Aug 4

My friend told me about a lake park with disc golf. I nodded politely and expected nothing special.…

By Dane Ashford · Aug 2

My love affair with hidden food spots started years ago. I stumbled into a tiny kitchen that changed…

By Dane Ashford · Aug 1

I am the worst at making breakfast decisions. I stare at menus. I change my mind. I end…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 31

I drove past the sign twice before I trusted my GPS. The road wound through rural Washington Parish…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 31

My kids have dragged me to plenty of weekend events that promised fun and delivered boredom. This one…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 30

I almost drove past it. The sign looked like any other discount store on the highway. Then I…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 30

Some nights in New Orleans call for jazz, cocktails, and questionable decisions. Others end with a warm cookie…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 29

I walked past the door twice before I noticed it. Tucked into a narrow alley off one of…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 29

My shopping list said three things. I walked out with two full bags and zero regrets. That is…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 28

I walked through the doors and my jaw dropped. Aisles stacked floor to ceiling with every color imaginable.…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 28

Every August, a building that once printed Confederate currency opens its doors to something entirely different. The Old…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 27

The landscape changes faster than expected once you leave the highway. A sandy rise smells of pine, a…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 27

Sometimes the loudest sound you hear all day is the dip of a paddle or the call of…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 26

The scent hits you before you even open the door. Warm cinnamon, brown sugar, plus buttery dough swirl…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 26

Twilight changes the mood before the first ball even rolls. The heat begins to lift, lamps flicker on…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 25

Cinnamon rolls have a way of making people strangely loyal. One bakery’s glaze is too sweet, another’s dough…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 25

The bar sits in what used to be the nave, brick walls still holding, ceiling high enough that…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 24

You walk in looking for one terra cotta pot and forty minutes later you are pushing a cart…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 24

There was a time when crossing the causeway felt like leaving the city behind completely. The north shore…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 23

Driving through the small towns along the Bayou Teche, the landmarks that matter most are the ones without…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 23

Nothing quite prepares you for the unexpected sight of a flying saucer parked next to a gas station…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 22

There is something quietly magical about wandering through rows of blueberry bushes on a warm summer morning, the…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 22

Walking through a quiet cemetery in the heart of one of America’s most storied cities, you might just…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 21

Few things reveal the soul of a place quite like a bowl of gumbo simmered with decades of…

By Dane Ashford · Jul 21