Have you and your family been riding the hamster wheel of life and are now in search of some bonding?

How about gathering the gang for a trip to a quaint town in the middle of good old Louisiana?

And the best way to get around is by chartering your own bus!

Here are some places you and your charter bus should stop at while in Louisiana

Louisiana Bus Stop #1: Steel Magnolias Film Tour

Most people think of New Orleans as a vacation destination but that can be a lot for a group trying to relax and reconnect. That’s where the tiny town of Natchitoches comes in.

This town isn’t well known but is a historic part of Louisiana and has a lot to offer.

Maybe your kids won’t know the cinematic significance of the film Steel Magnolias but all the more reason to bring them on this tour.

Just in case you didn’t know, the movie Steel Magnolias is all about the power of women: it embodies their optimism, determination, and will to survive all things.

 P.S. Motor Coach Family of Brands is woman-owned.

If this doesn’t get you hung up on the movie the cast is also star-studded.

Some cast members include Sally Field, Shirley MaClaine, and Daryl Hannah; if those STILL aren’t enough to stop you in your boots, how about Julia Roberts?! I’ll stop at Dolly Parton because if you don’t know her, you absolutely should!

Now that the significance of this movie has been pipelined, you may wonder what this tour has to offer.

You get to live out all the scenes of the movie while a guide takes you to seventeen different set locations with the added education on the film.

Gather up everyone on the charter bus you just rented and head out to a place where you and the fam can pretend to be a star of the film for a day.

Louisiana Small Town Charm: Natchitoches Historic District

Traveling with the family can cost a lot, but it doesn’t have to, especially if the event is free!

Have your charter bus stop and take a free walking tour of the historic district, where you can get your education and understand what makes this town special.

The tour gives a broad overview of the Natchitoches and the Cane River region. Along this tour you get to learn about the French & Spanish colonial period, Antebellum Plantation culture & period, Reconstruction & tenant farming, architectural history, and Creole Catholic culture & history.

You really can’t beat the knowledge for the price!

Classic Louisiana Fun: Gator Country Louisiana

Louisiana is known for many things, but one of the most important and family-engaging ones is the plethora of gators that roam the land!

This is exactly what you’ll find at Alligator Park, though, they don’t just have gators, the admission comes with snakes and lizards too!

Bring the family to wade with the gators or even feed them and their tortoise friends.

If you’re feeling brave, maybe consider holding a reptile or two.

Take the family and see which member is bravest!

Getting to all these locations can be a drag, especially with your family, make sure to schedule a charter bus to make the adventure as relaxing as possible.

Check out this attraction in Natchitoches, Louisiana’s oldest town, and enjoy all of the small town’s secrets with some added education.

Louisiana History Stop: Adai Indian Nation Cultural Center

Before this area was taken over by the French Canadians, it was home to the Adai Caddo Indian Nations.

This tribe was one of the First Peoples in North America to experience European contact and they were affected by this in a big way. Even with the effects that the Europeans brought to their livelihoods, the tribe was still useful to French traders and explorers.

The center reveals details on the tribe’s history and the hardships that they suffered during that time. The Adai Indian National Cultural Center also has a lot of artifacts and educational texts for children and adults alike.

Occasionally the center holds a powwow that can be described as magical.

Hop on that chartered bus to see some of the deep-rooted cultures on the land.

The Louisiana Outdoors: Briarwood: Caroline Dormon Nature Preserve

Get your outdoorsy side in with your family at a preserve with a history. It doesn’t always have to be the swamp.

This area of land was originally a cotton plantation in 1859 owned by Caroline Dormon’s grandparents.

The perverse was named after their original plantation which was located in Barnwell County South Carolina.

Caroline grew up loving nature and spent a great deal of time outdoors. She loved the outdoors so much that when she got a degree and began teaching, she petitioned the superintendent to send her to a school in the piney woods.

Eventually, after Caroline’s death in 1971, the land was given to the board of directors of the Foundation For The Preservation Of The Caroline Dormon Nature Preserve, which was overseen by her chosen steward Richard Johnson. He and his wife worked to build and develop the work that Caroline had put into the land over time.

The preserve now is a product of hard work and dedication from the people who helped keep it there

Take a gander at what makes this area so unique! Make sure your charter bus stops here! When you charter your own bus, everyone in your group gets a say as to where to stop!

A Louisiana Fort: Fort St. John

In 1714 Louis Antoine Juchereau De St. Denis reached the Natchitoches Indians on the Red River village, which consisted of two huts that would later be known as the Louisiana Purchase.

The fort was initially vital for trade between the French, Spanish, and Native Americans. The fort then remained a trade and military outpost until 1762 when Spain won the territory. While the fort was of use to them, it was abandoned shortly after. A while thereafter the territory was given to the United States the fort by this time was too destroyed to use and so they built a new fort, named Fort Claiborne nearby.

Fort St. Jean Baptiste was replicated in 1979, with a great deal of Louisiana archival research, and is now located only a few hundred yards from the original site.

The fort is a great way to view what the original appearance was along with its historical value.

Getting Around Louisiana

As we said, the easiest and most cost- effective way to get around as a group is via charter bus.

You can get around Natchitoches and Louisiana by chartering a bus with Louisiana Motor Coach.