During our cross country road trip in the summer of 2022, we traveled with the truck and trailer…read morefrom Los Angeles to Key West and back. My wife booked a few nights in Tickfaw state park, sight unseen, to be more or less in the vicinity of New Orleans, a plantation tour, and a swamp boat tour that we had booked months in advance. As it turned out, we actually enjoyed this state park stay more than our visit to New Orleans! The state park entrance is actually at the back of a neighborhood of sorts, on a narrow two-lane road that cuts away from the highway at a weird angle. Once inside the park proper, visitors are treated to beautiful swamps, complete with cypress trees, Spanish moss, and all the critters you would expect to find here. The campground we enjoyed had full hook ups, a small wooden deck, and a long back-in pad for our trailer. There was also a resident raccoon who kept us honest about locking things up at night, and securing coolers and food. Tickfaw state park features long boardwalks with railings, that afford visitors beautiful hikes in different parts of the park through different kinds of trees and plants. Unfortunately, many of these were still damaged in the summer of 2022 from the previous year's Hurricane Ida that blew through southern Louisiana and surrounding areas. The only trail that was not affected by this was the one without a boardwalk, so we enjoyed a hike through beautiful pines that went down to the river. Despite most of the trails being closed and damaged, we still enjoyed ourselves here, and had a good time. In the evening, I enjoyed casting topwater lures in on the cypress knees and trees, and caught & released several big bowfin... A fish that is sort of a cross between a catfish a bass, and a pit bull I suppose. I'm not sure when we will be back through this part of the world, but Tickfaw State Park is definitely a place that I would stay again: off the beaten path but close enough to where you want to be, peaceful and quiet, and the kind of southern serene that helps a SoCal guy like me to slow down and enjoy life a little bit.

$3 per person at the gate gets you in. The park has a lot of trails, camp sites, kayaking and…read moreplenty of things to do. The nature center has a lot to read about the area and the things you will see in the area. The guy working was friendly, very informative. Everything seemed well organized.

What a great addition to the Audubon Zoo! This was my first time to see the venue after hearing…read moreabout it for a while. The lazy river is artfully done, giving a nod to Louisiana wildlife and nature areas. There are a lot of skillful and friendly lifeguards around the area. There are several different food pavilions, restrooms, locker areas, and areas to sit. There is also a fun water slide, giving homage to the infamous alligators with albinism who have taken residence at the Zoo and Aquarium over the years. This would be a fun place to relax with your kids during one of the summer sessions. My friends and I attending the adults-only Sip and Dip event held on Fridays during the summer. It was very affordable for a private cabana for six with early access. Be sure to reserve your tickets for the event early online as it does sell out. It got a bit crowded toward the end, and they did run out of regular floats, though some preferred the thick floating noodles offered. Every Friday night has a different theme, so there is something for everyone. They bring in Dickie Brennans for the bar, and they were wonderful with decently priced drinks and quality alcohol. They were also creating with the mocktails. I certainly will return for another Sip and Dip either later this summer, if able, or next year. Absolutely worth it!

Four stars for Cool Zoo's beautiful grounds and water features that are artfully rendered. Two and…read morea half stars for Sip & Dip. Five stars for the incredibly friendly staff. My first time at Cool Zoo was for the adults-only Friday night party, Sip & Dip. This event is 2X a month during the heart of the summer and features theme nights with DJs and of course since this is NOLA, people get creative and might dress in theme. I went on 80s night and the music was so fun and I loved people wearing neon, 80s tshirts and even hair and make-up. Refreshments stands are spread out among the park and they do a themed cocktail and sell beer, hard seltzer and soft drinks, along with typical concession food and popcorn. I had the cocktail of the evening, the Purple Rain and while it was eye-catching, it was so sweet and possibly strong, too, that I couldn't drink more than 1/4 of it (and it's a huge cup, fairly priced at only $13). The grounds are beautiful with fountains and an area with slides and water features that you'd normally see children dominating (with perfectly good reason) but it was actually fun to see adults having at it on the slides and at the water sprayers. Then there's the lazy river, which is a decent size, warm and full of jets to move you along. We ended up not using flotation devices and swam/walked through it. My main issue and why this event isn't personally my cup of tea: it's too crowded. It sells out but I think they sell far too many tickets. We arrived 15 min after it started and there wasn't a lounge chair nor seat at a table to be found. Cabanas are so cheap here but they sell out immediately ahead of the event, likely the day that tickets go on sale. The only way I'd return was if I could get a cabana. The lazy river is completely packed 45 minutes into the event. We were lucky enough to get a locker (which also sell out so imagine being there without a space to put your things??? how is that fun?). People are in general nice enough to hand over the inner tubes but good luck ever getting a place to sit if you didn't line up in advance of start time. I keep going back between 3 and 4 stars for the main reason that everyone who works here is SO nice. The staff really made everything bearable for me, as they were so welcoming and helpful to point out where the lockers were (there's another set behind the set you initially encounter). I just think this isn't the event for anyone who avoids crowds of people. And the crowd that was there that night were totally fine (at least early in the evening). They just sell too many tickets for me to enjoy it.

GymFit buying and renovating Foxy's has been the best thing since sliced bread. Seriously. I've…read morebeen a Foxy's member for over 6 years now, and the running joke has been that they've done little if any maintenance to the building in years. Sure enough, GymFit takes over, and immediately improvements begin. Fresh coats of paint on the walls, locker rooms renovated and beautiful now, cleaner pools, and new amenities such as a sand volleyball court. Besides all these amazing improvements, here's what I've always loved about Foxy's/now GymFit. #1 The women's locker room. To me, it's built for a perfect spa day. My favorite trio: sauna, steam room, and hot tub. I love to do all 3 and just soak up the relaxation. There's also showers, lockers, and other standard locker room stuff. The classes! Centergy/Flow has always been my #1 go to favorite class. Taryn is a fabulous instructor, and the music always motivates me and has me singing. GymFit has added so many fun, new classess I can hardly keep up. Salsa, AcroYoga, specialty dance classes, etc. Definitely something for everyone! I typically go at night, and the check-in ladies have always been friendly and helpful. I've used the nursery, and my daughters have always enjoyed it. Overall, gym clientele have always been friendly, so I've made some great connections over the years. Way more I could brag about, but I'll instead encourage you to go check GymFit out yourself.

GymFit is probably the biggest gym in Louisiana! They recently took over what used to be Foxy's…read moreFitness. They made an ordinary, lackluster gym to something extremely extravagant! In the recent months, they re-did a lot of the interior and so many improvements were made. It's now a multi-functional gym that offers many of their original classes + have added the cirque, acrobatics, bootcamp and ninja warrior aspect of it. It's a pretty incredible place. They hosted kids summer camp over the summer (during COVID), while enforcing mask wearing, etc. My family & I have been part of GymFit, since their beginnings at their old location and that was already super fun, so now I am excited about 10x more fun with probably 10x more of the space they now have. The owners are always thinking of awesome ways to make the gym a better experience for all that walk through their doors. Their performance group, Bayou Cirque, puts on electrifying performances in their outdoor area from time to time. Their outdoor area has 2 pools (larger swimming pool and a kids wading pool) + a sand volleyball court. The inside also has large lap pool. It truly is a neat place! If you want to check it out, you must! You'll also see the GymFit team at various outdoor events around the city with their kids ninja warrior course. Thanks for all you've provided to the community, Gymfit!