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| Recreation &
Leisure
Fun is essential to life. That's how we
think in Terrebonne Parish. Newcomers agree
that we definitely take our fun seriously,
whether it's sports, outdoor activities,
crafts, or the arts. Having fun is part
of our culture. It is a long-standing tradition
here in Cajun Country.
Being located in the southern extreme of
the state, Terrebonne Parish has a climate
that allows for year-round sports and outdoor
activities. Our state nickname says it all:
"The Sportsman's Paradise." And
the king of sports in south Louisiana is
fishing. We lay claim, in and around Terrebonne
Parish, to being the home of the best recreational
freshwater and saltwater fishing in the
world.
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Those who really crave recreational and
sports fishing will be quickly satisfied.
Whether you prefer the challenges of the
open ocean and offshore fishing or the subtleties
of the backwater swamp and marsh, rest assured
that you'll find the best fishing right
here in Terrebonne Parish.
The islands along the coast and inland bays
are particularly "fertile ground"
for speckled trout in the summer and redfish
in the fall. Terrebonne Parish is also a
great place to fish species like flounder,
red snapper, cobia and king mackerel. And
just a few miles from shore sport fishermen
will find the finest blue marlin, yellowfin
tuna, wahoo, and mahi mahi.
Good charter services, which can be hired
for a half or whole day, are plentiful in
the area. For a list of charter services
in Terrebonne Parish, visit www.rodnreel.com.
We have prime hunting land here in Sportsman's
Paradise, especially for waterfowl. During
the hunting season from November to January,
large flocks of green and blue wing teal,
mallard, pintail, redhead and canvas back
ducks literally fill the sky. Hunters will
also discover blue, white, and speckled-belly
geese soaring across Terrebonne Parish's
hunting grounds. The parish's plentiful
supply of waterfowl offers ample opportunity
for the experienced and novice hunter alike.
Terrebonne Parish is the proud home of not
just great hunting and fishing, but of two
government-operated wildlife management/refuge
areas.
Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge, operated
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is
accessible by boat only. The refuge offers
fishing as well as waterfowl, hog, and deer
hunting opportunities. For more information,
contact representatives of the refuge at
(504) 853-1078.
The other government-operated site in Terrebonne
Parish is the Pointe-Aux-Chenes Wildlife
Management Area, managed by the Louisiana
Wildlife and Fisheries Department. Pointe-Aux-Chenes
offers dove and waterfowl hunting, deer
hunting with bow only, and plenty of great
year-round fishing. For more information
on Pointe-Aux-Chenes, call (504) 594-5494.
Augusta, Georgia, may have its famous azaleas
and dogwoods, but, for the golfer or golfer-to-be,
Terrebonne Parish has something even better.
We think of it as breathtaking-our stunningly
beautiful golf courses filled with huge
native live oaks draped with graceful Spanish
moss. You will find the courses both technically
challenging and awe-inspiring in their natural
beauty.
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To really appreciate the richness of Terrebonne's
natural resources, you must take a swamp
tour. Discover the land that makes our area
so unique, so rich, and so evocative: the
cypress, the black water, the draping moss.
You can see the swamp in an airboat, tour
boat or sea plane. Either way is captivating.
You'll come across a multitude of wildlife
that has been a part of our lore and lives
for centuries. Animals like alligators,
cranes, herons and swamp rabbits are plentiful
and can be easily seen on your tour.
A host of other recreational activities
are sponsored by the Terrebonne Parish Consolidated
Government Recreation Department, including
softball, baseball, basketball, volleyball,
bantam football, and swimming. Full schedules
of events and leagues are available by calling
(504) 873-6583.
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While in Terrebonne Parish, you'll want to
stop in at the Southdown Plantation House
located at the intersection of LA-311 and
St. Charles Street in Houma. This is the home
of the Terrebonne Museum. The house was built
by William J. Minor in 1859 and started out
to be a one-story Greek Revival. In 1893,
a second floor was added and the architectural
style was changed to Queen Anne. The 21-room
mansion houses various collections including
135 Boehm and Doughty porcelain birds, a re-creation
of U.S. Senator Allen J. Ellender's private
Washington D.C. office, original bedroom furniture
from the period, and a Terrebonne Parish Oral
History Room. The museum is open Tuesday through
Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the
last tour starting at 3 p.m. It is closed
on major holidays. Call (504) 851-0154 for
information.
There are four other plantation homes located
on LA-311. These are private residences and
can only be viewed from the road. They include
Crescent Farms, Ellendale, Ardoyne, and Magnolia.
Also along LA-311 is Waterland USA, a seven-acre
water park that features a 52-foot tower and
a 32-foot slide as well as a high-tech family
wave pool.
Another great way to see the parish is to
take a driving self-tour. The Houma Area Convention
and Visitors Bureau has a brochure titled
"Adventures on a Bayou Circle Drive."
The brochure maps out your driving tour beginning
on one of three bayous. It covers an array
of beautiful landscapes and landmarks along
the local roads, finally circling back into
Houma. The tour route is approximately 80
miles.
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The arts thrive in Terrebonne Parish. Houma's
new $15 million civic center offers an active
season of musicals, concerts, and performing
arts events. The 100,000 square foot Houma-Terrebonne
Civic Center is a state-of-the-art facility
that seats 5,000 and provides a venue to
accommodate the events that attract larger
audiences, such as rock concerts and Broadway
shows like Annie, Cats, and Grease. For
more information, contact the Civic Center
at (800) 354-6862.
Our local theater group, Le Petit Theatre
de Terrebonne, produces five plays a year
and is supported by a roster of 900 members.
We love our theater here and are proud of
the consistent outstanding quality of performances.
The historic building that houses Le Petit
Theatre De Terrebonne was originally built
as Peoples Bank. In 1933 the building was
converted to Houma City Hall.
The Terrebonne Fine Arts Guild operates
the Downtown Art Gallery, housed in its
new building on Bellanger Street. The gallery
is an excellent way to view artists' works
from throughout the region. The gallery
is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00
p.m. till 4:00 p.m.
Though Terrebonne Parish has an abundant
supply of local artists and art organizations,
one local group is stimulating the creation
of even more local art, making sure Terrebonne's
unique slant on the arts is forever preserved.
Founded in 1983, the Houma-Terrebonne Arts
and Humanities Council (HTAHC) is a non-profit
organization officially designated by parish
and state government to provide financing,
services, and other programs for arts organizations
and individual artists in Terrebonne Parish.
In addition to providing the parish with
over $85,000 in art funding each year, the
HTAHC sponsors annual programs like the
Summer Concert Series, the Summer Performing
Arts Camp, Kaleidoscope, visual art shows,
art workshops, grant writing workshops,
and a Christmas performance. For more information
call (504) 873-6367 or visit www.terrebonne.org.
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Here is a well-known fact, at least to the
locals: fun and good times for the people
of Houma and Terrebonne Parish are as important
as breathing...maybe even more important.
In New Orleans, you'll hear "Laissez
les bons temps roulez" -Let the good
times roll. We believe that. And we've always
believed in helping everyone "Pass a
good time" on the bayou. So getting together
and going out is a natural part of our culture
here. And that's one reason we have so many
celebrations and festivals throughout the
year.
Houma is the home to the second largest Mardi
Gras celebration outside of New Orleans. All
the festivities get under way two weekends
before Mardi Gras day. The parade and krewes
in all their pageantry run along Main Street,
Zydeco fills the air, Cajun food and crawfish
are bountiful, and general high merriment
and good times soar.
Throughout the year there are numerous other
fairs and parades, including the Irish-Italian
parade, the Terrebonne Livestock and Agricultural
Fair and Rodeo, the T-Cailliou Lions Club
Fishing Rodeo and Fair, the Freedom Festival
on July 4 with its patriotic fireworks show,
Downtown on the Bayou in October, and a Christmas
festival that features the arrival of Papa
Noel in Houma. A full calendar of events is
available from the Houma Area Convention and
Visitors Bureau by calling (800) 688-2732.
A rich Native American tradition continues
to maintain a strong presence in this area.
Two energy-filled pow-wows take place during
the year: the Calling of the Tribes and the
Grand Bois Intertribal. Both colorful events
feature Native American crafts, food, and
dances.
We move at our own pace down here in the heart
of Cajun Country. And we suppose that part
of the reason is so we can enjoy all the good
things that go on in our parish and all the
fine people who call it home. So welcome and
be sure to slow down enough to see all Terrebonne
Parish has to offer. Take a moment and pass
a good time on the bayou. You'll be glad you
did.
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