Take a day trip with the family to make memories

It’s travel season. Consider a day trip with the family to make some memories. Fill up the car with the family, pack a bag of snacks and games and hit the road to one of the following close escapes to relish in the summer fun.

RUSTON Consider Ruston in Lincoln Parish for a trip. known for its thriving collegetown atmosphere, an 18-block historic downtown district and the incredibly sweet peaches grown here. The area is home to Grambling State University and Louisiana Tech University, and boasts a variety of specialty shops and delicious restaurants. Explore Ruston’s many arts, outdoors and historic attractions, such as the Louisiana Military Museum, and take part in one of our events and festivals. It’s easy to discover why Ruston Lincoln Parish is considered “a peach of a place to visit!” Visit:

Louisiana Peach Festival (June 28-29) – The Squire Creek Louisiana Peach Festival will have be music, arts and crafts, children’s events, food, 5K and tennis tournament, rodeo, parade and more in downtown Ruston. More than 200 artisans and vendors of all types, from crafts to delicious festival dishes. Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band will perform at 8 p.m. June 28 and Sammy Kershaw will put on a performance at 9 p.m. June 29. See more at www.rustonlincoln. com/louisiana-peach-festival#sthash. ig4qZvia.dpuf.

Antique Classic Car Show (June 28) – With over 14 classes of vehicles this is sure to be one of the best shows ever. The event will begin at 7 a.m. with registration. The vehicles will be displayed from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. and judging is scheduled at 12:30 p.m. Stroll through BancorpSouth’s parking lot and enjoy cars from Arkansas, Monroe, Jonesboro, Alexandria, Shreveport and other areas. For more information contact Larry Banks at 318-243-9729.

MONROE Monroe is located along the Ouachita River and is the parish seat for Ouachita Parish. According to National Geographic, the Ouachita River is one of the most beautiful rivers in the entire world. Monroe is known as “Sportsman’s Paradise,” and is the location of the popular A&E “Duck Dynasty” reality show. This town is a great place to visit during the summer. Visit:

Antique Alley – “Southern Living” calls this “a shopaholic’s delight” that “has pretty much anything a shopper with eclectic tastes could want.” Discover blocks and blocks of unique stores in beautiful downtown West Monroe with everything from home decor, jewelry, clothing, European and American antiques, art and more. Stores are open Tuesday through Saturday, unless noted otherwise in each stores description.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Some shops open Sunday and Monday and are located at 100-300 blocks of Trenton Street, West Monroe. Go to www.antiquealleyshops. org or call 318-387-1933, for more information.

Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge – Immerse yourself in nature at the Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. This majestic 4,500-acre expanse of lake, swamp, bottomland hardwoods, mixed pine and hardwood uplands is a wildlife habitat with all manner of plant species and everything from small alligators and turtles to coyote, deer and a wide variety of fowl. Delight in the beauty of herons, egrets, orioles and red-winged blackbirds from the wildlife pier or bird blind. Walk on a nature trail that meanders through a forested wetland. Marvel at the quiet beauty of the 1,600-acre lake from the quiet of your rented canoe with stately cypress and tupelo trees towering overhead. The visitors’ center, a restored 1880s Acadian house, offers interactive exhibits and a nature shop. Behind the center is a covered amphitheater for educational programs. Visit the aquarium room with live exhibits of native fish, reptiles, amphibians and a Discovery Room with a variety of learning stations and reading materials. Other features include an arboretum with 150 labeled Louisiana native tree and woody shrub species, a photo blind, boat launch, canoeing, yearround fishing, and seasonal hunting opportunities.

Hours: Refuge open daylight hours.

Visitor Center open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Cost: Admission: Free; Boat launch fee: $2; Canoe rental fees: $20 for 1/2 day (four hours), $35 for a full day. Call to schedule. Located at 480 Richland Pl, Monroe.

Go to www.fws.gov/northlouisiana/ blackbayoulake or call 387-1114, for more information.

NACHITOCHES Natchitoches, well-known for the filming of “Steel Magnolias,” is also known as the “City of Lights.” Located in Central Louisiana on Interstate 49, you will find the original French Colony in Louisiana. Established in 1714, Natchitoches retains its European flavor through its architecture, heritage and lifestyle. At the heart of this National Historic District lies Front Street, a brick thoroughfare where wrought iron balconies, restaurants and shops face the beautiful Cane River Lake. Daily there are guided streetcar tours and carriage rides through the National Landmark Historic District. Fort St. Jean Baptiste, a replica of the 1732 French colonial fort is open daily with an interpretation of how the French marines lived in colonial days. The historic district hosts several art galleries, a museum and more. Visit:

Cookin’ on the Cane – The Natchitoches Area Jaycees will host Cookin’ on the Cane BBQ Competition and Festival in downtown Natchitoches on June 6 and 7. Held on the downtown riverbank, this cook-off is open to professional and non-professional cooks. There will also be a children’s barbecue chicken cook-off open to ages 5-16. This event is an IBCA competition. Attendees will not be able to taste the foods, but food vendors will be available along with children activities and live entertainment. Visit http://www.natchitochesjaycees. com/docs/2010BBQRegistration. pdf for registration information and regulations.

June Tri-Centennial Celebration Events: Honoring 300 years, Natchitoches will have an event each month honoring its history. June is Sports and Recreation Heritage Month. Exhibition “Melrose Baseball and the Cane River Bait Company is an event featuring the story of the Cane River Bait Company, owned by Johnny Horton and Johnny Cash. The event will also showcase the story of baseball on the Cane River at the Lemee House, 310 Jefferson St. Free admission.

EL DORADO, ARKANSAS Nestled near the calm waters of the Ouachita River in the Timberlands region of South Arkansas, El Dorado is undergoing a unique renaissance. Voted as having “America’s Best Downtown” in 2009, El Dorado has evolved from a humble oil town into an area rich in southern charm, history and some of the best Arkansas Festivals. Whether it is enjoying the South Arkansas Symphony, trying new vintages at the Southern Food and Wine Festival or watching a reenactment of a historical gun fight on the Union County Courthouse steps, there is always something to do or see here. Visit:

Smackover Oil Town Festival – The 43nd Annual Smackover Oil Town Festival will be held June 19-21. This family festival features free concerts every night. Attendees can enjoy horseshoe pitching, arm wrestling, turtle race, bingo, Bunco, dog shows, rod wrenching, a drill bit toss, pipe tote, rib cook-off, 5K Oil Run and the world famous yellow duck race down No Name Creek. The festival is on the third weekend of June each year at Broadway and 10th Street in Smackover, Ark.

Contact Tommie Fleming, P.O. Box 275, 710 Pershing Highway. Smackover, AR 71762, or email smkovrcofc@ sbcglobal.net. Learn more at www. smackoverar.com.

Showdown at Sunset – In 1902 in broad daylight on the courthouse square of El Dorado, city Marshal Guy Tucker confronted his bitter rivals, the Parnell Brothers. In one swift moment, a flurry of gunfire left three men dead and several others wounded. Witness the historic reenactment of the infamous Parnell- Tucker gunfight during Showdown at Sunset, which occurs on the last Saturday of each month during the summer and beginning in June at the El Dorado Courthouse (101 N. Washington St.). This award-winning event was named one of the Top- 100 Events in North America by the American Bus Association and received the Community Trademark Award by the Arkansas Festival and Event Association. Entertainment begins at 6 p.m. June 28 with the re-enactment starting at 6:30 p.m. Each event has lead-in entertainment. Showdown at Sunset is open to the public and there is no admission fee. Group seating is also available and each person attending receives a free Showdown at Sunset souvenir program and trading card.

MARSHALL, TEXAS Marshall is the known as the “birthplace of boogie woogie,” this town offers a wealth of entertainment, natural lakes, forests, history, some of the most ornate and decorated bed and breakfasts in the state. See why this beautiful place is the ideal location for a day trip next event. Visit:

Mystique Tours on Caddo Lake – Mystique Tours on Caddo Lake is locally owned and operated by Marshall-native, Aaron Applebaum. Applebaum spent his whole life learning about the history and the beauty of the lake from his father, David Applebaum, who started the business in 1989. Enjoy a spectacular tour of the only natural lake in Texas. Experience the unique beauty found here in Harrison County while learning the intriguing history and many astonishing facts about the lake – and, an occasional gator sighting. Applebaum knows more history and stories of the lake than a one-hour tour could possibly allow him to cover. So, each cruise is as unique and individual as the people who join him on his tours. Longer tours are available. Call (903) 930-2489 for reservations. Loading from Riverbend Restaurant on Caddo Lake.

Caddo Lake Wildlife Refuge – Free and open to the public, Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge celebrated its inception in 2009 and has more than 7,000 acres of forest lands that shelter a magnificent old-growth, hardwood, bottom-land forest. Home to over 216 resident bird species, see new feathered friends which migrate between Canada and South America each year. Also be on the lookout for any of the 47 mammal and 90 reptile and amphibian species in the area, 15600 Highway 134, (903) 679-9144.

Simple steps to hassle-free family vacationing

(BPT) – Was your last family vacation a spectacle that would have made Clark Griswold proud? While Clark’s heart was always in the right place, his family vacations often suffered from less-than-stellar planning and unrealistic expectations. Fortunately, your family never again has to live their own version of a Griswold holiday.

A hassle-free family vacation can be had by following a few simple steps: 1. Make a list – Have everyone in the family make a list of “must-haves” for their dream vacation, “would-like-to-haves” and “couldn’t stand it.” Then, compare lists and look for common themes. For example, perhaps Mom wants great shopping, the kids need beach time and Dad wants to play some golf. A beach resort town is likely to have something for everyone.

2. Do your homework – Once you’ve narrowed your list of possible destinations, use online resources to learn more about what each location has to offer. Be sure to consider lodging availability and pricing, dining options, activities and entertainment. Whatever destination you choose, it should have something of interest for every family member.

3. Let professionals do the heavy lifting – Planning a beach trip can be easy, but if your dream family vacation is more complex – say a three-city tour of Italy – it makes sense to turn to an all-inclusive tour company. A tour company can take care of all the details, from lodging and sightseeing to on-tour transportation and special entertainment. Traveling with a tour group can give your family access to unique experiences and entertainment, help you avoid long lines and scheduling conflicts, and get you into must-see attractions that often must be booked months or even years in advance. With everything included in the cost, the only thing you’ll have to think about is airfare.

4. It’s also important to choose tours designed with families in mind.

Lodging, locations and activities are all chosen to appeal to multi-generational travelers, so that each tour offers fun and adventure for everyone in the family.

5. If you’re planning a family vacation abroad – be it Europe, Africa or Latin America – traveling with a tour company can help ensure you make the most of your investment. Tour guides know the best locations and sights to see, and how to help you maximize your time in a never-before-visited location. Instead of spending time coordinating the trip yourself, you can focus on enjoying what – for many families – is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

6. Finally, set realistic expectations. Poor Clark often found himself disappointed when things didn’t go exactly as he’d planned, but the reality is that even the bestplanned family vacation will have surprises. Traveling with a tour company can ensure your family enjoys more pleasant ones than the Griswolds did!