A trip with my girlfriend(s) is my absolute favorite type of trip. It gives us time to just be. I’ve also found that I grow deeper in love with my friends when we have those moments of just being present with each other. My friend Brandy was able to join me on a press trip to explore Louisiana Northshore and St Tammany Parish, and this was probably one of the best trips I’ve been on in a while. I learned some things about myself, I tried some things I had never done before, I tackled some fears, and I enjoyed my girlfriend.
Disclaimer: This trip was provided by the St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission. While this was a sponsored press trip, all opinions are 100% my own.
Here is my Girlfriends Getaway Guide to exploring Louisiana Northshore and St. Tammany Parish:
WHERE TO STAY:
Fontainebleu State Park Cabins Mandeville, LA
Staying in an over-the-water cabin at Fontainebleu State Park is an absolute MUST. The views of Lake Pontchatrain when the sun rises and sets are absolutely breathtaking. The cabins have multiple bedrooms and beds so they are perfect for your Girlfriends Getaway. Check out my tour of the cabin we stayed in while exploring the area. The only thing I regret is that we didn’t spend more nights here.
Southern Hotel Covington, LA
The Southern Hotel is a 40-room boutique hotel located in downtown Covington, LA. Everything about this hotel said Southern and Louisiana charm. The common areas were gorgeous and rightly so. The Southern Hotel is the hot spot for weddings in the Covington area. In fact, there was one when we visited. This hotel is perfect for girlfriends to unwind and take lots of pictures. You can see a tour of my room here.
WHERE TO EAT:
Old Rail Brewing Company Old Mandeville, LA
I can’t say enough good things about Old Rail Brewing Company. It’s like a one-stop-shop that has something for each of your girlfriends, even the ones that don’t like beer. Old Rail produces fantastic beer, eats, and cocktails. If you’re only going to visit one, take multiple people so you can order everything off the menu. Peep this video to see what all we ordered and ate.
Del Porto Covington, LA
Del Porto was my favorite restaurant of all the places we went to. The feel, the look, and the food all screamed JADA! It’s a vibe. See here. Even deeper than that, the people made Del Porto my favorite. Before I visited the Northshore, I didn’t know what to expect. Times are testy in our country, and Black women aren’t everyone’s favorite cup of tea right now. I was researching Black-owned restaurants on the Northshore, and ran across a post about Covington. It was highlighting that Del Porto isn’t a Black-owned business, but still a great place to visit. There were screenshots showing one of the owners, Torre, giving racists THE BUSINESS on her social media pages. She was checking folks left and right! When I received my itinerary for this trip, I was glad to see Del Porto was on it. My visit did not disappoint either. Service was phenomenal, another guests bought our table some shots, and we had a great time. Del Porto is a WHOLE MOOD.
Abita Roasting Co Covington, LA
I wish that I could say that I’m not biased about Abita Roasting Co in Covington, but I am. I completely am. If you’ve been a follower of mine for some time, you know that one of my favorite spots in Shreveport for a time was Parish Taceaux. Sure the restaurant itself is cool, but my love was for the staff, especially Beaux Hays. Life happened and took Beaux away from us in Shreveport, but he landed in Covington as the general manager of Abita Roasting Co. I don’t know what Abita Roasting Co was like before, but I’m positive that Beaux makes it better. He’s just that guy.
We had a fantastic Saturday brunch on our visit. The food was so tasty and the unlimited mimosas kept coming. We even had a special surprise of a guest paying for our whole table. Is this normal on the Northshore? The people were so generous during the entire weekend.
Oxlot 9 Covington, LA
If you’re looking for gulf inspired Southern faire in a completely Instagrammable restaurant, Oxlot 9 is definitely the place to go. It’s the place for girlfriends to dress to impress and take ALL the pictures! The menu features yummy bites such as fried frog legs tossed in hot sauce butter (think buffalo chicken wings), crispy Brussel sprouts, carbonara with shrimp, and more. I definitely need another trip to Oxlot 9 to see and be seen.
WHAT TO DO
Photo by the amazing Stevn Rodrigues @shotsbystevn.
Crabbing with Bayou Adventures Lacombe, LA
Crabbing and kayaking with Bayou Adventures were the most soul-fulfilling adventures I have taken in my lifetime. I experienced so much in the matter of a few hours and my friend was right there with me. I’ve wanted to go crabbing for a while now, but didn’t know how to nor where to go. Then we met Shannon with Bayou Adventures on this trip. She is the absolute queen at what she does. She taught these two city girls how to catch some crabs. I 1000% recommend booking an adventure with Shannon. She was patient, kind, informative, and even had her husband come deliver us some beer on a flooded road. All girlfriends should go crabbing together. It forces you to work together with a common goal. Brandy and I had a ball!
Photo by the amazing Stevn Rodrigues @shotsbystevn.
Kayaking with Bayou Adventures Lacombe, LA
Kayaking is a cool group adventure. You all load up in your kayaks, and you explore the great outdoors. Personally for me, kayaking represented conquering some of my fears. I’m not a strong swimmer, and I’m not a fan of water that I can’t see through. Even with those thoughts, I knew I wanted and needed to get my butt in that kayak to see what it was all about. I instructed the group to go ahead without me, but the patient and incredible Christina Cooper, with St Tammany Parish Convention and Tourist Commission, stuck with me the entire time. She instructed me on how to paddle, she talked to me about random things to distract me from being afraid, and she was present. I don’t think I can ever fully thank Christina for coaching me through my fears, but she did. I don’t necessarily have to go kayaking anymore, but I would if it meant another opportunity to spend some quality time with my friends. You can see clips from our kayaking and crabbing adventures here in a video created by Stevn Rodrigues.
High Tea at English Tea Room Covington, LA
Girlfriends. Fascinators. Dresses. High Tea. Enough Said.
Bike Tour with Brook’s Bike Shop Old Mandeville, LA
The best way for girlfriends to explore Old Mandeville is by taking a bike tour with Brook’s Bike Shop. You pick your own bicycle and hop on for the ride. We explored the lake front, beautiful mansions, historical buildings like Dew Drop Jazz and Social Hall, the Candy Bank, and so much more. There were plenty photo ops along the way as well.
We experienced so much that it all can’t fit in one blog post. This was just enough to whet your appetite to create your own Girlfriends’ Getaway Adventure to Louisiana Northshore and St. Tammany Parish.