Public art in Shreveport under the Texas Street Bridge

There’s nothing more relaxing after two thousand miles of driving than stepping out of a jacuzzi into a plush robe, and settling down in a super king sized bed that hugs your no-longer-aching limbs.

The Remington Suite Hotel and Spa in Shreveport provided upscale care with small-town friendly during our three day stay. To be honest, the atmosphere was a lot like the Hotel Izabella where we’d stayed in Budapest, with the European flair for courtesy and attention to our needs.

We’d deliberately booked a light schedule for Monday to Wednesday to relax a bit after our drive, so we’d be ready for the hectic pace of Contraband Days in Lake Charles on the weekend. Shreveport, Louisiana’s third largest city, had the perfect location, being directly north of Lake Charles, plus situated on Interstate 20 from Dallas.

The Red River had also drawn us to Shreveport, as I’d hoped to get in a narrated cruise on the river–unfortunately, that didn’t work out, but we did really enjoy the riverfront. From The Remington, it was just a five minute walk down to the Red River Entertainment District.

One thing for sure is that you won’t find a troll under the bridge–the Texas Street Bridge that is–in Shreveport, instead you’ll find a unique and colorful art collection celebrating the area’s heritage.  The district was central to our walking tours, so we passed through a number of times.

Our first trip through, we’d been on our way to the Riverfront Casino District to view the Red River from one of Shreveport’s Riverboats. These grand old dames, which once floated in style down America’s river system, now add a touch of nostalgia to the waterways where they’re permanently anchored.

Linda Aksomitis landing the space shuttle at the Sci-Port in Shreveport.

The El Dorado was closest to the Remington, so it was the one we explored. Staff, as we’d come to realize in Shreveport, were all friendly and helpful, showing us how to get out to balconies and answering any questions we had. Of all the meals we had in the city, the steak at The Prime Rib Grill in the El Dorado was the best.

We also discovered a lot of history on our walks, especially the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium, a U.S. National Historic Landmark, which we passed a number of times. It, we learned, helped start the careers of a number of artists well-known to every baby boomer like us: Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jim Reeves, Johnny Horton, and others.

Of course, we checked out the latest attractions too, with the Sci-Port: Lousiana’s Science Center, being our favorite. Like the half dozen groups of grades four and five students we shared the IMAX Theater with, we found the 60 foot dome screen–the only one in Lousiana–a unique viewing experience!

We ran out of time, so didn’t get over to the Bossier side of the Red River to the Louisana Boardwalk. I had to sigh, however, missing all that shopping!

Our last evening, we settled down to visit one last time with our waitress–a young lady from Atlanta–in the courtyard at the Stray Cat (right next door to The Remington) before planning the next part of our Louisiana adventure.