Above: Once a headquarters for Union forces during the Civil War, Loyd Hall Plantation is now a bed and breakfast. Louisiana Office of Tourism photo Below: Tunk’s Cypress Inn offers spicy Cajun specialties. Suzanne Corbett photo

Plantation from the past

The area has a collection of plantations that have survived wars, hurricanes and economic challenges. Among them is the majestic Loyd Hall Plantation (292 Loyd Bridge Road) built in 1820 and located 16 miles south of Alexandria. Its cash crops were sugar cane, indigo, cotton and tobacco before serving as headquarters for occupying Union forces during the Civil War. Loyd Hall now operates as a bed-and-breakfast inn, and is reportedly haunted.

“ I was a skeptic when it came to old Harry,” said Loyd Hall Tour Director Beulah Davis referring to the Civil War soldier’s ghost who is said to frequent the plantation. “I changed my mind when things started missing, like my morning biscuits. I took a tray from the oven one day, turned around and biscuits were missing–and I was the only one in the kitchen.”

Kent Plantation House, built in 1800, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The original Creole-style Main House and its authentic period buildings are used to interpret rural Louisiana life from 1795 to 1855. Seasonal interpretive programs and exhibits are held throughout the year with a special summer exhibit, “Childhood in the 19th Century,” scheduled through July. Kent Plantation House is at 3601 Bayou Rapides Road in Alexandria.

Military maneuvers

Central Louisiana’s tall pine forests became the catalyst for its timber industry and countless sawmill towns, including Long Leaf. Today, the Southern Forest Heritage Museum (77 Long Leaf Road) displays equipment and buildings from the early 20th century. Long Leaf’s original company store displays various artifacts and chronicles Louisiana lumber history. The museum is located on state Highway 497, which is off state Highway 112.

In addition to logging, Alexandria’s and Pineville’s forests proved an ideal location for Camp Beauregard, a military training base established in Pineville in 1852. Today, it is the home of the Louisiana Maneuvers and Military Museum (409 F St.).

“It was called the dress rehearsal for WWII,” said Alexandria Pineville CVB spokesperson Julie Bayone. “Eisenhower, Bradley and Patton all practiced their war games right here in preparation for the war.”

Some folks still recall Gen. George S. Patton pulling into the local filling station to gas up his tank. Today, World War II veterans and buffs will enjoy touring the museum, which is a replica WWII barracks that’s complete with “Kilroy was here” graffiti in the latrine. Artifacts on display include uniforms and 15 vintage military vehicles, including Sherman and Patton tanks and a Huey helicopter.

Uptown art

Downtown Alexandria’s cultural district has experienced a revitalization as a flourishing arts and entertainment center. The Alexandria Museum of Art (933 Main St.) is among the attractions. Its contemporary curves and columns define its outward appearance, while exhibits include major traveling shows and a vast collection of Louisiana contemporary and folk art. The River Oaks Square Art Center (1330 Main St.) is an art colony where one can observe resident artists at work and buy some of their oil paintings, pottery and sculpture in the gift shop.

While strolling Main Street, take in a few sites listed on Alexandria’s Historical District Walking Tour. Free guides that list 20 landmarks are available at most shops. Featured stops include the African-American Museum and Cultural Arts Center. Also known as the Arna Bontemps Boyhood Home (1327 Third St.), the center features rare and first editions of the famed author and poet. St. Francis Xavier Cathedral (626 Fourth St.), with its gothic towers, has a historical footnote; Gen. George Armstrong Custer chose the church for his headquarters after the Civil War.

Central cuisine

Central Louisiana cuisine is a mixture of Cajun/Creole, American and Continental. For real no-frills Southern cooking, stop for lunch at Lee J’s on the Levee (208 Main St., in Pineville). The buffet-style menu will vary and may include fried chicken, catfish or ham and beans. Try the Nilla® Wafer Banana Pudding, the Holy Grail of Southern desserts.

For good Cajun cooking, head to nearby Kincaid Lake and Tunk’s Cypress Inn (9507 Highway 28 West) in Boyce. Perched at the water’s edge, the restaurant offers lake views, live bands and bowls of gumbo. Ignore the “beware of gator signs.” The only gator found here is served on a plate.

Occupying the former England Air Base’s Officers Club in Alexandria, Bistro on the Bayou (1321 Chappie James Ave.) is under the command of Chef Eric Christen, whose personal picks are Blackened Oysters Bienville and Steak England (a filet dressed with crabmeat and Béarnaise sauce). The restaurant is next to the Parc England boutique hotel. This AAA three Diamond hotel is close to the airport and OakWing Golf Course.

Suzanne Corbett is a contributor from St. Louis, Mo.