Plaquemines Parish

Plaquemines Parish is where Louisiana dips its toe into the Gulf of Mexico. It contains the last leg of the mighty Mississippi River’s long journey, just downstream from New Orleans. Like the rest of southeast Louisiana, French culture has made its mark; but in Plaquemines, it is complemented by the presence of a large Croatian community—oystermen whose roots are on the Adriatic coast. The parish’s long and ecologically rich coastline makes it one of the key fishing communities in the U.S., not to mention a recreational angler’s Shangri-la. With a little advice from a local tour operator, you can scarcely dip hook to water without reeling in a live one. Plaquemines Parish is also the center of Louisiana’s orange industry, celebrated each December with the Plaquemines Parish Fair and Orange Festival. History buffs should check out Fort Jackson, built in 1822 on the strategic advice of Gen. Andrew Jackson.