As some of you may know, I grew up in a military family. Both my mom and dad were master sergeants in the Air Force and because of that, we moved around quite a bit. One of favorite places that we were ever stationed at was in Shreveport, LA. I lived there from age 3 to age 11, so I basically grew up in the town.
This past weekend, my mom was in Shreveport from North Carolina, so I decided to take the 3 hour drive and visit her! I haven’t seen her in over 6 months so I literally dropped everything and sped to Louisiana!
You know that feeling you used to get on the first day of school when you saw your best friend for the first time since Summer break?
That’s how I felt when I finally saw my mom! I was as happy as a clam.
Of course, we both wanted to go around our old stomping grounds. I was really surprised by how much Shreveport-Bossier has grown since I left it 15 years ago. I know that sounds like a LONG time, but when you grow up somewhere you kind of expect it to always look the same. Port city has changed for the better though, and we couldn’t wait to explore the new (and old) hangouts!
By far, the biggest change in Shreveport was the addition of the Louisiana Boardwalk! There were tons of shops and restaurants surrounded by casinos, such as Margaritaville and Horseshoe. We were both impressed by the walking path overlooking the Red River and downtown Shreveport! It was beautiful!
Across the bridge, we walked around downtown Shreveport and soaked in all the culture. I never realized, until this trip, how many buildings there reminded me of New Orleans!
As we strolled around the brick-paved sidewalks, we couldn’t help but notice all of the graffiti beautiful art that lined the walls of the city!
Of course, being the foodie I am, we had to eat!
But I must warn you….
Nothing healthy was consumed by me this weekend! (I’m blaming it on mother nature.)
Some of my favorites bites were….
Grape leaves from the kind woman at the farmer’s market who decided to give me extras because they were so small.
This tasty combination of beef dishes from Posada’s…and muy delicioso margaritas!
Everything from Copeland’s!
Appetizer Sampler…
Gumbo..
My Eggplant Pirogue..
and Mama’s Shrimp Creole!
My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Of course, we did a little gambling, because it is Shreveport after all.
SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!
Neither of us won a dime.
But, we did have fun!
As you can see, I had a blast with my mom! We got to see new things in an old city that has a special place in our hearts. We ate good food, lost money on the slots, and slept like babies in our hotel beds! We even got to see our church family!!
If you’ve never been to Shreveport, I certainly recommend it! It’s a lot of fun around Mardi Gras because they have parades and celebrations similar to New Orleans without as many crowds! I can’t wait until the next time I visit this wonderful place again!
