Trail Blog
June 18, 2010
Our Delta Delights Trail Makes One Sweet Summer Road Trip
There’s no such thing as a bad time to visit Louisiana’s Delta Delights Trail. Spanning the northeast corner of the state, the trip affords picturesque farmland views and restaurants dishing up Southern staples (Hot water cornbread? Yes, please!). But if we just had to pick our favorite time to visit, June would rank at the top. Why, you ask? Easy. It’s the peaches.
Ruston peaches have a reputation—the fuzzy fruits grown here are juicy and oh-so-delicious. And June is prime time for peaches. In fact, the city of Ruston toasts the produce with a festival each year. The Squire Creek Louisiana Peach Festival (http://www.louisianapeachfestival.org), to be held June 25 through 27, has been a tradition for some 60 years. The weekend includes live music, arts and crafts vendors, a peach-cooking contest, and everyone’s favorite peach ice cream made by the Louisiana Tech Dairy.
Mitcham Farms (http://www.mitchamfarms.com) also plays a role in the region’s claim to peachy fame. The orchard, first planted in 1946, grows about 20 varieties. Owner Joe Mitcham says his peaches may not always be the prettiest, but he chooses varieties that offer the best flavor and size. Through July, and maybe longer, you can buy fresh-picked peaches from their processing shed Monday through Saturday. They open at 8 a.m., and there’s often a line. Stop in around 10 a.m. if you want to watch them processing. That’s when the peaches are washed and graded. The farm also boasts The Peach Store, where they sell their own jam, jelly, syrup, preserves, salsa, and soft-serve peach ice cream.
East of Ruston in West Monroe, the talk turns from peaches to grapes. The family-owned Landry Vineyards (http://www.landryvineyards.com) grows three official wine grapes: Blanc Du Bois, Cynthiana/Norton, and Lenoir. Their wines include Blackberry Merlot, Blanc Du Bois Semi-Sweet, Merlot Dry, among others, and they are soon to launch a new wine: Envie Rouge, a blend of Cynthiana/Norton and Lenoir that’s both fruity and bold. The vineyard is open for Saturday tastings and tours with advance notice.
While in the Monroe-West Monroe area, stop by the Convention and Visitors Bureau and pick a list of new restaurants. Nearly 20 new dining establishments, including Namaste on Fourth Street and Counter Culture on Bell Lane, have opened in recent months. Try one out, or stick to longtime favorites like Warehouse No. 1 Restaurant, which overlooks the Ouachita River. Another idea: Pick up some salads and paninis from Vieux Carré Gourmet (http://www.vieuxcarregourmet.com) and picnic while watching a free outdoor movie at the Downtown Cinema (http://www.thedowntowncinema.com).
