Flying Solo: Showing off Shreveport, LA

A Travelogue with Rick Rose
Be a travel guide in your own town
June 2011 It’s fun to travel, that’s for sure, but it’s also fun to be a travel guide to friends and family visitors…in your own town! Recently my friend and former colleague from our cable television days, Melissa, now a teacher (applause!) came to visit me in Shreveport from Austin, TX. She especially found the traffic here to be more manageable than her town, but also found some quaint sweet nuances of a simpler life along the river…and a bit of Hollywood…which she really enjoyed while on Rick’s Tour of Shreveport, LA (www.shreveportla.gov), population: 427,910)! Gearing up to partake of my favorite recreational activity here, cycling along the Red River, Melissa wanted to carb-up. We stopped at Julie Anne’s Bakery known for their King Cakes during the days of Mardi Gras, but daily for mile-high pies and cheese Danish, Melissa’s pick! Many stars who are shooting films in Shreveport frequent here. Katie Holmes fell in love with their Petite Fours while here working on Dirty Money. Old railroad bridges, casino river boats, a skateboard park designed by superskater Rob Dyrdek, outdoor sculpture, fountains, bronzed bare chests of runners and other bikers, green trees and red clay river banks are all part of the refreshing view along the Red River Trail tended to by SPAR. Many 5K and 10K walk/runs happen here including the Fourth Annual Walk for AIDS put on June 25th this year by Louisiana PATHS. Even though you most likely missed the walk as did I due to other travel commitments (appropriately), you won’t want to miss a visit to their website at www.lapaths.org. Melissa loved it and worked off that Danish in record time!
On the recommendation of my dear friend, and one of my first friends here in Shreveport, Arlena Acree, Melissa and I decided to hit another trail: the beautiful and serene Sunflower Trail about 20 miles north of town. Arlena, our city’s film commissioner, had just scouted the area for locations to use in Quentin Tarantino’s Jamie Foxx-starrer Django Unchained. Rumors persist that it will be Lady GaGa’s film debut. You can check out all the latest on the film and stars here. But, I digress. Taking Arlena’s suggestion, we headed up and down Louisiana Highway 3049, including along Sentell Road, where the serene trail winds some 30 miles in north Caddo Parish through the picturesque farming communities of Dixie, Belcher and Gilliam. Along the way, we encountered historic plantation homes with patches of wildflowers. Credit for the creation of the trail which has a festival each June to honor it must be given to local agri-businessman Gordon Boogaerts who planted 20 acres of the sky-reaching, tall yellow flowers in 1995. Check out the full story on this year’s festival from our local paper, Shreveport Times. There are plenty of photo ops in the fields including an abandoned couch from which you can capture some great shots and also be photographed reclining amidst the brilliant sunflowers. Our pre-set destination for the trail ride (this time by car, not bike) was Gilliam and Old Adger Store which has been operating since 1916 when Will Adger founded it. You will step back in time when you walk in: to a time of pressed-tin ceilings, fixtures from the early 1900’s and the friendliest people in America. We sat and chatted in the restaurant in the back of the store where the owner told us, “tell me what you want, and I will fix it for you,” and he did including farm fresh beans and peas for this vegetarian traveler. Another fella there encouraged me to try an afternoon beverage. When I couldn’t find quite the right alcoholic treat in the coolers, they found one for me in the back: 12% watermelon “bootleg!” It was legal of course, just reserved for special guests…of which you will discover, everyone who visits Gilliam is (pronounce it properly without the second “i” when you visit please). The Store served as one of the settings in Butter, the soon-to-be-released feature written by and starring Jennifer Garner who, along with Ben and kids, called Shreveport home last year for several months! Jen, Ben, me, Melissa and Arlena were fascinated by the local history here. You will be too, I know. Check it out! A couple days of exploration ended and it was time for Melissa to hit the trail home to Texas, carrying with her some great photos and even better memories. I loved experiencing my town through her eyes and am happy to share it with you through this blog. Come to Shreveport, y’all! Anytime. You can drive here or fly! We have a great regional airport which currently made national news for having on display movie posters of films shot in our area from The Guardian (one of the first films shot here) to recent box office hits like Battle LA and Drive Angry. Check it out at SunHerald.com. Be sure to keep an eye out for the powerful remake of Straw Dogs due out this Fall starring James Woods, James Marsden, Alexander Skarsgard and Kate Bosworth, a gaggle of hotties for sure! And when you come visit Shreveport, like Melissa did, you may very earsily run into a celeb or two at Starbucks or the Hilton or while you take one of the newly inaugurated Shreveport movie tours with stops at the sites here in town where these movies were shot! And, who knows, I just might be your tour guide, happily showing you my town! Feel free to tell me about your town anytime on www.lgbtsr.com.! Travelicously yours, Rick]]>