We love our members and the Louisiana communities we serve. We started this Louisiana blog to put the spotlight on all of our favorite places, things and people in the Pelican State.
In downtown Gibsland, Louisiana, on 1st Street—right near City Hall—sits a small abandoned gas station. A concrete porte-cochère (which is a grand doorway to a building or courtyard) features three old gas pumps with long-gone prices. A small store area and garage stand silent in the background. A plaque pinpoints where a pay phone used to hang. That plaque represents …
With over 7,700 miles of shoreline, it’s no surprise that a seabird was chosen as Louisiana’s state bird. We’ve celebrated the brown pelican as our state bird since July 27, 1966. Louisiana’s even known as the Pelican State. Our brown pelicans are both majestic and distinctive, and Louisiana’s state bird is beloved by many for so many reasons. Louisiana’s State …
Growing up in Monroe, Louisiana, has not always been easy for me. My sister and I were raised by a single mother. Living in income-based housing helped relieve some of our financial burdens. It also helped guide us toward our successes today. My family and I are one of thousands of individuals that have been positively impacted by our Pelican …
Louisiana’s unique cuisine is world famous, but there’s one dish that’s most strongly identified with the state – the Louisiana Crawfish. Crawfish have always been abundant in Louisiana and actually live on every continent except Antarctica. Native Americans who originally lived in the state ate crawfish by catching them using reeds baited with deer meat. So how did the humble …
Crawfish boils are one of Louisiana’s most cherished culinary traditions. You sit down with family and friends and dive into a huge mound of spicy mudbugs with all the fixins–potatoes, corn on the cob, mushrooms, and more. But when you’re done eating, you look down and realize you’ve got tons of crawfish and fixings left over. What to do? Here …
Crawfish boils are one of the most famous, popular, and delicious traditions in Louisiana. A traditional crawfish boil includes a number of added ingredients such as small red potatoes, whole onions, whole garlic bulbs, and mini corn-on-the-cob, all thrown into the pot to cook alongside the mudbugs themselves. The result is an array of scrumptious side dishes that absorb the …
