Finding Mandee

Fort Johnson (Polk)

Our years stationed in Louisiana were some of the most memorable for our family. We were there from 2012 to 2016. Our girls were babies and toddlers, so we didn’t do a ton of traveling and sightseeing, but we still made plenty of memories.

We also have traveled through Louisiana many, many times since being stationed at Fort Cavazos when we go home to visit family.

Fort Johnson is a duty station that has one of the worst reputations in the Army, mostly because it’s isolated and people complain that there isn’t anything to do. However, I found more than 100 things to add to my bucket list. It might involve a bit of driving, but Louisiana is such an interesting state and has lots of beautiful places to explore!

I made a Fort Johnson and Louisiana Bucket List after leaving the state, but I plan on marking off as many things as possible on trips in the future.

Here are all of the things that we marked off of the list…so far!

On Post at Fort Johnson

Things to do at Fort Johnson: Cool off at the pool.
#1: Cool down at the community pool.
Things to do at Fort Johnson: Go to a concert
#3: Go to one of the concerts. (This was Little Big Town in 2014.)
Things to do at Fort Johnson: do laps at Honor Field.
#5: Do some laps at Honor Field. (It’s also a good place to take some pictures.)
Things to do at Fort Johnson: Go to the Freedom Fest Celebration.
#7: Go to the Freedom Fest Celebration.
Things to do at Fort Johnson: look for wild horses in the training area.
#9: Look for wild horses in the training area.
Things to do at Fort Johnson: Play at the splash pad.
#2: Play at the splash pad.
Things to do at Fort Johnson: play at one of the playgrounds
#4: Play at one of the many playgrounds.
Things to do at Fort Johnson: Walk the Marion Bonner Trail.
#6: Walk the Marion Bonner Trail.
Things to do at Fort Johnson: Make something at the arts and crafts center
#8: Make something at the MWR Arts & Crafts Center.
Things to do at Fort Johnson: Eat some Mudbugs.
#10: Eat some Mudbugs.

Leesville

Things to do at Fort Johnson, LA: Eat a meal at Wagon Master
#10: Eat a meal at Wagon Master. (This was in the parking lot, but you can see that Lainey is still holding a roll!)
Things to do at Fort Johnson, LA: Watch the sun set at Vernon Lake.
#12: Watch the sunset at Vernon Lake.
Things to do at Fort Johnson: Go to a parade.
#14: Go to a parade.
Things to do at Fort Johnson: Check out a book at the library.
#16: Check out a book at the library.
Fort Johnson: Pick out a pumpkin at Anderson Farms.
#18: Pick out a pumpkin at Anderson Farms.
Things to do at Fort Johnson, LA: Go for a run/walk downtown.
#11: Go for a walk downtown.
Things to do at Fort Johnson, LA: Visit a local bakery.
#13: Visit a local bakery.
Things to do at Fort Johnson: Drive through a daiquiri shop.
#15: Drive through a daiquiri shop.
Things to do at Fort Johnson: Go to the Vernon Parish Fair.
#17: Go to the Vernon Parish Fair.

Fort Johnson’s Surrounding Areas

Things to do at Fort Johnson, LA: Let the kids play at Jump City in Deridder.
#19: Let the kids play at Jump City. (Deridder)
Things to do at Fort Johnson, Louisiana: Visit Hodges Gardens
#21: Find the waterfall at Hodges Gardens. (Florien)
Things to do at Fort Johnson: Hike to Wolf Rock Cave.
#20: Hike to Wolf Rock Cave.

Alexandria

Things to do at Fort Johnson: Take the kids to the Alexandria Zoo.
#22: Take the kids to the Alexandria Zoo.
Things to do at Fort Johnson, LA: Go to a circus at the Rapides Parish Coliseum.
#23: Go to the circus at the Rapides Parish Coliseum.

Lake Charles

Things to do at Fort Johnson: Go to a casino in Lake Charles.
#24: Go to a casino.
Prien Lake Park in Lake Charles, LA
#25: Take a walk through Prien Lake Park.

Natchitoches

Things to do at Fort Johnson: see the Steel Magnolias house.
#26: See the Steel Magnolias house.
Things to do at Fort Johnson: See the gators at Alligator Park in Natchitoches.
#28: See the gators at Alligator Park.
Things to do at Fort Johnson: Go to the Natchitoches Christmas Festival.
#27: Go to the Natchitoches Christmas Festival.

Shreveport

Things to do at Fort Johnson: Go shopping at the Louisiana Boardwalk in Shreveport.
#29: Shop at the Louisiana Boardwalk.

Baton Rouge

Things to do at Fort Johnson, LA: Visit the Old State Capitol building in Baton Rouge.
#30: Visit the Old State Capitol – it’s a castle!

Lafayette

Things to do at Fort Johnson, LA: Get a cone at the last stand-alone Borden's Ice Cream Shop in Lafayette.
#31: Get an ice cream cone at the last stand-alone Borden’s Ice Cream Shop.
The century-old oak trees at Jungle Gardens on Avery Island.
#33: See the beautiful Jungle Gardens.
The Tobasco Country Store
#32: Visit the Tobasco Factory on Avery Island.
Things to do at Fort Johnson: Go to the Louisiana Comic Con in Lafayette.
#34: Go to the Louisiana Comic Con.

New Orleans

Things to do at Fort Johnson: Take pictures of Jackson Square and the St. Louis Cathedral.
#35: Take pictures of Jackson Square and the St. Louis Cathedral.
Things to do at Fort Johnson: Get beignets and Cafe du Monde.
#36: Get beignets at Cafe du Monde.

Miscellaneous Things

Houston City Pass- NASA Johnson Space Center
#37: Spend the weekend in Houston.
Things to do at Fort Johnson: Go geocaching.
#39: Go geocaching.
Things to do at Fort Johnson: Go to a Mardi Gras Parade.
#41: Go to a Mardi Gras parade.
Things to do at Fort Johnson: Find a crawfish hole.
#38: Find a crawfish hole.
Things to do at Fort Johnson: Cross Lake Pontchartrain.
#40: Cross Lake Pontchartrain.
#42: Eat some King Cake.