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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

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

Leesville

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

Fort Johnson’s Surrounding Areas

#19: Let the kids play at Jump City. (Deridder)
#21: Find the waterfall at Hodges Gardens. (Florien)
#20: Hike to Wolf Rock Cave.

Alexandria

#22: Take the kids to the Alexandria Zoo.
#23: Go to the circus at the Rapides Parish Coliseum.

Lake Charles

#24: Go to a casino.
#25: Take a walk through Prien Lake Park.

Natchitoches

#26: See the Steel Magnolias house.
#28: See the gators at Alligator Park.
#27: Go to the Natchitoches Christmas Festival.

Shreveport

#29: Shop at the Louisiana Boardwalk.

Baton Rouge

#30: Visit the Old State Capitol – it’s a castle!

Lafayette

#31: Get an ice cream cone at the last stand-alone Borden’s Ice Cream Shop.
#33: See the beautiful Jungle Gardens.
#32: Visit the Tobasco Factory on Avery Island.
#34: Go to the Louisiana Comic Con.

New Orleans

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

Miscellaneous Things

#37: Spend the weekend in Houston.
#39: Go geocaching.
#41: Go to a Mardi Gras parade.
#38: Find a crawfish hole.
#40: Cross Lake Pontchartrain.
#42: Eat some King Cake.
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