Location: Iowa
Top Things to do in Iowa
Countries
10 Things to Do in Iowa That You Shouldn't Miss
Iowa is a town in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,996 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Restaurants in Iowa
1. Bayou Rum Distillery
Overall Ratings
5 based on 92 reviews
Bayou Rum is handmade in the largest privately-owned rum distillery in the USA, utilizing traditional methods with state-of-the-art technology for all four steps: fermentation, distillation, maturation, and bottling. The beautiful facility in Lacassine, Louisiana offers distillery tours, rum tasting bar and an incomparable gift shop shop experience for those who visit the home of Bayou Rum.
Reviewed By Great_Beer_Now - Houston, Texas
Do you love hand- crafted spirits? Ordinary liquor is easy enough to come by and there is an adequate supply for anyone who can make their way to a liquor store. But locally made spirits are often the best and one rum distillery that belongs on any craft spirit fan’s short list of must- visit places is Bayou Rum, located near Lake Charles.
Bayou Rum is a large, start of the art facility and it grabbed my attention the moment I pulled up to the entrance. I did not expect it to be this size and I admit I didn’t know much about the company previously. I visited in support of my blog, Great Beer Now, and when we were driving here, I assumed we would be visiting a small warehouse with a couple pieces of equipment. I couldn’t believe how large, new, and fresh Bayou Rum turned out to be, and I mean that on every level- from the appearance to the cleanliness to the deliciousness of the rum itself.
Any visit to Bayou Rum should begin with a tour. It starts with a video and continues through the distillery where you get to learn about the rum, the distillation process, and the history of the company. A strong desire to make rum from the locally grown sugar cane is what led to the establishment of Bayou Rum back in 2011. You get to learn about the vision the founders of the company had when they created the business and, of course, you get to taste the rum at the end of the tour, in the handsome tasting room.
Bayou Rum presently distills four different rums: Silver, Spiced, Select, and Satsuma, which is an orange- enhanced rum. Each is excellent but I was drawn to the spiced rum above the others. I was told that it does really well with ginger ale but I also liked it all by itself. The delicious flavor is indicative of a company that emphasizes quality every step of the way and it isn’t surprising that Bayou Rum has won so many awards during its relatively short existence.
America’s distilling industry is on the rise and there are now hundreds of small distilleries creating spirits of amazing distinction. Bayou Rum is definitely one of the finest and a visit here is a must for fans of crafted spirits. Once you taste that delicious flavor that comes from locally sourced Louisiana sugar cane and gaze at the beautiful structure, you won’t want any other rum again so make sure to pay a visit if you’re in the area.
2. Prien Lake Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 111 reviews
Reviewed By starbunker2016 - Lake Charles, Louisiana
The park is well maintained and is a safe area in LCH. The walking path is perfect for exercise with a lovely view of the lake and I-210 bridge. The fountain is nice also. Lots of ways to enjoy the outdoors at Prien Lake Park.
3. Gator Chateau
Overall Ratings
5 based on 49 reviews
*OPEN!!! Under construction! Building a new Chateau- but the babies are housed in a temporary building next door! Hold a baby gator at our educational baby gator rescue facility! Our babies are fostered by us until they can be released back into the wild! It's a free attraction that is not to be missed! (donations accepted)
Reviewed By MindyLynn731 - Saint Louis, Missouri
This place is tiny, it's similar to a nice rest stop with a park and a couple of buildings - one that happens to have gators. We got to hold a small gator and the gentleman was friendly and knowledgeable. Next door was the tourist info where we grabbed a necklace and shirt...again, super friendly!
If you're in the area its a quick stop, but I wouldn't go out of the way to get to it as we did.
4. Spar Aquatic Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 63 reviews
Reviewed By lala0714 - Sulphur, Louisiana
SPAR is Sulphur's own little water park and exercise facility. The water park is open from late May until mid August and provides fun for the entire family. The workout facility offers a free walking track. If someone wanted to have a work out a nominal fee would be charged.
5. Coushatta Casino Resort
Overall Ratings
4 based on 606 reviews
Louisiana's largest casino resort offers over 2800 hot slots and 70 table games, live bingo and off track betting. Satisfy your appetite at any of the resort's nine restaurants. Enjoy a day of golf on beautiful Koasati Pines championship golf course. See national headliners live in concert in The Pavilion, and find your soft spot at the end of the day in one of over 900 hotel rooms. Join the casino's Advantage Club to earn the best benefits in the region when you play your favorite slots and tables. At Coushatta you earn both comps AND cash for your slot points ... No need to choose! If you are a non-smoker you'll love the huge non smoking area with over 500 slots so you can play your favorites in smoke-free air! At Coushatta, you can bring the kids along ... They will have fun in Kids Quest and Cyber Quest while you have fun in the casino. No need to leave Fido at home, either! Coushatta offers dog-friendly rooms and an off-leash dog park too.
Reviewed By Thomas C - Houston, Texas
Awesome place to play the slot machines. Coushatta always has the newest machines. Love the free walk up beverage areas. I wish this place was closer to Houston!
6. Creole Nature Trail Adventure Point
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 21 reviews
Reviewed By crazyAustin - Austin, TX
First off I should say this place is a little tricky to find. If you remember it's after DQ but before Stein's Lumber that should help. We missed it on the first pass though.
It is a very well done information center with a music exhibition and several swamp exhibits. However, what made it really nice was the talk I had with the lass from Scotland. She is very knowledgeable about the area and was able to answer the various questions I had.
I had remembered the old center that was down in Hackberry and apparently Rita wiped that out, but she didn't wipe out the mom and pop animatronic Cajuns which are present on the other side of the trail (it's a loop from Hackberry to Lake Charles).
This time we didn't have time to drive the whole trail, I was specifically checking out this center and was impressed. I've been on the actual trail going down to Holly Beach and over the ferry to Cameron and up to the swamp self driving tour and the visitor's center near Lake Charles.
My suggestion is to go here first, ask the lady questions and plan a few hours to complete the whole tour. If anything, you'll get an appreciation for the environment that the Cajuns had to learn to deal with and hopefully you'll see the natural beauty of SW Louisiana, which is being developed like never before.
Hurry and see this before it's all developed!
7. Millennium Park
Overall Ratings
5 based on 78 reviews
Reviewed By hweeleng65 - Houston, Texas
Had a glimpse of this Millennium Park by driving around. Kids were playing in the water splash pad. There is another fun playground with climbing, slides and swing structures. A nice park situating right by the beautiful lake. Also great for spending time relaxing by walking at both the park and the ocean front broad walk.
8. Tupper Museum
Overall Ratings
5 based on 19 reviews
Museum of antique and vintage merchandise, signs, machines, etc.
Reviewed By Ginger R - Lake Charles, Louisiana
I thought it would be a little quaint museum And take just a few minutes. I was pleasantly surprised. After already being awe struck with the front and all the stories from the curator...we found a whole other section. The telephone area was like a second museum with hands on items. And there was even a third area with more modern exhibits. All that for only $2. The curator was very friendly and knowledgable. Totally worth the visit to walk through history.
9. Golden Nugget Casino
Overall Ratings
4 based on 981 reviews
Reviewed By Thomas U
This is a large casino, on par with anything on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The layout is notable for how it addresses the giant pool area and the waterfront (with beach volleyball area). Service at front desk, in restaurants, and in the gaming areas was professional and friendly.
10. L'Auberge du Lac Casino
Overall Ratings
4 based on 644 reviews
Four Diamond resort destination. Only Southwest Louisiana hotel to hold the prestigious standard of AAA Four Diamond. Full service casino resort offering non-stop Vegas style gaming with 70 table games and over 1,600 slot machines, championship Tom Fazio golf course, full service Spa du Lac, resort pool and lazy river, unique retail shopping, 6 innovative dining outlets, 26-story casually elegant hotel with 1,000 rooms, suites and villas plus big name entertainment.
Reviewed By HappyPenny - Texas, the Lone Star State
We did not stay in the hotel, but walked through the huge lobby, shopping zone, and pool areas. Everything is beautifully decorated and very well maintained. I would certainly enjoy vacationing here. I don’t gamble, but even without the casino, this hotel looks fun and entertaining. You could spend a week in the large pools!
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