Flower lovers, the Gardens of the American Rose Center has something spectacular for you and your family to see. The official rose bloom season is April 1 through the end of October. So the grounds are absolutely spectacular and worth a visit to stop and smell the roses.

The center, located at 8877 Jefferson Paige Road in Shreveport sits on a 118-acre wooded tract. It also is home to the national headquarters of the American Rose Society. The gardens were dedicated in 1974 when the American Rose Society headquarters moved to Shreveport from Columbus, Ohio.

The rose center is now the nation's largest park dedicated to roses. Today, the American Rose Center features more than 65 individual rose gardens and 20,000 rosebushes, with a variety of companion plants, sculptures and fountains to enhance the beauty of the roses. The primary mission of the American Rose Society is education for visitors and members on anything and everything about roses.

Click here for more information.


Memorial Day Weekend kicks off Festival, Casino Entertainment Options

Pinching tails and sucking heads! That's what the fun is all about at the Mudbug Madness Festival, May 27-30, at Festival Plaza in downtown Shreveport.

Mudbug Madness is a four-day festival held each Memorial Day weekend and is nationally recognized as one of the Southeast Tourism Society's Top 20 Events, drawing as many as 56,000 people in one day. The event offers mouth-watering Cajun and Creole cuisine, contests, and activities for all ages.

The festival features three entertainment stages and fun games. Some of the entertainers will be Grammy Award-winning Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience as well as Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers. To get a full list of entertainment visit www.mudbugmadness.com.

But that's not all the Memorial Day weekend has to offer in Shreveport-Bossier: Louisiana's Other Side. The Steve Miller Band will be performing at Harrah's Louisiana Downs, May 29. Sam's Town Casino and Hotel will have a performance by the Beach Boys, May 30.

Make plans to take in some other great summer concerts and entertainment. Get your tickets early for the upcoming events. Click here to learn more.

Hotels fill up fast on the weekends. Book your hotel today.


Gators and Friends: A walk on the wild side

If you're looking for a walk on the wild side, check out Gators & Friends Alligator Park and Exotic Zoo, located at 11441 US Hwy 80 in Greenwood, where you and your family can watch as giant alligators feed, wrestle and swim!

These remarkable creatures are sure to awe and scare you as you view them in their natural habitat. If you're not into alligators (or may be just a bit scared of them), Gators and Friends now also boasts a fully stocked exotic petting zoo for you and your children to enjoy.

Take a walk among tame miniature horses, kangaroos, ring-tailed lemurs, deer, coatimundis, goats, llamas, a camel, a capybara (the largest rodent in the world), and even a Scottish cow. If you want to make friends with the exotic animals, try your hand at feeding them during feeding times.

Gators and Friends Park was established in 2006 as a way to increase awareness among the public about different types of animals, their habitat, lifestyle, and survival techniques. The owners of Gators and Friends are passionate about wildlife and have been in the wildlife business for more than 30 years.

Click here for safety tips and pricing and operation hours.