Downstream it goes on Highway 61 towards the Delta of the Mississippi River. An area known for its many marshes, moss-hung trees, crocodiles, turtles, Cajun Music and Cajun Food. It is not a long drive, but this gives you the time to make a trip in a propeller boat or visit a Tabasco Factory.

Directly on the majestic Mississippi River is Baton Rouge (literally 'red stick'), the capital of Louisiana. Years of French, Spanish and British rule have ensured that a special mix of cultures has emerged. The Cajun culture is the most characteristic of this. The former plantation life has also left its mark on the city. Along the Mississippi you will find several old plantations, with the Myrtles Plantation as the best known example. Baton Rouge is seen as one of the best 'Foodie Cities' in the South.

You could also visit the USS Kidd Veterans Memorial and Museum or Old Louisiana State Capitol or the Louisiana State Museum, plenty of choice to spend the day useful.

In this 4-star route you drive on beautiful good roads, a trip with a propeller boat is a must.

History:
Baton Rouge is located on an earlier border between habitats of the Bayougoulas and Houmas Indian. The trunks marked the border with cypress trees and wooden posts with blood, fish heads and animals on top. The name Baton Rouge dates from 1699, when the French explorer Pierre Le Moyne led an expedition along the Mississippi. At one point he saw such a red piece of wood. The explorers called the wooden marking and therefore the location "le bâton rouge", which means "red stick" in French.

Baton Rouge has had to deal with various administrators over the centuries. Successively the area is ruled by France (1699-1763), Great Britain (1763-1779), Spain (1779-1810), the Republic of West Florida (1810-1812), the Union (1812-1861), the Confederate States (during the American Civil War, 1861-1865) and finally the United States.

In 1755, many Frenchmen sought refuge in the Louisiana countryside after being driven from Canada by British troops. This group of people, also known as Cajuns, enriched the Baton Rouge area with their culture. In 1849, Baton Rouge was named the capital of Louisiana. During the first half of the nineteenth century, the city grew steadily through trade and transport via the steamboat. The American Civil War caused the economic process in Baton Rouge to stop. In 1862 the northern troops of the Union took Baton Rouge. After the Civil War, Baton Rouge became the capital of Louisiana again.