Myths & Legends By Car

Southeast Louisiana certainly has its share of routes and byways, from River Road—winding its way along the mighty Mississippi—to LA-1. But what of the other side of the state? Vernon, Allen, and Beauregard Parishes have joined together to delineate must-sees throughout their combined region—once known for its lawlessness—and guide tourists along the road-less-taken.

The Myths and Legends Byways opened in September 2012 in an effort to bring attention to oft-missed areas. Included is a neutral strip once embroiled in a boundary dispute between the Spanish and the burgeoning United States after the Louisiana Purchase. Pirates, too, once trafficked through the region; but there’s no need to bring your cutlass and eye patch. The route highlights avast!—sorry, a vast—history, including Civil War sites, sawmill towns, and a jail.

Look for the 160 roadside signs marking the byways.