Take a bite out of this crocodile

Visitors to Louisiana are often scared of our reptilian creatures. And no, our alligators are not crocodiles. Those ferocious beasts native to Australia and a few sections of South Florida are really scary! Our gators get fairly freaked out when humans get close and that's a good thing.

What visitors should do is take a bite out of our crocodiles. I know I said we don't have any but in Shreveport, we do have a few, those of the chocolate variety. The Chocolate Crocodile at The Louisiana Boardwalk in Bossier City (just over the bridge from Shreveport), serves up a host of chocolate goodies and other sweets, but don't miss the Monster Crocodile Pecan Apple, a Granny Smith apple that's dipped in homemade caramel, rolled in pecans and topped with hmilk chocolate. It's even drizzled with white chocolate as the finale. Talk about scrumptious good.

If you mention you are a fan of the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau, you'll receive 35 percent off your purchase. Read more about that discount here. 

This weekend is the perfect time to visit Shreveport and Bossier City for the Mudbug Madness Festival happens today (May 25) through Sunday. There's live entertainment on three stages, fun for all ages and lots and lots of crawfish and other Cajun specialties. Active duty and retired military with ID will get in free all four days.

Cheré Dastugue Coen is a travel and food writer from South Louisiana who appreciates the weird and wacky side of life, including those delicious, decadent chocolate crocodiles in Bossier City. Write to her at cherecoen@gmail.com.

A beer by any other name

We love beers with a sense of humor. Take Great Raft Brewing in Shreveport, for instance, home to Reasonably Corrupt dark lager, the perfect drink while enjoying Louisiana politics. Great Raft has several beers with weird and fun names: Grace and Grit, Southern Drawl, Creature of Habit, All My Tomorrows, At Arm’s Length (good for when creepy men come hitting) and Awkward Uncle (see photo), what they call their "boozy winter seasonal." We’ve visited this brewery twice, enjoying its enormous and hip tasting room, brewery tours and, of course, the delicious beers.
            If you visit the taproom, you can fill up a jug and bring these tasty beers home. But if you can’t make it to Shreveport, Great Raft beers are located in stores that sell craft beers throughout Louisiana; see their web site for details.