Elevation: 60 feet
Location: Baton
Rouge is 75 miles Northwest of New Orleans via Interstate 10.
Time Zone: Baton
Rouge is in the central time zone. When it is noon in New York City; it
is 11:00 AM in Baton Rouge
Weather:
Baton Rouge has a
subtropical climate free of extreme temperatures. Winters are mild with
only occasional cold periods.
Average Temperatures
|
Month
|
High |
Low |
|
January
|
63F
|
42F |
|
February |
65F |
45F |
|
March
|
81F
|
64F |
|
April
|
78F |
58F
|
|
May |
81F |
64F
|
|
June
|
90F |
70F
|
|
July
|
91F |
72F
|
|
August
|
91F
|
72F |
|
September
|
88F |
67F |
|
October
|
81F |
56F |
|
November
|
70F |
46F |
|
December
|
64F |
48F |
When to Visit
The weather is
consistently warm from May to September
Winter is usually mild
and short-lived (January and February) perfect for outdoor activities.
Spring is glorious and a light jacket is all that is needed for touring
the grounds of any plantation. The blooming season is quite long,
lasting more than seven months of the year, but spring is the most
dramatic. Fall is mild and only a light sweater is needed in the
evenings.
Precipitation is
reasonably well-distributed and ample throughout the year with an
average annual precipitation of 55 inches
Business Hours
Banks are usually open
weekdays 9 to 3 and some Saturday mornings; the post office from 8 to 5
weekdays and often on Saturday mornings. Shops in urban and suburban
areas, particularly in indoor and strip malls, typically open at 9 or 10
daily and stay open until anywhere from 6 to 10 PM on weekdays and
Saturdays, and until 5 or 6 on Sundays.
Holidays
New Year's Day Jan. 1
Inauguration Day 3rd Mon.
in Jan. every 4 years
Mardi Gras Day, Shrove
Tuesday (varies)
Good Friday (varies)
Memorial Day last Mon. in
May;
Independence Day July 4
Labor Day 1st Mon. in
Sept.
Veterans Day Nov. 11
Thanksgiving Day 4th
Thurs. in Nov.
Christmas Eve and
Christmas Day Dec. 24 and 25
New Year's Eve Dec. 31.
Customs & Duties
Arriving in the United
States
Contact the U.S. Customs
Service (inquiries, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20229,
202/354-1000
Electricity
The U.S. electrical
standard is 110 volts/60 cycles AC. Visitors from other countries,
traveling with dual-voltage appliances will not need a converter, but
they will need a plug adapter. The standard U.S. electrical outlet takes
a plug of two flat pins set parallel to one another.
Emergencies
Ambulance, Fire
, Police (Phone: 911).
Telephones
The country code for
the United States is 1. The area code for Baton Rouge is 225.
Age Limits:
You must be 21
years of age to enter a casino in Louisiana. You must be 21 years of
age to consume alcoholic beverages in Louisiana.
Getting There
By Plane
The Baton Rouge
Metropolitan Airport (Ryan Field) is served by major airlines. Baton
Rouge is accessible by jet service via Delta, American, Northwest,
Continental and US Air. Additional service is available through New
Orleans International Airport, about 1 hour East of Baton Rouge.
Train and Bus:
Connecting
buses from New Orleans’ Amtrak station and regular Greyhound buses come
in to Baton Rouge at 1253 Florida St, fifteen minutes from downtown.
Getting Around:
Local buses, run by Capital City Transportation (225/336-0821), are
infrequent.
Travel by Car:
There is little
public transportation in the Baton Rouge area. A car is essential.
Baton Rouge is served by interstate highways 10, 12, 55, 59 and 49.
Useful Regional Terms
Creole:
the meaning of the term has evolved over the years in
Louisiana. The word came from the Spanish word criollo which
meant “person native to a locality.” It was first used in the 18th
century to describe children born of European parents in the New World.
In Louisiana, this meant children of the French. As people of other
ethnic backgrounds moved into the Mississippi delta and valley, the term
began to include them. A 19th century Creole could have been
French, German, black, or of mixed ancestry. Today, most who identify
themselves as Creole are black.
Cajun: Cajuns were
descendants of 17th century French settlers from Nova Scotia
(also known as L’Acadie). Many had been deported when Britain took over
the region from France. The Acadians later shortened their name to
“Cajuns” after migrating to southern Louisiana.
Creole and Cajun Cuisine
Authentic Creole cooking is urban; Cajun food is country cooking.
However, the terms are often used interchangeably, with consistently
delicious results.
Etouffee (ay too
fay) Method of cooking something (usually shrimp or crawfish) smothered
in chopped vegetables over a low flame, tightly covered, until tender.
Gumbo A mainstay
of both Cajun and Creole cooking. Creoles use okra as a thickener for
this tasty stew; Cajuns use ground sassafras leaves. No two gumbos are
alike. Cajun dishes are usually spicier and bolder than Creole.
Lagniappe (lan
yap) An old Creole word for “something extra.” Soup meat is the
lagniappe from vegetable soup preparation.
