Things to Do in Thibodaux

Within the springy confines of Space Walk’s Vertical Rush, tykes ricochet like excited electrons across tunnels, slides, and climbing walls. The springy obstacle course is one of hundreds housed inside Space Walk of Greater New Orleans’ 43,000-square-foot facility. Though those bounce houses typically measure 15’x15’, the facility can supply revelers with inflatables that measure up to 23-feet tall.

To ensure safe gravity defiance, trained bounce experts help parents hone in on an inflatables that suits tykes’ ages, interests and varying Buzz Aldrin impersonations. Additionally, the staff not only delivers and sets up houses, but happily trains party throwers in proper bounce-house technique, along with scrubbing down the houses before and after use.

New Orleans Harley-Davidson outfits first-time and seasoned riders with the hardware, services, and skills to dominate the road. Bikers can scour a chromed-out collection of new and used bikes, including Sportsters, Dynas, and Touring Harley-Davidsons, as well as trike bikes, Yamahas, and Suzuki cycles. Factory-trained and certified technicians tackle standard services and upkeep, or soup up bikes with performance modifications and accessories such as leather training wheels. New Orleans Harley-Davidson also equips part-time riders with rentals and hosts educational boot camps that impart riding skills.

As dusk descends on an isolated bayou, a horde of zombies emerges from fetid swamp waters—their low moans drifting through the humid night air. They smell flesh. Five hopelessly lost travelers have wandered off-road into their domain, and now they must scramble to escape the approaching onslaught.

This spine-tingling scene hails from one of three harrowing vignettes set against the backdrop of Louisiana’s shadowy swamplands and fog-laced backwoods that make up the titular The Dark Tales of El Diablo—the half-eaten brainchild of independent filmmaker Spencer Lee. Throughout the film, failed horror writer Charlie—played by Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman alum Chad Allen—turns to an unholy muse to revive his middling career, summoning the demon Diablo and forcing him to share the three demented fables. But as Charlie listens to the tales intertwine, he soon discovers Diablo's true intention—to escape into the outside world.

The instructors at Creations Bayou, formerly known as Sadie’s Closet, encourage students to let their artistic instincts run wild during painting classes, sewing classes, and children's summer camps. In a flurry of brushstrokes, aspiring Claude Monets create their own interpretations of reference pieces, painting wall-worthy pictures depicting lovebirds on a tree branch, multicolored sunsets, and blossoming foliage. During camp sessions, youngsters take on a different artistic endeavor each day, tie-dyeing pillowcases, constructing picture frames, or spelling out their favorite Supreme Court Justice’s name in glitter. Creations Bayou also regularly hosts art-themed parties for both kids and adults.

Long celebrated by musicians, artists, and writers, the uniquely magnetic and spooky New Orleans comes to life as New Orleans Spirit Tours’ guides introduce guests to the city’s ghosts, voodoo, and sordid history. The knowledgeable guides—who all boast encounters with the paranormal—usher small groups through locales such as St. Louis #1 cemetery and the French Quarter as they share tales of religion, murder, slavery, piracy, and corruption. Each story is researched to ensure its truthfulness, with guides cutting to the heart of fabled figures such as voodoo queen Marie Laveau while dismissing myths such as the Legend of Curly’s Gold.

“Today was a little weird,” begins one of New Orleans Jogging Tours’ guides in a recent blog entry. “Every time we stopped to talk about the houses in the Garden District, a lizard jumped out!” This rare bahama anole isn’t the only outlandish sight jogging tourists have encountered on the 10-kilometer jaunts. The bouncing periphery of tour routes is frequently peppered with unexpected encounters, such as late-night Bourbon Street revelers or trees costumed with Mardi Gras beads well after Fat Tuesday. All New Orleans natives, the guides are primed to run the routes but keep pace with their charges, even if that means leisurely strolling or cartwheeling through historic areas such as the French Quarter, cemetery, and Garden District. Each section houses morsels of historical and cultural significance, from the St. Louis Cathedral and Civil War Museum to the homes of Sandra Bullock and a former Real World cast. Guides can stow smaller items in a backpack they bring along, but suggest that joggers tow personal backpacks for larger cargo.