Catherine S. Comeaux and her family spent three summers exploring state, national and provincial parks — from Louisiana to Alaska, to Nova Scotia and all along the Mississippi River in between. This year, she turns her attention to our Louisiana state parks to discover the natural beauty of the South less than a day’s drive from home.

At Fontainebleau State Park, cypress groves intertwine with sandy beaches. Salty and fresh waters mingle in the estuary of Lake Pontchartrain. Nearby, the remains of ancient shell mounds share space with the crumbling brick of a 19th century sugar mill.

These picturesque juxtapositions make up the beauty of the park’s 2,800 acres of oak-shaded, lake-cooled lands on the northshore near Mandeville. Any time of year, but especially toward the end of the Louisi

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