In Fontainebleau State Park visitors can camp or rent a cabin, play on the sandy beach fronting Lake Pontchartrain, check out the ruins of an 1830s sugar mill, and fish on the pier that juts out over the lake. Hike the park’s trails or go kayaking on nearby bayous Cane and Castine. The Tammany Trace hike/bike path runs through the park, perfect for cycling, hiking and in-line skating.

The fishing is excellent in Mandeville. Throw out a line from your perch on the seawall along Lakeshore Drive or check out the Mandeville Pier at Sunset Point for great fishing and a view of the sunset and the 24-mile-long Causeway Bridge.

If you are looking for festivals, A Taste of Mandeville’s Marigny OctoberFeastis a food and wine celebration of the town’s founder, held in Old Mandeville. Another popular Mandeville festival celebrates the life of Jane Austen, author of “Pride and Prejudice” and “Sense and Sensibility.” This annual festival offers Austen fans a chance to celebrate her books and England’s Regency Era right here on Louisiana’s Northshore.

Don’t miss the Mandeville Community Market, held each Saturday at the Mandeville Trailhead, for prepared foods, locally grown produce, crafts and live music. Mandeville’s restaurant scene is a good and varied one. Enjoy Louisiana seafood and other specialties with a water view at places like the Lake House or Rips on the Lake. Have a craft brew at the Barley Oak or an awesome breakfast at everyone’s happy place, Liz’s Where Y’at Diner.

Be sure to catch a show at Ruby’s Roadhouse, which Rolling Stone magazine called one of the best roadhouses in the country, and plan a trip around concerts (held fall and spring) at the Dew Drop Jazz & Social Hall, believed to be the oldest unaltered jazz hall in the world.