Everyone in the entire country knows where our neighboring Grand Isle, La. is. It’s been on national television news daily for more than three months. They know what the beach and surrounding waters look like and what seafood can be caught there.
At the present time, it appears the oil spill is about to be permanently sealed. And as it recovers, Grand Isle has the possibillity of becoming a well-rounded and possibly a year-round resort, not just for fishing and beaching but for other entertainment as well. The opportunities seem great.
In the past, Grand Isle had 10,000 to 20,000 visitors on summer weekends. Most of them went fishing or socialized with others who were there for that purpose.
But the the island can be attractive to regular vacationers. It is closer to more cities in Louisiana and midwest states than beaches along the rest of the Gulf Coast.
Sure, there is whiter sand along the Alabama and Florida coasts but it is hotter on the feet than Grand Isle’s golden sand. True, the Grand Isle surf is not as clear usually as some others due to the influence of the Mississippi River drifting its way. But it will be just as healthy if the oil goes away.
And there are two other attributes you could add to Grand Isle’s promise as a vacation resort. It has a bit of history in its lore when Jean Lafitte claimed residence. One could envision a Pirates’ Den amusement park there with much of that history featured.
And the island already has pathways for watching birds as they rest transferring residence between the southern and northern hemispheres twice a year.
But the island needs to be dressed up a bit with colorful lights and palm trees along the streets. A variety of small businesses should be attracted to accomodate vacationers.
Once the oil spill is out of the way, Grand Isle could become one of the best attractions in the land with sun and sand, surf and fish, history, mystery and intrigue to entertain vacationers. It would be a coastal paradise.
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