The Mike the Tiger Habitat is the attraction at LSU whenever you're on campus…read more Where else are you going to see a live tiger right on a university campus? It's such a unique and memorable experience, and definitely something you can't skip if you're visiting. The habitat itself is really well done - spacious, thoughtfully designed, and clearly maintained with care. It doesn't feel like a typical enclosure; there's a real effort to create an environment that's comfortable for Mike while still allowing visitors to observe. At the same time, it does make you pause and reflect a bit on the idea of having a live animal as a mascot. But from what you can see, there's a strong emphasis on the tiger's well-being, and the setup feels respectful rather than exploitative. Overall, it's an iconic part of LSU's identity and a fascinating stop - both exciting and thought-provoking.

I popped by here while visiting for a basketball tournament over the weekend. Seeing Mike was…read moreawesome, even though he was just sleeping. His habitat was large, earthy, and beautiful. If it weren't due to my ethical quandaries about Mike's captivity, I would give it 5 stars. However, I do feel it necessary to take this into consideration. Tigers are mostly solitary creatures, but Mike is forced into solitude and separated from all possible companions. Even if we disregard possible loneliness, the space of his habitat is still questionable. Male tigers need around 60 sq. km or more to thrive in nature, but Mike'a habitat is only 15,000 sq. ft (0.0139 sq. km). This means that Mike has less than 3% of the space he would in the wild. Even though I'm sure LSU takes splendid care of Mike, given his top notch vet team and $950K habitat, he belongs in the wild. No matter how cool it is was to see a tiger so close or how great the habitat looks, I feel sad for Mike. However, I do think Mike's enclosure is better than that of most zoos, because he is the STAR and center of attention. If you're at LSU, Mike is definitely worth visiting, but reflecting on your feelings about Mike's captivity should go along with it.

This event is simply AMAZING…read more Signing in was a breeze and very well-organized. All the vendors were extremely passionate about their dishes and presentation. You can tell by the unique flavors that emanated from each item. All the chefs and volunteers were extremely nice and welcoming too. You can tell A LOT of planning, preparation, and hard work were put into this event. The location was gorgeous to take photos! The weather was rather warm but the lighting was on point. There were activities to keep the kids busy while the adults sipped on locally brewed beer and sample amazing cocktails too. Overall, I hope to have more time to attend Slow Food BR events in the future. We will definitely try to attend next year's Fall Heat event.

I am a fan of all things that showcase local in Baton Rouge. So, this event is right up my alley!…read moreThis year (hopefully it will stay at this location), it was set at the Burden Center. The sights were picturesque and plenty of room for the kiddos, who attended the event, to run around. Family-friendly... yes, this definitely was, and kids under 12 were free! It was calm, serene and the weather was plain perfect for this outdoor shindig. It was a garden party, indeed! Various restaurants were represented featuring chefs that knew Southern cuisine and where to properly source ingredients keeping it Louisiana grown and made. Craft cocktails made by area mixologists and bartenders, one being award winner John Morris from Sidebar/Bin 77 and desserts made by Les Amis Bake Shoppe. I have to say I was a tiny bit jealous of the kiddos, who got to roast hot dogs over the open flames; now that looked like a hoot! I enjoyed dishes creatively prepared by executive chefs and their sous chefs. Participating restaurants were: Magpie Cafe, Tallulah (inside the Renaissance) and Table Kitchen and Bar, just to name a few. Local grocery delivery company - IndiePlate - was also there to answer questions about Louisiana-sourced ingredients and to meet fellow guests. I am huge supporter in the Slow Food movement and I would love to see this event continue in the years to come. So, get out there and support your local chapter: http://slowfoodbr.org/. Tune-in for their various events, socials and educational seminars.

I love seeing graffiti as art. In reality, isn't it all art? Art is so difficult to define. One…read morebuilding I stopped by seemed to be just walls and no roof or anything inside. Such attention to detail! This is amazing. Whoever is behind this is a freaking genius. Take a moment. Look around. Think about the time and effort others have put into this.

This was by far one of the best Yelp Events ever - I'm so…read moreglad I got to be apart of this experience because I was introduced to not only the best tasting vegan cookie ever but the best owners of am amazing bakery. They were very friendly and full of joy. Once I heard the story behind the making of these delicious cookies I had to go try them for myself and boy was I blown away. The cookies were not only super soft and chewy but full of flavor. If I was not paying attention I would of not known it was a VEGAN cookie. They were so good it was hard not to ask for more. You have to go check them out !!!! Like go now

Loved the experience. It was a fast pick and go one. The owners were very friendly and prepared gor…read morethe event. The spinning wheel for the discount was a good idea.. it made my little girl excited. We got the clouds and confetti flavor one from the event. We also bought their chocolate chip one with the discount we won on the spinning wheel. The cookies were very tasty and not too sweet. Being vegan cookies was a plus. Later on my kids enjoyed making them at home. On the whole it was a very nice and very well organized event.

I really only knew that as being part of "The LSU Lakes". I didn't know that this one had a…read morespecific name. It makes total sense because it is by our city park. With views of beautiful lakeside homes, a golf course and park greens, this lake is surrounded by Baton Rouge beauty. I've walked around the lake many times and the feeling of tranquility always overcomes me. You'll see many joggers, walkers and more expert runners taking advantage of the open space that this lake area offers. You can even paddle board and enjoy the water on a warm Louisiana day. It's located close to the interstate as well, for easy access. Parking is not difficult to find close by either. You'll find some shady spots to sit to take a break from the scorching sun on those hot days.

The lakes are a beautiful place to go! It's good for golfing, running, having a picnic, watching…read morethe sun go down or just taking a walk. The ducks and geese come around to visit and get fed. Every year the white pelicans come to the lakes and it's a beautiful sight to see.

Yelp Baton Rouge's Meet You At The Top VE with Uptown Climbing was bittersweet since it was CM…read moreRebecca W's last event. It's time for her to move on to a new chapter. Rebecca was joined by Jando S (Yelp Queens), Alex L (Yelp Buffalo), Angela S (Yelp Chicago North Shore), and Nicole G (Yelp Chicago). I've never been rock climbing but was curious to find out what it was about. Lee Guilbeau, co-owner of Uptown Climbing was happy to share his expertise with us. Lee founded Uptown Climbing 3 1/2 years ago with his business partner Rob. The duo built their business from the ground up - turning a parking lot into a 10,000 square foot facility with a 3,000 square foot mezzanine. It is Baton Rouge's first premier climbing gym - featuring custom climbing walls by Rockwerx, which is the leading manufacturer of climbing walls in North America. Rob gave us a tour of the facility and explained the dynamics. They have a 90-foot-long bouldering wall, over 60 rope stations up to 35' tall, a speed wall, a crack climb, 6 auto-belay stations, and a dedicated sport lead climbing wall. There is also a member-only fitness room and an event room for parties. They also offer classes such as Rock Climbing 101, aerial skill classes, yoga, and aerial yoga. And, they host a monthly event called Ladies Night, where new members can meet existing members and enjoy a no pressure workout. On your first visit you are required to take an orientation, which covers the basics including safety instructions. You also have to sign a waiver. Day passes as well as monthly passes are available. You can also purchase rock climbing equipment. Shoes and safety harnesses are available for rent. During the tour we met some of Uptown's employees, including their resident pooches. We all loved seeing the doggies and I'm sure Cooper provides comfort to the attendees, especially for those who may be experiencing first time anxiety. Lee mentioned that sometimes people find out that they have a fear of heights when starting out. He said that the best way to train for rock climbing is to just do it. You should work on your grip strength, which is very important. Strength training, mind/body awareness techniques, focusing on breathing, and working on your balance and core strength are also useful. Gloves are used for crack climbing to protect your hands when sliding them between the cracks in the rocks. Otherwise, it is best to use chalk because it absorbs the moisture and oils on your hands. At the end of Lee's tour Gary demonstrated how to tie the Climber's knot. We also got to meet the membership director, Mitzy. She was very enthusiastic, and you could tell she loved working there. I would be happy to work at any place that had doggies as co-workers. A few raffles were held during our session where locals could win gifts from CounterspaceBR @counterspacebr, Firth Cookies @firthcookies, Mecie's Sweets @mecies_sweets, Chef Schonberg's Sweets @chefschonberg, and @uptownclimbing. One lucky non-local won a goodie box from CounterspaceBR because they also ship nationwide. Afterwards, Rebecca showed us how to make her Carrot Ginger juice and then we all had the opportunity to chat and say "farewell for now" to Ms. Rebecca. She will definitely be missed. For more info on Uptown Climbing visit: uptownclimbing.com

This was such a great event! I've done indoor rock climbing many moons ago and I thought it was so…read morefun. I saw this event and was interested. Uptown Climbing has such an amazing space. They have different levels for people of all skills. I liked that they have such a big area and so many different walls. Even if you are new, they have beginner courses and apparatus to help you climb. They also have ladies night too! Ladies can go there and not feel intimidated about competing against men. It's a good chance for women to build up their skill without the pressure. A bonus for this event was that they gave a ton of prizes out for the participants. If you were local to the area, they gave out some pretty sweet prizes. Unfortunately the other prizes were only for people in continental US, so I didn't qualify. This was also the last event for the Baton Rouge Yelp CM so at the end of the event they had a farewell session. Great event, it had a little bit of everything rolled into one.

Located on the river walk in downtown Baton Rouge, this is a lovely sculpture that seems to flow…read morewith the river. Supposedly it is connected to sensors in the river and plays music that corresponds with the rise and fall of the water, though I didn't hear anything. There is a paid parking lot nearby and benches. Not much shade though.

Cool little landmark in Baton Rouge. Worth coming to do a photo shoot with friends and be goofy…read more Parking was not hard to find. I would recommend 10-15 minutes for seeing this!

The Baton Rouge Fire Guild is a group of local artists who meet to share their love of flow arts…read morewith the community. Their are several artists performing with led poi, staffs, levi-wands, and hoops, and many perform with fire! It's truly fun for all ages. On any given Friday there are numerous people who see all the lights and fire, and stop by and watch the show. The kids really enjoy it, too.

Who doesn't love enjoying Baton Rouge dining at its' finest and contributing to a great cause, all…read moreat the same time??? I am so thankful they offer 2 weeks of the year and I enjoy participating and look forward to it every year. This is such a great way to experience menu selections which you normally would not venture to try. I am also always looking for ways to give back to the community and what an awesome and delicious way to do it.

"Restaurant Week" definitely needs to be extended to Restaurant Month! 50 restaurant to enjoy prix…read morefixe menus all to support a very important cause - Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, why not? So many different cuisines with price ranging from $15-35 all around Baton Rouge. It's just foodie fanatic's dream week! Unfortunately, I don't think anyone can put a dent in trying all these restaurants (that only open special menus for dinner seating) in just 6 days; it's impossible. Now, if it was Restaurant Month, then a completely different story may emerge. I have participated in Restaurant Week multiple times and always enjoy the choices and especially love the prices for the number of courses I received. Fortunately for us here in Baton Rouge, Restaurant Week is offered twice a year: January & July. If you have never tried it before or never even heard of it, you must jump on the bandwagon. It is organized by Dig Baton Rouge (digbatonrouge.com), so keep on the lookout for the next one coming up! Get out there Baton Rouge and support your local restaurants and local organization putting this together!