GatorTailgating.com is doing a series of articles on where and how to tailgate at all of the Gator Football away games. This article details where and what to look out for in Baton Rouge, Louisiana for the the game against the LSU Tigers. Go Gators!

Where are the best areas of town for motels to stay in the night before/after the game?

The most fun and close hotel to Death Valley is the Sheraton of Baton Rouge in partnership with the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino. It is downtown on the river and right in the middle of everything you want to see and do. Also, it's only 2 miles from Tiger Stadium. The Lod Cook Hotel and Conference Center is on campus, so you can't beat that. The hotel clusters that are closest to campus are the downtown hotels and casinos they have a shuttle that runs on gamedays to the stadium. The I-10 exits all have clusters of hotels as well, but the College Drive exit has the largest concentration of hotels as well as full-service hotels.

What are some attractions in/around Baton Rouge (other than New Orleans) that a visitor shouldn't miss?

Attractions around town include the Old State Capitol (Antebellum) , the New State capitol (skyscaper views), the USS Kidd warship on the river, the riverboat casinos, the LSU Rural Life Museum, The river road plantation homes, and the Louisiana State Museum in Spanishtown.

For clubs and bars, check out the 3rd street entertainment district, which has a number of museums and bars, the Texas Club, the Varsity (live music), Fred's, Happy's (Irish Pub), Roux House (club & live music), and Puncher's (boxing theme club).

Where should a visitor go to eat before leaving Baton Rouge?

There is some damn good food in this town, especially seafood! Mike Andersons, and Drusilla Seafood are the most popular. All will be crowded on game weekends but you can get in with a reasonable wait, they are used to it.

TJ Ribs (2nd location) is especially good at moving a crowd through on game day and serves fine BBQ. Juban's is kind of upscale but has the finest Creole cuisine in town. Boutin's for Cajun cuisine and music. Good off-campus Bar & Grills abound. The Chimes, Walk-on's, The Pastime, Chelsea's, Georges (local institution for Po Boys) , Ivars, Sammy's, and Brewbachers are all great LSU bars with good food.

And don't forget 24-hour breakfast at Louie's Cafe, a classic just-off-campus diner, that is said to have the best omelettes and burgers in town.

Where is the best area to park close to the stadium yet still have room to tailgate?

If you're a Gator fan, park with the GatorTailgating crew! We have car parking available for Gators Only at 1856 River Rd S, Baton Rouge, LA. You will not be able to miss all of the Orange and Blue. Make sure to save that address into your GPS unit or Cell Phone.

Directions to the Gator parking lot are as follows:

From the east

1. Click here for a Google Map
2. Take I-10 to I-12.
3. Continue on I-12 West for 86.4 miles.
4. Merge onto I-10 West. Go 3.1 miles.
5. Take exit 155C toward Louise St. Go 0.3 miles.
6. Turn left at Louise St. Go 0.4 miles.
7. Turn right at Highland Rd. Go 500 ft
8. Take the 1st left onto Oklahoma St. Go 0.4 miles.
9. Turn left at River Rd South
10. Destination will be 0.5 miles on the right

Inside of the lot will be the Gator Tailgating Crew, all of the RVs from Gator Nation, the Gator Country Caravan, and many other Gators just like you! Also included with parking are free shuttles to and from the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino, where you can get a shuttle to and from the game as well. All of this and only for $20. Email us at Events@GatorTailgating.com if you have any questions.

The north side LSU lots are small and fill up quickly. Avoid parking in the high-crime neighborhood to the north of campus, the better parking is on the south side anyway. If you run late, the big free grass lots off the river road aren't that far from the stadium.

For more information on parking from LSU, see Getting to the LSU Game: Traffic, Parking, and Tailgating

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How much should we expect to pay for a parking spot near the stadium?

Anywhere between $20 to $50 is about normal.

What if we are wanting to bring a Motorhome to park in Baton Rouge for the game?

GatorTailgating has reserved an RV lot with 80 parking spots for Gators only. For info, call (352) 505-9903 or visit www.GatorTailgating.com/LSUTrip!

Are there any special rules we should know about tailgating on or off campus, open-container policies we should be forewarned about, or anything of the sort?

There is an open container policy on campus, but no one follows it. There are kegs, liquor bottles, and beers in plain sight everywhere. Being a Gator though, keep it in a cup just for safety's sake. One of the cops may be a Gator-Hater. The locations around campus are first come / first serve with parking, but a lot of fans consider them "their" spots.

Any gameday traditions we should not miss while in Death Valley?

Go see Mike the Tiger's new habitat, our live Siberian/Bengal Tiger Mascot. The best times to see him are between 8-10am and 5-7pm in the evening to see the most activity. The LSU Tiger Band marches down the hill to Tiger Stadium an hour before the kickoff and it is something to see and hear. It will be crowded, but the crowd response is part of the show. Get in the stadium before kickoff not to miss the entrance video of "Mike the Tiger" and band performance.

Is there anything else you would advise fans of before heading to Baton Rouge to tailgate or vacation?

Tailgating is legendary around campus before the game. Nobody, I mean nobody, cooks more or better food than LSU tailgaters. Work out so you're prepared to gain an extra 5 pounds from the good eating!

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Thanks to the tigers over at Tiger Forums for help with this article.