All The Waves

For this episode Katie and Zondra take to the wilds, sort of. They take the show on the road to the Global Wildlife Center in Folsom to speak with Director Christina Cooper about all the new things happening at one of the Northshore's most cherished institutions, and why guests return again and again. 

In this episode Katie and Zondra sit down with Marianne Angeli Rodriguez, Owner, Rodriguez Gallery , and Jason Leader, Executive Director, 30 by Ninety Theatre, to explore arts on the Northshore. They also tip their hats to a series of murals going on across St. Tammany Parish.

In this episode, Katie and Zondra celebrate Black History Month by talking with Chef Tara Williams and her husband about Slidell's popular eatery, Creole Sisters Catering & Café. Malik Mingo brings his energy in to recount his visit to the Northshore for the local lifestyle program Great Day Louisiana. And Gerrin Narcisse came by to explain how the Bayou Lacombe Cardinals are changing lives for the better. 

The Mardi Gras season is under way and Katie and Zondra are always up for a party. First, they chatted with John Weatherall III about how he came to be so instrumental in sharing what Mardi Gras is with the rest of the world. Then they spoke with Zach Zornes about the famous king cakes from Randazzo's Camellia City Bakery. And, finally, they connected with a couple of Bad Moms That Dance, and just might have accepted a parade challenge with that marching group.  

As they finish Season Two of Visit the Northshore's award winning podcast, Zondra and Katie sit down with co-workers and podcast producers Roberta Carrow Jackson and Nicole Davis to look back on some of their favorite episodes of the year. They are joined by Northshore Media Group's Charles Dowdy, who helps produce the show, and he turns the mics around, finding out more about the hosts of The Northshore's best tourism podcast.  

In this Year of Food, Katie and Zondra turn the microphones around on two well-known Louisiana content creators. Gerald Gruenig and John "Mr. Weatherall" Weatherall III—frequent collaborators with Visit The Northshore—have helped spotlight local eateries across the region through their signature blend of talent, energy and genuine enthusiasm for Louisiana flavor. In this episode, they share how their partnership began, how their creative process works, and how their distinct personalities have shaped their success.

In this episode Katie and Zondra talk about the Honey Island Swamp Monster with Dana Holyfield, documentarian and author. Then author and storyteller John Case talks about his tours of Slidell's Greenwood Cemetery and what they can tell us. And they wrap up this "scary" episode with a look at local swamp tours on the Northshore.

Fall on the Northshore means music everywhere - from downtown streets filled with songwriters to zydeco rhythms that keep dancers on their feet. In this episode of All the Waves, Katie and Zondra welcome festival leaders and artists who make it all happen. Gabrielle Deculus of the NOLA Zydeco Festival talks about family heritage, cultural tradition, and bringing the sound of zydeco across the lake. Then Meagan Ginter of the Ozone Music Foundation, and singer-songwriter Laine Bleu, share how the Ozone Songwriter Festival champions original music and builds community in Covington.     

In the dog days of summer, Katie and Zondra explore a few indoor ideas to beat the heat. They talked to Andrea Magrath from Category 5 Pickleball about their state-of-the-art indoor facility. They also connected with Patrick Heim to learn about some of Olde Towne Slidell's best indoor attractions, including The Arcade on Carey, The Brass Monkey Old World Draughthaus, Luna Tequila, Whiskey and Ashe and the Olde Towne Pizza Company. And for their Wave Review, the ladies share the best places to get a cool treat on a hot day. 

In this episode Katie and Zondra talk to Tim and Jan Lantrip from The English Tea Room & Eatery, and Chef Pat Gallagher of Pat Gallagher Restaurant Group. In honor of Tammany Taste of Summer, Katie and Zondra ask these titans of the Northshore restaurant scene questions about how they started, and how they have stayed on top of the game. Both interviews also feature highly personal stories about these personalities that you may not have heard before. It is Tammany Taste of Summer. Make sure to check in with Visit the Northshore's website and social media so you can support this important period for our local restaurants. 

In this episode, Katie and Zondra talk to co-worker and Vice President of Sales & Services at Visit The Northshore, Tanya Leader, about things to do for groups who visit the Northshore, creating custom itineraries to suit every group, from family reunions to senior groups and corporate retreats. Then, they connect with industry expert Tico Soto, of Tourism Tactics by Tico, for a wide ranging conversation about the tourism industry, its economic impact on the Northshore, and how Visit The Northshore saves money for every St. Tammany household. 

In this episode Zondra and Katie celebrate some of the great makers of the Northshore when they talk to Carmen and Alicia Norman, the mother-daughter duo behind Purple Elephant Bath & Body and The Earthly Elephant, and they get to talk, and taste, wine from Wild Bush Farm and Vineyard with co-owner Neil Gernon. 

Turn it up! On this episode of All The Waves, "Big Easy Rick" Ricky Windhorst of Four Unplugged talks rocking the Northshore, dropping his first solo album Lucky Dog, and the stages he loves most. Plus co-host Zondra White Jones and sister Fadra White of Soul Revival share how a childhood of church gigs led to Carnegie Hall — and why every Soul Revival show feels like the ultimate party. You're gonna want to dance along to this one.

Visit the Northshore's award-winning* podcast returns with an episode that is on the move. Katie and Zondra sit down with Matt May from Canoe and Trail Adventures Tours & Rentals, and Captain Mike Jones from Louisiana Tours and Adventures, to talk about all the great outdoor opportunities that await visitors to The Northshore. And for their Wave Reviews segment, they talk to Sean Fitzsimmons of O'Wheelies Bicycle Company. These are some of the many reasons The Northshore is called "Louisiana's Easy Escape." *In February, All The Waves received the award for Tourism Campaign of the Year, Under $30K from the Louisiana Travel Association. Congrats, Katie & Zondra!

To celebrate a little Black excellence this Black History Month, Zondra and Katie brought in Tonya and Rhegan Ramsey of Organically Wicked Candles & Tingz and Howard E. Harper, III of Black Flower Apparel & Records. Hear them provide some history about their businesses and why they love being on The Northshore. 

In the first episode of their second season, Zondra and Katie explore Mardi Gras on the Northshore. They talk king cakes with Lauren Forjet of Nonna Randazzo's of Covington and learn more about the Krewe of Bogue Falaya with Larry Rolling. Hear all about this year's Mardi Gras on the Northshore in this episode. Finally, a shout-oput to local dance groups that bring the Mardi Gras spirit to life. 

For their final episode of 2024, Katie and Zondra take a look back at their first year. They share some insights on their favorite episodes and  draw back the curtain a bit on what it is like to make the podcast. They also interview Northshore Media Group's Charles Dowdy, who helps produce All the Waves. 

Zondra and Katie are getting an education in Episode 11. They talk with Grayhawk Perkins, renowned storyteller, musician, historian and author, and his spouse, Robin Leckbee Perkins, archivist in St. Tammany Parish Government's Clerk of Courts, whose job is to keep all the local historical documents for the parish. Between the pair of them, these two have plenty of stories to tell. 

Zondra and Katie are getting the best of both worlds in this episode, exploring coffee and beer on the Northshore. First, they talk to Bryisha "B" Lyons and her husband Mike, owners of Roots Plants and Coffee in Olde Towne Slidell. They discuss their decision to open a coffee shop that also sells plants and the great success it has been. And speaking of success, Katie and Zondra dive into the world of Abita Brewing Company, one of the great business stories in the state, let alone The Northshore. Talking with Heidi Guerra and Chad Davis, they also focus on what a fantastic draw the business is for tourists and locals alike. 

In this episode Katie and Zondra pick the brains of two huge names in Northshore tourism: Donna O'Daniels, President and CEO of Visit The Northshore; and Lisa Condrey Ward, the visionary behind the stellar Southern Hotel in downtown Covington. Both guests dive into the business of tourism and why it is so important for St. Tammany Parish. 

In this episode, Katie and Zondra share a few of the awesome outdoor adventures waiting for visitors (and residents) of The Northshore. They talk with Ranger Becky Larkins, Visitor Services Manager at the Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuges Visitor Center in Lacombe, and Captain Mike Gallo of Angling Adventures of Louisiana about the work they do getting people into the great outdoors. 

As part of Tammany Taste of Summer, Visit The Northshore's culinary month, Katie and Zondra sit down with two pillars of the Northshore restaurant community. Nealy Frentz is one half of the wife-and-husband duo behind Lola Restaurant in Covington and Liz Munson is the powerhouse behind Liz's Where Y'at Diner in Mandeville. 

In this episode, Katie and Zondra are getting "schooled" on all kinds of Northshore history from three great guests: Mark Johnson, Mayor of Covington, Alia Casborné, Director of Cultural Development & Events for the City of Mandeville, and Gregory Scott, Director of the Slidell Museum.  There's no doubt you'll learn something new about The Northshore in this episode, just like Katie and Zondra did. 

For their fifth episode, Zondra and Katie are all about the abudant festivals on The Northshore, starting with Miranda Parker, Director of Hospice House, who talks about the nonprofit's annual All-You-Can-Eat Crawfish Cook-off in Slidell's Fritchie Park. Next up is musician and bandleader Christian Serpas, who tells them about all the fests he's played along The Northshore in his career, and Roberta Carrow Jackson, Multimedia Content Manager for Visit The Northshore, shares her tried-and-true pointers for enjoying a festival. 

In their fourth episode of All the Waves, Katie and Zondra explore some of the hidden treasures across The Northshore of Louisiana. They talk with Jamie Roche of the Friends of the Dew Drop Jazz Hall, the historic rural jazz hall in Mandeville, Jim MacPherson of Maritime Museum Louisiana in Madisonville, and Anthony Lott of the Bayou Lacombe Museum in Lacombe. Hear some unknown facts about these local institutions as the ladies from Visit The Northshore hold court once again.  

The third episode of All The Waves is all about the people and places that make The Northshore unique. Katie and Zondra get a chance to chat with Chef Sal Impastato on his turf when they visit his iconic restaurant, Sal & Judy's Restaurant in Lacombe. They discover that Mandeville native Amanda Shaw is as energetic during an interview as she is onstage with her fiddle, and Jennifer Wallace, General Manager of Fontainebleau State Park, tells the All The Waves crew about all the great things going on at that popular destination. So settle in, Wavers, and enjoy "Delivering the Good Life on The Northshore"!

For their second episode of All the Waves, Katie and Zondra  talk to Tina Rhinehart of the Mande Milkshakers, catch up with Andy Frisard of the Krewe of Dionysus in Slidell, and talk to three former queens and the 2024 royalty for the city's Krewe of Selene. They end the two-episode special with a little more conversation with the perennial king of Mardi Gras, Arthur Hardy. 

Welcome to All The Waves, a podcast produced by Visit The Northshore! Founded in 1976 as the St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission with a vision to establish St. Tammany Parish as a premier travel destination, Visit The Northshore is an award-winning destination marketing organization supported solely by lodgings in the parish.  All The Waves is hosted by its Chief Marketing Officer, Katie Guasco, and Senior Sales Manager, Zondra White Jones.  For their first episode, Katie and Zondra jump into Mardi Gras on The Northshore. They talk with a man who knows everything about this Louisiana tradition--Arthur Hardy. Then they meet Dan Cobb and Mark Verrett of the St. John Fools of Misrule, who usher in Carnival every year in Covington with their Twelfth Night March, and they speak with Rachel Sibley Brumfield, who in 2024 made history as the first African American woman to become queen of Madisonville's Krewe of Tchefuncte.