Ahhhh…. Lafayette! I adore Cajun Country! There is so much to enjoy here, like…
Feeding ducks, fish and turtles off the porch of the Lafayette Visitor’s Center…
taking in the breathtaking beauty of Saint John Cathedral…
and standing beside the old St. John Cathedral Oak.
For a lesson on Cajun history and culture, there’s Acadian Cultural Center, where the boys even learned some good ole Cajun jokes (all except the ones spoken in French).
and then, of course, there’s Cajun dancing in Randol’s Restaurant. (David now wants accordion lessons. Now… where can I find someone in Tennessee who teaches accordion?)
Here’s where I taught them some important Cajun-French phrases like laissez les bon temps rouler.
At Acadian Village we learned about the historical setting of 19th century Acadiana. I hear that this place is stunning at Christmastime!
The boys enjoyed learning about the wetlands and the flora and fauna within that habitat at the Acadiana Park Nature Station Trail.
The little piece of memory work that I took from this trip was: Freddy Fungus and Annie Algae took a lichen to each other. With any luck, I’ll never again ask if lichen is a combination of fungus and moss.
While we were walking the trail and attempting to identify various types of plants, we met someone from South Dakota. {Naturally, we felt compelled to ask him where we should go when we visit South Dakota.}
The McIlhenny Tabasco Factory is a family favorite. I imagine we’ll always attempt to go back to the Tabasco Factory when we make a trip down to Southern Louisiana! The tour is free, you get to take home free little sample bottles, and you can try all the sauces along with things like pepper jelly and jalapeno ice cream over at the Tabsco Store.
But…. my favorite part about Cajun Country? The people! (although the food is a close second!)
I used to work with many Cajuns in my former offshore oilfield days. They are such a generous and caring people, and their loads of fun! In fact…
Our family was welcomed wholeheartedly by new friends in Lafayette. They were such a joy to spend the evening with! Thank you so much for your hospitality!
As we left Lafayette, I captured this photo of the Atchafalaya Swamp….
Whatever you do, before you start to cross this bridge, be sure to stop for a potty break. Otherwise…
let’s just say you might regret it.
Have you ever visited Louisiana, or do you live here? What are your favorite places to visit? Undoubtedly, we’ll be back again for Well Control School in a couple of years!
50-States-Before-They-Graduate
Our family aims to visit all 50 states together before our boys graduate from high school. To take a look at some of the places we’ve been, visit our Traveling America posts. If you’d like to offer suggestions for places to visit in the 50 states, we would love your input! Feel free to leave your comments and suggestions for your favorite state(s), or virtually visit the other states we’ve visited to offer your recommendations on those pages! We’d love to read about your own family’s adventures… or to simply know about destinations you’ve enjoyed!