Cajun Country - Looking for some ideas
 

My husband and I are going to New Orleans in late May/early June and are planning to rent a car and take a 3 night side trip through Cajun country - we will have 6 nights in New Orleans and then 3 nights for our side trip before flying home. I am looking for ideas about where to go and what to see, and what town(s) to stay in. We are looking for smaller towns or even cabins/lodges/etc. outside of town. I would like to stay within a 3 hour drive of New Orleans. We will be driving back to the airport on our last day and I don't want to get up too terribly early in the morning to catch our flight :)

It will just be my husband and me - mid-30s, low key, rather outdoorsy people, interested in history, culture, down-home cooking, relaxation. We will have gotten our fill of nightlife and craziness in New Orleans ;) My husband's hobby is photography so anyplace with something good to take a picture of will suit him just fine.

I have read about the Acadian Village in Lafayette, which sounds really interesting. I would like to include that in our itinerary. I would also like to include a boat trip of some sort to get out in the swamps, see some wildlife and soak up the scenery. When we were in New Orleans before we did a boat tour in Bayou Barataria near Lafite, which was really neat. I don't know what the geography is like along the Gulf, but we would welcome opportunities to swim - I've never swum in the gulf, just the ocean off California. I hear that not all seawater is fridged ;)

Also, of course, we want to take into considerations which areas along the gulf are ready for tourists.

Any ideas are greatly appreciated. Thanks :)

Calling BayouGal!

I need to pack for DC, but I'll be back next week and glad to help. Others will be along to offer lots of great advice too. Search mine or Dan's screen name after highlighting Louisiana to get some ideas, too.

If you are interested in Plantation homes you might want to take the River Road Plantation tour. Its not far out of NO. Do a search of Louisiana River Road Plantations for maps and information.

Two and a half hours west of NO is Avery Island. There are beautiful gardens with alligators sunning themselves on the banks. McIlhenny Company, makers of Tabasco Sauce is also located on the island and gives tours of their plant. You will get a real taste of Cajun accents, the tour guides are locals.

In New Iberia, close by Avery Island is the Konriko Rice Mill, the oldest operating rice mill the the country.

Also in the area is Cypremort Point state park, known affectionatly as "The Cajun Rivera". There is a beach and cabins you can rent. Check early for the cabins because they get reserved far in advance at this time of year. Be warned, that Louisiana beaches are not considered to be that great. Bring mosquito spray, you'll need it.

Jefferson Island is home to Rip Van Winkle Gardens, more beautiful landscaping. It was next to Jefferson Island in Lake Peigneur that a drilling rig pierced the top of the salt dome and drained the lake. There is a short movie about the incident.

I've been to Acadian Village for school field trips and it does a good job of deplicting Cajun Culture.

There is a swamp tour out of Henderson Louisiana that I went on for another field trip that was fun.

I hope you enjoy the trip and the food. I'll try to check back if you have any other questions.

We just had a reunion in Baton Rouge and took a tour to St Francisville. The attendees enjoyed the walking tour of the town and the visit to two plantations afterwards.

Excellent so far. I am really getting excited about exploring this area. I am definitely interested in getting into the outdoors - Cypremort Point state park sounds promising. I am not expecting spectacular beaches or anything. I pretty much just like to go places to see what they are like without necesarily trying to find the best of the best because every place is different and has specific things to recommend it. I imagine that with Florida being so close, Louisiana beaches have a hard time competing - LOL.

Touring the Tabasco plant would be fun too :) And of course anyplace where you can see alligators sunning themselves is got to be good - LOL.

When we were in New Orleans a few years ago, we toured a couple plantations. That was fun, but I don't know that I would be up for more of that.

Keep the recommendations coming. One question - any good breweries around that area that are open for tours?

Check out Abita Brewing company.

The Tabasco tour is fun. Be warned, it will clear out your sinuses.

Hi,

I live in Baton Rouge, which is an hour away from N.O., fun place to visit. A lot to do in N.O., but fun to venture out too! Between Baton Rouge and Lafayette, going to Texas, go up north just a tad off the 1-10 and we have a little town call New Road, oh and before I forget a restaurant where Oprah went to have crab cakes is call Joe Dreyfus rest. which is right off the highway 90. But is you want to see a place to take pictures of some beautiful sunsets is a littel town call New Roads, LA, my brother n law is also a photgrapher and producer, he has taken many pictures here. They have restaurants on the water people do rent out cabin/summer homes. Great seafood rest. to go to. I can email you all night, if I think of anything else. Oh I forgot they have a plantation ome here also called Parlange. I will get back with other ideas. You will get a lot of imout from us down here.

Check out Cafe Des Amis in Breax Bridge - http://www.cafedesamis.com/. They also have a B & B, and if you are staying at the B & B Friday night, then you get preferential seating Sat morning for the Zydeco breakfast. The food is beyond words at Cafe Des Amis. Definitely need reservations for dinner.

Oops, that's Breaux Bridge. :)

More great info - I love it. Iberia Parish sounds like a good place to base ourselves. Lafayette isn't far away, so we can check out the Acadian Village. Avery Island is there for the Tabasco plant and the gardens - I am looking forward to having my sinuses cleared! :) And the gulf is close by too. I sent away for the parish visitors guide.

Does anybody have any good recommendation for fiction, memoirs, and the like set in this area? I have read Cane River by Lalita Tademy, which I definitely enjoyed - although that was set further to the north. I just finished The Awakening by Kate Chopin. I am currently reading The Witching Hour by Anne Rice and will most likely read Feast of All Saints before the trip as well. Any recommendations for books set in New Orleans or southern Louisiana would be greatly appreciated.

You might want to rent the movie (if you can find it) "Belizaire the Cajun." It stars Armand Assante. Some of it was shot at Acadiana Village and the accents were pretty true cajun. Much of what comes out of Hollywood portrays Cajuns with a southern drawl. Cajuns have and accent all their own. We don't sound like people from New Orleans, Baton Rouge, North Louisiana, or Georgia for that matter. People from other parts of the country have asked DH and I what country we're from LOL.

You might also want to check out author James Lee Burke's series with Detective Dave Robicheaux (pronounced RO BEE SHOW). Burke has a home in New Iberia and uses real settings in his novels, Victor's Cafeteria on Main Street New Iberia is one.

If I were you, when planning your trip from NO to NI, take Hwy 90 until you connect to Hwy 182, also called The Old Spanish Trail. 182 pretty much follows the Bayou Teche and is more scenic than Hwy 90.

If you plan of staying at Cypremort Point find out if you need to bring groceries. Hurricane Rita damaged the only restaurant and convience store at the Point. Maybe by your trip they will be reopened but it would be good to check ahead. If you like boiled shrimp or crabs you can buy them at The Point.

S. Boudreaux

Read the second post on this thread - I think it's what you are looking for. :)

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34842955

Crochet House in Houma is a great place to stay. The owners are wonderful and can help you find the greatest places to see. St Francisville is also a lovely place that is chock full of lovely B & Bs. Bed & breakfast is the best way to travel. Innkeepers KNOW the area and the food is the best.

Natchitoches and Baton Rouge are great but I don't think they are part of or represent Cajun Country. That just goes to show how diverse Louisiana is.

There is a wonderful bayou tour near Baton Rouge called Alligator Bayou Tours. It's great and the owners who are the guides are entertaining and very involved in protecting this area. You'll even get to hold an alligator and a nutria! Our out-of-state friends always love this tour!

You could take the River Road one way out and the other way back in. There's more to see on the west side of the river. But we saw an amazing cemetary on the east side - old, old, old - many graves/tombs were in French from the original settlers.

Now pinpointing the location...I think it was in Iberville Parrish at St. Gabriel Catholic Church. There was a large church just to the north of the cemetary.

See if this site gives you more ideas:
http://lariverroad.com/

Originally I wanted to go to Natchitoches, but we decided to stick closer to New Orleans. My husband decided that it was too long of a drive when there is tons to see closer in. Iberia Parish seems to really fit the bill. I like the idea of going up the river road a ways and then cutting over toward Lafayette and New Iberia.

Excellent about the Alligator Bayou tours - my husband will be all over that :)

And thanks for the book recommendations as well. I really like to read books set in areas I am going to travel to - it does a great job of setting the stage. I will check Netflix for the movie as well - if anyone is likely to have it, it is Netflix - LOL.

Originally I wanted to go to Natchitoches, but we decided to stick closer to New Orleans. My husband decided that it was too long of a drive when there is tons to see closer in. The 5 hours of interstate to get to Natchitoches is sort of daunting for him. He isn't much of a road warrior, and I understand. Vacation time is precious and hours in the car are hours not spent sightseeing or relaxing.

Iberia Parish seems to really fit the bill at 2.5 to 3 hours from New Orleans. This way we will have time to take secondary roads if we want to and stop along the way. I like the idea of going up the river road a ways and then cutting over toward Lafayette and New Iberia. I also appreciate the route info to minimize time on the interstate.

The old cemetery in Iberville Parish sounds really interesting.

Excellent about the Alligator Bayou tours - my husband will be all over that :)

And thanks for the book recommendations as well. I really like to read books set in areas I am going to travel to - it does a great job of setting the stage. I will check Netflix for the movie as well - if anyone is likely to have it, it is Netflix - LOL.

Our lodging budget for this portion of the trip is about $125/night, a little more if breakfast is included in the room rate. I am definitely interested in B&Bs, small hotels/inns, and cottages rather than motels along the highway.

I just did a search for Evergreen Plantation - we sneaked around the back of it once along a dirt road. It has the original slave's quarters underneath giant liveoak trees with Spanish Moss - it's a place that should be experienced; although I think the only way to properly tour it is from a tour that leaves New Orleans - you can't just drive in.

Anyway...a great article is what I found:
http://www.franciscodacosta.com/arti...lantation.html

I found the website for the bayou tour. www.alligatorbayou.com

Check out Hadley Castille,best fiddle playing ever!Check his website for schedule,usually plays at Randols rest. in Lafayette,good food also

Okay, let me give you some suggestions. First of all, Avery Island should be on top of the list, with the Garden tour a must. A tour of the Tabasco factory is nice too, but make sure you call ahead to insure that it's open before you go.

You mentioned you wanted to visit places of historic interest and places frequented in novels. I can think of no better place than St. Martinville. That is where the Evangeline Oak is (you've heard of Longfellow right?), and the town square, church, and museum are well worth seeing.

You mentioned "The Awakening", and perhaps that is why you are inspired to swim in the Gulf. The setting of the Awakening was in Grand Isle and that's quite a ways away from Iberia Parish. As the crow flies, it's not that far, but because all the roads follow bayou ridges, it's probably too far for your itinerary. Even if you made it there, you may be disappointed, because Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have destroyed much of the town.

If you insist on going to the Gulf, I'd recommend you going to the MS Gulf Coast and then taking the cruise out to Ship Island. The sand is white and the water clear and warm (compared to California at least). I'd recommend this as a substitute for one of your 6 nights in New Orleans, while leaving the three other nights for Cajun Country.

My proposed itinerary would include 3 nights in New Orleans, and then leaving early AM the next morning for the MS Gulf Coast and boarding the first ferry for Ship Island. Spend the day there (bring lots of sunscreen). Then, check into either the Beau Rivage or other similar casino along the coast, eat a great meal, gamble, and spend the night there. The next morning, drive back to New Orleans. Spend two more nights there (gives you a break from the driving) before heading west to Cajun Country and spending one night in Lafayette and two nights in St. Martinville before heading back to New Orleans to catch your flight.

With this itinerary, you can work your way back east from Lafayette, and you'll have less driving at the end of the vacation when you're more tired. I think St. Martinville is the best place from which to base your exploration of Cajun Country.

Acadian Village is well worth seeing. I'd also recommend spending at least some time touring Lafayette and Breau Bridge, eating in some of the nicer Cajun restaurants. Lafayette is the heart of Acadiana, also called Cajun Country.

Any questions please let me know.

Another vote for the Alligator Bayou tours. It is excellent.
The Cafe Des Amis zydeco breakfast in Breaux Bridge is alot of fun--Saturday mornings from 8 (I think) to noon. Great food, dancing, music (live zydeco bands) do be advised, though, that it is LOUD. (bring earplugs!)
As for novels, many people like to read the Dave Roubicheaux series, written by James Lee Burke. It's about a fictional police officer in South Lousiana.
You've been given some excellent advice; you'll have a great trip. You might even consider cutting your New Orleans trip to 5 nights to give you more time to explore the Lafayette area (with a stop in Baton Rouge for Alligator Bayou, of course!) Alligator Bayou is only about 10 minutes off I-10 just a few miles south of Baton Rouge.

That's what I get for scanning and not reading all the entries. I see elevation12 feet has already given you the recommendations for James Lee Burke!

Thanks bkluvsNola -

You are right - The Awakening is what got me thinking about the gulf. I've been to the Grand Isle web site though and saw that it was hit very hard and not really up and running yet, so I gave up the idea of Grand Isle - at least on this trip.

I am not worried about doing and seeing everything on this trip - my husband and I spent our honeymoon in NOLA and it is our plan to return on or about our anniversary every 5 years. So if swimming in the gulf doesn't happen this time around, there is always next time.

St. Martinville looks really great. And yes, I have heard of Longfellow :)

Oh yes - Aligator Bayou is ON the itinerary :) I showed the web site to my husband and he is all over that - LOL.

MzPossum - you read my mind, or I read yours. With all of this information and such cool stuff to see, I have been considering decreasing our time in NOLA by 1 night and increasing our time in Cajun Country. Such a tough decision - I wish all my decisions were like this :)

As for your dream to swim in the gulf, how about making that a separate anniversary trip some day? Fly to Mobile, Alabama, rent a car and tour the Alabama and Missippi coast line? Stay in Gulf Shores or Orange Beach Alabama--beautiful white beaches without having to take a ferry to them and lots of choice of places to stay (condos are a good bet, for example) September or early October is a good bet for this--still beach weather without the summer crowd (and higher summer prices)

We lived for a few years near Carville, La. and another vote for Avery Island. Also one more for St. Francesville. When there, visit Asphodel Plantation and take the tour. It is beautiful! It is also a Civil War site as well as having several movies shot there e.g., The Long, Hot Summer. Audubon did some of his work there. Nearby is Oakley Plantation where Audubon lived and worked and Audubon Park. All worthwhile.

If you nix the swimming in the Gulf idea, that will give more time for Cajun Country. I'd recommend taking in the Creole Nature Trail, which goes from Lake Charles down to Cameron and back on up. A lot of Cameron Parish was destroyed by Rita, but so was most of the coast anyway, and the drive is still nice and scenic.

While in Lake Charles, eat at Steamboat Bills on the Lake and don't forget to have their crawfish pistolettes (yummy).

For fine dining, try Cafe Margeaux.

Lake Charles is a nice town along the lake to take a stroll, eat some Cajun food, etc... The L'auberge casino is a sight to see as well...

You can plan to go to the Florida Panhandle (Destin) next time to get your fun in the sun at the beach. Stay at Seaside, FL, for some real Gulf Coast beauty.

You are getting some great suggestions here about sights and places but we've neglected to tell you about dinning. I have a couple of suggestions if you are looking for down home cooking.

In New Iberia Theriot's Groceries has great plate lunches. Not a fancy place but it is a local favorite

Between New Iberia and Lafayette stop in Youngsville and go to Morvant's Bar and Grill for the best hamburger you will ever have. This place is a local legend. I have been enjoying their burgers since I was a kid, a long, long time. They have even been listed as the best hamburgers ever by a cheeseburger ranking site.

Avery Island has lovely gardens and the Tobasco plant. Nearby in New Iberia, visit Shadows on the Teche, a plantation house, right on Bayou Teche. Don't miss the Evangeline monument and Catholic Church in St. Martinsville. Franklin and Abbeville have interesting houses and Black's Oyster restaurant in Abbeville is really good. Johnny Apple, the NY Times writer who recently died, wrote an article about eating in Cajun Country a few years ago and you can probably find it in the archives. Atchafayla Swamp is between Baton Rouge and Lafayette on the I-10 overpass through the area. They have tours and it would be a great place to take nature photos. Further north, Opelousas, Washington, Eunice, Grand Coteau and Mamou are traditional Cajun towns that are worth exploring. Cajun music and dances are fun and the local catholic churches may be sponsoring one on a weekend. Palace Cafe in Opelousas is an reliable place to eat. Lafayette is a pretty town and there are some very good restaurants because of the oil business and the care Cajuns take with their food. I grew up near Jennings and I've been exposed to the real Cajun cooking. Do not be mislead - New Orleans french is not Cajun french in the cooking department. But both are tasty. There are photo books of the swamp by C.C. Lockwood who works out of Baton Rouge. There is also a book on Acadiana that has been published in the last few years that has photos of the whole region.
St. Francisville is beautiful, but not in Cajun Country. In fact, it is a English oriented town - if you go check out Grace Church. Also many wonderful plantations - Rosedown, etc. but nothing to do with French culture.

Mmmmmmmm :) My mouth is watering and it is not even lunch time.

Elevation - best burgers I will ever have? I am DEFINITELY there - always looking for a great burger. We used to have a burger place where I am from that had been around for ages - called Hal's Grubsteak. God those were good. My family had been going there for generations. Then one day my dad called and said that Hal's had closed down. Just like that, it was gone. It was like losing a family member. Several years have passed and I am still grieving - LOL.

Local legend-type restaurants are right up my alley. I always try to seek them out when I travel.

mes - thanks for the recommendations for different towns as well as the heads up for the article about Cajun food - I will definitely dig around and see if I can find it. I am definitely interested in having some cajun food.

I think for swimming in the gulf, we will definitely save that for another trip. Maybe next time around we will go east a bit. Who knows, we might have kids by that time and renting a house on the gulf and just hanging out might be just the ticket.

Hey i just thought of a great restaurant in N.O. off of St.charles then in turns into Carrollton and it is off of one of those side street it is call Jaque q. moes or something similar to that spelling but it is a funky house and ad ons to the house, but the food is excellent creole dishes.

As for Lafayette, I'd pass on Randol's...if you want good cajun food/atmosphere, Prejean's is better. Richard's in Abbeville is good, too, but no cajun music. Acadian Village is better than Vermilionville for authenticity.
Elevation12feet: ditto on Morvant's!! The best burgers. Max's pool hall has some good ones too ;)
As for an ex-Californian, pass on the LA beaches for swimming!! Go east to Alabama or Florida panhandle. You'll be amazed at the warmness of the water compared to Cali. It's like a bath.

If you do decide to drive through St. Francisville, there is a B & B called "The Myrtles." My brother and his wife love to go there, and it is supposedly haunted.

Another movie set in Louisiana is "Passion Fish." It's a great movie, and the David Straithairn character (besides being totally gorgeous) does a good job of portraying someone who grew up on the Bayou.

I would skip St. Francisville altogether, as (1) it's out of the way and (2) it's not a Cajun town.

I would focus on St. Martinville, New Iberia, and Lafayette, with perhaps a jaunt into the Atchafalaya swamp or west into Lake Charles.

For food, make sure you check out Cafe des Amis. It's out of this world cuisine.

This is such a great thread. I really appreciate everyone's input. I've come up with a rough itinerery, so I thought I would run it by you guys.

I decided to add a night to cajun country, so we will have 5 nights in New Orleans rather than 6 and 4 nights in cajun country rather than 3. This way we can take our time and not be rushed. So here is what I am thinking:

Day 1: Leave NO in the morning and take the river road up toward Baton Rouge - maybe tour a plantation along the way (any favorites? We saw Oak Alley and Laura last time). After lunch, go to Alligator Bayou, then spend the night somewhere near there.

Day 2: In the morning head to Lafayette - see the Acadian Village and other things in Lafayette. Stay in Beaux Bridge, St. Martinsville, or New Iberia - stay the next 2 nights there as well.

Day 3: Avery Island and maybe one of the state parks in the area - Lake Fausse Pointe, Cypremort Point, or Longfellow-Evangline.

Day 4: Free day to do whatever - maybe Jefferson Island, Shadows on the Teche, etc.

Day 5: Drive back to New Orleans and fly home.

I was doing some research into loging options and came across several that look really good.

I was wondering if anyone knows anything about the Old Castillo Bed and Breakfast in St. Martinsville though. From the web site it looks perfect - next to the Evangeline Oak, on the bayou, close to the town square, large porches and balconies. Then I looked it up on Tripadvisor and the reviews (only 2) are terrible. Frommers guidebook gives an ok review. Is anyone familiar with this place?

There is also a place in Breaux Bridge called Cajun Country Cottages - little places on a lake - that look great. Very relaxing setting. I haven't found any reviews online though. Is anyone familiar with them?

I would ditto Avery Island. It is also home to thousands of egrets. Each morning they flock off the marshes and each evening they return. It is an inspiring sight for a photographer.

Also, check out St. Martinsville. Near Lafayette. It is where the Evangeline Oak is located and where Evangeline and Gabriel, from Longfellow's poem reunited. Great B&B there and also home to some plantations.

Washington, LA is also very near. Chef Paul Prudhomme's sister has a restaurant overlooking the river.

I would count on more than a 3 hour drive outside of N.O., however.

I'm glad to see your itenerary is starting to take shape.

I have no experience with Old Castillo Bed and Breakfast but there is a glowing review on Yahoo travel. The two reviews on tripadvisor are suspicious to me. Both reviewers joined the same day yet posted in different years. Something seems off. St. Martinville would be central to the other sites you mentioned visiting.

But to make your decision even more difficult I'll make this suggestion. New Iberia has a B&B called LeRosier that always gets great reviews. Its across from the Shadows on the Teche, has its own restaurant and close to downtown so its walking distance to Clementine's Restaurant and the downtown bars and antique shops. Theriot's that I told you about in an earlier post is also close by.

I'd stay the last night in N.I. then take the scenic route of Hwy 182 to Hwy 90 back to N.O. Should take no more than 3 1/2 hours. I make this trip, taking hwy 90 from NI to NO and it takes me 2 1/4 hours to the airport exit on 310. (Make sure you pay attention to the speed limit signs) This will take you farther south than the I10 route. If you have time before your flight you can stop off in Morgan City where they have a Swamp Garden Tour.

My guesstimate times of travel from NI are:
To Avery Island 20 minutes
To St. Martinville 20 minutes
To Lake Fausse Point (if you can find it ;)) 35 minutes
To Breaux Bridge 35 minutes
To Cypremort Point 30 minutes
To Acadian Village 45 minutes because of Lafayette traffic
To Morvant's 25 minutes

Check out virtualtourist.com for lots on St. Martinville and New Iberia.