Which 2 of these would work best for a day and night? We are a couple with a three-year-old. Thanks!

Where are you driving from, and how long a drive do you want to make to get to your destination? What do you want to do on your overnight trip? Sorry . . .need more info to help.

If you go to the Lafayette area, I'd go to Breaux Bridge (about 10 miles east of Lafayette), and eat dinner at Cafe Des Amis--call ahead to make reservations. Also, check out their web site. Not much to see or do in Alexandria, but if you go to Natchitoches, then that's a different story. Hope you can give us more specifics about your trip so we can be of more help.

Hi--thanks...I had written another message before but I forgot to write the extra info on this one. We're driving from Dallas to Gulf Shores, Alabama. So we're going to break up the drive both ways.

IMO, you should check out Natchitoches and Breaux Bridge online. See which one is a good stopping point on your trip, then check out some lodging options. Just MHO, but Lafayette and Baton Rouge are pretty crowded right now due to 2 hurricanes (God bless them for taking us all in), and not exactly the tourist spots they normally would be. Both Natchitoches and Breaux Bridge have great B & B's, and Breaux Bridge has some renowned Cajun restaurants. I guess it just depends on what you want to get out of your overnight. If you are more into the modern hotels, then go for Baton Rouge. Lafayette's hotels are on the old side, although there is a one new Hampton Inn near the Cajun Dome.

You might also want to check out tripadvisor.com for more hotel and B&B info.

If you have more questions, I'll try to help.

Thanks so much for your advice. I'll talk to my DH about it. We never would have even thought about those smaller towns. We'll check it out. Are the B&B's kid-friendly?

I have heard from people who go there a lot that Baton Rouge is very crowded and has big traffic problems these days. Best not to add three more souls to the mix.

The smaller towns do sound fun. And I haven't been out there recently, but I'll trust BayouGal about the crowds. But just for more info on your original choices (from the perspective of another visitor to the area), I would choose Lafayette - I like its cute and interesting city center. It's also really proud of being the center of French Acadiana, so there are some kid-friendly cultural & historical centers nearby. Swamp tours are about a half hour away; I'm not sure if your three-year-old would be into that or not.

Yeah, he'd love the swamp tours. My husband--being a big kid himself--would also love the swamp tours. I just have fun taking pictures of all of it. We are now looking at Breaux Bridge, Natchitoches, and Lafayette. I'm just having a hard time finding b&b's that welcome children under 3. I'm trying to see if the BB and N have small non-chain inns or hotels that may work better for my son.

Don't be run off from Baton Rouge by the negative traffic comments. I have lived here all of my life and Baton Rouge has a lot to offer. Yes, we are larger now since Katrina but we are adjusting to this population increase. IMHO, traffic and lines have improved since the fall as more New Orleanians return home and New Orleans universities/schools reopen. And more good news....we are getting more New Orleans restaurants and shops here in Baton Rouge. Galatoire's Bistro opened in November with Mandina's, a Canal Street neighborhood favorite, opening in February.

Give us a try. There's lots of rich history and culture here like Lafayette.

Having been there over a long weekend this past weekend, I can say that Lafayette is probably as crowded as Baton Rouge.

Sorry the B & B's are not taking little ones--it's been a long time since we've had to consider that and it really didn't occur to me when I recommended B & B's.

I will check my sources and see if I can find any that provide for children traveling with parents.

i also live in dallas and travel home to baton rouge new orleans area often

i personally have always wanted to check out the Natchitoches area ...it seems to be a cute little town BUT for your journey it may not make sense to stop there for an overnight stay. Natchitoches is only about an hour outside of Shreveport on I-49 and pretty early into your journey from dallas about 3 hours....Alexandria is about another hour from Natchitoches so for those reasons I would say Lafayette or Baton Rouge. My only concern with either of those two is the availability of hotels because of the displaced folks from New Orleans etc (especially Baton Rouge) if you can find a decent room then my pick would be Baton Rouge...although a little crowded it would be easy to stay find a good place to eat etc, stay on your path and also get a good days drive in that first day (baton rouge is about 7 hours from dallas)

Not sure how far you are willing to travel from the highway but Louisiana also has a few plantation houses you may want to check into (not sure if they are child friendly) two that come to mind are Oak Alley and Nottaway.

Good Luck and safe travel.

Yeah, I think this is what we're going to do. Feel free to tell me if I need to change the plans. We're going to drive down and stop at Lafayette or St. Francisville first. We found a couple B&B's that welcome families. Then we'll drive down to Gulf Shores. On the way back, we'll stop either in Baton Rouge or Breaux Bridge. Then the next day, on our way back to Dallas, we'll take a little detour and visit Natchitoches for a late lunch and picture taking. I figure later on we could do a romantic weekend there without kiddos. I think I'm just as excited about our nights in LA as I am about the week at Gulf Shores!

sounds like an excellant plan...be sure to come back and tell us how things went and your thoughts on Natchitoches.

have a safe trip and above all HAVE FUN!

We will be in Baton Rouge several days in September attending a ship's (USS Trathen DD530) reunion. Planned activities include a bus trip to NO to visit the D-Day museum and a river cruise with lunch. Another day we will be going to St. Francisville for lunch, a guided walking tour of the town and visits to Oakley and Rosedown plantations.

On the return drive to Virginia, DW and I will be staying over in Natchitoches,
Vicksburg, and Tupelo as we travel the Natchez Trace Trail.

We had planned on Sunday lunch in Breaux Bridge on the way to Natchitoches. A recent article in National Geographic Traveler has us interested in Eunice also. Is there enough to do in the Eunice area to keep us busy Sunday afternoon? Time is not a problem.

Hi Ronkala,I'm the one who went to Winchester and Woodstock in November and I live in Eunice.Actually I'm here in Virginia again visiting my daughter in Arlington.

On Sunday afternoons go to the Eunice Park Service for the Cajun music jam session and movie about Cajun Mardi Gras. They will probaby have a Cajun cooking lesson , too.I'll check about more activities after I get home.

Your trip sounds like lots of fun. We love St. Francisville and Nachitoches- great bed and breakfastsin both towns.

Hi Saraho,
Isn't this Virginia weather great? It seems like the crocus should be coming up.

We'll be at the Sheraton in Baton Rouge Sept 21-24. Once we leave there DW and I will be staying at Holiday Inn Express' using Priority Club Points.

Those of us getting in by the 20th will be going to Boutin's Wednesday night for dinner and dancing.
Saturday morning we will be having our Memorial Service on the USS Kidd which is the same class destroyer as the Trathen.

Saraho;
I hit post by mistake. If you get the chance, stop by the hotel on Thursday, or the Kidd on Saturday to say hello.

I am a native of Alexandria, Louisiana (spent the first 30 years of my life there). Also, my parents are from Baton Rouge, so I have spent a lot of time in Baton Rouge, including at LSU. A couple of weeks ago, I returned from a 6-week trip in Alexandria and Baton Rouge visiting family and friends. First, I would not recommend Alexandria. There is very little to see and do there. It is not part of French Louisiana but more like a small Southern town. Lafatyette is in the heart of Acadiana, the French part of Louisiana (the whole state is not French, just a triangle in the southern portion). So, to really experience Cajun Country, go to Lafayette and take excursions to Breaux Bridge, New Iberia, Avery Island (the home of Tabasco and where it is still made), and bay. Here is the website of the officia Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission: www.lafayettetravel.com. Baton Rouge lies just outside of French Louisiana but has a great French Acadian and Creole influence You can also use Baton Rouge as your home base for day trips into the bayous, to Lafayette, to New Orleans, and, just a short drive down I-10 or the Airline Highway into Cajun Country. Here is the website for the Baton Rouge Convention and Visitors Bureau: www.bracvb.com.

I am a native of Alexandria, Louisiana (spent the first 30 years of my life there). Also, my parents are from Baton Rouge, so I have spent a lot of time in Baton Rouge, including at LSU. A couple of weeks ago, I returned from a 6-week trip in Alexandria and Baton Rouge visiting family and friends. First, I would not recommend Alexandria. There is very little to see and do there. It is not part of French Louisiana but more like a small Southern town. Lafatyette is in the heart of Acadiana, the French part of Louisiana (the whole state is not French, just a triangle in the southern portion). So, to really experience Cajun Country, go to Lafayette and take excursions to Breaux Bridge, New Iberia, Avery Island (the home of Tabasco and where it is still made), and bayou/swamp tours (very safe!). Here is the website of the official Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission: www.lafayettetravel.com. Baton Rouge lies just outside of French Louisiana but has a great French Acadian and Creole influence You can also use Baton Rouge as your home base for day trips into the bayous, to Lafayette, to New Orleans, and, just a short drive down I-10 or the Airline Highway into Cajun Country. Here is the website for the Baton Rouge Convention and Visitors Bureau: www.bracvb.com.