How I Spent My Summer Vacation v1.2

Sunday. June 5, 2011.

Day Three. Deep in the Heart of Acadiana.

     Sunday morning, after an early breakfast and a quick swim we were off. Our plan was to drive through the heart of Acadiana and eventually end up in New Orleans. Our route took us from Breaux Bridge, the self-proclaimed crawfish capitol of the world, to St. Martinville on Bayou Teche and home of the Evangeline Oak named for Longfellow’s 1847 epic poem that was supposedly taken from Acadian folk history. At New Iberia we saw the sign to Avery Island, not actually an island but a salt dome in the Louisiana swamp, owned by the McIlhenny family and home of Tabasco hot sauce so we just had to visit even though they weren’t bottling on Sunday. Check the link, it has an interesting history. While there we had a late lunch of red beans and rice with boudin and corn maque choux (a first for me). We washed it all down with an Abita Amber (out of the cooler, certainly not available on Avery Island).

     Even though it was getting late we decided to move on to New Orleans. The rest of the drive was uneventful unless you get a kick out of swamp. Just before dusk, on a beautiful early summer evening we arrived in New Orleans. This is one of my favorite cities. The old south, the Caribbean, Europe and Africa all seem to meet here; which results in a delightful blend of culture and people with never a shortage of unique characters.

     Last time we were in the Crescent City, while walking the backside of the Vieux Carre we came across a small hotel and cottages that looked delightful. So we headed directly to Burgundy Street and were happy to find one of the Hotel St. Pierre’s cottage rooms available at a very reasonable price. Soon we were shuttered in beside a beautiful little brick patio with a frangipani tree in full bloom. We had just enough daylight left to venture over to Iberville Street and have a couple dozen fresh oysters on the half shell at the Acme Oyster House. This time washed down with a frigid gin martini. After a quick stop at Matassa’s Market for a bottle of gin, tonic, lime and a Creole tomato and were back to the hotel just as Bourbon Street was beginning to come alive for the night.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation v1.1

Friday, June 3, 2011.
An All-Nighter to Louisiana

Our goal was to enjoy ourselves as we toured the gulf coast as economically as possible. A friend that has traveled the southeast told me he never makes reservations, just stops at a place that looks good. This gives him more leeway in his travels and he said he hasn’t had any trouble finding a place. Another friend that tours Europe said he and his wife, to save money and still enjoy the local cuisine, carry a cooler in the trunk of their rental car with delicious, local snacks. They only eat one expensive meal a day and picnic the rest of the time.

I have always been one to over plan my vacations. I like to know exactly what I am going to do and where I will be staying. I often spend more time worrying about keeping to my timetable than enjoying my vacation. So, it was difficult at first for me to travel in this more carefree and, hopefully, less expensive way.

After giving all the plants a good watering and then chasing the cat down, we didn’t get out of Kansas City until noon. We had decided to stay off the Interstate highways as much as possible so we took US 71 that runs from International Falls, MN, through Kansas City, deep into Louisiana. By early evening we stopped at a roadside park in Arkansas, popped the trunk and had sandwiches out of our cooler. We were still fresh and excited so we decided to keep driving. And we did until midnight, all the way to a rest stop in Acadia, Louisiana, where both of us, being sleepy, fell fast asleep.

Saturday, June 4, 2011.

Back on the Road Again

At 3am we were back on the road. We made it to Lafayette, Louisiana just after sunrise. After cruising the town a few times we selected a local redneck diner, called Mel’s for a breakfast of Cajun Eggs Benedict on a biscuit with grits.

I must say at this point our iPhones and several apps were crucial in making this a successful trip. Even though we were taking it one day at a time the apps allowed us to see what was in town and what we might want to do. We especially used Trip Advisor. And with the Map app we usually knew exactly where we were.

While it was still early and cool we made a visit to the local swamp, Bayou Vermillion and the Jean Lafitte Cultural Center where a nice local lady filled us in about Acadiana and Cajuns. After exploring the bayou, the afternoon heat and humidity was becoming oppressive. As luck would have it we stumbled across a local place called Artmosphere. I love unique local bars and dives. The fresh pizza “Lissa”, the ice cold Abita Amber beer, and the local characters were all superb.

It was at the bar that we learned about the Blue Moon Saloon, a place the locals gather for Cajun music and dancing. And it just happened that evening was a big night with several different groups playing.

The beer made us sleepy so we headed back out to the highway to get a room at the La Quinta Inn which was the cheapest we could find on Trip Advisor. After an afternoon swimming in the pool, we napped until time to get ready for the party.

An Evening in Acadia. Music, Food and Drink

Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, Louisiana.

The Saloon was having the Eight Annual fund raiser for “Archive Aid”.  The Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism and the Archives of Cajun and Creole folklore at the University of Louisana - Lafayette work to document and preserve much of the local cajun music before it is lost. For $10 you got admission to hear four or five bands and all you could eat jambalaya. You had to buy your own booze which seemed to be flowing rather freely. The crowd was mixed: young, old, brown, white, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Unlike here in Kansas City, most everyone danced. Although they seemed to divide into two groups, the stompers and the gliders.

The bands were also diverse ages. One group would be old, another very young and still another multiple ages. My wife said the Cajuns reminded her a bit of the Ozarks people that live were I’m from in southern Missouri. She said the only difference is they seem to be having a lot more fun. I think that may be due to the difference between Catholics and Baptists and good beer drinkers and tee-totalers. They were still going strong when we left around midnight, totally fatigued but happy. Ca C’est bon!