Trail Blog
July 12, 2011
Saturday: St. Martin Parish, Iberia Parish, and Lafayette
Three-day weekend along our Bayou Bounty Trail
Breakfast: You might not expect to find a raging dance party at 8:30 in the morning, but that’s what you’ll get at Café Des Amis in Breaux Bridge (www.cafedesamis.com). On the busiest weekends, a line of hungry patrons forms on the street around 7 a.m.; doors open at 7:30 a.m. The café’s zydeco breakfast is a true must-do. Don’t be afraid to hit the dance floor, even if it’s your first time. There’s sure to be a local who’ll show you the ropes. But don’t get so carried away by the tunes that you forget to try their Orielle de Cochon, essentially a beignet-like pastry stuffed with boudin.
Work up an appetite: After breakfast, spend a little time perusing the shops of Breaux Bridge, including Lucullus, a shop with a focus on culinary antiques (www.lucullusantiques.com).
Lunch: Make your way to New Iberia to Rip Van Winkle Gardens (www.ripvanwinklegardens.com). There, tour the Joseph Jefferson Mansion, built in 1870, and then walk along the garden paths under the many live oaks. When it’s time again to dine, try the property’s Café Jefferson. Pick up a few sandwiches and have a picnic on the grounds.
Work up an appetite: You’d be hard-pressed to find a kitchen in Louisiana without a bottle of hot sauce, and in many cases, that bottle is Tabasco. The McIlhenny family planted their first commercial pepper crop on Avery Island back in 1868. Visitors to the island can tour the visitor center and pepper sauce factory as well as the 250-acre Jungle Gardens (www.tabasco.com/tabasco_history/visit_avery_island.cfm). The Country Store is also a great spot to pick up a few souvenirs for the hot sauce fans in your life.
Dinner: You started your day with dancing; why not end it that way too? It’s really only fitting along our Bayou Bounty Trail, where food and music so often go hand in hand. The area is home to several Cajun restaurants and dance halls, including Prejean’s (www.prejeans.com) and Randol’s (www.randols.com) in Lafayette.
