Unexpected Experiences, Interesting Sights, & Amazing Tastes In Lafayette, LA.

Little did we realize when we were visiting Halifax, Nova Scotia in August of this past year, that some of the history of Halifax would be tied to our current stop in Lafayette, Louisiana. I know it’s quite a leap but bear with me whilst I try to explain. When we were in Halifax, we took a tour boat of Georges Island in the middle of Halifax Harbor.  On the tour we learned that the French had started to colonize Canada in the mid-16^th century and by 1763 had moved west down the St. Lawrence River and founded Québec. Some of the earliest settlers established farming communities in the Maritimes region of Canada, formerly called Acadia. The British arrived in 1749 and promptly colonized Halifax and its surrounding region of Nova Scotia, (as well as some parts of New Brunswick).To counter French influence in the area, the British Lieutenant-Governor rounded up the French speaking Acadians and forcibly deported some 10,000 to 12,000 people between 1755 through 1763. The deportation was called "Le Grand Dérangement” and Georges Island was the staging ground. Hundreds of Acadians starved or froze to death in the winter on the island awaiting ships for deportation. Remarkably, three thousand of those poor souls made their way to the Attakapas region and Lafayette, LA. (The Attakapas region refers to the historical territory of the Atakapa people, an Indigenous group who lived along the Gulf Coast of what is now Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana, from Galveston Bay to the Calcasieu River.) And thus begins the backstory of our visit to Lafayette, LA. A city with a vibrant Cajun & Creole culture, authentic food, and a lively Zydeco music scene, all due to its unique blend of French heritage and the settlement of some 3,000 Acadians from Halifax, NS.

Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist

This all comes full circle on our first full day in Lafayette, where in Judy & I found ourselves as the only two people on a historic walking tour of Lafayette, given by the most amazing tour guide, Cassie. Lafayette is a very walkable city, and the tour offered a wealth of information, local stories, and folklore. The tour began with a question regarding our knowledge of the expulsion of French Acadians by the British and their eventual settlement in Lafayette. We responded that we were very familiar with the topic, and from there, a lively exchange of information continued throughout the rest of the tour. Cassie was a local and was clearly not reading from a script; she was telling the history of “her” town and it was truly engaging.

Meeting and befriending Cassie turned out to be a fabulous stroke of good fortune, because
during the tour it was revealed that Cassie was not only a local who leads tours, but also a screenwriter and a producer of films. She has been a screenwriter for a number of years, specializing in creating stories with a Christmas theme, which always seem to be in high demand around this time of the year. A couple of her screen written films have made their way to notable streaming platforms. Further, Cassie had most recently written, and this time was also the executive producer of, a new Christmas movie, filmed locally in Lafayette, called “Honey’s Christmas Wish”.

Screenwriter & Producer Cassie at her movie Screening 

 And just like that, we found ourselves invited to the initial local screening. It’s most unbelievable that within 24 hours of our arrival, we were on the official guest list for a premiere screening at the Acadiana Center for the Arts! The theater was filled with invited guests, all excited to see the full movie for the first time, alongside the actors, director, and producers. Attending such a special event truly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Confidentially, Judy and I, the two Jews in the theater, thoroughly enjoyed the film, and predict it will be well received next year on a streaming platform. 

500 yr old Bald Cypress Trees in Lake Martin

What’s a trip to southwestern Louisiana without a swamp boat tour? Frankly, it’d be a bit of a bayou bummer. (I know, I know, I can hear the groaning.) We spent a beautiful sunny morning on a swamp boat tour of Lake Martin in Breaux Bridge, LA. Lake Martin is a natural lake (once Lake la Pointe) that was enlarged and permanently flooded by building a ring levee around it. Thus, creating a distinct cypress-filled shallow waters lake, and making it a unique wetland ecosystem for birds, turtles, and gators. Upon boarding the boat, we were given the obligatory safety instructions which included the line, “if you fall out of the boat, just stand up, most of the lake is less than 4-feet deep!” We saw a blue heron, egrets, alligators, ringed map turtles, and an osprey in a Bald Cypress tree overhead.

Champagne's Cajun Swamp Tours

This immersive journey, on a slow-paced swamp boat tour through the wetlands, offered a firsthand glimpse into the natural splendor and remarkable biodiversity that define the region.

Blue Heron in Lake Martin

As we often do, we spent a day exploring other culturally significant places in the area. There is more to southwestern Louisiana than just its famous Cajun cuisine and alligators. Within 20 miles of our campsite was the historic town of St. Martinville.

Acadian National Memorial & Museum

Located along the Bayou Teche, the Acadian National Memorial and Museum is known as the "Cradle of Cajun Culture." This is where the 3,000 exiled Acadians (Cajuns) settled. The Acadian Memorial features a mural of their arrival, a wall of names, and the replica of the Deportation Cross that stands in Grand-Pré, NS, honoring the thousands who found new life in Louisiana after British expulsion from Canada. The memorial and museum tell their story of hardship, resilience, and the creation of Cajun identity, with exhibits, an eternal flame, and stories from descendants.

African American Museum

Also located in the historic center of town is the African American Museum which focuses on the local Black heritage in Louisiana. There was a population of legally restricted “free” Blacks living in the area. These families emerged through manumission (release from slavery),  self-purchase, or escape, and navigated a society increasingly defined by racialized slavery.

Evangeline Oak

The Bayou Teche runs through the middle of town, and along its banks sits a majestic Live Oak tree which is supposedly the famous meeting point of the star-crossed lovers Evangeline and Gabriel, from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous 1847 poem entitled "Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie”. An epic narrative about their separation during the British expulsion of the Acadians and Evangeline's lifelong search for her lost love, Gabriel. I’ll not spoil it here - you, the reader, can Google the poem and read for yourselves.

One last story before I close out this blog post. We got our first taste of authentic homemade Gumbo.  For a bit of background: on our first visit to Lafayette, we spent an afternoon walking along Jefferson Street in the city center when we encountered the storefront of the Craft Guild of Lafayette. With no specific plans at that moment, we decided to enter and browse through the displays of arts and crafts made from a variety of materials. After spending a few minutes exploring the store, the woman managing the establishment approached us to offer assistance and inquired as to where we were from. People often seem quite surprised when we reply, "Massachusetts." We enjoyed a pleasant conversation, and as we left the store, she mentioned a fundraiser happening on Wednesday night that would include food and raffles. Judy has an uncanny ability to absorb suggestions—especially those from locals—and immediately made note of the event. Unsurprisingly, the following Wednesday around 5:00 p.m., we found ourselves in Lafayette again, browsing crafts in the same shop, just as the traditional homemade gumbo was served with a complimentary side of potato salad.

I thoroughly enjoyed the food, while Judy found the gumbo a bit too spicy for her taste. The addition of potato salad on the side was an unexpected delight for me, adding a surprising twist to the meal. Even though Judy wasn't a fan of the gumbo's heat, we both valued the warm hospitality and the chance to connect with locals, who willingly shared their experiences and recipes. It was one of those authentic moments that made us feel welcomed into the community, and it was caught on video. Moments like these remind us why we love to travel - each encounter brings new friendships and flavors, deepening our appreciation for local culture. There’s always more to discover when you follow suggestions from kind strangers, as we tell… the Rest of the Story.