127845 Tue Jun 22 17:40:40 -0700 2004 3 9 New Orleans 0 693055 My husband and I are taking an anniversary trip to New Orleans and the cajun country. We're going to be in cajun country all weekend, then New Orleans during the week (we arranged it this way so we could go to dance halls on Saturday and Sunday). We're staying Friday night in Breaux Bridge at the B&B affiliated with Cafe des Amies. We're planning to attend the Saturday morning brunch there. We need food and interesting lodging ideas for Saturday night and Sunday. We're willing to travel an hour or so in any direction. Is there anythign charming to do in Lafayette? Or shoudl we head to another small town? Any suggestions welcomed! Thank you! Sandy Tue Jun 22 17:40:40 -0700 2004 0 Sandy in DC 1 693056 The NY Times recently ran a decent travel piece on Acadiana. See link below. It mentions the Blue Moon Guesthouse, which has cajun jam sessions and is owned by a friend-of-a-friend. Lafayette has a fair amount of music (check out the Grant Street Dance Hall schedule online). The weekly radio show at the Liberty Theatre in Eunice is also fun, especially for french speakers (a branch of the Jean Lafitte National Park is also in Eunice, with a nice exhibit on the prairie cajuns). Another side trip to consider is St. Martinville, for the Evangeline Oak and the small cajun museum (mostly geneaological in content). And there's always the "boudin trail", if you're fixated on food and like to ferret out interesting spots on the byways--it's a listing (online somewhere) of traditional meat markets/butchers/groceries that all make boudin. You can drive around Acadiana, listening to the radio and eating sausage. That's not a bad thing, cher... Note: the above info leaves out the bayou cajun (eastern side) parts of Acadiana...but I guess that's a little out of your way if you're staying in Breaux Bridge... Link: http://travel2.nytimes.com/mem/travel/article-page.html?res=9803EEDE143EF933A05756C0A9629C8B63 Tue Jun 22 17:56:10 -0700 2004 693055 0 Hungry Celeste 2 693094 You could try T'Frere's Bed & Breakfast (http://www.tfreres.com/) well known for hospitality and its very own ghost. The proprietors, Pat and Maugie Pastor, formerly owned one of the best restaurants in Lafayette, and they can direct you to some good eats and good times. Not too far away from T'Frere's is Randol's Restaurant for live Cajun music and dancing, or the aforementioned Grant Street, which features a variety of local musicians, so you might check their schedule beforehand. Have fun! Thu Jun 24 12:19:13 -0700 2004 693056 0 patti 2 693132 St. Martinville is a cute town but I've had no luck on food there other than home-made (where I've been very lucky). I don't know if Hallman Woods is doing anything down in New Iberia since he abandoned Le Rosiere but, if he is, it is worth trying. Abbeville, which is only twenty minutes from New Iberia, has Black's and, although oysters are not at their peak just now, you really cannot do better than their offerings. re: Boudin, there is a joint off LA ave in Lafayette (the new interchange off I-10) that is getting rave reviews..maybe someone else knows the name. I've not tried it yet. Webster's meat martket in Cecilia is worth a stop, if only to say "hi" to "Pope" Huval. Babineaux's has red boudin. Speaking of Huvals, that legendary family _was_ going to open a bar just down from Cafe des Amis but, the last time I heard. it was caught up in paperwork nightmares. Not been over there for months, though, so don't take my word for it. In St Martinville, look behind the courthouse on the bayou side to admire the Sheriff's prison garden. Always worth a viewing..... Sat Jun 26 08:14:12 -0700 2004 693056 0 Hazelhurst