Lesser-known Louisiana
Get a taste of a different Louisiana in Lafayette, said Margie Goldsmith in National Geographic Traveler. Situated about 50 miles west of Baton Rouge, Lafayette is neither as busy as that crowded capital nor as touristy as New Orleans. But it’s the kind of town where you can hear “knee-slappin’ music from morning till night, all year long.” Start the day at the “get-up-and-dance” zydeco breakfast at Café Des Amis, then set off to explore “one of the most culturally unique cities in the South.” Stop at Vermilionville, a Cajun/Creole heritage park that offers live music and cooking classes, where you can learn to make “local temptations” such as the powdered-sugar pastries known as beignets. You can catch a glimpse of an alligator in a swamp at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, then finish the visit downtown at McGee’s, dining on crawfish étouffée, gumbo, and, yes, gator.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How community-based tourism can reshape travelIN And five tips for finding a responsible community travel company
-
Ed Martin: The US attorney taking on Trump's enemiesIn the Spotlight He advocated for Jan. 6 defendants. Now Martin leads D.C. prosecutions.
-
Hot to get older: extreme heat can make people age fasterUnder the radar New research shows warming temperatures can affect biological age
