Cajun Country

The official name of this area is Acadiana, and it consists of a rough triangle of Louisiana made up of 22 parishes (counties), from St. Landry Parish at the top of the triangle to the Gulf of Mexico at its base. Lafayette is Acadiana's "capital," and it's dotted with such towns as St. Martinville, New Iberia, Abbeville, and Eunice. You won't find its boundaries on any map, nor the name "Acadiana" stamped across it. But those 22 parishes are Cajun Country, and its history and culture are unique in America.

Planning Your Trip

A circular drive will allow you to take in one or two of the plantation homes en route to Baton Rouge (if you take the River Rd. instead of I-10) before turning west on I-10 to reach Lafayette and the land of the Cajuns. Go north of Lafayette on I-49 to reach Opelousas; Eunice is about 20 minutes west of there on Hwy. 190. A return to New Orleans on U.S. 90 is a trip through the history, legend, and romance of this region. There is more than a day's worth of interest in this area, so you'll probably want to plan at least an overnight stay. On I-10 the distance from New Orleans to Lafayette is 134 miles; Lafayette to New Orleans on U.S. 90 is 167 miles. 

For tons of good detailed information, contact the excellent Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission (tel. 800/346-1958 in the U.S., 800/543-5340 in Canada, or 337/232-3737; fax 337/232-0161; www.lafayettetravel.com), open weekdays 8:30am to 5pm, weekends from 9am to 5pm.

Hands down, the best time to visit Acadiana is during Cajun Mardi Gras, as the Cajuns celebrate with gusto. Festival International de Louisiane and Festivals Acadiens et Creoles are also outstanding, but every weekend seems to bring a smaller festival somewhere else in the area -- and plenty of music through the year.

Tours

If you just can't stay over in Cajun Country, a 1-day guided tour can introduce you to the area. Tours by Isabelle (tel. 888/223-2093 or 504/391-3544; www.toursbyisabelle.com) offers small tours in comfortable, air-conditioned passenger vans. You'll cross the Mississippi to visit Cajun Country and then take a 1 1/2-hour narrated swamp tour. The Cajun Bayou Tour ($76) leaves New Orleans at 1pm and returns around 5:30pm. Isabelle's Grand Tour ($146) adds plantation tours and lunch. Each year in the days between Jazz Fest weekends, Festival Tours International provides a stellar 3-day, music-focused tour of Cajun Country.

A Cajun Weekend

For roots music lovers, a trip to the source of Cajun and zydeco music is essential. Though it's especially tempting to go during an organized event such as Lafayette's Festival International, Breaux Bridge's Crawfish Festival, or any of dozens of small-town niche festivals, there is always plenty of music happening. Here are our suggestions for a good Cajun Country weekend itinerary:

Friday -- Drive out from New Orleans (avoid rush hour, when it can take a very long time to get through Baton Rouge). Stay in Lafayette, Eunice, or Washington, pretty towns with nice B&Bs (and some basic chain hotels). That night, check out the music at the Blue Moon Saloon in Lafayette or Opelousas's Slim's Y Ki-Ki.

Saturday -- Get up early and head to the Savoy Music Center in Eunice for the weekly jam session. Leave before noon and drive to Mamou, where Fred's Lounge should be jam-packed till around 1pm. Then head to Ville Platte and Floyd's Record Shop to buy some of what you've heard. Have a bite at the Pig Stand. That night, go to Eunice's Liberty Theater for the live (French) radio broadcast and plenty of Cajun folk tales and jokes. Consider dinner at D.I.'s, which also has live music.

Sunday -- Spend the morning checking out picturesque Washington, strolling the wonderful gardens at Magnolia Ridge, or combing the many antiques shops before heading back to New Orleans.

Boudin Joints

Boudin is Cajun sausage made of pork, usually mixed with rice, onions, and spices, and stuffed inside a chewy casing. If it's done right, it's spicy and sublime. You can get boudin (warm) at just about any grocery store or gas station, and we've spent many a day taste-testing. Disputes rage about who makes the best. Visit www.boudinlink.com for hard-core ratings and listings of dozens of boudin shops in the area. Try several to compare for yourself -- it's a cheap (just over $2 per lb.), filling snack, best eaten while leaning against a car, chased with a Barq's root beer. For the less intrepid, we recommend the following, relatively easy places to locate:

Best Stop, 615 Hwy 93 N., Scott 9 (tel. 337/233-5805), truly is, in our much-researched opinion, the best boudin around, with just the right balance of pork-to-kick (spice). They're always busy, which means the links are always fresh, and their cracklins are equally superb. Look for the bright red building with a parking lot full of pickup trucks. Open Monday through Saturday 6am to 8pm, Sunday 6am to 6pm.

Don's Specialty Meats, 730 I-10 S. Frontage Rd., Scott (tel. 337/234-2528), or 104 Hwy. 726, Carencro (tel. 337/896-6370), is a bit less country funk and a bit more sanitized grocery store -- but the semispicy boudin rocks. There's also a yummy pork chop sandwich for the boudin-averse (but really, you should just leave them behind). There's a good selection of sausages and meats for shipping, too. Both stores are open Monday through Saturday 6am to 7pm, Sunday 7am to 6pm.

At Eunice Poultry, 125 E. Laurel, Eunice (tel. 337/457-5614), don't let the "poultry" thing throw you -- they also have tasty, mildly rice-y boudin that's worth seeking out. And yes, they have all variety of winged deliciousness, including authentic turducken (a chicken in a duck in a turkey, each dressed), and a really good spice blend. Open Monday through Friday 6am to 5pm, Saturday 6am to noon, and closed Sunday.

Others swear by Bubba Frey's, 29017 Crowley Eunice Hwy., Mowata; Eunice Superette Slaughterhouse, 1044 Hwy. 91, Eunice (tel. 337/546-6041), open Monday through Friday, 6am to 5:30pm, and Saturday from 6am to noon; Poche's; and the convenient drive-through window at Ray's Grocery, 904 Shortvine off Hwy. 190, across from Town Center, Opelousas (tel. 337/942-9150), open Monday through Friday 7:30am to 6pm, Saturday 8am to 5pm, and Sunday 8am to 2pm.