Opelousas, the third-oldest city in Louisiana, is the seat (and heart) of St. Landry Parish ("parish" is the word for county in Louisiana); the courthouse is there, but for the average tourist, there isn't that much to see. It's such a pretty town, though -- particularly the main drag, Landry Street -- that passers-through often find themselves pulling over to have a look around. Opelousas has several chain hotels, so accommodations are easy to come by.
The Tourist Center, 828 E. Landry St. (tel. 800/424-5442 or 337/948-6263), is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 8am to 4pm. Famed frontiersman Jim Bowie lived in the building for a (really) short time as a child, and there is a small collection of ephemera devoted to him. Don't go out of your way for that, but do drop in for other tourist and lodging advice. You can also call the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission (tel. 877/948-8004; www.cajuntravel.com) for more info. During the spring and fall on Friday and Saturday nights, there's a live concert in the street in front of the courthouse (just off Landry St. across from the Palace Cafe). Park your car and go have a two-step. And in passing, admire the 300-year-old oak across the street from City Hall; its branches have gotten so heavy that in spots they not only touch the ground but are buried beneath the sod.
If you feel lost without proper tourist and museum-going experiences, you may drop by the Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center, 329 N. Main St. (tel. 337/948-2589; www.cityofopelousas.com; Mon-Sat 9am-5pm). In autumn Opelousas features its annual long-lived and delightfully named Yambilee Festival, a salute to everyone's favorite Thanksgiving side dish. As for music, two of the best clubs in Cajun Country are here. Richard's, 4 miles west of Opelousas on Highway 190 (tel. 337/543-8233), is just a little shack, but it's fun. The ultimate spot for zydeco, Slim's Y Ki-Ki (tel. 337/942-6242) is located at 8393 Hwy. 182 in Opelousas. On the weekends, Slim's fills up to hot and sweaty capacity with some darn fine music. It's a must on any Cajun Country weekend music tour.
