My day In Lafayette, Louisiana
In central Louisiana, Lafayette, is the name of both a county — in Louisiana, they are called parishes — and the county seat. It is called the “Hub City” because it was originally laid out in the shape of a wagon wheel.
They do things a little different here:
- The local residents, called Cajuns, are both natural raconteurs, storytellers, and couyons, comics.
- In local conversation, English is liberally sprinkled with French expressions.
- Everybody is “Mais Cher,” or My Dear.
- Local groceries have their own specialty brand of boudin, pronounced “boo-DAN,” a spicy rice and meat sausage.
Lafayette offers small town charm with big city convenience, being home to both the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a major event venue and sports stadium called the Cajundome.
Pluses include:
- World famous restaurants featuring Cajun and Creole cuisine,
- State-of-the-art medical centers,
- The Zoo of Acadiana, also known as Zoosiana,
- The Children’s Zoo,
- The Lafayette Science Museum,
- The Lafayette Children’s Museum,
- A Living History Museum and Folklife Theme Park called Vermilionville, featuring a number of buildings restored from the 1700s and 1800s,
- The Lafayette Natural History Museum and Planetarium,
- The Acadian Cultural Center and Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve,
- The Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, and
- A million-square-foot enclosed venue called the Mall of Acadiana.