Cajun Country

Route description

From New Orleans, head west along the Mississippi on LA-18, the River Road, to Whitney Plantation in Wallace. The museum tells the history of slavery through the lives of the people enslaved there, with memorials, original buildings and first-person accounts. Allow a few hours for the visit.

I-10 then heads west across the Atchafalaya Basin on a bridge of about 18 miles over swamps and bayous, one of the longest in the country. Lafayette is the center of Cajun and Creole culture, and Vermilionville, a living history museum, recreates an Acadian village. Breaux Bridge, next door, calls itself the crawfish capital of the world, and zydeco and Cajun music are played in local dance halls.

South of Lafayette, near New Iberia, Avery Island is a salt dome where Tabasco sauce has been made since 1868. You can visit the factory and the Jungle Gardens, where egrets nest in large numbers in spring. A small toll is charged to enter the island.

Spring, during crawfish season, and fall are the best times to visit, while summer is hot and humid, and hurricane season runs from June to November. Swamp tours in the Atchafalaya Basin are a good addition. Many dance halls and music venues are busiest on weekends.