We arrived in Breaux Bridge, LA on Thanksgiving Day. While a traditional turkey dinner sounded good, we were now in the heart of Cajun Country. We went to Landry's Seafood Restaurant just down the road from our campground. We were thrilled they offered a holiday dinner. A southern Thanksgiving dinner includes seasoned turkey roll, mashed sweet potatoes, cornbread stuffing, cranberries and Cajun green beans. Yummo! as Rachel Ray would say.
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Southern Turkey Dinner & Bourbon Old-Fashioned |
Breaux Bridge is a great place to explore authentic Cajun culture in southern Louisiana.
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Once an Old Car Dealership |
You can experience the world famous Zydeco breakfast at Buck & Johnny's in historic downtown Breaux Bridge every Saturday morning. Locals show up with their $5 entry fee to dance to traditional Cajun and spicy Zydeco music on the large dance floor from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00.
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Sweating, Shuffling Feet and Two-Stepping |
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Zydeco Music Makes You Smile |
Not far from the Cajun Palms campground is an arcade and a prehistoric animal park with some dinosaurs that are animated and vocal. We heard the owner of the campground also owns the arcade and dinosaur park. All the land he purchased for development was formerly sugar cane fields.
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Get Out Your Wallet ! |
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Sugar Cane Field Across From Cajun Palms |
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McIIlhenny Co. Tabasco Country Store |
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Beautiful Live Oak on Avery Island |
LeRoy needed more Creole style mustard with Tabasco pepper sauce so we made another trip to the Country Store where you can find everything Tabasco. A gumbo and chili lunch followed.
We visited the Acadian Cultural Center, part of the Jean Lafitte Historical Park of the National Park Service. This museum explains the history, politics and life of the French Canadians' migration to Louisiana and transition to Acadians and their life in the south.
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History & Triumphs of the Acadian People |
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Clothing samples worn by Acadian Children and Parents
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Can't Even Imagine Her Life |
The volunteer at the cultural center told me I could not be an honorary Cajun until I tried the crawfish. So off to Crawfish Town USA for lunch today. It is located in a barn just outside the Cajun Palms campground. Their Cajun dishes are as much a part of the menu as boiled crawfish.
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Authentic Barn Dates Back to Early 1900s |
The barn's 1st transformation was in the 1980s when it opened as Hee Haw's Night Club. In 1986 it was remodeled and Crawfish Town USA was born.
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Joie De Vivre |
It's official!! I am an honorary Cajun. As for LeRoy? He ordered a hamburger. But he did try boudin (boo-dan) and cracklin's with me.
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Happy Crawfish |
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Cajun Palms Expects to Add 150 Sites by 2018 |
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We Bid You Adieu |