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Home/Regions/Acadiana

Acadiana

A fertile land of bayous and prairies, this region was the first home of the Acadian people, who settled here in the late 1700’s. Today this area proudly shares its rich Acadian heritage, its food, music, French-speaking culture and joie de vivre!

mastadon tusk and other bones displayed on table

Unearthing the Louisiana Mastodon

Dave McNamara
March 21, 2023

It’s hard to imagine a time when giant elephant-like mastodon were roaming the prairies of southern Louisiana. But the bones of long-extinct mammals have been unearthed in coastal areas of…

Continue Reading Unearthing the Louisiana Mastodon

musicians on state performing in Blue Monday concert in Lafayette

Blue Monday in Lafayette

Dave McNamara
February 16, 2023

Once each month, musicians come together to play for a purpose at the Blue Monday Jam in Lafayette, Louisiana. These Blue Monday shows are not just about music, but they…

Continue Reading Blue Monday in Lafayette

two wooden benches overlook bayou in forest in winter

Bird Sounds at Sherburne

Dave McNamara
February 14, 2023

Hearing bird sounds at the Sherburne Wildlife Management Area in the Atchafalaya Swamp was a reminder that spring is not far away. I had a little extra time to kill…

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gold silver and blue plaid tuxedo jackets of swamp pop band members

Swamp Pop – Let’s Dance

Dave McNamara
December 20, 2022

Swamp Pop was the name given to the South Louisiana Rock N Roll music that filled the airwaves and the local dance halls in the mid-1950’s through the early 1960’s.…

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playing cards and chips on white table for bourre card game

Bourrè

Dave McNamara
December 14, 2022

A good cajun bet Cajuns have played bourrè, a popular south Louisiana card game, for generations. And if you end up with a bad hand of cards, it can be…

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hands playing washboard in Cajun band

Lafayette Farmers Market

Dave McNamara
December 13, 2022

The Lafayette Farmers Market features locally grown foods along with South Louisiana arts and crafts. Best of all, you can shop, eat or dance to the lively sounds of Cajun…

Continue Reading Lafayette Farmers Market

old cajun accordion on shelf

Cajun Accordion Master

Dave McNamara
December 11, 2022

A handcrafted Cajun accordion is a must for anyone serious about playing the popular south Louisiana music. When Larry Miller decided to get his first accordion more than four decades…

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black iron acadian memorial deportation cross with sunburst and trees

Acadian Memorial

Dave McNamara
December 7, 2022

The Acadian Memorial in St. Martinville has become something of a pilgrimage for people who have a family connection to Louisiana’s first Acadian settlers. The bayou-side museum contains family names…

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closeup of violin with bow

Traditional Music

Dave McNamara
November 22, 2022

Students at the University of Louisiana Lafayette are able to learn to play and sing Cajun and Creole songs and earn a degree in Traditional Music. It’s a one-of-a-kind program…

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A fram shaped beach pavilion on sand near water at Cypremort Point

Cypremort Point State Park

Dave McNamara
August 23, 2022

Louisiana’s Cypremort Point State Park gets you close to the Gulf of Mexico for a day of fishing or playing on a sandy beach and swimming. This park is one…

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hand on keyboard playing cajun accordion

La Poussiere

Dave McNamara
August 16, 2022

La Poussiere Dancehall in Breaux Bridge is alive with the sounds of Cajun music and dancers every weekend in the town of Breaux Bridge. It’s one of very few remaining…

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Lake_Martin_The_Nature_Conservancy_Cypress_Trees_and moss

The Nature Conservancy and Lake Martin

Dave McNamara
June 14, 2022

Since the first time I visited Lake Martin and The Nature Conservancy’s Cypress Island Preserve, it has been one of my favorite Louisiana destinations. The 200-acre lake, located near the…

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sunrise behind cypress tree sun reflection in lake

Chicot State Park

Dave McNamara
May 3, 2022

Surround yourself with the natural beauty of Lake Chicot and see native flowers and plants in the state arboretum at this central Louisiana State Park. Chicot features a long wooded…

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grove of large live oak trees in jungle gardens on Avery_Island

Jungle Gardens

Dave McNamara
April 28, 2022

Avery Island and its Jungle Gardens seem a world away from the flat land of sugarcane fields and pastures that surround this south Louisiana tourist destination. It’s only a ten-minute…

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45 rpm records swamp pop songs

Swamp Pop

Dave McNamara
March 8, 2022

south louisiana music What happens when the rock ‘n roll sound of Elvis Presley and the New Orleans rhythm and blues of Fats Domino collide with the Cajun and Zydeco…

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red creole cottage white picket fence metal roof

Finding Louisiana Creole

Dave McNamara
February 8, 2022

A small museum in the Louisiana city of Opelousas introduces visitors to Creole. Rebecca Henry, who founded the Creole Heritage Folklife Center, explains that finding Creole is all about connecting…

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costumed rider on horseback with lance at le tournoi

Le Tournoi – Cajun Knights on Horseback

Dave McNamara
December 30, 2021

Le Tournoi is a unique competition that you will only find at one place in the country. Once a year, Cajun “Knights” on horseback race around a quarter-mile track in…

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Fred's Lounge painted on side of white building with accordian fiddle and musical notes

Going Cajun at Fred’s in Mamou, Louisiana

Dave McNamara
December 29, 2021

Mamou, Louisiana is one of the most Cajun places in the world. And any trip to this small, one-stop-light town needs to include a Saturday morning at Fred’s Lounge, where…

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Kayak in tree covered Lake Chicot State Park Louisiana

Chicot State Park’s Canoe Trails

Dave McNamara
December 27, 2021

The large lake at Chicot State Park seems like the perfect place to paddle a canoe or kayak. You will experience the classic Louisiana landscape here, with a shoreline and…

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Pearl Harbor flames and explosion on battleship arizona

Pearl Harbor

Dave McNamara
November 30, 2021

a louisiana survivor’s story A Louisiana teenager looking for a full-time welding job in 1941 found himself in Hawaii, where he was an eyewitness to the attack on Pearl Harbor.…

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giant cypress trees in water at Lake Fausse Pointe

Lake Fausse Pointe State Park

Dave McNamara
September 28, 2021

Visitors to Louisiana’s Lake Fausse Pointe State Park get to experience the Great Atchafalaya Basin Swamp, with plenty of water for paddling or fishing and miles of trails for nature…

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musicians playing Cajun Music in Gueydan

Cajun Music in Gueydan

Dave McNamara
July 20, 2021

The small southwestern Louisiana town of Gueydan is celebrating its Cajun music roots with a monthly jam session in its local museum. Area residents, who have a connection to the…

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tall grass with dew and morning sun at pond at Palmetto Island

Palmetto Island State Park

Dave McNamara
June 24, 2021

Palmetto Island State Park is a south Louisiana treasure. You can spend the night in a riverfront cabin surrounded by the swamp and wildlife. And during the day, rent a…

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alley of oak trees and gravel road bob's tree preservation Church Point Louisiana

Growing Live Oak Trees

Dave McNamara
April 27, 2021

Every day is Arbor Day for Bob Thibodaux, who operates Bob’s Tree Preservation Service in the small Cajun town of Church Point, Louisiana. Thibodaux has made it a personal crusade…

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yellow flowers surround cypress tree trunks along nature trail at Louisiana state arboretum at Chicot State Park

Chicot State Park’s Arboretum

Dave McNamara
March 29, 2021

Chicot State Park is home to the Louisiana State Arboretum with miles of nature trails for viewing seasonal wildflowers. The arboretum’s hiking trails take you over forested ridges and down…

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sun sets behind cypress trees at Lake Martin Louisiana nature photography

Louisiana Nature Photographer

Dave McNamara
March 23, 2021

Nature photographer C.C. Lockwood has spent a lifetime capturing the wild beauty of Louisiana’s bayous, swamps and wetlands. We experience daybreak in one of his favorite places, the Cypress Island…

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Mardi Gras riders on horseback celebrate in Mamou

Mardi Gras Mamou Style

Dave McNamara
February 14, 2021

Mardi Gras revelers on horseback parade through the flat Cajun prairie of Mamou, Louisiana, in a tradition that has its roots in Medieval France. The Mardi Gras riders, in their…

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closeup of Steve Riley's hand on accordian playing Cajun Music

Cajun Music’s Accordion Master

Dave McNamara
February 9, 2021

For 30 years, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys have been advancing the art of Cajun Music. But due to COVID, it’s been a year since the grammy-nominated band’s last…

Continue Reading Cajun Music’s Accordion Master

A White Ibis with its young on a nest in the Jefferson Island Rookery

Rookery – Helping Nature

Dave McNamara
December 30, 2020

This may be the perfect example of, if you build it, they will come.  In this case, a water recycling project for a large-scale nursery near New Iberia, Louisiana, has…

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accordion playing Zydeco music

Zydeco Breakfast

Dave McNamara
August 11, 2020

Enjoy the best in zydeco music and dancing at the world famous Zydeco Breakfast in Breaux Bridge.  It’s a great way to start your weekend by immersing yourself in Louisiana’s…

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train depot in the Orphan Train Museum

Orphan Train Museum – Opelousas

Dave McNamara
June 3, 2020

New York City Orphans Arrive in Cajun Country by the Train Loads It was a bold plan to find homes for tens of thousands of orphans from the streets of…

Continue Reading Orphan Train Museum – Opelousas

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