Lafayette, Louisiana
After New Orleans we headed to Cajun country in Lafayette, LA. What an amazing mix of cultures in this area. Cajuns (Acadiens who were forcibly expelled from Nova Scotia), Creoles, Native Americans, African Americans, French, Spanish, Germans. We started our stay with a swamp tour in the Atchafalaya Basin. Next stop was the Longfellow-Evangeline Historic State Site which has an 1815 plantation home, Maison Olivier, as well has several reconstruction Acadian homes. Then a trip to St. Francisville to see some cotton plantations. First was Oakley Plantation where John Audubon lived and worked for a brief time in the early 1800’s. And Rosedale Plantation constructed in the 1850’s by a very wealthy plantation owner. Next stop was the Acadian Cultural Center and Vermillionville. Vermillionville is similar to Shelburne Museum with relocated and reconstructed cajun and creole buildings. Next stop Galveston Island in Texas.