A Walking Tour of Vermilionville

While in Louisiana I enjoyed a lovely morning tour of "Vermilionville".

Vermilionville is a living history museum, whose purpose is to preserve and interpret authentic elements of folk life and cultures of the Cajun and Creole heritage. The settlement of Vermilion is now know as Lafayette.

The park seeks to enlighten visitors about the history and culture of acadiana.

Beau Bassin house was built around 1840.

La Maison Mouton is a reconstruction of an 1810 house with a detached kitchen and forge.






La Maison Buller is a beautiful house built in 1803.

The Chapelle des Attakapas is a reproduction of a Catholic church.

La Maison Boucvalt was built in 1860.

The Amand Broussard House at Fausse Point, built in 1790, is the oldest and largest of the houses at Vermilionville.

L'Academie de Vermilionville is a reproduction of a typical 1890's schoolhouse.

A lovely nature trail of native plants runs alongside the houses.

Home of McIlhenny's

My favorite McIlhenny's Tabasco Sauce

is made on Avery Island in Louisiana. :-)

"Acadiana"

As we drove into Lafayette, I encounterd a word I had never heard before.

"Acadiana"

What did it mean?

"Acadiana is the official name given to the French Louisiana region that is home to a large French speaking population. Of the 64 parishes that comprise Louisiana, 22 parishes, or about one-third of the total, make up Acadiana. In 1971 the Louisiana state legislature officially recognized 22 Louisiana parishes for their unique Cajun and Acadian (French Canadian) heritage and made Acadiana the official name of the region." ~ from Wikipedia

Vacation Fun

What happens when Daddy gets done early

with his work in Louisiana? ;-)

He takes you go-karting!

Fun! :-)

Have Knitting ~ Will Travel

I rarely leave home these days without a knitting project in hand.

During this week in Louisiana,

I am working on a poncho for a sweet family friend.

And, I'm trying a new yarn ~ Lion Brand Jiffy, in "grape". :-)

On the Banks of the Bayou Vermillion

We looked and looked and looked a bit more

for alligators in the Bayou Vermillion.

But, no luck.

All we found were some crocs. ;-)

Supper on the Bayou

I am very unfamiliar with Cajun food and reading the menu tonight was a bit like being in a foreign country to me. ;-) My daughter was our little cajun cuisine fan, loving her gumbo.

My son stuck to his Texas roots, though, and ordered a steak and a baked potato. ;-)

We tried rice dressing, Cajun fries and corn macque choux. I loved the corn - spicy and sweet in a little biscuit pie! Mr. H. enjoyed "shrimp stuffed with pepperjack cheese and tasso, wrapped with apple wood-smoked bacon...fried golden and set atop crawfish cardinal sauce". He's obviously on a health kick. ;-)

Cajun fine dining! ;-)

And, how fun - my family back in Texas went to Prejeans and watched us on the web cam! :-)

Late Afternoon Beauty in Louisiana