and the Aquarium of the Americas.
We weren’t in town for Mardi Gras
itself (held annually in February) but
were able to get a wonderful behind-
the-scenes look at how the floats are
constructed, at the magnificent Mardi
Gras World Museum.
Having been seduced by New
Orleans’ foodie scene from our sofa in
Hong Kong, thankfully our meals did
not disappoint. From freshly made
beignets (fritters covered in powdered
sugar) at Café Du Monde to a roast
beef and ‘debris’ Po’boy at the famous
Mother’s restaurant, no amount of
exploring the city was going to burn
off the calories consumed!
From New Orleans it was time
to head out West to the Louisiana
swamp, an hour’s drive away. This
is an area famed for its alligators
(the state has close to two million in
the wild), which is not something I
had taken into consideration when
booking our Airbnb rental, with its
own pool! The Atchafalaya Basin is
the largest river swamp in the USA.
It is a fascinating part of the world,
one filled with unique nature and
culture. We had our first encounter
with the famous Louisiana alligator
at the Greenwood Gator Farm, which
houses and hatches up to 10,000
alligators per year. I had mixed
feelings about seeing the farmed
gators, who are bred for their skins.
However, the next day we had the
chance to see them in their natural
setting on the Cajun Man’s Swamp
Tour. Veteran of the swamp, Captain
Billy Gaston navigated us through
the bayous whilst educating us on the
way of life and history of the swamp
people. Later that night we all got the
chance to sample alligator, although
admittedly I told the girls it was fried
chicken!
After a few nights in swamp
country, we continued on to
Lafayette, the heart of Cajun country.
The Cajuns are descendants of
French settlers exiled from Nova
Scotia. En route we stopped off at
Avery Island, home of Tabasco sauce!
Here you can tour the factory and
then sample limited edition sauces in
the gift shop.
In Lafayette we stayed in another
charming Airbnb rental, about
five minutes walk from downtown.
Lafayette has lots to suit all ages,
from Vermilionville, a living history
museum, to a Science Museum and
adjoining Children’s Museum. We
were also lucky enough to be in town
for the Louisiana Hot Sauce Expo,
which proved to be one of the most
unique (and fiery!) experiences of our
roadtrip.
From Lafayette we continued
out West towards the Lake Charles
region. Whilst Lake Charles itself is
nothing to write home about, it is the
gateway to the Creole Nature Trail
All-American Road. This stunning
180-mile drive is known as one of
America’s ‘last great wildernesses’.
The trail winds you through the
marshes and out along the scenic Gulf
Coast.
Whilst in Lake Charles, we had a
memorable night at the Cajun Food
and Music Festival staged in a local
sports arena. I don’t think there were
any guests from outside Louisiana,
let alone visiting from Hong Kong!
This was a great chance for us to hear
live Cajun music and the girls had a
blast dancing with the local kids and
sampling delicious jambalaya and
gumbo.
Our next stop was Natchitoches,
the oldest city in Louisiana and the
setting of the ‘80s hit film, Steel
Magnolias. Filled with historic sites,
creole plantations and colonial forts,
this place is beautiful. It is an area
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