Panther Junction to Persimmon Gap; Black Gap Wildlife Management Area; and the Chisos Basin Road
Blog Post
Christmas In Lafayette, Louisiana
December 22, 2021
Revisiting our Louisiana experiences
From the time we first purchased our RV in August of 2021, our intent was to travel to Gulf Breeze, Florida, and then on to the Savannah, Georgia area to visit our parents. As our departure kept getting postponed, we thought that we would arrive there in time to spend Christmas and New Year’s. We were overly optimistic - by the time we were able to commit to a certain date to leave East Texas, there were no RV sites available in the Florida Panhandle area for either Christmas or New Year’s. Consequently, we had to choose another destination for Christmas 2021 and New Year’s.
An internet search led me to Lafayette, Louisiana as somewhere we could experience a Cajun / Creole Christmas. The primary resource for that information was Lafayette Travel’s website “Cajun & Creole Christmas.” We were very interested in this opportunity because we lived in New Orleans for most of the 1980s and were eager to experience the food, culture, and fun atmosphere this would offer to us.
We arrived at
Bayou Wilderness RV Campground and set up for our stay. The facility is far enough removed from I-49 to make the location very quiet. The image at the top of this post is the view from our RV door (we were fortunate enough to be placed on a site at the end of a row overlooking the lake).
The first order of business the following day was finding some good Louisiana seafood. An internet search resulted in our driving down to
Bayou Lagniappe Restaurant at 102 Bowman St, Berwick, LA 70342. The drive was 75 miles (about an hour and one-half) but well worth it for the food. (Hey, we’re from Texas, ya’ll - a seventy-mile drive ain’t nothing!). Bayou Lagniappe is a small place that is all about food and not about being fancy. When the parking lot is packed with local customers, you know that you’ve found a great eating establishment! We called ahead and were told that reservations were always recommended, especially on Friday nights. My wife and I split the crab cakes appetizer and the “Bayou Lagniappe Taster Plate” described as
"Rich lump crabmeat au gratin, baked crab stuffed shrimp and crispy fish on a bed of golden fries with a side salad.” It was delicious food at a very reasonable price.
On the trip back to our RV site was swung by Franklin, Louisiana to see “Christmas Lights on Bayou Teche.” Four different streets were lit with lights and Christmas music could be enjoyed by tuning into a local FM radio station. It was told that “over one million lights” were lit along Park Sur La Teche. All of the lights reflecting off the bayou were beautiful.
Sunday we went to “Christmas at the Bayou”, an annual free concert presented by
The Bayou Church at 2234 Kaliste Saloom Road, Lafayette, Louisiana. The venue was the church’s large auditorium which was packed, even though there were six different times the concert was performed. The publicity for the concert stated:
“Celebrate the sounds of the season at The Bayou Church's annual Christmas Concert. This family-friendly event captures the essence of Christmas in Acadiana through a unique blend of musical styles performed by some of the area's finest musicians. Our pastor will share a brief message about the hope that was born on Christmas for all to receive. There are six in-person opportunities for you to experience this holiday tradition with your family and friends.”
The production was elaborate, the musicians were excellent, and the hour-long concert was a lot of fun. If you’re interested, “the concert will be available to watch at your convenience online. 337-984-8291.
TheBayouChurch.org/Christmas.”
So far we’re really enjoying our visit to Lafayette. We’ll keep you posted.
