Arrive in Lafayette, LA for a three night stay at a local hotel.  Dinner is included tonight at one of the area’s many dance halls, Prejean’s Restaurant.  Enjoy a Cajun Dinner featuring area specialties, fresh Gulf seafood and steaks while enjoying an evening of live Cajun music, dancing and fun. (D)

This morning, visit the St. John Cathedral, the first church in the Lafayette Parish.  You will also visit the St. John Oak the third oldest member of the Live Oak Society, an organization dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of mature live oak trees in the United States.  You will also have time to tour the Cemetery and Cathedral Museum which commemorates the persons and events that contributed to the history of St. John Cathedral Parish which spans 185 years.

Then visit Vermilionville, a living history museum and folklife park preserving and interpreting authentic elements of folklife cultures – Acadian, Native Americans, Creole & African descent – located in the Attakapas area between 1765 and 1890.  The celebration of these cultures includes language; music and dance; the performance of traditional arts; artifacts; landscaping; architecture; historic costuming; beliefs and customs; cuisine; and traditional holidays and festivals.  The park sits on a 23-acre site on the banks of the Bayou Vermilion with 19 attractions, including seven restored original homes with artisans that provide demonstrations, daily, on a variety of essential crafts performed by the early settlers.

Included with your visit is a Cooking Demonstration.  A local chef will guide you through a Cajun recipe for start to finish.  Then you enjoy the delicious meal.

Next is a bayou boat tour.  The Lafayette Parish Bayou Vermilion District along with the Jean Lafitte Acadian Cultural Center have partnered to offer boat tours of the Bayou Vermilion.  Experience the tidal river known as the Bayou Vermilion while riding on a traditionally built bateau called Cocodrie, French for alligator.  The 90 minute voyage begins with a fascinating introduction on the Bayou Vermilion as a historical, cultural and natural resource treasure. You will travel upriver toward Bayou Tortue where the boat captain will provide you with some history as well as the geology and ecology of the river and how it formed.  You will also learn about the Bayou Vermilion District and the efforts to restore the Vermilion as one of the city’s most valuable assets.

Dinner tonight is at another local Cajun Music Hall, Randol’s Restaurant & Cajun Dancehall.  Two steppin’, toe tappin’, taste temptin’.  Good times, good food, good music.  Where the young and the old “Laissez les bons temps rouler. (B,L,D)

This morning head to Buck & Johnny’s for their world famous Zydeco Breakfast (as available).  Every Saturday Morning there a Cajun flair brunch, live music, a large dance floor, and a full bar and balcony seating!

Tour Martin Accordions, who for over 40 years, has built all hand-made, single row, diatonic accordions for musicians around the world.  Professionals and beginners alike rely on their squeezeboxes night after night to provide the sweet, rich sound that Cajun and Zydeco is known for.  Martin is a full service shop, offering everything from completely custom built boxes to repairs and tuning on all makes and types of accordions including: piano, diatonic, polka, concertina, and just about anything else with bellows.

In nearby Eunice, visit the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center and discover the life of Louisiana’s prairie Cajuns through ranger programs, exhibits, artifacts, and films.  Interpretive panels in French and English explain the history of the deportation of the Acadians and the migration of other cultures to Louisiana.  Visit the Courir de Mardi Gras Exhibit to see costumes and photos, listen to audio recordings and follow the history of the chicken run.  Every Saturday, music, crafts, and Cajun cooking demos take place at the center.  Visitors can learn how to Cajun waltz during the interpretive musical performances or learn more about hand quilting in the crafting exhibit.

Tonight, dinner is included at a local restaurant followed by the “Rendez-Vous Des Cajuns” live radio show.  Every Saturday Night from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM, in the Liberty Center, the City of Eunice and the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve present a live radio show, featuring both Cajun and Zydeco music in the Grand Old Opry/Louisiana Hayride/Prairie Home Companion format.  Cajun French is the language of the show with enough English spoken so that everyone can enjoy this unique and one-of-a-kind experience. (B,D)

This morning you enjoy Sunday Brunch at the Blue Dog Café.  Enjoy a selection of regionally inspired dishes that merge classic brunch staples with the flavorful Cajun cuisine for which Blue Dog Café is known.  From sweet dishes like Sweet Potato Pancakes served with satsuma marmalade, whipped cream and toasted pecans to more savory options such as a Cheddar Gruyere Biscuit topped with white sausage gravy, Blue Dog Café’s brunch will have something to satisfy every craving!

After breakfast, depart for home. (B)