New Orleans Day 5 - Annie and Charlotte

New Orleans is a bustling, inviting city filled with good food, great music and lovely people. Connecticut, on the other hand, is quiet, simple, and a bit on the sleepy side. Right in the middle is Lafayette. Lafayette doesn’t have quite the same charm and energy as New Orleans, but it does have amazing Cajun roots and, in turn, awesome Cajun food. These three places are all unique and different in their own special ways – some better than others. Lafayette is more on the country side of things, with small houses and small shops. New Orleans has the lively Bourbon Street in the French Quarter. However, both have roots in the same things. So today we left New Orleans and headed off to Lafayette. After the two hour car ride to the hotel, we quickly met our tour guide Beth, and drove off to have a few tours and to learn about the Cajun culture. We drove down a dirt road to see swamp lands, filled with alligators and snowy egrets. We grabbed a quick lunch and headed off to our next stop. After that, we first boarded a boat and traveled down the curvy stream of the bayou while our tour guide gave us some interesting information about the history of the Acadians. The heat was extreme, and especially after that boat ride in the sun, we were all very tired. Next we walked over to a historical plantation from the Acadians. Many of the buildings were only replicas, but a couple were actually dated back from the 1800's. Our new tour guide was very enthusiastic as she thoroughly explained the use of each room in each building. After this,we headed off to see a beautiful cathedral. Outside the cathedral, Beth showed us a 500+ year old Oak tree. This particular oak tree is the 3rd oldest Oak tree in the United States, and one of its branches weighs as much as 72 tons! We then came back to the hotel for an hour to relax and get ready for dinner. We ate dinner at Mulate's, and also danced to a great Cajun band. We had a good meal including delicious cake for Annie's birthday and everyone enjoyed dancing with each other and some new friends! Overall, we had a great day, and we can't believe the trip is coming to an end tomorrow!