Lafayette Day Trips: 5 Amazing Getaways Near Cajun Country

Lafayette, Louisiana, is like your perfect base for exploring some really cool places! It’s so full of culture and yummy food, so naturally, you could be looking for some spots to escape for a day and see what else this part of the state has in store; so, it might be interesting to check out the nearby areas! These spots are close enough for a quick trip, yet different enough to make you feel like you are worlds away, you know?

1. Avery Island: Home of Tabasco and Natural Beauty

Avery Island, which is maybe about a 30-minute drive from Lafayette, is where the famous Tabasco sauce is made, you know? The Tabasco factory tour is something, basically that a lot of folks really dig. You get to see the whole process, which is kind of wild when you think about it, as a matter of fact, from the pepper mash aging in oak barrels to getting bottled and shipped out!

But the island has way more to offer. Jungle Gardens, in short, are totally something to scope out too! It’s like this botanical garden with plants from all over, yet birds like the snowy egrets hang out there, and there’s even a Buddha statue that is pretty amazing, alright?

Here’s a tip, really, bring your binoculars! Birdwatching is just such a must; so many beautiful feathered fellas just fly around these areas, alright? Also, the Tabasco Restaurant lets you grub on dishes that have just a kick, since it uses different Tabasco flavors, and so that might just excite some people.

2. St. Martinville: A Step Back in Time

If you would like to stroll through history, it appears St. Martinville, so just a hop, skip, and a jump, approximately like your half an hour away, from Lafayette, would just be the ticket. This town is often considered, you know, the birthplace of Cajun culture and boasts a seriously rich past, alright? Visit the historic Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site, since the old Acadian homes and the tranquil bayou are perfect spots, it could be, to feel like you stepped back to, you know, like a different era. It seems just like an easy location for learning more about how people lived way back when, as a matter of fact.

In short, the town square just really is where it’s at; see the ancient Evangeline Oak, which kind of is believed to be the spot, that is, where Emmeline Labiche—aka Evangeline, you know, the star of Longfellow’s poem, she really had planned to meet her Gabriel after they got separated. Pretty wild history to ponder; for example, how cool would it be to snap a quick photo by it?

A local eatery is also super-ideal when that tummy is rumbly! Get yourself some authentic Cajun eats; it could really fill you up right. You can get red beans and rice, for instance, or a steaming bowl of gumbo; seriously, your taste buds may really thank you after something like that!

3. Lake Charles: Casino Fun and Coastal Views

Maybe you are kinda hoping to find a place with a little pep to its step! Lake Charles might really just have what you seek. And since it’s about, in a way, maybe your like a 2-hour drive from Lafayette, so really pretty easy to arrive in the morning.

Check out the casinos! Try out your hot hand with the slots, if that strikes you! Check out the shows or just enjoy a cocktail. Maybe take a chill walk by the lake! All of those boats, that cool breeze… It is the best, as I was saying. Also, I mean there is the Creole Nature Trail that really cannot just be missed! You might even scope an alligator! Really.

For chow, anyway, that local flavor abounds in so many great joints in this location, more or less. Get stuffed shrimp at a little family location! Have gumbo while listening to some tunes at some location where that vibe seems right for, for example you might listen to local folks playing music live on any given night!

4. Atchafalaya Basin: Swamp Adventures Await

Just about 30 minutes east of Lafayette begins Atchafalaya Basin, maybe the USA’s biggest swamp! What about we peep out nature, I say! Book a swamp tour boat. Captains that know their stuff navigate these waterways; spotting gators, you can, very likely. See cypress trees rise from the murky depths; what appears super beautiful makes this very cool place even more awesome!

Fishermen, like your local folk, might find places; to catch things like catfish or crawfish, more or less! The wildlife in this zone tends to be stellar. Just maybe, what you would consider a truly remarkable view, should not escape anyone in those boats as the shadows dance during, well sunset cruises.

Have some seafood grub at some dockside location at night, I suppose, and feel fulfilled! The swamp is so beautiful; for instance, after getting on dry soil you will find restaurants by the piers for, for example that post-swamp feed you dreamed of!

5. Grand Coteau: Serenity and Spirituality

Grand Coteau, approximately about a 20-minute drive north of Lafayette, can totally work, alright, if seeking something very chill and full of reflection, I tell you! This village packs a unique character all its very own! Grand Coteau is noted really quite specifically for historic Jesuit church, St. Charles Church. Just walk through that door as that place is amazing! What, like hundreds of years of amazing architecture? I would love to take photos there.

And then there exists the Academy of the Sacred Heart. Stroll these grounds in total quiet! Be totally reflective and be like those other tourists; the vibe you receive will seem serene here, seriously, even without much happening.

If ever Grand Coteau strikes you as somewhere interesting, grab something local and eat it near there, even! Like at the park! You will make special recollections right away if, actually, something new and specific sticks out in your soul! Then scope other similar joints like vintage locales as a fun alternative to visiting, very, a historic locale!