Romancing the Roads Read Online Free PDF Page A

even better, stay for a night.
    Nottoway has undergone major renovations and now has added a spa to the property. Prices range from about $135 to $275 per night, which includes the carafe of refreshment when you arrive, the guided tour, the prebreakfast coffee and hot muffins delivered to your room, and a full plantation breakfast. I discovered how much I like plantation life, but, alas, back I headed into the modern world.
    Lafayette (Population Approximately 110,000)
    Note: It was a little difficult to find the various destinations in Lafayette recommended to me as there are restrictions on signage. It was not my imagination that signs were few or very small. Many agree.
    It was the Fourth of July. Traffic was not bad to Lafayette. I had been told to go first to the Jean Lafitte Acadian Cultural Center operated by the National Park Service and then on to Vermilionville, where I would visit the replicated exhibits of life in the Attakapas area between 1765 and 1890.
    Jean Lafitte Acadian Cultural Center
    501 Fisher Rd.
    337-232-0789
    www.nps.gov/jela
    Vermilionville
    300 Fisher Rd.
    866-992-2968
    www.vermilionville.org
    I was short on time, but I did make total rounds and quick visits of the above. Both were informative and interesting. Leaving one of the exhibits, I heard live music coming from one of the more modern buildings. Lo and behold, I found a lot of happy people dancing to great music (my type of place!). I don’t know if there is a name for the big barn of a building or even the event—maybe it was a Fourth of July celebration—but it certainly was a happy happening.
    Bois des Chenes B&B
    338 N. Sterling St.
    337-233-7816
    www.boisdechenes.com
    By 5:30 p.m. I had found Bois des Chenes. My immediate first impression was blah, but I was quickly proved so very incorrect. Upon arrival, I was greeted by Coerte Voorhies, who showed me to my accommodations—a cottage away from the main house. He informed me of the property’s history and how Bois des Chenes had hosted so many dignitaries, and he said his wife looked forward to meeting me in the morning at breakfast, after which I was scheduled to go on a swamp tour.
    The accommodations were most pleasant and comfortable, and being in a separate “abode,” the Carriage House , added to the many pluses. My room, like the other accommodations, was furnished with antiques of Louisiana French origin. The television was hidden in an armoire, and I noticed a small refrigerator in the room. Nice!
    The next morning I walked to the main house, where I met Marjorie Voorhies, a most special hostess, who appeared from the kitchen. We discussed the pending breakfast, which already filled the air with sweet aromas. Breakfast consisted of French toast with Louisiana cane syrup (also served were strawberry and maple syrups) and boudin, which is Acadian sausage (ingredients include pork, rice, and spices). This too can be topped with the cane syrup. There was an apple garnish in the shape of a red rooster and, of course, Louisiana French drip coffee. I enjoyed trying new items, and breakfast was delicious and conversations were scintillating. Marjorie talked about antiquing, and Coerte V. filled in, revealing that he is a semiretired geologist. He was well versed in history, geography, and southern Louisiana’s many ethnic cultures. I just learned that he also guides swamp tours.
    FYI: “Cajun” is the pronunciation of the word “Acadian” when said in French.
    The Atchafalaya Experience
    337-261-5150
    www.theatchafalayaexperience.com
    I discovered that the Atchafalaya Experience swamp tour would be led by Kim Voorhies, son of Marjorie and Coerte. I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting into, but I was glad he was the son of, and was himself, retired military. We met at Bois des Chenes, and in the short drive to the boat, I discovered he was extremely knowledgeable about the marshes and swamps, ecosystems, and environment—as well as politics. The Atchafalaya is North