On the way to Louisiana from Padre Island, Texas, we overnighted in Houston at an RV park located in a very congested area just off I-10. We arrived during Rush Hour which is just as crazy in Houston as it is in DC. As Corky jockeyed the coach from lane to lane and began going through an intersection, sirens started blaring and I could see a rescue vehicle about to enter the same intersection from the left. Since neither vehicle can stop on a dime, I knew we were going to meet abruptly in the middle! I am a bit embarrassed to admit that, at that moment, I closed my eyes and braced for impact. Our guardian angels must have been traveling along with us, as Corky simply pulled to the side of the road while the ambulance drove around us. Whew! My knees finally stopped shaking after two glasses of wine!
We crept out of Houston (along with countless other morning commuters) the next morning and reached Lafayette, Louisiana mid-afternoon Thursday 2/17.
Corky's buddy Mike Mayeux and his wife Jane, who live within walking distance of our RV Park, treated us to some real southern hospitality. On Friday evening, the Mayeux's chauffeured us to the quaint, historic little town of Washington, Louisiana, where we had cocktails and dinner at the Steamboat Warehouse (really--it was converted to a restaurant) on the Buff Bayou.
The next morning we all drove to Breaux Bridge, another small town with cozy little antique shops and boutiques, all decked out in ribbons and beads for Mardi Gras. Our destination was Cafe Mes Amies (sp?) where authentic cajun music is offered early on select Saturday mornings (the cafe opens at 8:30 and the band starts to play immediately!) We arrived about 8:45 to the foot stompin' sounds of zydeco music and a queue of at least 25 would-be diners anxiously waiting to enter the cafe! Our hunger got the best of us and we reluctantly decided to drive back to Scott, Louisiana for breakfast. A former feed store, beautifully renovated to a coffee house, had just opened for business the day before, so we needed to give it a try. We enjoyed coffee, beignets, and ham & egg on croissants at the Coffee Depot. Fun place.
That warm southern hospitality continued on Saturday evening, when we were graciously added to the guest list of a dinner party hosted by a member of the Mayeux's Dinner Club. Their friend David has outstanding culinary talent and a gourmet kitchen to match his talent. Four couples dined on roasted prime rib, fresh tuna, steamed asparagus, baked sweet potatoes, and hot crusty bread. My, my, my, that was delicious! Thank you David!
From L-R Corky, Cathy, Jane, Mike, Gwen, John, David & Denise
Jack Stelly (another surveying buddy of Corky's) & wife Barbara met us for a glass of wine at our coach before we headed off for a fantastic dinner at Pat's on the west edge of the Atchafalaya Basin. The Atchafalaya Basin or Swamp is the largest swamp in the U.S. Located in south central Louisiana, it is a combination of wetlands and river delta area where the Atchafalya River and the Gulf of Mexico converge.
The Stelly's introduced us to Pat's Restaurant--an "off-the-beaten-path" place oozing with cajun ambiance.
Pat, the owner, was quite an entrepreneur, starting in 1940's with a small building and successfully growing his business to its current size that includes the restaurant, motel, fishing pier, dancehall, crawfish processing plant, syrup making facility and a working water mill. The food was excellent and, of course, abundant!
We tasted crab cakes, two varieties of étouffé, and fried crawfish and bottelles--fabulous food and the Stelly's are wonderful hosts.
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