Drive 159.7 miles • 3 hours, 38 minutes

Indulge in Louisiana’s rich Cajun culture. Whether it’s touring a living history museum or sinking your teeth into a tasty baguette, this trip of the Pelican State serves up adventures galore. Leave room for sightseeing and recreation in the region’s vast bayous and prairies.

1. Lafayette

Starting Point • Entertainment, Food, History

An authentic and entertaining encounter with Acadian culture, the Vermilionville Living History and Folklife Park is one of the finest “living museums” in the country. Guided tours (or self-guided strolls) lead visitors through a historic village with seven restored homes, dating from 1765 to 1890. Cajun food and music thrive in Lafayette, with venues including Randol’s Cajun Jams and Blue Moon Saloon.

2. Morgan City

68 miles, 1 hour, 24 minutes • Food

At the heart of the Atchafalaya River’s massive delta, Morgan City’s Southern charm finds expression in its eclectic stores and atmospheric, no-frills restaurants that serve flavorful Cajun-style delicacies. Two local institutions are the conveniently named Morgan’s Restaurant, famed for its epic seafood Sunday buffet, and Rita Mae’s Kitchen, where you can indulge in home-style classics like fried pork chops, corn bread, fried catfish and gumbo.

3. Houma

34.6 miles, 49 minutes • Nature, Outdoor Recreation

With a mosaic of bayous and slow-moving tributaries that border evocative streets, Houma’s reputation as the capital of Louisiana’s Bayou Country remains undisputed. Along Bayou Black Drive, stunning mansions draped with moss-bearded oaks exude a sleepy southern vibe. Houma is the perfect base for charter fishing adventures, birding expeditions and swamp tours within the 2,500-square mile ecosystem that forms the Atchafalaya Basin.

RECOMMENDED STOPOVERS

Houma Area Convention & Visitors Bureau – Houma, LA – (800) 688-2732

4. New Orleans

57.1 miles, 1 hour, 15 minutes • Entertainment, Food, History, Quirky

Centuries merge and cultures mingle along the exotic, gothic streets of New Orleans. Dilapidated Creole cottages rub shoulders with opulent Spanish colonial villas adorned with ornate, wrought-iron balconies. At any hour, music seeps from every nook and cranny as locals and visitors groove in the city’s smoky bars and packed dance halls—that is until the early hours, when the desire for beignets at the much-storied Café du Monde becomes overwhelming. New Orleans’s supernatural aura culminates in the city’s ethereal cemeteries. New Orleans also boasts lots of family-friendly spots for wholesome fun.