March 13, Wednesday, We leave at 9:30 am for Acadian Memorial Museum and Evangeline Oak in St. Martinsville.  This a Museum of Cajun life and the history of them arriving in the area. We saw & heard a presentation of sound and also a spotlight on the Mural on the wall depicting their lives and hardships that they live getting here. We also seen Coat of Arms of many families. We had a caravaner  “Blanchard” whose family crest was on display. Then we did a walking tour of the grounds then off to the church across the street. This was a beautiful old church with all it’s Art of depicting the life of Jesus. We learned about Evangeline a young lady that loved the area and that “Longfellow” the author wrote about. Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/StMartinsvilleLa

 

  At 2 pm we hookup to head for Abbeville RV Campground. This is a beautiful city park with plenty of shade. We arrive and get site #1 and set up. At p.m. we head for Richards Restaurant for some of the best Crawfish ($34.00 for 5 lbs. ) Over half the crowd orders that the rest get the Buffet. We opted for the buffet and got a wide variety of seafood to enjoy. The place is just a small wooden ..one story building that only opens at p.m..

  

  Rick comes around and says stay here and leave with him only. When all are ready we drive back 2 blocks to a lane into a barn yard? Here is this old Cattle Sale Barn converted to a Cajun Music Hall. We sit on old bidders rows of steps with long cushions only for seats. Then 3 men are here on a raised stage ( this was the old sales ring with floor on the top rail.)  ready to talk Cajun and play.. Fiddle player, accordion player, and guitar player. They sang and played a lot of songs in French and had some funny stories to pass on. We had a private one hour show just for us. The feel of Cajun music was in our blood by now!!  Pictures 

 https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/RichardsCajunBarnDance

  March 14th , Thursday, We skip breakfast this am to arrive at city hall at 8:30 am  for a Welcome Party.. Here we had a continental breakfast served by the city volunteers. We had coffee, pain perdu and Beignets. After eating we were greeting by the Mayor with a  welcome speech about their town and all the festivals that they like to party at. One was The Omelet Festival, held every year in October. They have a 12 foot skillet that cooks the Largest Omelet, each year they add an egg, this year will be 5,029 eggs in the skillet. We saw pictures of the making it! Next was a Farm agent to explain the local Farming Industry. He talked about crawfish farms, rice fields, and also alligator farms. He then opened a box to show us a small 2 foot baby alligator. We passed it around for all to hold that wanted to. Some women screamed when he came out of the box. Then the volunteers were divided up in groups to take us on a walking tour of Abbeville. We saw City Hall, The Square (for Concerts every 2 weeks plus the festivals all year long) and also a church also.  Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/AbbevilleLa2013

     Time for lunch, again!, give me a break?? Hungary again? We went to Shucks a local seafood restaurant. I ordered a bowl of Corn Crab Chowder soup ($10.50 ) Mmmm Mmmm good !!

   Back to the camp..relax .. then we gather for a giant big circle of happy hour...food, snacks...Again.. but also refreshments too. We heard stories from lots of airstream’s personal experiences...some are hilarious others funny...some are stinky (sewer & dumping tales)

  March 15, Friday, 8:30 am we car pool for a Crawfish farm. Here we met a man and his flat bottom boat equipped for checking the traps and harvesting crawfish. He could only take 4 at a time out into the water..what an experience.. He had and engine and hydraulic mechanism to drive up and down the rows of traps. He has 900 traps to dump and rebait , he does this in 4-5 hours each day filling 25-35 sacks each time. He covers about 160 acres of water each day. We all take turns for a 10 minute ride..he sure does move along pretty fast...picking up & rebaiting with fish chunks in  the traps and plant them again.

  Next we leave the crawfish Farm and head to Kaplan to an American Legion Club for lunch. We have a delicious meal served by the ladies of Crawfish with noodles and pasta. We met the WBCCI Band Leader here helping to serve.. John Landry and wife Yvette.

  After returning to camp ,we hookup and hit the road again to Eunice to Northwest Center Campground. Tis was a big pavilion that the tow vehicles pulled into the pad and left the  Airstreams on the grass at the edge. We had electric and water here. The center was great for happy hours, we were under cover here. Pictures  https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/CrawfishFarmingTheHarvest

   Time for Dinner, we loaded up and followed Rick to Di’s Restaurant for our meal. This is another Dance/restaurant that was hoping tonight with a Cajun Band. All came here to dance. We met a bus load of people from Galveston, Texas here for 3 days ..great bunch of fun people!! Their leader even gave me a Crawfish Bead necklace, everyone in my group was jealous ?? We filled up and some danced then left for camp after a few hours. Zzzzzzz

March 16th, Saturday, We divide into 2 groups for today’s tours. Ours leave for Fred’s Lounge in Mamou. The place is only open Sat. mornings. This is a bar with Cajun Music again. The place is wall to wall people. A radio station broadcasts from here. Dancing... for all again.. We see the Texas group again, this place is packed and having fun. I got a t-shirt from here. We go outside for air? We see motorcycles everywhere, they come from all over to see this Historic Place for Cajun Lifestyle. Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/FredSPlace

   Time to switch to another tour. We drive down the road to Eunice to see Savoy Music Center. here they make accordions by hand, the craftsmanship and also the sound from these instruments was awesome. In the back we see the workbenches and hear about the steps to make these accordions. Then in the store there is a big circle of musicians playing what else?? Cajun Music !!! We watch the old timers with their instruments play along with everyone. You can buy the Savoy Accordion for $2,495.00  (Mom says NO !! )   

   Now it is noon, guess what? Time to eat ...we drive 3 blocks to Nick’s Restaurant for a delicious dinner of Beef tips over rice, Cole slaw & corn. Then I went next door to see a western wear shop.  $$$$ it is expensive to be a cowboy...$65. shirts..$55 pants.. $300-600 Boots.. $75 Hats... The the outfits sure do look pretty.  Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/SavoySMusicCenterAccordianMaker

  This afternoon we got to the Acadia Culture Center to a performance of a Harmonica

Group from Chicago... they were a fun group. Then we look around the center at the history of the area. Back to camp.... at p.m. there is a Cajun performance at the Liberty Center in Eunice. This is an old theatre that has been preserved for all kinds of shows. We saw the Harmonica Players again then a new band played for an hour. They had their regulars and also a 5 year boy that played a accordion flawlessly.   Great sounds tonight.  Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/CajunMusicHeritageMuseum

  March 17th, Sunday, we leave for Bayou Wilderness RV Resort in Lafayette.  At 4 pm we have a scavenger hunt around the camp..fun time.. we were all winners. At 6 pm we had a Wine and Cheese Party in the camp building. 22 boxes of pizza and 5 kinds of  wine too.  Later tonight ‘Obie” did a show of makeup of a clown for those interested.  Telling stories of make a Wish and Give Kids the World. A good time by all. Zzzzzz

  March 18th, Monday, The last day of caravan... We had a continental breakfast in the building. We then retreated to our Airstreams to get ready for the final banquet. Some one suggested we leave early to see the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist  est. in 1821 in Lafayette. This was the Diocese of Lafayette. We arrived to see a tall beautiful Cathedral surrounded by a large cemetery. There was also a 500 year old Oak tree here. The limbs were so heavy that they had pole braces under some of the limbs.

  At p.m. we went to Don’s Seafood for our final banquet.We had choice of seafood or rib eye steak.After eating Marilyn had a few words of farewell. I then went up to the front to present Rick & Marilyn a token of our appreciation for the past 2 weeks. We gave them an embroidered Pillow of Louisiana with the Cajun Caravan inscription on the back, we said this was for their 60th Anniversary on April 11th. We also had a card signed by everyone with a token of our appreciation of a Fun Filled Caravan.  Good Bye everyone.. see you down the road .....Time to move...  Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/SightsOfLafayetteLa

In closing, I just want to say THANK-YOU Rick and Marilyn for an unforgettable tour of Cajun Country in Louisiana . I have learned so much in 2 weeks and also now have Cajun Music ringing in my ears!!! I also met some fun loving people from all over the USA this week. Many happy hours and dinners together made us like family. Here is a album of all the caravan attendees.. enjoy..

Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/CajunCaravanAirstreamersMarch5182013  
   God Bless.. AirstreamHobo & Mom 

  Any Comments ..Please email me I would love to hear from you hope you enjoyed the trip from your computer.. obclown@ptd.net