Lafayette, Louisiana

A gentleman I much respect told me that I needed to try an old fashioned if I made it in Lafayette. And I had to try it at a place called Don’s. This gentleman also gave me a bottle of whiskey before I left, so I felt that I had to follow his advice.

 

So here I found myself:

 

I went to the bar, ordered an old fashioned, and decided to splurge for the night. Instead of ramen, I was going to eat well. So along with the drink I ordered some alligator, and a seafood salad. Talk about a starving kid in a candy shop when that food showed up! I ate with vim and vigor and quieted the few around me who snickered that that much food was insurmountable for a guy my size.

 

The drink… yes the drink. It was worth the trip. Half price during happy hour, so $4 got me three shots of maker’s mark bourbon, a sugar stir-stick, a dash of bitters, and a few pieces of fruit - delicious. And then somebody sent the exact drink back because it was too strong… so I got that one too… for free. The people here were friendly. I met some locals, and an outsider or two. One and all were happy to tell me about Lafayette, about their homes, their families, their lives. It was great. I left there feeling pretty good (and at least mildly intoxicated:

 

And so my plan of spending one night in the town and leaving in the morning quickly turned into a second day and night. Exploring this town, taking the dog to the dog park, drinking coffee, getting photo location tips from locals, taking pics, hiking, and just generally having a great time. It wasn’t just the people at Don’s who were friendly, it was everybody in this town. Young or old, every person I talked to was just as happy to converse.

 

I walked around downtown, and saw St. John’s cathedral:

 

And an automotive inspired mural:

 

And the 9/11 memorial with beams from the towers:

 

And then I went to Lake Martin, and it was gorgeous:

 

With those cypress trees that are synonymous with the bayou:

 

Beneath my feet, a lovely carpet of leaves:

 

And then it was time to leave. I put a big circle around this place on the map, I’ll be coming back to Lafayette at some point. But for now it is time to get up to Arkansas. The night time temps are dropping, there’s ice on the windshield when we wake up, and I want to sleep in a warm bed at dad’s house.