Spring Fever on the Bayou ! + A Cajun Getaway !

We started off the weekend on Friday at noon, at this week's T.G.I.F. Bach Lunch, at Parc Sans Souci, in downtown Lafayette. It was a gorgeous day, sunny and 78 degrees, and just perfect for an outdoor concert and lunch. . It's all about preserving our fabulous Cajun culture and having fun! The addition of two beautiful concert parks to downtown Lafayette has enabled the city to host huge festivals and weekly concerts, at no cost to it's citizens. (click to enlarge)

The crowd was excited and dancing up a storm! Cedric Watson and Bijou Creole entertained the crowd with their soulful, traditional Cajun and Zydeco music! A mighty fine fiddle and band!

Some chose to sit and listen, while others chose to dance a few!

A bon ton' was had by all!

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Since we've been having one gorgeous Spring day, after another, here in Cajun country, I've really been enjoying all of the beautiful flowers and blooms. Just driving along my usual route, is absolute heaven! The azaleas are in full bloom and are everywhere. It is so wonderful and it all has given me a bit of Spring fever and a strong "ahnvie" to get out to nature, while the pristine weather lasts!

I will be going to the Atchafalaya Basin, better known as the "Henderson Swamp", for the weekend, cher and who only knows what fun Cajun adventures, await me there! This is the perfect time of year to go boating or just relax and enjoy the beauty of the basin.

I am renting my little floating, houseboat chalet, (on right) the same place that I had, the last time that I took a little impromptu getaway to the swamp.

We will also be going to Turtle's Bar, at Basin Landing. And eating some fabulous fresh seafood at Pat's Fisherman's Wharf Restaurant! I cannot wait to have a broiled seafood platter! Divine!

And Whiskey River Landing for the weekly, Sunday afternoon dance. Jamie Bergeron and the Kickin' Cajuns will entertain the crowd. Woo hoo! Hope to see ya'll there!

Laissez les bon temps rouler, cher! The life of a Cajun is oh so good! Hope that ya'll have a fun and fantastic weekend, mon cher amis!! Merci beaucoup for stopping by!

More Cajun Fun at the Beach

 
It was a perfect beach day in Ocean City, yesterday. Hot ( 88 degrees), hazy, and humid with a light north breeze, to take the edge off. The beach was packed to the gills with everyone wanting to "go down the ocean", one more time for a bit of summer fun. Holiday weekends bring in 200,000 fun seekers or more.

Click to enlarge pics.

 
The umbrella stands could hardly keep up with the crowds
and certain parts of the 10 mile beach were very crowded.

 
After a great day on the beach, it was time for happy hour at Seacret's
Nightclub on 49th Street and the bay. Lawdy be, check this scene out!

 

Well, the rowdy crowd there was getting very happy, and it was like

Downtown Alive, except on the water, with a partying crowd to boot!

These Marylanders are party animals and are a close match for the Cajuns. If

only they could dance! Let the good times roll, cher & have a Happy Labor Day!

Cajun Fun on The Levee- Part II

After having a blast at Turtle's, it was time to start heading over to the camp, since we had just a few hours left, before dark. We rode on the levee and headed over to McGee's Landing to pick up a few supplies. I bought a few vintage postcards in the lovely gift shop, and we went outside on the deck to view the beautiful swamp before going to the camp. There were boaters coming in from a day on the water.

When we arrived, family members were already there and were grilling up some pork chops, sausage,  and bbq beans. We were starving, at this point, and dove into this fabulous spread. Then I made a big batch of Banana Coladas and we played bouree', for a while.

Then it was time for a little music and dancing. Someone had brought a few Lost Bayou Rambler's CD's and cranked up the sound system, for a few hours of Cajun dancing. The Lost Bayou Ramblers have that old time Cajun sound, with a youthful flavor. Here is a little sample of their fabulous style at the Zydeco Festival in New Orleans, this summer. Enjoy!
Let the good times roll, cher!

A Fun Cajun Getaway + Bayou Blues

When the horrible heat wave finally broke, I was hit by a wave of wanderlust and decided to take a little getaway. We rented a small houseboat on the swamp, in Henderson and retreated to the Atchafalaya Basin, which is a short 15 minute drive. It is quieter during the week, without the weekend water lovers that frequent the swamp on the weekends. Pure bliss doesn't even begin to describe the experience. Nature, at it's finest in one of the most beautiful settings on the planet. Spending the night on the swamp is not for the faint-hearted, however. There are alligators and yes, mosquitos, but a Cajun learns early on, how to deal with these things.

We dined at Pat's Fisherman's Wharf Restaurant and feasted on a divine seafood platter. Oh, cest bon, cher! My family has been eating at Pat's since the 50's and you can always count on getting the best, sinfully delicious seafood on the levee, there. We had a nightcap at Turtle's Bar, before retreating to the little floating chateau.

The next morning we went fishing and caught a whole ice chest of catfish, which set the menu for the day. The smell of catfish frying and a big catfish stew simmering, brought visits from boaters that were coming in from Henderson Lake. Since we had enough to feed a small army, we invited them all! Oh, the life of a Cajun!

So, this adventure turned into quite a party. After a fantastic lunch, and several hours of playing boo ray, (a Cajun card game) we packed it up and headed home and back to reality, at least for another few days. It is amazing what a change in scenery can do for the psyche and the soul.
Do you have a place to get away where you live?

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I've had a special request for some more bayou blues. The audio is not very good, for the singer, but hopefully you will be able to understand the lyrics. Song entitled, "You Can Have My Husband, But Don't Mess with My Man"!

Bayou Blues Jam

More Cajun Fun on the Swamp + French Rockin' Boogie

After a fabulous lunch of Crawfish Etoufee and Fried Catfish, ordered to go, from one of our favorite restaurants, we headed over to the levee in Henderson for a little fun in the sun. It wasn't quite as hot today and there were clouds, here and there, so it turned out to be a good day for water sports. We boarded the boat at McGee's landing and headed out for a beautiful boat ride. There was a nice breeze on the water that saved us. We ran into friends on boats and jet skis and others who were water skiing. Then, we all refreshed at McGee's Restaurant with iced cold drinks, until it was time to go to the dance at Whiskey River.

 When we arrived, the place was packed to capacity, and overflowing with hot, dancing, nitty- gritty Zydeco fans. Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie were rocking the house. The dance floor was so crowded that when I ventured onto it to get the video clip, I got stuck in the middle of the dance floor and couldn't get out of the crowd until the song was over! I was nearly knocked down by the  dancers, but I well understand that there's no parking on the dance floor at Angelle's Whiskey River Dance Hall. "If you can't keep up with the big dogs, here, stay off the dance floor" !! The wood floor beneath was vibrating so hard that I thought it would cave in or that surely the roof might blow off!! 


 
 Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie

The Cajun Fun Continues

The Cajun good times continued this evening at Festival International 2009'! With 6 stages of vastly different international music going on, simultaneously within a 6 block radius, it was a blow out of tremendous proportions. The crowds were huge and since the perfect weather is expected to last all weekend, they are likely to largely increase as the weekend unfolds. The mood was wonderfully excited, mixed with jubilance, and at times electric !

We started off at Scene Lafayette where Sherman Robertson and his hot blues band were playing. There was a fais do do there and a whole lot of street dancing going on.
We were in need of some refreshment so we dined at The Filling Station Pub and Grille, where there was an awesome rockabilly band, the Roebucks, playing on the patio.

Next was the fabulous Alpha YaYa Diallo, from Guinea-West Africa at Scene Fais Do Do, with his wildly sought after band. Very inspirational African guitar, percussion and dance.
Then it was on to hear Miss Divine Jones at Scene Heritage with her sassy Texas swing and talented band. The crowd loved this group and dancing was nitty-gritty, jitterbug-swing.

Then for some foot-stomping Zydeco with Corey Ledet and His Zydeco Band. And imagine we get to do it all over again starting tomorrow morning. Twelve straight hours of fantastic music, food, dancing , and fun! See ya'll there. Let the good times roll, cher!

Divine Jones and Friends and
Corey Ledet and His Zydeco Band

Live at the Blue Moon Saloon

After all that cooking, it was time to have some fun and what better place to find it than The Blue Moon Saloon, in Lafayette. The balmy weather was perfect for the double header, featuring Steve Riley and Friends and Cedric Watson and Creole Bijou. The lively crowd was ready to dance, as usual. More than a few pounds gained on Turkey Day were shed on the crowded dance floor 

 The bands were awesome with several of Acadiana's favorite musicians sitting in on the jam. Steve Riley and Kevin Dugas from The Mamou Playboys, Roddie Romero from the Hub City Allstars, and Chris Stafford from Feufollet, just to name a few. For a complete schedule click here.

Steve Riley and Friends