longdistancestyle
absence of a lovely walk to dinner, I remained hopeful that the evening’s meal and entertainment were going to be a hit, and I wasn’t at all disap- pointed. This night was the best cul- tural part of my southern tour. Jean Mouton, a French-speaking man of Acadian descent, founded Lafayette in 1821 by, and it is the heart of Cajun country. I was determined to submerge myself deep into the bayou in order to get a true sense of all things Acadian. First, the food! I previously
scouted out a highly rated Cajun restaurant, Bon Temps Grill, which specializes in “Swamp Edge” cuisine. It was amazing. I sampled Andouille sausage and the famous Boudin. Very tasty. Although the panneed frog legs and crawfish pot pie looked inter- esting, I opted for the grilled chili butter shrimp over a bed of sage sweet potato mash, with a side of super spicy red potatoes. With a belly full of swamp
fare, we Uber-ed over to Ran- dol’s for some live Cajun music. Wow, what a treat! I experienced the true joie de vivre of the Cajun lifestyle there. Wooden benches lined the perimeter of the dance- hall, and even on a Tuesday night, the band (complete with steel guitar, drums, fiddle and accordion) was in full swing. We watched the dancers do Cajun jigs, two-steps, waltzes and jitterbugs. At one point while I was sipping on my locally brewed long- neck, an older gentleman waltzed over and asked me to dance. I froze, but then accepted knowing that in order to truly get the culture, you have to immerse yourself in it. My husband opted to stay on the bench and be my photographer. The dance steps were super easy, and I smiled
62 BMW OWNERS NEWS December 2015
through two long songs. I knew I laissez les bon temps roulez (let the good times roll) in true Cajun style. The next morning over breakfast with a
table full of European vacationers, we rem- inisced about our individual experiences in
Conde Inn, and the historical setting and the four-diamond rating delighted me. A bottle of wine, glasses and fluffy robes awaited our arrival in the posh little room. I must say it was amazing to exit out of my bulky riding suit, peel off the sweaty under layers and take a refreshing bub- ble bath while sipping on chilled wine. The accommodation far outweighed the location. After donning the evening’s
Award-winning Sweet Stuffed Crepe Cigars at Open Gates B&B, Darien, Georgia.
Lafayette. I was also able to chat with the three young Acadian ladies who oversaw the duties around T’Frere’s Bed & Break- fast. They answered my cultural questions before we said our au revoirs and headed for Lake Pontchartrain.
Mobile, Alabama Following a stop in the small but lavish town of Madisonville, La., on the north bank of Lake Pontchartrain for a superb lunch of soft-shelled crab at the Waterstreet Bistro, we blazed through back roads across two borders into Mobile, Ala. We put our kickstands down for the night at the Fort
attire and realizing the walk to Dauphin Street (where the majority of restaurants and tav- erns were located) meant travel- ing through a few shady areas of the city, I had an Uber ride whisk us to dinner. We enjoyed small plates and beverages at a couple of locations along Dau- phin Street. Once we covered the entire length of the street, we went back to the Fort Conde Inn to relax in the finery that sur- rounded us. I went back for another long bubble bath before turning in for a great night’s sleep. Upon arising, we were served a superb three-course gourmet breakfast in a majestic dining room with crystal chan- deliers and antiques galore. The city was mostly uninspiring to me, but the B&B experience here truly made up for it. Know- ing this day was going to be the biggest mileage day of the trip
home, we quickly packed up and hit the slab.
Darien, Georgia I have seen the exit signs to Darien, Ga., for years. I never knew until I did some research that Darien is a small town worth a visit. This last stop of my southern tour turned out to be a huge surprise. Darien, about 50 miles south of Savannah and founded in 1736, has had an eventful history over the years. Today it is a fishing village full of character and historical properties to explore. We arrived at the Open Gates Bed & Breakfast just as the sun set. A call from
discovery
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