What’s Cooking on the Coast!
VISIT THE WHAT’S COOKING PAGE FOR FEATURED RESTAURANTS
The Cajun Coast is known for its amazing dining – from down-home Cajun fare run by the same family for generations to Asian-Cajun fusion and some of the best BBQ around. So, it’s no wonder we need an entire month to celebrate dining!
The month of June is being planned as Restaurant Month throughout the Cajun Coast! What’s Cooking on the Coast will showcase featured deals at area restaurants and specials throughout the area! Features include delicious deals, from special pricing on steak dinners to locally caught fish or jumbo crab cakes, and of course, a healthy sampling of etouffees, gumbos, and bread puddings, and a cocktail or two!
The restaurants range from 5-star dining to mom-and-pop favorites to international fare. Specials are made available during lunch or dinner, depending on the locale, so make sure you plan accordingly, and come hungry, no matter the time of day!
Check out the What’s Cooking on the Coast page and follow us on Facebook to find out more and plan your foodie adventure!
Come Shop ‘Til You Drop
Come to Bayou Shopping Days in May!
Whether by yourself or with your buddies, Bayou Shopping Days is the place to be in May! Not only are there deals on shopping throughout the Cajun Coast, there are dining deals, special events, and a passport to enter for $500 in gift cards! Get all the details on our Bayou Shopping page.
You can snag a passport at any of 27 participating locations in St. Mary Parish or go ahead and download one on the site. Inside each passport you’ll find a business directory, rules for participation, and places to get stamped! Each time you spend $10 or more at a participating location you’ll earn a stamp on your passport. You can receive up to two stamps at each shop!
The deals kick off at the Bayou to Main Marketplace in Franklin on May 1 along with live music as well as Ghost Tours of Franklin with Tours by Steven. A Color Run and Parking Lot Party are happening in Patterson that same day!
The shopping and fun continue in Morgan City May 6-8th, with special events, mimosas & dining, artists, pop-ups, and even yoga at the lake to find your peace, shopping in paradise!
The following weekend, May 14-15, Berwick features Market Under the Bridge, dining and cocktail deals, pop-up events, artists, and historic tours.
Memorial Day weekend also features fun like extra Tours by Steven and a BBQ and Volleyball Competition in Patterson.
Throughout the month, there are hotel specials, golf and shopping deals, and casino gaming !
Come support small business and have an amazing month of shopping, dining, and touring on the Cajun Coast.
DON’T FORGET! SUBMIT COMPLETED PASSPORTS BEFORE THE DRAWING ON JUNE 14TH, 2021.
You can drop them off during business hours at 900 Dr. MLK Blvd., Morgan City, LA, mail them to P.O. Box 2332, Morgan City, LA or drop them off at 906-½ Main Street in Franklin.
The Cajun Coast is Big on Birding
Birding is Big all year on the Cajun Coast, from Spring and Fall migrations to the annual Eagle Expo, but we’re hosting a Big Day competition April 17th that you won’t want to miss! This friendly, one-day competition will have you spotting so many birds as they make their annual trek along the flyway that you’ll want to find out more and get your tickets today!
The spring is a great time to come birding. The Cajun Coast is located in the Mississippi flyway for migratory birds, seasonally increasing the number of species the dedicated birdwatcher can enjoy. The Atchafalaya hardwood swamp, nearby coastal marsh, and ample farmland provide ecological niches that are home to more than 200 species, from the spectacular roseate spoonbill to the comical anhinga to the humble brown thrasher. The rich variety of avian life will thrill veteran birdwatchers and intrigue beginners.
In Morgan City, The Brownell Memorial Park & Carillon Tower is a 9.5-acre park in a natural setting next to Lake Palourde. Founded as a non-denominational devotional park, admission is free. A 106-foot tall carillon tower containing 61 bronze bells graces the park and plays two selections every 30 minutes.
Swamp tours are also a great way to see egrets, herons, or other waterfowl, along with alligators and other creatures amid lush waterscapes. Book a tour, rent a kayak, or even rent a houseboat to stay.
The Atchafalaya Basin, covering one-third of Louisiana, is the largest overflow swamp in the United States. Its waterways are full of all types of birds. You can wander along the Water Heritage Sites, with nine on the Cajun Coast, or take one of our paddling trails to get up close and personal.
You can take a boardwalk out into the Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge for an easy entre into an abundant birding habitat. Recently named a National Scenic Byway, the Bayou Teche Scenic Byway provides a beautiful drive along the banks of the Bayou Teche and opportunities to pull off and spot birds along the drive, as well as many places of historic beauty.
So, book your stay now to come check off your list or just enjoy the beauty of majestic birds and picturesque scenery on the Cajun Coast!
See the Coast in All Its Glory
The Cajun Coast is beautiful all year long, but Spring has its own special glory! The area literally explodes with color, on top of the green lushness of the Atchafalaya Basin area. Schedule your visit along with a swamp tour (or bring your kayak) to get up close and personal. Captain Caviar or other nearby operators are ready to bring you out to spot gators and other wildlife as well.
Along with swamp tours, there are also ways many ways to scout out the beauty of the Atchafalaya Basin and nearby waterways. You can take a boardwalk out into the Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge, stroll along lovely Lake Palourde at the Brownell Memorial Park & Carillon Tower, or even stay overnight in a houseboat along the Cajun Coast – See the Swamp Tours & Paddling Page.
Recently named a National Scenic Byway, the Bayou Teche Scenic Byway provides you an additional way to see the beauty of the area, meandering along the banks of the Bayou Teche. See this lovely waterway, moss-covered trees, and buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.
We have several itineraries that also make planning easy to get away from it all this Spring on a weekend getaway! You can go camping, waking along the water’s edge, take an off-the-beaten path vacation , or venture out on the birding trail,
Also, thanks to plantings earlier this year by the Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative, we also expect a beautiful crop of irises to sprout up at the Cajun Coast Visitor Center soon, adding so much extra beauty to the swamp environment of our backyard! Stop in for a visit with our staff, and spot Gator Cayenne and her offspring, Paprika, as well as various other swamp critters before you head out on your adventure!
Plan your Spring Break on the Cajun Coast!
Hunt for Love & Loot on the Cajun Coast!
Hunt for Love & Loot on the Cajun Coast – February is for lovebirds on the Cajun Coast! While Eagle Expo is officially cancelled, you can still book a boat tour for your bird lover to venture into our waterways and spot these majestic birds! (You know eagles mate for life, right?!) Plan your lovebird weekend on the Cajun Coast! (Image: Helenea Reynolds, Eagle Expo photo contest)
Tour operators are standing by to book your tour into the swamps to see eagles and other birds as well as fascinating creatures, like alligators You can also find more awe-inspiring birdwatching opportunities for this area National Geographic calls “hauntingly beautiful land.” See our birding page for information. You can walk boardwalks, hike or paddle trails into the waterways, or even camp amid the beauty of nature, including a houseboat to literally stay on the water! Romantic bed & breakfasts are also an option for your getaway weekend!
The Hunt is on for Mardi Gras!
February 16 is Mardi Gras Day, and while we won’t be hunting for specialty beads at parades, we have planned a fun, Mardi Gras Scavenger Hunt for this season. From Feb. 5 to Feb. 16, you can download the app from Google Play or the App Store, find the Mardi Gras on the Cajun Coast game, get your team together and get hunting!
So, come celebrate Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day (or just a new day) on the Cajun Coast!
New Year New Adventures
This new year needs a new lease on life! Don’t put off experiencing new adventures and making new memories! Come on down to the Cajun Coast, and paddle the Atchafalaya, taste foods you can’t pronounce, and find a new path!
There are so many ways to find a new adventure on the Cajun Coast! And, we’ve made paddling the Atchafalaya Basin easy to navigate. The Atchafalaya Basin Swamp is the largest overflow swamp in the U.S., containing almost one million acres of the nation’s most significant bottomland hardwoods, swamps and bayous. But, we’ve set up specific Paddling Trails with maps and difficulty levels, so you’ll know where to put your oar in the water!
And, if you want to find out more about this national treasure, the Atchafalaya Water Heritage Trail features 9 sites within the Cajun Coast including areas only available by boat, rich historic landmarks, and the beauty National Geographic Traveler noted as “hauntingly beautiful land.”
In addition to The Atchafalaya Water Heritage Trail, you can drive along the Bayou Teche Scenic Byway, meandering along this beautiful bayou waterway, taking in more than 100 historic properties along the way as well. You can bike along this byway as well, or Hwy. 182, known as the Old Spanish Trail.
You can blaze a trail along the 170,000 acres of designated wildlife management areas, spotting an abundance of bird and animal life! We are also part of the Atchafalaya Basin Geotrail, with 24 geocaches around the area! Get more info on the trails.
Local swamp tour operators, like Captain Caviar, provide entertaining and educational tours of the beauty and mystery of the Atchafalaya waters. Depending on the time of year, a variety of wildlife and plant life, and yes, alligators, will likely be spotted.
After all that paddling and waterway exploration, you’re bound to be hungry! You will not leave that way! Louisiana’s food is world-famous, and you’ll want to try everything, especially dishes you’re not sure how to pronounce – étouffée, jambalaya, gumbo, sauce piquant, and seafood so fresh it was probably swimming in the Gulf this morning! It’s all worth a try, and save room for dessert! The Cajun Coast is also sugar country, so sweets, from pralines to bread pudding are worth the calories! See our dining page and plan to eat your way throughout the region.
There are also plenty of parks and trails to work off those calories. Take in the beauty of the outdoors – with our mild temperatures, you can hike or bike many days, even in winter! Of course, check the weather before you head out, and remember we do get our fair share of winter showers, so pack appropriately.
Or, if you’d prefer your exercise in jumping up and down over your winnings, Amelia Belle Casino or Cypress Bayou Casino-Hotel, Louisiana’s first land-based casino has plenty of opportunities. In addition to slots and table games, you’ll find amazing dining at Cypress Bayou
We have a lot of learning adventures as well. You can take in area fine culture or learn more about our heritage at sites and museums, including the many cultures who settled this area, such as the Chitimacha, the first settlers of the region. Their basket-weaving skills are legendary, and you can see their work on display at the Chitimacha Museum in Charenton. We have plenty of itineraries on different topics as well, so your history buff , movie buff , birder or ghost hunter can travel their passion on the Cajun Coast
So, come find a new, adventurous you in the near year on the Cajun Coast!