On the Road: Cuisine & Culture in Acadiana Louisiana

Program Registration: 4:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, check the message board and join us at the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation: 5:30 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will learn from a series of local experts who will give lectures and lead field trips. Program-related travel and transfers will be via private motorcoach unless noted otherwise. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will always be happy to offer suggestions. As a special bonus, you will have voucher to use at a popular jazz club and the Louisiana State Museum. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/current conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

At the hotel.

At leisure. Live music fills the Carousel Bar & Lounge overlooking Royal Street right inside our historic hotel — a French Quarter landmark since 1886. The Carousel evokes a spirit of fun with the renowned Merry-Go-Round, the city’s only revolving bar. Live music continues on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

At the hotel.

We’ll start our day at the hotel with a morning lecture by a local expert. In this introduction to New Orleans, we’ll learn about the history, cultures, traditions, and differences between Cajun, Creole, and Acadian people. We’ll board a motorcoach and make a visit to the Museum of Free People of Color. With a local expert, we will receive insider access to this historic house museum dedicated to preserving the culture of the free people of color in New Orleans.

We will dine at the world renowned New Orleans School of Cooking. Here an expert local chef will teach us how to cook Creole and Cajun cuisines, as they explain the difference. We’ll see the preparation of a traditional dish, then have it for dinner. For dessert, we’ll sample the best pralines in town!

Reboarding our motorcoach, we will continue our delightful introduction to New Orleans as our instructor points out significant sites and reveals more about the city’s people, traditions, and unique culture. We’ll make stops at highlights along the way, including Lake Pontchartrain, Bayou St. John, City Park with its magnificent oak trees and Sculpture Garden, and one of the famed and mysterious above-ground cemeteries where the departed — from pirates to voodoo queens — are interred.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

At leisure. Experience nightlife in the French Quarter. If you’re a music aficionado, there are lots of options. We have provided a voucher (drink included) for Fritzel’s European Jazz Club. The French Quarter has something to offer for almost every interest and taste. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

After checking out of the hotel, we will board the motorcoach and head out of New Orleans up to Whitney Plantation. An active plantation from 1752 to 1975, the museum contains many original historical structures, which are now a part of the National Register of Historic Places. The museum is dedicated to educating the public about the history of slavery in the U.S. and this site that produced indigo, sugar, and rice for over 200 years.

At a local roadside stop, we will break for lunch as we continue our way up to Baton Rouge.

We will then continue onto Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s capital, where we will check in at our next hotel. We will make a stop at Louisiana's Old State Capitol along the way. The building, reopened as the Center for Political and Governmental History, is an architectural feat that hosts rotating exhibits and historical artifacts

At a local restaurant.

At the hotel, via a historical interpreter, we will hear about Huey Long, the famed Louisiana politician known as “The Kingfish.” After the one-man show, our interpreter will remain in character as a person living during that time to answer questions.

At the hotel.

We will start our day with a lecture at the hotel on the history of Baton Rouge before boarding the motorcoach and heading out on an expert-led exploration of the city.

At a local restaurant.

Our afternoon will start with a visit the current State Capitol. The tallest capitol in the U.S., the building stands at 340 feet and hosts an observation deck boasting grand views of Baton Rouge and beyond. The Capitol also sits on 27 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds.

On your own this evening to explore what you like.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

Checking out of the hotel, we will board the motorcoach to venture to Jean Lafitte National Park to visit the Acadian Cultural Center. This site tells the story of the Acadians who settled in this region of marshes and bayous. With an expert park ranger, we will explore the site’s exhibits to learn about the Lafayette region people’s origins, settlements, and culture. After our visit to the Cultural Center, we will make our way down the road to Vermillionville, a 23-acre living history museum featuring historic homes and costume artisans. Here we will be met by a local expert to provide us with an overview of the historic area, before breaking off for a self-led exploration of this cultural melting pot of Native American, Acadian, Creole, and African people of the Attakapas region.

At a local restaurant.

After checking in at the hotel, we will get an opportunity to learn about the French Creole language. With a local expert, we will learn about the unique langue’s origins, and get an opportunity to learn some key phrases and terminology.

At a local restaurant.

Back at the hotel, we will hear tunes from a local musician.

At the hotel.

We will board our motorcoach and head out to Avery Island to visit the Tabasco Factory & Museum. It was here that the popular tabletop red pepper hot sauce was developed nearly 150 years ago. This self-directed visit will take us through the history and process of making Tabasco sauce. We will then reboard our motorcoach and take a guided tour of Avery Island's surrounding botanical gardens and bird sanctuary, Jungle Gardens. The 170 acre gardens is a roost spot for snowy egrets.

At a local restaurant.

Our next step will be the Chitimacha Museum. The Chitimacha people were the first inhabitants of the region, and peaceful nation known for their living off the land, water, and basket weaving. Here at the museum, we will meet with a local expert who will show us many artifacts dating back to the 1600s, and the efforts to preserve their tribal language. .

At a local restaurant.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

Following check-out, we will make our way down by motorcoach to the bayou to learn from a local expert about the shrimping industry. Here we will visit a factory and learn about various types of vessels used in catching shrimp, along with the processing/unloading, and finally how the shrimp makes its way to your local store and home.

At a local restaurant.

A visit to the south bayou isn’t complete without a swamp exploration. We will make our way to a local ecological park filled with alligators, snapping turtles, nutrias, etc. We will then head out into the swamps on a watercraft with a local expert to learn about the creatures, and hear more about life from a local on the bayou. We’ll make our way to the hotel and check in for our final night’s stay.

At the local visitor center, we will be met by many folks of call Houma, "home." Here we will take part in a local seafood boil featuring fresh crab, crawfish, & shrimp. Specific dietary needs will be accommodated. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends. As we enjoy our farewell feast, we will be serenaded with local Cajun Music.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

At the hotel.

Traveling in and out of Houma without your own vehicle is difficult and time-consuming, so we have scheduled a group transfer back to New Orleans. Departure from Houma is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. with expected arrival at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) by 9:45 a.m. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to like our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!