In a previous blog post “Haunted St. Landry”, the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission collaborated with local paranormal investigative group, Louisiana Spirits, to connect history and evidence collected by the group’s investigations in St. Landry Parish. This Halloween, the Commission has collected 2 first-person accounts of unexplained phenomena and a piece of video evidence. You can visit where these stories took place and decide for yourself if what the accounts say are true.

Thistlethwaite Wildlife Management Area

Highway 359 is a stretch that travels alongside Bayou Wauksha, a small bayou that offshoots from the historic Bayou Courtableau. It creates a border for the Thistlethwaite Wildlife Management Area. The highway, surrounded by dark, wooded areas on one side and sprawling farmland and crawfish ponds dotted with lonely, country homes on the other, makes for driving that is as beautiful as it is isolating.

Stories along the highway range from seeing a ghostly “White Lady” that stands on the side of the road at night to shadow figures that frighten drivers. Today’s story comes from a resident, who would like to remain anonymous, that has lived along Highway 359 for three decades.

“We (the witness and her mother-in-law) were driving home from the casino one night when we saw something dark blocking the road about the size of a trash can. It was too late to switch lanes or swerve

Morning along Hwy 359

away, so we braced for impact because we were certain that we were going to hit it, but we just passed right through it. Afterward, we both looked at each other and said, ‘What was that!’”

Was this a mischievous shadow person or simply a trick of the light?

Highway 359 has picturesque scenes with crawfish ponds, which also make for great birdwatching opportunities with snowy egrets and other large wading birds being common sights.

Inside the Steamboat Warehouse Restaurant

Highway 359 turns into Highway 103 which takes you to Washington, the most haunted town in St. Landry Parish. You can’t mention the supernatural in this area without acknowledging the sheer amount of history and ghost stories that come from this historic steamboat town.

These days, Washington, the third oldest settlement in Louisiana, is updating with the times with a new pocket park and an electric vehicle charging station. However, with most of the town appearing on the National Historic Register, there’s no shortage of ghost stories from nearly every old home that line Mainstreet. Many date back to the 1800s. One of the more compelling stories comes from the popular restaurant, Steamboat Warehouse.

The restaurant has been inside the last of the old steamboat warehouses on Bayou Courtableau for over thirty years. Multiple teams of ghost hunters have recorded whistles, talking, singing and unexplained conversations. Chef and owner Jason Huguet has said that at the time of their visit, one team ranked the restaurant in their top 3 most active locations.

Workers and customers alike have reported strange experiences at the restaurant. Security cameras have even recorded activity, including this video shot after closing time.

It shows cups suddenly falling on a counter in the restaurant’s kitchen. Workers who were there at the time had no explanation.

The claims and evidence that have built up the restaurant over the building’s 200 years of history is substantial. It’s a guarantee that stopping for dinner will give you a meal to remember. Try Chef Huguet’s award-winning dishes Eggplant Belle Rose, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, and Sidesaddle Angels.

Seven Brothers Oak on Hwy 182

If you take Highway 182 out of Washington, it won’t be long until you reach Opelousas’ downtown area. On your drive, you can stop at the Seven Brother’s Oak, otherwise known as The Lastrapes Oak. This large and sprawling oak tree with multiple trunks pouring out of the ground is a part of both the National and State Live Oak Societies. It makes for a nice photo opportunity on the way to the next haunted locale.

In Opelousas’ Courthouse Square, several cafés and offices line the oak-strewn street. One of those cafés makes its home inside of an old bank from the 1920s, Java Square Café. Former employees of this café have reported everything from ghostly touches and door slams to unidentified noises and eerie feelings.

This specific account comes from a former employee who was closing the café one night. It was late, and her sister had come by to pick up the barista after her shift. The sister waited in the café’s main lobby while the barista completed her closing rituals in the kitchen. When the barista came back out to the main area, her sister remarked that she had fun whistling together with her.

Java Square Café Bank Vault

“But,” the barista told her sister, “I don’t know how to whistle.”

The two were alone in the café and the streets were empty. But someone had whistled along with the girl’s tune, turning a light-hearted moment between sisters into something unexplained and haunting.

Even if you don’t believe in the supernatural, the café is worth a visit with its Prohibition Era bank vault that’s open for visitors. Their coffee is pretty good too.

You can believe the accounts and evidence recorded here, or not. However, it is undeniable that all three locations work together to create a haunted road trip with classic Louisiana food and scenic driving.

If you’d like to expand your haunted road trip, there are plenty of locations with stories that we haven’t mentioned here. Give us a call at 337-948-8004 or email hawkins@cajuntravel.com, and we can help create your own haunted tour of St. Landry Parish. We’ll even throw in some non-haunted stops for you.

Mary Hawkins is the communications manager for the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. Contact her at hawkins@cajuntravel.com.

From stunning natural scenery and native plants to murals, statues, and historic buildings, St. Landry Parish is a picturesque area with plenty of fun photo opportunities. Here are a few of our favorite places to catch a quick selfie.

First on the list is the Clovis Crawfish statue. This fun and happy statue of a large crawfish waves jauntily from the front of the Eunice Depot Museum in downtown Eunice. The crawfish is a 3D sculpture of Mary Alice Fontenot’s famous children’s story character, Clovis Crawfish. Snap a photo at the base of this statue before learning about the history of the area at the Depot Museum or the nearby Cajun French Music Hall of Fame Museum.

There is another great photo opportunity in the music city’s downtown. Hannah Gumbo’s Eunice Mural is a celebration of Eunice’s culture, featured in the famous artist’s signature style. Located amidst downtown boutiques and cafés on the corner of West Walnut and Second streets, the bright mural adds a vibrant twist to a day of shopping.

Speaking of picturesque downtowns, you can’t talk about photo-worthy spots without mentioning the Opelousas Courthouse Square. Among the towering oak trees that line the square is the Jim Bowie Oak nestled between Chicorys at the Palace and Wild Child Essentials. This oak tree is over 350 years old and is named after the infamous hero of the Alamo. Legend says he owned a blacksmith shop located on that site.

Mere steps away from the Jim Bowie Oak, you can find Java Square Café. This local café is a great spot to meet with friends, study, and enjoy some locally roasted coffee. This cozy café was a bank during the Prohibition Era. The owners have preserved its stunning large bank vault. Seclude yourself in the vault with a coffee and a good book or take a selfie behind the iron bars that used to house money.

Mary Hawkins is the communications manager for the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. Contact her at hawkins@cajuntravel.com.

St. Landry Parish, Louisiana is known internationally for being a hub of culinary culture and heritage. Opelousas is the cradle of seasoning icon Tony Chachere and celebrity Chef Paul Prudhomme earning it the moniker, “Perfectly Seasoned”. Add multiple Creole restaurants, Cajun eateries in almost every town, and a host of festivals centered around food, and the culinary heritage is clear. Yet, one of the often-overlooked culinary specialties of this area is fried chicken.

While nearly every restaurant will have the crunchy-fried comfort food in one form or another, there are a few places that truly outdo themselves, and all of them are located within minutes of each other in Opelousas.

DezMeaux’s Boudin-Stuffed Chicken

DezMeaux’s stuffs fried chicken wings with boudin, a family recipe nicknamed that “razzle-dazzle” by local TV food influencer and zydeco musician, Gerald Gruenig. The chicken is perfectly crunchy and bursting with distinct flavor. At this carry-out-only boudin stop, you’ll want to order ahead because they sell out quickly.

Lines are long – around the clock – at two locations of Mama’s Fried Chicken, which has been serving a 2-piece dark for $2.69 for more than 45 years. The owners are part of a larger family of food entrepreneurs responsible for Targil’s Butcher Supplies and Seasonings, a spice plant, as well as Zydeco Chop Chop seasoning. With food credibility like that, it’s obvious why people keep coming back.

Soileau’s Dinner Club has dished out fried chicken and a stuffed potato, along with its signature Catfish Opelousas, for more than 85 years. Their fried chicken has near-legendary status in the community and still inspires leagues of loyal customers. It’s the perfect spot for a date night, special occasion, or family gathering.

In St. Landry Parish, there are plenty of opportunities to eat amazing food. These are just a few of our deep-fried favorites.

(Herman Fuselier, a longtime music journalist, is executive director of the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission.)

The Louisiana outdoors is well known for its lush swampland and legendary bayou waterways. So much of the local food culture comes from the water, be it catfish from rivers and bayous, seafood from the coast, or crawfish from flooded rice fields. St. Landry Parish has a national waterway, the Bayou Teche, that runs directly through several communities. While the Teche may be the most famous of our bayous, the Bayou Courtableau has a history that put a 300-year-old steamboat town, on the map.

Along our waterways, you can find eateries ranging from fine dining to hole-in-the-wall local markets. Take to the water with your kayak or boat and ease up to these bayou side waterfront dining experiences.

The Little Big Cup, located along the Bayou Fuselier in Arnaudville, is the best place to get a waterfront dining experience if you’re looking for something upscale right on the water. Their outdoor patio goes right down to the bayou. Colorful vegetation surrounds the outdoor area and you get a beautiful view of Bayou Fuselier before it connects to its more famous sister waterway, the Bayou Teche. There’s more food than you can handle at their weekend brunch buffet. You can only get this menu on Sundays. It has delicious praline fried chicken and waffles and a crème brûlée French toast that you must try. Match them with one of their flavored mimosas that come in blueberry, mango, grapefruit, watermelon, pineapple, cranberry, and blood orange.

During the week, there’s nothing stopping foodies and locals from ordering their famous Cajun Kevin Poboy. This house specialty is toasted French bread that has been hollowed out and stuffed with sauteed Gulf shrimp, lump blue point crab meat, Louisiana crawfish tails, and andouille sausage that is simmered in mixed pepper, parmesan, butter, and cream reduction. You might pair this with one of their signature cocktails like the Bees Knees containing a blackstrap rum, Campari, pineapple juice, lime, and simple syrup. You could also try their Arnaudville Cosmo, vodka, pineapple, lime, and cranberry juice with triple sec.

The Steamboat Warehouse Restaurant lies along the Bayou Courtableau which contributed to the town of Washington‘s reputation as a steamboat town. There are 300 years of history in Washington and the twists and turns of the ages can be felt in the walls of the historic building. This 1820s era warehouse was transformed into a restaurant in the 1970s. The restaurant is now owned by chef Jason Huguet who has won several awards for his dishes.

One fan favorite at the Steamboat Warehouse includes their Sidesaddle Angels, which has won gold medals in the past. This appetizer includes four jumbo shrimp stuffed with oysters, wrapped in applewood smoked bacon & fried crispy golden, and served with their homemade New Orleans style remoulade sauce. While you may not be able to dine as you watch the bayou at the Steamboat, its outdoor patio that overlooks the historic waterway is the perfect post-dinner or lunch stroll.

Based in Arnaudville, Myran’s Maison de Manger‘s menu includes Louisiana culinary favorites, like poboys and crawfish, but there’s more to Myran’s than these classic Cajun foods. This family-owned establishment has been around for over 40 years, serving up its own seasoning with a blend of salt, red pepper, black pepper, and garlic. They are also famous locally for their breakfast special, the Egg-O-Myran. This sandwich has scrambled egg and chopped ham, all topped with cheese and served on a bun with mayo, lettuce, and tomato.

The Bayou Teche is right outside with an outdoor eating area that juts out over the waterway. A floating dock is located nearby, making the restaurant easily accessible for those traveling the bayou.

This local Leonville market has been around since 1926 and is well-known locally for its delicious king cakes, a traditional oval-shaped cake that is eaten during Mardi Gras season. Some flavors that you can expect include amaretto pecan, Bavarian cream, and chocolate. The store has plenty more foods for you to try including daily plate lunches.

This market is located right across from the Leonville Bayou Teche Kiosk where a floating dock and boat launch are readily available for anyone to start their trek down the Bayou Teche.

For over 70 years, Bourque’s Supermarket has brought specialty meats to Port Barre at the birthplace of the Bayou Teche. The dish that brings people back for more is their famous Jalapeno Sausage and Cheese Bread. This loaded bread is the perfect picnic food packed with cheese and their homemade sausage. Tear yourself a piece and eat it on the go.

Bourque’s is conveniently located right near the floating dock and boat ramp that marks where the Bayou Courtableau turns into the Bayou Teche. The stretch of bayou from Port Barre to Leonville is known for its leisurely pace and prime birdwatching opportunities. Catch wood ducks, large wading birds, Mississippi kites, and neotropical songbirds during migration season.

If you’d like to make a weekend of trying all the flavors of the bayou, check out these accommodations from nearby hotels to intimate bed & breakfasts and primitive campgrounds, and RV Parks.

Mary Hawkins is the communications manager for the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. Contact her at hawkins@cajuntravel.com.

Nestled along sleepy Grolee Street in the Zydeco Capital of the World lies a not-so-hidden gem. Yam Country Pies is an unassuming bakery that is a popular stop for homemade traditional and folded pies. The holiday season is its busiest time of the year.

During the Thanksgiving season alone, the family-owned business bakes thousands of pies. People line up in the bakery’s now socially-distanced, outdoor line for a taste of the Hertzock family’s prized pies. With soft and sweet pie crusts that fit into your hand, lightly spiced with flavor and fillings that make your mouth water, it is no wonder why people keep coming back for more.

The all-time favorite flavor of local pie enthusiasts is definitely sweet potato. Sweet potatoes were one of the historically important crops of St. Landry Parish, alongside sugar cane and cotton. There was even an entire festival surrounding the starchy spud. The Opelousas Yambilee festival was created in 1946 and celebrated the sweet potato with parades and music. It remained a beloved tradition in the parish until 2012. We now know the title of yam to be a misnomer for the iconic sweet potato. But the name does remind one of a time when everyone was crazy for this classic food. It is only natural that a bakery that upholds tradition would adopt the name as well.

Despite its name, Yam Country Pies has a diverse range of flavors, including lemon, apple, custard, and peach. You can even request specialty flavors, like blackberry and fig, two more traditional flavors of St. Landry Parish. Another fan favorite is their sweet dough tea cakes. These soft, cookie-like biscuits are melt-in-your-mouth tasty and go perfect with an afternoon coffee.

The Hertzock family treats the public with recipes that have been around for over 50 years. What started in the cafeteria of the Holy Ghost Catholic Church is now a family-run operation that you can order from online. Patricia, the family matriarch, and her children, Lucretia and Conrad, take care of the business and the baking. This exemplary family also includes Darla Montgomery, who has been a familiar figure on TV in Acadiana since 1992. You can catch her on KLFY TV 10 where she anchors the 5pm, 6pm, and 10pm newscasts.

In hard times, the success of one local bakery can become the heartwarming boost that lets us know everything is going to be okay. Plus, the pies are very tasty.

Mary Hawkins is the communications manager for the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. Contact her at hawkins@cajuntravel.com.

This Central Louisiana Regional Playlist is a collaborative effort of Acadia, Evangeline, and St. Landry Parishes. Contributors include Chris Soileau and Floyd Soileau with Flat Town Music Co., Mark Layne with KVPI, Sharon Fontenot with the Swamp Pop Museum, Elizabeth West with Evangeline Parish Tourism, Herman Fuselier with St. Landry Parish Tourism, and Amy Mathiew with Acadia Parish Tourism.

Every Wednesday, a new song is chosen with care to represent an aspect of local culture. Their genres will range from swamp pop to zydeco to Cajun. By the end, you’ll have the perfect playlist for your road trip along the Zydeco Cajun Prairie Scenic Byway.

Evangeline Parish starts off the playlist with Jimmy C. Newman’s “Lâche pas la patate”.

Jimmy C. Newman is an Evangeline Parish native who was born near Mamou. He first became an established performer as a country singer. In 1956, he was invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He eventually began to incorporate Cajun influence into his music and formed his Cajun Country band. In 1976, his recording of the Cajun French song – “Lâche pas la patate” (“The Potato Song”) – earned him gold record status in Canada.

Newman had an array of songs published by Flat Town Music Co (BMI) in Ville Platte.
Newman went on to be inducted into the North American Country Music Association’s International Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. He has also been honored in the Cajun Music Hall of Fame in Eunice, LA.

The next song on our playlist is “Opelousas Sostan”. According to St. Landry Parish Tourism executive director Herman Fuselier, the song’s title doesn’t have a clear meaning. The lyrics are short, repetitive, and bilingual. The recording artist is Rufus Jagneaux, which is not a person, but a band name.

All that mystery didn’t stop “Opelousas Sostan” from exploding on jukeboxes and south Louisiana radio in the early 1970s. It remains a sing-along favorite that fans instantly recognize from its opening guitar licks to its closing line, “Got to get it, poppa.”

Fans who lost their old 45 rpm vinyl, which had “Port Barre” on the flip side, can sing again. Both songs, and 24 others, are on Rufus Jagneaux’s 2019 compilation, “The Opelousas Sostan Collection,’ a 2019 release on Flat Town Records of Ville Platte.

Next up is “Bayou Pon Pon” by country and Cajun music artist Clint West (Guillory). Born in Ville Platte, West first began playing drums and singing Cajun and country songs with a band from his home community – The Vidrine Playboys. He began performing swamp pop in the late 1950s as a member of Red Smiley’s Vel-Tones and recorded his first record, “Lover Blues/Take a Ride.” He spent time in Monroe playing with the Rollercoasters, before moving back home to join the Boogie Kings, a blue-eyed soul group originally from Eunice.

Around 1965, West, and other former Boogie Kings members, formed the Fabulous Kings. He eventually started performing as a solo artist. He recorded for the Jin label in Ville Platte and issued classics of the swamp pop genre. Some of his hits include “Big Blue Diamonds,” “Please Mr. Jeweler,” and “Try to Find Another Man” with Tommy McLain.

West’s accolades include being inducted twice into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, once as a vocalist and once as a member of the Boogie Kings.
A set of West’s drums and other special memorabilia can be viewed at the Swamp Pop Museum in Ville Platte.

“Share My Life,” by Leon Chavis and the Zydeco Flames also makes the list.

Zydeco goes back several generations in Creole families of St. Landry Parish. For one snapshot of this generation’s zydeco, turn to Leon Chavis of Lawtell. Chavis’ “Share My Life” opens with a short, piano solo that leads into his silky, R&B-flavored vocals delivering romantic lyrics. A live version is in the lineup of “Zydeco Famous Flames” and “Encore,” two Chavis albums that landed in the top 10 of the iTunes World Music Charts in spring 2020. Chavis’ fans can be heard singing every word.

As we continue our journey spotlighting musicians along the Zydeco Cajun Prairie Byway for Mecredi de la Musique, today’s focus is on none other than Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie’s upbeat song -“Everybody’s Dancin’.” The song was written by Delafose and released on his 2003 album, Everybody’s Dancin’.

Born in 1972 in Eunice, Delafose is an American zydeco accordionist and singer. He followed in the footsteps of his father, the late John Delafose, who was also a zydeco accordion player. He hails from the younger generation of the genre and has produced music that blends traditional sounds of zydeco with the excitement of modern dance music.

At a very young age, Delafose joined his father’s band, the Eunice Playboys, where he played frottoir (rubboard). Before his father’s passing in 1994, Delafose was able to appear on seven albums with the Eunice Playboys, including a collaborative effort with his father – Pere et Garcon Zydeco.

Delafose’s accolades include being nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album category for his 2007 album Le Cowboy Creole.
Delafose, who today resides in Duralde, continues to perform all over Louisiana.

Legendary record producer Floyd Soileau once proclaimed “Everybody needs a song like ‘Toot Toot’.” Soileau enjoyed his ride with the novelty song, which was buried on the B side of Lebeau native Rockin’ Sidney’s album, “My Zydeco Shoes Got the Zydeco Blues.” DJs turned “Toot Toot” into a Top 20 country hit, a Grammy winner, and an international million-seller.

Denise Lasalle, Fats Domino, and other singers had hit versions. A Columbian group cover, called “Mi Cu Cu,” caught fire throughout Mexico, Central and South America.

Europe got a taste when a German beer company licensed “Toot Toot” for its radio and TV ads. Sidney, who died in 1998, bought a Lake Charles radio station with his royalties. The hit is probably still making money.

As we continue our journey spotlighting musicians along the Zydeco Cajun Prairie Byway, today’s focus is on the blues, the “Pine Grove Blues” that is. The song was written by Basile’s very own Nathan Abshire and published by Flat Town Music Co (BMI). Recording master: Swallow Records (Ville Platte, LA).

Abshire was raised just outside of Gueydan, and like his father, mother, and uncle, he played the Cajun accordion. He learned to play the instrument at the tender age of six with his first public performance being at the age of eight. He spent his teen years playing at dance halls and parties. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Abshire settled in Basile, where he played regularly at the Avalon Club. He recorded his best-known record, “Pine Grove Blues,” in 1949.
Abshire is considered one of the musicians that helped revive more traditionally crafted Cajun music. This music-fueled bals des maisons (house parties) and fais do-dos (weekend dances).

His love for Cajun music was ever prevalent through his devotion to promoting the genre during the 1960s and 70s with his appearances at festivals, colleges, and schools throughout the country. He even performed at Newport Folk Festival in 1967 with the Balfa Brothers.

Zydeco’s only two-time Grammy winner, Terrance Simien, hails from the St. Landry Parish hamlet of Mallet. With more than 35 years on stage, Simien is a world music phenom with performances in 45 countries, songs in music and TV shows, and 34 consecutive years of shows at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festivals.

Simien continues his trademark fusion of styles with a zydeco-meets-New-Orleans-brass-band effort, “Ancestral Grooves.” The 2020 album includes 23 artists, including New Orleans trumpeter James Andrews (big brother of Trombone Shorty) and the ever-popular “Zydeco Boss,” Keith Frank.

The angelic voice of Simien, sometimes called the Arron Neville of Zydeco and the Creole Sam Cooke, shines throughout. But the resurrection of Clarence Garlow’s Top 20 R&B hit of 1950, “Bon Ton Roula,” featuring Terrance’s daughter Marcella, steals the show. A song that introduced the nation to zydeco, “la la” dances, and other Creole cultural icons 70 years ago rocks again with a female voice, horns, and accordion.

(Herman Fuselier, a longtime music journalist, is executive director of the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission.)