As summer kicked in, we went fishing for free fishing weekend, hit the local splash pads, and went to a water park in Sulphur. That's where the Director, Aunjelle Burton says the slides and the lazy river are fun, but the water park is a big employer of high school kids for the summer.
We took in the Gueydan Museum, recovering from the 2020 hurricane season. A place with plenty of music history, and a unique pair of pants. And up to Bunkie, where the community saved their local train depot, and how the town got its unusual name from a stuffed monkey.
We went out to Jennings to visit a general store frozen in time. We went for a picnic along Bayou Teche, and learned why St. Martin Parish is geographically split in two.
As the fall kicked in, we visited the Survivor Oak here in Lafayette, where, especially in troubling times, it's inspiring people to keep going. But for a local couple, it's a place for a fresh start! We visited the Old River Locks to see how water management controls the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers, but influences so many more rivers and bayous through Acadiana.
As Halloween season kicked in, we took a long trip to DeRidder. The Old Gothic Jail, a place where spirits wander the halls and cells of the jail, and how you can have the chance to experience the supernatural. And to the Sovereign Nation of the Chitimacha, where we paid a visit to the Tribal Museum.
We learned how the Chitimacha believe they're the original inhabitants of south Louisiana, and even though they acknowledge the difficult parts of their history, it's not holding them back. Reviving the culture, and the language, even electing their first female chairman of the tribe. Saying perseverance makes them stronger, and they're thriving.
And finally just as the holiday travel season was kicking off...we saw one of Louisiana's man made wonders. The Atchafalaya Basin Bridge. What it took to get it built, and how sometimes we take it for granted. And to finish the year, Moncus Park, Lafayette's newest park ready for Christmas, and their grand opening on day one of 2022!
As much as 2021 had hope, we're still sailing into 2022 with uncertainty. Hoping all of you have safe travels into the new year!
