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2 Monday, April 13 - Sunday, April 19, 2015 Bayou Teche, Louisiana What to Expect Experience Cajun culture and cuisine n see 500-year old oak trees n enjoy wildlife n dance to the rhythms of Cajun music n meet with Cajun authors and filmmakers n visit Cajun boat builders n float through the oldest operating Keystone Lock and Dam of the delta n stomp on the grounds of famed Detective Dave Robicheaux, the main character in novels by Pulitzer Prize-winning author James Lee Burke n tour the worldfamous Tabasco plant and Jungle Gardens n arrive in style at the Bayou Teche Black Bear Festival and the Bayou Teche Wooden Boat Show along Parc sur la Teche in historic Franklin, Louisiana. Tour Directors are Southwest ACBS members Wayne Elliott & Cory Werk Sponsered by the Southwest Chapter of the ACBS in association with Bayou Teche Experience, 317 East Bridge Street, Breaux Bridge LA 70517, Ethanol-free gas: Conoco, 904 Rees St, Breaux Bridge LA Marine Mechanic on call during the entire Cajun Classique info@cajunclassique.com

3 CONTENT General Information Page 2 Location/Maps..Page 3 Itinerary..Page 5 Points of Interest. Page 7 Lodging.. Page10 LOCATION/MAPS Acadiana, as highlighted in red above, is a region made up of twenty-two parishes (counties to the rest of America) that demarcate where the Acadiens, now Cajun, settled in 1765 after exiled from Nova Scotia. Our Cruise goes through the heart of this region. We start in Breaux Bridge, conveniently located at Interstate 10, go upriver to Arnaudville, then go downstream to St. Martinviille, New Iberia, and finish at the Bayou Teche Wooden Boat Show and Black Bear Festival in Franklin, Louisiana. 3

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5 ITINERARY Monday, April 13 th All Day Arrival in Breaux Bridge, Exit 109 at Interstate 10 - Cruise check-ins at Bayou Teche Experience: , 317 E. Bridge Street, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana Recommend filling up: Ethanol-free gas: Conoco, 904 Rees St, Breaux Bridge LA Optional boat launch - Check-in: Microtel, 2280 Reese Street, Breaux Bridge ( ) 5:00 p.m. Cajun Classique Welcome Reception at Bayou Teche Experience, meet local boat builders and community leaders Tuesday, April 14 th 8:30am to Noon Launch boats/deliver trailers to Franklin Optional visit to antique store for non-drivers Noon to 1pm Lunch 1:30pm to 2:30pm Visit local boat builder 3pm Depart with boats to Bayou Teche Brewery 4pm Brewery tour and taste 5pm Dinner at Brewery 6:30pm Depart back to Breaux Bridge Wednesday, April 15 th 8:30am Check-out at Microtel 9am-11am Swamp tour at Lake Martin 11:30am-12:30am Boat ride to St. Martinville 1pm Lunch 2pm-4pm Tour of St. Martinville 4:00pm-5:30pm Boat ride to New Iberia 6:00pm Check-in The Gouguenheim (walking distance) Thursday, April 16 th 9:15am Pick-up at The Gouguenheim 9;30 am-10:30am Konriko Rice Mill 11:00am-2:30pm Rip Van Winkle Gardens/Mansion w/lunch at Café Jefferson 3pm-5pm Visit local boat builder 6pm Dockside Dinner Friday, April 17 th 5

6 8:30am 9am-10:30am 11am-12:30pm 1pm-2pm 2pm-5pm 5:30pm 6pm-6:30pm 6:30pm 7:30pm Check-out at The Gouguenheim Boat ride to Oaklawn Manor Tour of Oaklawn Manor Lunch Tour of marsh Depart back to Oaklawn Manor Boat ride to Franklin Check-in at Hotel Dinner TBA Saturday, April 18 th 8:30am Pick-up at Hotel 9am-10am Boat ride to Patterson 10:15am-11:45pm Tour of Cypress Sawmill Museum 12pm-1pm Boat ride to Franklin 1:15pm Lunch Rest of afternoon Boat Show and Festival Optional loading boats on trailers Sunday, April 19 th AM Departure for home 6

7 POINTS OF INTEREST ARNAUDVILLE is one of the oldest remaining towns in St. Landry Parish. Today, the town is host to the Étouffée Festival, Le Feu et l'eau Fire and Water Rural Arts Celebration and Bayou Blues Revival. Attracted by its quaint setting and unique culture, the town has become a haven for artists and musicians from around the world. With a population of about 1,500 Arnaudville is especially focused on the promotion of Cajun French. BREAUX BRIDGE is the gateway for our Cajun Classique. Just remember I-10 Exit 109, and we meet in historic downtown right next the bridge at Bayou Teche Experience. The premier outfitter in the region, specializing in the 135-mile Bayou Teche, birder s paradise Lake Martin, Lake Fausse Pointe State Park and the Achafalaya Basin, the largest wetland and swamp in the United States. Across the street is the Bayou Teche Visitors Center, or stroll the quaint downtown streets of Breaux Bridge, and you'll find yourself transported back to a time before life became hectic. Down here, neighbors still know you by name. Breaux Bridge is the heartbeat of authentic Cajun culture in south Louisiana. We have traditional Cajun and Zydeco music, world-famous cuisine. Welcome to the Crawfish Capital of the World. Also known for its unusual listing of nicknames in its telephone directory. Population: 8,139. The exact origin of the name PARKS is somewhat of a mystery. Although some residents seem to think that it had something to do with the railroad, one story states the first train to pass through the community arrived on Easter Sunday. When the train engineer, who apparently did not speak or understand French, inquired about the name of the settlement, the residents replied "C'est Pacques" (it's Easter). The train engineer thought he understood the word Parks, and 7

8 the name apparently stuck. Today Parks is a small village on the Teche. Population: 533. ST. MARTINVILLE is the seat of the St. Martin Parish. St. Martin de Tours Church is the oldest church parish in southwest Louisiana. It is known as the Mother Church of the Acadians because it was founded in 1765 upon the arrival of Acadians in this area. The current building has served as a center for religious activities in this predominantly Catholic community for over one hundred fifty years. The Evangeline Oak, made famous in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "Evangeline", stands on the bank of the Bayou Teche. Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site is located north of the historic district. Population: 6,199. On the National Register of Historic Places is the Keystone Lock and Dam in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana. Construction of the Keystone Lock and Dam, located on Bayou Teche, was begun in 1910 and the facility opened in Faced with economic hardships stemming from the decline of the steamboat industry and the completion of the railroad at Lafayette, the residents of St. Martinville, Louisiana, sought to improve their situation by making the upper Teche navigable to barges, thus attracting industry to the area. Several area residents who owned property adjacent to Bayou Teche donated land in anticipation of great benefits to the local population that would result from the construction of the Keystone Lock and Dam. The original facility consisted of a 175 foot dam and lock with an overall length of 229 feet. The lock had a 160 foot chamber and gate bays at the north and south ends. The oldest operating Corps lock in the delta, it has timber miter gates and was hand-operated until 1960, when it was converted to an electrical system. Founded by Spaniards in 1779 on the banks of Bayou Teche, NEW IBERIA eventually became home to French settlers known as Acadians, who had been driven from Nova Scotia by British troops. The Acadians, who in their new home came to be known as Cajuns, imbued the region with their unique cultural traditions and cuisine. Today the area which is home to world-famous Tabasco hot pepper sauce is renowned for its food, 8

9 music and festivals, which draw from the melting pot of Spanish, French, African- American and Creole heritage. A walking tour of the East Main Street National Register Residential District reveals the stomping grounds of famed Detective Dave Robicheaux, the main character in novels by New Iberia native and Pulitzer Prize-winning author James Lee Burke. History is on display in the Bayou Teche Museum and at Shadows-on-the-Teche, an antebellum home once occupied by Union soldiers during the Civil War. New Iberia also is home to Konriko, America s oldest working rice mill. Population: 30,683. JEANERETTE is the sweetest place in Louisiana, the Sugar City! Sugarcane continues to be a key factor in the economy. Jeanerette is the home of manufacturers of equipment for the cultivation, harvesting and processing of sugarcane. Today, additional sources of income include oil and natural gas, salt, carbon black, a garment distribution center, and fishing. St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church is the landmark in town. Population: 5,542. CHARENTON (historically French: Lieudes-Chetimachas) is home to the only remaining community of Chitimacha Indians. The Chitimacha operate a museum, fish processing plant and school on the reservation. In addition, what began as a bingo operation grew into a lucrative casino that operates on the tribe's land in Charenton. Revenue from the Cypress Bayou Casino has provided the Chitimacha with funds used to recover land historically part of the reservation. Population: 1,903. BALDWIN is located on Bayou Teche and part of the St. Mary Parish. Baldwin is the last town before the Teche reaches Franklin, the finishing line for the Cajun Classique. Population: 2,436. The Cajun Classique arrives right on time for the Bayou Teche Black Bear Festival and the Bayou Teche Wooden Boat Show along Parc sur la Teche in historic FRANKLIN. This weekend is dedicated to the Louisiana Black Bear, a species listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as "threatened" under the guidelines of the Endangered Species Act. The goal is to promote ecotourism, educate the public about the Black Bear species and to 9

10 protect their natural habitat. At the same time, owners of classic and modern wooden vessels of all sizes will converge on Franklin, Louisiana for the fifth Bayou Teche Wooden Boat Show. What started as a spur-of-the-moment idea around a breakfast table at a local restaurant has become the fastest growing venue for classic and antique wooden boats in the Southeast, set along a unique venue in deep southern Louisiana in a city with more than 400 registered historic homes and a Main Street known for its charm. Owners of 40 boats came to Franklin in 2012 and every year it is growing more. The first show a dozen boats showed up, three of which were from outside of St. Mary Parish. In 2011, 28 boats were on the bayou side. The Bayou Teche Wooden Boat Show is a place where folks meet who own and love wooden boats, and love meeting and talking with other people who love wooden boats, whether they re guests participating in the show or the good people who come to see the boats. LODGING Monday, April 13 - Wednesday, April 15, 2015 Call for reservations by using Rate Code Cajun Classique $67 per night Microtel Inn 2280 Rees Street Breaux Bridge LA

11 Wednesday, April 15 - Friday, April 17, 2015 Call for reservations by using Rate Code Cajun Classique The Gouguenheim 101 W Main Street New Iberia LA The Gouguenheim is located just minutes away from our boat dock. DUE TO LIMITED SPACE, PLEASE CALL IMMEDIATELY! Suite A 3 bedrooms w/adjoining bath $325 (for 3 couples) Suite B 2 bedrooms w/adjoining bath $275 (for 2 couples) Suite C 3 bedrooms w/adjoining bath $300 (for 3 couples) Suite D 1 bedroom w/adjoining bath $225 (for 1 couple) Friday, April 17 - Sunday, April 19, 2015 Call for reservations by using Rate Code Cajun Classique $61 per night Quality Inn 1819 Main Street Franklin LA