Louisiana Adventure
Brian,
here is my suggestions for your Cajun Adventure (french for adventure)
First to know what Cajun is. Cajun is slang for Acadian. an Acadian is someone from Acadiana. Lafayette (where i grew up)
Acadiana is the second home of the Acadians who were originally from Acadi in Nova Scotia, Canada. Lafayette is the center of Acadiana, which is a 100 mile radius. New Orleans falls outside of that radius and is not considered true cajun and the food is different there. also Creole means "of the village" or aborigine of the land. due to the fact that New Orleans was a Main port from Canada (through the Louisiana Purchase bordering Canada and the Mississippi as the main route and from all points from the Atlantic. mainly France, who owned Louisiana, Germany, Polish, Dutch, Spanish and much more. it was/is a southern melting pot of immigrants. 
What makes Cajuns unique is that they chose to live in exile in the Delta of the Mississippi. New Orleans is just outside of the Atchafalaya Basin.
A good place to start is in Houma. this is also where i was born and my Grandmother still lives on an Island bordered by two Bayous. a Bayou is obvious a more permanent natural and manmade waterway. the Swamp is always changing and moving as it is a bed of silt from the Mississippi. so to explore the swamp it is best to take an Airboat. there are airboat tours, but the smaller the airboat the deeper in the swamp your guide can take you. look for that. closer to the Atchafalaya river (main river) and east are better waterways for the bigger boats. oil, shrimp, and crab boats. i am seeking to send you through the bottom of Louisiana diving in at Houma and climbing out about Abbeville, but not before an airboat ride or two, seeing Delcambre, (shrimp capital) and maybe a flat bottom boat would get you to see the Heart of Acadiana.
Louisiana will not be short on Great Seafood. it would be hard to find a bad place to eat. You will be traveling towards the end of Crawfish season (ends july) you will enjoy. crab and Alligator are all year round. Shrimp Season is also just starting.
I would think the purpose of your trip would be to experience the essence of Louisiana. i think bringing you in the “Front Door” (Lafayette, the Heart of Acadiana) where there is a GREAT Mini Experience there called “Acadien Village” it is welcome center that gives a great visual tutorial of what Acadiana is all about. seeing this first may prepare you more fully to experience the Atchafalaya basin and the Cajun’s way of life. as you dive deeper from Lafayette you will drive along bayous and railroad track communities going deeper as you head towards Houma. from there you can choose your exit strategy whether to go visit Venice which is a simple one road in and out (like the keys) or head out through Nawlins (New Orleans)
i am suggesting you come in from Jackson, MS and into Louisiana at Baton Rouge (Red Stick) and over to Lafayette via I-10.
on this path you will drive over the Atchafalaya basin bridge. one of the longest bridges across water. you will have a great overview of what the Basin looks like. the bridge has very few exits. i suggest taking one and driving along a levee to see how we hold the water back and how people live along the levee.
You’ll be landing on the other side of the bridge in Henderson. there was once a very famous restaurant there called Mulates. very good music and family fun cajun restaurant. It is called Ponte Breaux.
i think you should stop in Henderson to eat and maybe over night. Also next door is the first opportunity to get into the swamp. Breaux Bridge.
http://www.cajuncountryswamptours.com/html/swamp_tour_directions.html
Now think lafayette is where you start not because it is where i am from, but because it is “The Heart of Acadiana” draw a hundred mile circle around lafayette. that is acadiana.
also it is where you get your “Orientation” at Acadian Village. it is profitable to take the little tour of acadian village and watch the video to see what it is all about. you will 
appreciate all that comes after much more.
We have good family friends who own a great restaurant called “Riverside Inn” and “Little River Inn” in New Iberia. if you want to go there let me know i will call ahead. not to comp, but for the hospitality.
200 Greenleaf Dr Lafayette, LA 70506 (337) 981-2364
200 Greenleaf Dr Lafayette, LA 70506 (337) 981-2364
Against the Tide:
The History of the Acadian People
Steen's 100% Pure Cane Syrup, North Main Street, Abbeville, Louisiana
i chose Abbeville as a turning point because i think mostly west grows into farm lands and less swamp. i also like Abbeville (not because i have family there) but because my favorite syrup is made there. STEENS 100 % sugar cane syrup.
Here is also where you will start seeing cotton plantations, Antebellum homes and Ancient oak trees. Bring you a big yellow ribbon.
The Caldwell House
Antebellum Homes and Plantations
The Savoy Bed and Breakfast
533 rue bon Secours, Scott, LA 70583
Now i am offering you this experience because the Savoy’s (sav wa) are very close family friends. Rodney was one of my Dad’s best friends. He was the one who called me with the news. also one of those guys in the Limousine (funeral) i told you about at wild at heart.
Rodney is FRENCH. he has built a little cajun cottage behind his home with a very wonderful patio. he cooks great breakfast and knows true rich history of the French in Louisiana. most of his guest come from France. he will also introduce you to Zachary Richard who lives across the street. (famous Musician). if you want to stay here call me with as much advance notice as possible.
Louisiana Swamp Tour
Cajun Country Swamp Tours
i spoke to Barbara this morning at the swamp tours. it is a father and son team in a crawfish skiff. they are from there and even have a degree in horticulture i believe. the tour is 2 hours and $20 per person. Barbara says to just give her a call when your ready. 337-319-0010
I-10 East Bound:
Veer right on Exit 115 (Henderson/Cecilia) proceed to left turn lane
at signal light on to Hwy 352. Proceed down approximately 2 miles
until you reach the levee. You can't miss us we are on the left! 337-228-7512
325 West Mills Avenue
Breaux Bridge, Louisiana 70517
(337) 332-4648
Delcambre (dell-kum) is a small little town but is one of the shrimp capitals of the south. you will travel east from Erath and travel along railroad tracks with little towns like Erath. this is true living of the Cajun ( that you can see) if you have the chance to explore southward along the way you will find houses on stilts (due to Katrina) and how the deep swamp cajuns live. even further south in the basin they have many “Camps” that they hunt and fish at. Louisiana allows one to “Lease” a part of the basin and you can build a camp on. if you were able to get the chance to spend the night out there it would be a memorable experience. especially to take photographs of the sunsets and sun rise.
my dad James “Jim” Hale was one of the photographers that helped to save the Atchafalaya through photographing the beauty of the swamp that people didn’t know was there.
New Iberia is where i grew up (Spanish Lake), as well as lafayette. New Iberia is situated on HWY 182 which is “The Old Spanish Trail” people have found Spanish Doubloons in the woods and such.
New Iberia is a neat Bayou Town with Antebellum homes and plantations. Shadows on the Teche is one of them that has a little Tour
Visitor Center
One of the reasons the Cyan peppers are so hot is they grown on an island of salt. (Avery Island). many of the “Islands” of South Louisiana are formed by Salt floating up. they mine the salt and you eat it every day. also they store OIL in the mines. they say there is enough oil in those mines to run country for many many years. (more than the government would want you to know)
they have made the Tabasco experience quite nice i hear. the Jungle Gardens i have never been to, but maybe i can experience though you.
visitor info
ADMISSION:
One dollar ($1.00) toll to enter onto Island
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1Free recipes, samples and tastings
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2Restrooms available
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3Handicap accessible
TABASCO® PEPPER SAUCE FACTORY TOUR
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1Hours: Monday–Sunday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
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2Pepper Sauce bottling on Monday–Thursday only
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3Closed major holidays
JUNGLE GARDENS AND BIRD CITY
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1Hours: Monday–Sunday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
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2Open every day of the year, including holidays
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3Additional admission fees charged
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4Refreshments available
Brian, i was not with GOD (although HE was with me) when i lived in Louisiana so i don’t know a lot about any old historical churches i know you are fond of seeking out.
Louisiana (King Louis, i (and) Queen Ana) from Spain provided a foundation of orthodox Catholicism to the best of my knowledge. so most churches are Catholic in Louisiana
This stretch is scenic especially if you stick to the old highways and roads. Old Hwy 90 will take you through the little towns. New HWY 90 will take you OVER the swamps in a fast manner. on of La main exports is Oil. and oil rigs. in Morgan City you will see an oil town and even rigs being built off in the water.
Houma is where i was born and my grandmother sill lives on the bayou. keep an eye out for music festivals throughout the trip. always GOOD music and family fun.
Venice is more like the Key West of Louisiana. it is a fishing location
