Eunice, Louisiana

Travel yesterday took me to Eunice, Louisiana, via Alexandria and Chicot State Park. I had never been to Alexandria before, and I thought I might write a post about the town, known for being quite “central” in the state. But honestly, I didn’t see much there worth writing about. If anyone knows anything fun or interesting about Alexandria, please let me know and I may revisit it.

I had been to Chicot State Park before, and it is lovely. You can read my original post about the park here. The purpose of that first trip was exclusively to kayak. This trip was dedicated to hiking. Chicot is home to the Louisiana State Arboretum.

 

We meandered through miles of hardwood forests, stands of pine, and marshy bottomlands. The park is as wonderful on foot as it is paddling through the water.

 

Later in the afternoon, we explored the town of Eunice, named for founder C.C. Duson’s wife. Considering how small the town is, there’s surprisingly a lot to do. Eunice boasts three diverse museums. There’s the Cajun Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

The Eunice Depot Museum, chock full of interesting antiques and other historically significant items.

 

And, curiously, a Nutcracker Museum.

But the town’s center of entertainment is the historic Liberty Theater. Notice the handsome guy holding up the pole.

 

Each Saturday evening, the Liberty features Cajun Music artists. The show is broadcast live on radio and TV. In front of the stage is a dance floor, and the dancers are as entertaining as the musicians. The songs are sung in French and the emcee speaks mostly in French, so of course, I couldn’t understand most of what was said/sung. Is it any wonder I sometimes say I feel like I live in a foreign country?  The announcer did say, briefly in English, that the Liberty Theater is like the Grand Ole Opry of Cajun Country. Troy LeJeune and Cajun Review performed last night.

 

Have you been to Eunice? What were your experiences?

Chicot State Park

I had wanted to go to Chicot State Park ever since a friend of mine raved about it a couple years ago. So when my paddling club planned a trip there yesterday, I jumped at the opportunity. I didn’t see the whole park, but from what I did see, namely a camping area, the boat launch, and several trail heads, it is indeed lovely. The park is home to the Louisiana State Arboretum. There are also cabins and a swimming pool. It’s north of Crowley, east a bit of Pine Prairie, mostly in the middle of nowhere.

Something unique about Chicot, from a paddler’s perspective, is their canoe trail. Unlike a hiking trail through the woods, a canoe trail has no beaten path. You just follow the signs, paddling from one sign to the next.

The lily pads and duck weed grew so thick in some places of this swamp, we struggled to get through it. But the flowers are beautiful.

We meandered slowly, taking it all in. Cypress and tupelo gum trees provided cooling shade and protection from the sun.

We saw several blue herons and oodles of dragonflies. Oddly, we saw no turtles. We saw no alligators or snakes. And surprisingly, no mosquitoes. The greatest threat to a paddler is this . . .

Wasps. And we saw lots of them. Their nests hang from low tree branches. If you touch them, or accidentally knock them with your paddle, they’ll attack. Your only hope is to retreat beneath the water and hide under the boat until they lose interest. I hope I never witness or experience this first hand.

I wonder what happened to this luna moth’s right tail wing?

These roots of a cypress tree are called knees.

I’ve been kayaking a year now, and this was my most enjoyable paddle thus far. Louisiana has so many beautiful places. I look forward to my next visit to Chicot State Park. Have you been there? What were your impressions and experiences?