Breakfast done, we return to our room, pack the X3 and drive eastward. Before leaving Houston, however, I want to see BBVA Compass Stadium, where the Dynamo play their home MLS matches.
The Stadium is just across a Freeway from the Downtown area. It should be an easy matter to fly into Houston, stay in a Downtown Hotel, visit the Art Museum we missed this trip and see a match, not to mention visit Julia again.
We get back on the highway and head east. The journey is non-descript. Perfectly straight and flat. A little after noon, we check out our lunch options and decide on Cracker Barrel: we must visit this Southern staple at least once on every journey to this part of the country. Lunch is filling.
Back on the road, we finish the trip to Lafayette at the Mouton Plantation. We check-in to the Empire Loft. Quite cozy! There is a small bit of concern as we ascend the stairs and find a very small double bed, but heave a sigh of relief when we see the larger bed at the other end of the room. This small one is just a day bed, or an extra bed for children. We unpack for our two-night stay and rest up until 4:30, cocktail hour.
The Mouton is refurbished from its hey-day in the 1800's. Our loft is separate from the main building which has the typical plantation facade (stately columns).
Breakfast Room Table |
We join the host, a Cajun who plays violin and sings, outside on the patio. The hostess mixes us Mint Juleps. The host is a real character and is very entertaining. After an hour and a half of singing, stories, chatting and good cheer, we head back to the room and change for dinner at Don's Seafood Restaurant in downtown Lafayette. The food is good: Amy has the broiled catfish while I eat the crab-stuffed shrimp. As usual, we eat too much. We head back to the Mouton and retire, stuffed.