(click here to start at the beginning of the Grand Trip Out West posts, then click "Newer Post" at the bottom)
Disclaimer:
I'm writing this post for all of Hunter Hayes's fans who might not ever have the chance to see his hometown of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana.
So Hayniacs, this is for you. :)
Everybody else who's been reading through all of the GTOW posts: I don't mind a bit if you just scroll down to the end, which is when we made it home. :)
Anyways! If you're a fan of Hunter Hayes, please watch this video first so you'll know why we went to all these places. The footage is from when Hunter came home about two years ago with a film crew to film a special for GAC.
[Sadly, this first video no longer exists. It was a really sweet montage video on YouTube, edited by arizaazira, and there were many shots of special places in Breaux Bridge. The house in which Hunter grew up, the places where he played music, etc..]
However! If you want to, you can watch the full GAC special here:
Part One |
Part Two |
Part Three |
Part Four
By the way, it's pronounced Bro. Like cool story bro. I mean not like that, but, y'know... #Cajuntalk
You'll want to watch this one, too, starting at 0:43- it's from when Hunter went home during the Radio Tour two years ago.
Driving on Bridge Street
It's pronounced BYE-you Tesh. #Cajuntalk
The Bridge.
The Bayou. It's actually a river, but they call it a bayou.
The ladies at the Visitor's Center were so sweet. We could have listened to them talk all day (wish I could've gotten them on video!). If you ever go by there and tell them you're fans of Hunter, they'll love you to death and give you the special treatment 'cause you're "the Hunter Hayes fan club."
At least that's what they did with us - loaded us up with all sorts of postcards, brochures, souvenirs, etc., and told us how to get to places. :)
(This is across the street from the Visitor's Center.)
Proof! I was there! :)
(There's footage of Hunter under this pavilion in the Florida Week video.)
And of course you have to stop by Meche's. (Pronounced MESHes. #Cajuntalk)
Oh my goodness. They put Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts to SHAME.
[Meche's still has the same great donuts, but the name has since changed to Cajun Market Donut Company.]
The people there are so sweet. We told them we were there because of Hunter, and the lady behind the counter said, "If you go on our website, there's a picture of Hunter with me! He's been coming here since he was a little boy!"
That town loves him to pieces.
One of many special music places in Breaux Bridge: Bayou Boudin & Cracklin and Bayou Cabins Bed & Breakfast.
(Pronounced BOO-dan or BO-dan. #Cajuntalk)
This old flatbed trailer is used as a stage, and Hunter played on it when he was little.
Y'all remember the Breaux Bridge Squirrel on a Seesaw?
Mike Rowe (of the TV show Dirty Jobs) said this place is like a 4-star hotel. I believe him. :)
Then we drove over to Ogden Street to see a very special little house...
(Breaux Bridge is the prettiest little town, by the way.)
414 Ogden Street. The house Hunter and his parents, Mr. Leo and Mrs. Lynette, lived in until they moved to Nashville in 2008.
Isn't it the sweetest little place?
Parc Hardy, home of the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival every May.
Last time Hunter played that festival was in 2010.
(At least, the last time he was there and somebody shot video and put it on YouTube.)
(Pronounced TIB-uh-doe. #Cajuntalk)
St. Bernard's church, where the Hayeses and everybody else in town went to church.
I mean, the rest of the town still goes there.
You know what I mean. :)
So then Sarah had found this place that they went to in the Florida Week video...at least she was pretty sure it was it...and I thought we were on a wild goose chase.
But we weren't.
She was right: it was the Henderson Levee.
See?
Sigh. Green grass.
(We'd just spent the last 6 1/2 weeks in the desert for the most part.)
Heading west on I-10.
Jake Delhomme (NFL football player - and that's pronounced Da-LOME #Cajuntalk) is from Breaux Bridge, and apparently on some other water tower there's a Carolina Panther, since that was the first team he played for.
Rumor has it this is the Hayeses' favorite place to eat.
There's even a (chalkboard) table there, with Hunter's name on it...and a Hunter Hayes burger that he came up with!
When we saw Bayou Boudin & Cracklin earlier that morning, Mr. Rocky and Mrs. Lisa Sonnier (the owners - pronounced SAWN-yay. #Cajuntalk) weren't there for some reason. We went back to see if they were there (they still weren't) and Sarah happened to turn the knob on the door to the porch.
Sure enough, it was open.
The porch at BB&C is a special place - it's where all the Cajun musicians gather when the weather won't allow them to be outside. Hunter played with them for years.
See?
This porch is also where Hunter met people like Hank Williams, Jr. and Robert Duvall.
In fact, it's where Hank gave Hunter his mandolin.
Jo-EL Sonnier is Mr. Rocky's brother. He's a famous Cajun musician.
You might enjoy this video, too, from April 2013, when Hunter went home...to play his hometown arena! The footage from when he received the painting, etc., was shot at Bayou Boudin & Cracklin.
And then we went to Pont Breaux's!
Which used to be called Mulate's.
(Pronounced MEU-lots. #Cajuntalk #thatoneshardtopronounce #andevenhardertospellphonetically)
[It was in the video. Hunter walked through the doorway that I was standing in to take this picture.]
And this is where he played when he was 2 1/2.
Lee Benoit (pronounced BEN-wah #Cajuntalk) and his band, The Bayou Stompers, play there every Friday night.
Mama and I got grilled shrimp, Daddy got seafood gumbo, and Sarah got chicken and sausage gumbo.
It was good, simple Cajun food.
And hearing people with Cajun accents around us was wonderful. :)
I think you'll recognize this little guy...
:)
Quite the list!
Hayniacs...before you leave...I think you'll also enjoy pictures and video from the Hunter Hayes concert we went to in Biloxi, Mississippi in April 2013!
Hunter Hayes at the Crawfish Festival 4.21.2013 | Biloxi, Mississippi Concert Photography
So we headed for home after lunch...
This is the Atchafalaya Basin.
(Pronounced A-TCHA-fa-LYE-uh. #Cajuntalk)
It's like a sneeze...and not a brain sneeze, like Uncle Si said... #DuckDynastyQuotes
Somebody please tell me, is this Death Valley?
'Cause it sure looks like it.
And then we made it home.
6 1/2 weeks on the road...7,000+ miles...47 days...5,183 pictures
too many memories to count.
The last day was one of our favorites.
There's no place like home!
Thank y'all for following us along on our trip!
For the love of travel, and even more than that, home,
Rebekah
