In the spring of 2023, while making our way from Brownsville to Camp Cardinal, we had many short stops throughout the southeast. A lot of these stops were at Boondockers Welcome spots, and due to those being private property we don’t review them, but some were not. One of the most memorable stops, if only for the weather, was the Atchafalaya Welcome Center, in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana.
The Atchafalaya Welcome Center, at its core, is little more than an extra-special highway rest stop. The welcome center has a large semi-level parking lot and a small attached museum. While Mom and Dad didn’t experience the museum, the kids did. The Boy said that it wasn’t very eventful, but he enjoyed the wooden animals and educational film about the bayou ecosystem. The Girl enjoyed an exhibit with a noise-making raccoon and frog and also learning about the Bayou ecosystem.
Atchafalaya Welcome Center, Nested in a Beautiful Ecosystem
Speaking of bayous, the drive to and from Atchafalaya on I-10 was some of the most beautiful driving we’ve experienced. Through the area, I-10 was elevated over the bayous, with modestly untouched wild areas to either side of the road. The driving was so easy that Mom even took a turn at the wheel.
The most memorable part of the trip was the rain! Coming from western Washington, we’re no strangers to rain. Many people who come from there jokingly refer to our seasons as summer (two weeks, in August), road construction ( about 2 months), and The Grey ( everything else). Louisiana took all the rain Washington experiences during “The Grey” and condensed it into 2 days! The bus is fairly watertight, but we had rain seeping in from the bottom of our windows! Most memorably, as we were leaving the welcome center we had to go under the freeway to take the ramp we needed. The puddle under the freeway was so deep it crested the bottom step! Thankfully our next stop was a Boondockers Welcome host, who let us hook up to power so we could run our dehumidifiers and mini splits to dry out!
Despite the dampness, the location and scenic nature make the Atchafalaya Welcome Center a great spot as you’re circling the Gulf Coast. We can’t wait to go back and spend more time in Louisiana.