I have spent all of my entire 22 years in Lafayette and I have seen the city change a lot in that time. When I am not spending hours on end writing an essay or reading books for said essay, I am exploring what past times our unique city has to offer.
Lafayette has a lot of really cool places that are worth checking out whenever some free time comes your way. It can be fun to discover what new experiences your hometown has to offer.
An entire day can be spent downtown exploring all the local businesses that line the streets. Some of my favorites places to pop into are Lagniappe Records and Cavalier House Books to find a record I have been hunting and a new favorite read. The science museum has also been a staple since my childhood and I always have a great time looking at all the exhibits. Let’s not also forget the library which can be a quiet place to cool down and explore all the books and is always my first stop when I go downtown.
Some of my first memories of downtown were of going to see the kids movies they would show outside at night. I can still see little me sitting in her fold out chair watching “Shrek” or another movie that would be showing.
In April I always look forward to Festival International de Louisiane because it is a way for me to relax before the stress of finals takes over every waking moment of my life. Festival International combines a few of my favorite things together with music, trying new food and walking around the vendor booths admiring all the cool art. Also, at the festival I always see at least one person I have not seen in a while and we catch up on life. Just remember it gets hot, always have water on you and wear sunscreen.
Another local bookstore to check out is the Book Rack of Acadiana for used books. I like to go there and see what books they have acquired. I especially enjoy the wide selection of science fiction. I know that when I go in there I will be leaving with at least one book in hand to put on my to be reading list.
When I was in middle and high school one of my favorite places to go on the weekends and in the summer with friends was Girard Park. This is another place that has strong childhood memories of going to see the ducks.
What I have always enjoyed about the park is how big it is and the activities that can be done there. From playing tennis (I tried one time and failed miserably due to poor hand eye coordination) to relaxing in the grass or observing people playing frisbee.It is nice now that I go to school within walking distance from the park and hopefully one day when I have an empty schedule I can enjoy the park once more.
I have mentioned my love of movie theaters before and the Grande Theater is a place I have seen countless movies. As convenient as it is to just watch a movie on streaming, the benefit for me of going to see a movie is I am off my phone for a bit and enjoying something that is not social media. I love watching a movie with an Icee and a bag of buttery popcorn in hand, ready to enjoy the show.
Some of my favorite movies I have seen in theaters are the classics they will sometimes show such as “Citizen Kane” (1941, one of my favorite movies) and watching the most recent adaptation of “Little Women” (2019).
The Hilliard Art Museum is another place that is special to me and I think it is really cool that I can get in for free with my student ID. I like just wandering around the museum admiring all the beautiful and interesting art that is on display. One of the things I know is that when I go to the museum I will learn a new fact that I did not know before.
As I have gotten older I have started to appreciate Lafayette more and what this city has to offer. I hope to keep discovering what my hometown has to offer.