7 Wonders of Lafayette

I just came back from a lovely trip to the Capital of Acadiana, Lafayette, Louisiana. I went to visit my friend Michael and see his new home, nestled right in the leafy bosom of USL.

Here are a few highlights:

1.Supertarget- The chief tourist attraction of Lafayette. I had heard tales of it, but really didn't believe it until I saw it myself.
It's like a regular Target....but with meat!

2.Alesi's Pizza- Lafayette's oldest Pizzaria, so I was told, entirely staffed by Mexicans for 50 or so years. There's a beautiful neon sign of an Italian (or is that Eye-talian?) tossing a pizza pie into the air. Or maybe it's a sombrero. Who knows. Very good pizza all the same.

3.USL's gator habitat- (i. e. Campus)- The university surrounds a lovely man-made swamp, complete with alligators and garfish, where buxom, middle aged women in black chiffon, sequins and high heels walk their miniature dogs and children on Saturday afternoons.

4.River Ranch- A huge "new urbanism" development near Lafayette. Imagine Houston meets Eurodisney plopped down, as if by aliens, in the middle of cane fields.....
and then walled.

5.Borden's Ice Cream Parlor - half a century or more years of bad wallpaper.

6. Steak and Tamales- a restaurant from Alabama, I believe I was told. Who's ever heard of such a thing? I certainly haven't. I didn't eat there, but had to ask. The tamales did not get very good reviews, but the fish, I was told, was excellent.

7. The drive-thru Chik-Filet. Unbelievable! We just don't see that sort of thing here. Of course the tourists were packed there. It was a riot scene. It's the size of at least two ordinary Chik-Filets....and, did I mention, there's a drive through! The menu is much more expansive (fruit salad!) And, most amazingly, it's completely staffed and patronized by whites.
Remarkable.