Cavaliers Get Familiar with Bayou des Familles

The Cavaliers hold a ride planning meeting twice a year, and in July it was time to get together and plan a ride calendar for the fall and winter. True to form, the Cavaliers would rather ride than hold a stuffy meeting, so we took a little trip to Crown Point on July 27 and held our meeting over lunch at beautiful Restaurant des Familles, named for the scenic bayou it overlooks.

The group met at the Phoenix for the short afternoon ride across the river.

-Lance rode his 2001 Suzuki Marauder 800
-Mark and Collin rode Mark's 1998 Honda Shadow 750
-Doug rode his 1998 Honda Shadow 750
-George rode his 2003 Honda Shadow ACE
-Guy rode his 2001 Harley-Davidson Road King
-Michael D. rode his 1999 Honda Shadow 750
-David and Michael W. rode David's 1996 Honda Gold Wing SE

We were particularly pleased to have Collin along for his first official buddy ride with the Cavaliers.

Our route took us over the Crescent City Connection to Barataria Boulevard. We followed Hwy 45 south to the town of Estelle, where the main Lafitte-Larose Highway turns off. Rather than take the fast road, we stayed on Hwy 45 and followed the slow road where dozens of home sites are being carved out of the swampland. The road winds through Jean Lafitte Park, before curving back to the main highway right at our destination.

We stopped at Restaurant des Familles for lunch. The restaurant has a quaint country cottage appearance in the Creole style from the highway. But upon entering the restaurant, you're transported into this beautiful modern space, with soaring cathedral ceilings, stained glass, and a wall of windows facing picturesque Bayou des Familles. We sat at lunch admiring the postcard-perfect scenery and the wildlife that is part of the bayou's ecosystem.

The restaurant has a great menu of creole and contemporary favorites. We all ate ourselves silly with appetizers, gumbos, entrees and the most delicious desserts. The food and service were excellent.

After ordering, we discussed some ride ideas for our fall and winter ride calendar. Doug suggested riding to the Global Wildlife Center in Folsom. Mark suggested a ride to the casino in Marksville. George suggested the Flint Creek Campground near Wiggins, MS, where his VW club has been in the past. Guy said he enjoyed the Grand Isle ride and wanted to go again. Mike suggested a day ride to Natchez, MS. Collin suggested an overnight ride to Pensacola, FL. And Mark said he wanted to return to the Taste of Bavaria restaurant near Ponchatoula.

We also looked at a long list of festivals and other events from September through December. Popular choices included the Biloxi Seafood Festival, the Baton Rouge State Fair, the Ponchatoula Oktoberfest, and the Bonfire Festival in Lutcher.

Some of these events will make our monthly ride calendar, some will become lagniappe rides, and others will be saved for the spring. We'll be posting our fall and winter ride calendar soon. Check our Events page for details.

After lunch, most of the group headed back to New Orleans, while Mark and Collin rode along with David and Michael W. to follow the highway down to the end of the road at Lafitte. The mixture of old fishing camps and spectacular new homes makes Lafitte an interesting ride. We turned around at the fishing pier at the end of the road and retraced our path home.