Cavaliers make news in Lafayette

The weather was wet but the smiles were just as wide as the Cavaliers returned home in the rain from Lafayette after an overnight ride to the Festival International de Louisiane on April 24-25. The event was attended by members and friends of the Cavaliers, as well as several members of the New Orleans Bears and Bear Trappers Social club.

Cavaliers President David Lester and New Orleans Bears member Michael Hummel were both interviewed at the festival's main stage by a reporter from KLFY-TV Channel 10. The segment ran on the station's 6 pm newscast.

The ride began Saturday morning at the Phoenix, with seven bikes carrying 10 riders and buddies. Cavaliers member Michael D. led the ride to Lafayette, along with Cavaliers members Doug, Poncho, and David. Diane and Julie came along on their first Cavaliers ride. Susan, Michael H., and Michael W. were buddy riders along with Doc, Poncho, and David. While there they also ran into Adam, Dale, and Dave from the New Orleans Bears.

The group made quick time along I-10 to Lafayette on Saturday under sunny skies, crossing the Bonnet Carre Spillway, zipping through Baton Rouge, and flying across the Atchafalaya Basin bridge. After a quick hotel check-in the group headed to the festival.

Festival International turned out to be a true delight, spread across the charming downtown section of Lafayette, featuring the food, langauge, and music of French culture in South Louisiana and around the world. The festival is anchored by two main stages at either end of downtown, with several smaller stages scattered throughout. Along the way were dozens of food booths and art and craft vendors. While the festival attracted large numbers of people, the attractions were spread over a large enough area to avoid overcrowding. Best of all, there is no entry fee to enter the festival, and city parking garages were free. There even was a special parking lot designated for motorcycles.

The music was wonderful, with artists representing South Louisiana as well as more than a dozen countries, with most performances in French or English. Even more diverse was the absolutely awesome food, with vendors presenting a vast array of tasty dishes. The Cavaliers sampled more than a dozen dishes and none disappointed. The best among them were the crab cakes and the fried catfish topped with a spicy seafood etouffe.

Many in the Cavaliers group felt Festival International was among the best festivals they'd attended, with great food, great music, plenty of room to wander around, and no admission fee. Some compared it favorably with the French Quarter Festival and the New Orleans Jazz Fest. Some even felt it exceeded these events.

The group spent Saturday afternoon wandering the festival grounds, eating themselves silly. After a while they tired out and headed back to the hotel for a siesta, making it just in time before a heavy rain washed over the Lafayette area. The storm passed by early evening, letting them head out again to the festival refreshed and ready for more delicasies. They spent the next several hours listening to great music and eating great food, before settling in to visit Lafayette's downtown gay bars, which were right in the middle of all the festival action.

Their first stop was Jules Downtown. It was a bit early and a bit quiet for a Saturday night, but they grabbed a few drinks and settled themselves at a few tables in the main bar. As the time passed the crowd began growing steadily. Jules attracts a younger crowd of gay men and lesbians, and has a nice dance floor in the rear.

After a while they made a change of pace and walked a few blocks down the street to the Sound Factory. They settled into the comfortable armchairs in the quiet bar on one side of this large establishment, which caters to a slightly more mature crowd of mostly gay men. As the evening wore on, it was time to head back to the hotel.

The group rose early Sunday and had breakfast at the hotel breakfast buffet. It was a great time to relive the previous day's experiences at the festival and talk about motorcycles and plans for future rides. By the time the group was ready to leave Lafayette, there was a steady rain which followed the group much of the way back to New Orleans. After a gas stop in Prairieville, the group made it only a few miles further before the rain grew heavier. They pulled in to the next rest area to wait out the passing shower in a picnic shelter, only to find the benches and tables crawling with venomous buckmoth caterpillars. The group made it safely back to New Orleans by mid afternoon Sunday.