Tourists from Colorado enjoy visit to New Iberia

Published 6:00 am Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Attracting tourists is always a priority for New Iberia city officials and many local organizations.

The Books Along the Teche Literary Festival recently brought in hundreds of book lovers to town to see the sights that James Lee Burke’s Dave Robicheaux has seen in his many novels.

This weekend, Cycle Zydeco is expected to bring in hundreds of cycling enthusiasts who will see the sights of New Iberia at the same time as El Festival Español de Nueva Iberia, the city’s annual Spanish festival.

The World Championship Gumbo Cookoff brings in tourists who want to sample some of the best gumbo in the state, and the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival attracts people dedicated to one of Louisiana’s most important exports.

There are plenty of events, festivals, performances and concerts throughout the year, and each one brings in people from out of town, out of state and sometimes even out of country who experience New Iberia for the first time.

Sometimes, though, tourists come to town just out of curiosity.

That was the case Monday afternoon, when Susan Mccannon, Ed Stump, Jan Vilkaitis and Larry Routten decided to park near Main Street and explore New Iberia’s downtown for the first time.

The group of friends are Golden, Colorado, residents who frequently travel the southern United States for music concerts and general fun. The group had made their way to New Iberia Monday as a precursor to this weekend’s Jazz Festival in New Orleans.

“We love to travel, and we love to travel to places we haven’t been before,” Routten said.

“We started south of Austin, we kind of travel for music,” Mccannon said. “We looked on the map and read some of the travel sites and it said New Iberia has some cool stuff going on. We’re in town just kind of poking around.”

It was a first-time experience that all four agreed was a unique one.

“We had lunch at Victor’s (Cafeteria), they were charming. We went to the (Books Along the Teche) bookstore and they were great,” Mccannon said.

Routten and Vikaitis even bought a few James Lee Burke novels at Books Along the Teche. Routten said he had never read one of Burke’s books, but Vikaitis was an avid reader years ago.

There was a tinge of disappointment after being told about the Books Along the Teche Literary Festival, which happened just a few weeks ago and celebrates all things Dave Robicheaux.

“It’s an interesting little town, we’ve had good experiences,” Mccannon said. “The history, the culture, the art, we like all of that.”

Main Street itself was a high point for the group. From the historic buildings in the business district to the large oak trees further down. The group was on their way to Shadows-on-the-Teche and would no doubt be even further blown away by the landscape surrounding the plantation home.

The food, culture and friendly faces made the trip worthwhile for the group, and who knows? Maybe another trip down the road would be in store in the foreseeable future.