Need a Reset? These 4 Lafayette Spots Don’t Require a Road Trip
(LAFAYETTE, LA) - Some days you don't need a beach trip or a weekend out of town, you just need twenty minutes somewhere quiet. The good news is Lafayette has more of those spots than people give it credit for, and none of them require getting on the interstate.
Cypress Lake Is Hiding in Plain Sight on UL's Campus
If you've never walked the boardwalk around Cypress Lake on the UL Lafayette campus, you're missing one of the most peaceful little pockets in the city. It's a small cypress swamp right in the middle of campus, complete with a pier and a quarter mile loop that takes you over the water. Surrounded by the student union and other buildings, you can sometimes forget you're still in town. Go early in the morning or right before sunset and it barely feels like you're still in the city. It's free, it's easy to get to, and it's proof you don't have to drive to the Basin to feel like you're in one.
Moncus Park Gives You 100 Acres to Wander
Moncus Park has quickly become one of my favorite places to clear my head. It's open every day from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the back fifty acres open sunrise to sunset for the unlit trails. Between the wooded ravines, Lake Reaux, the walking paths, and just having room to breathe, it doesn't feel like a typical city park. There are a few cement benches that my wife and I 'claimed' as ours and can just decompress beside the pond. Grab a coffee, park in the newly-expanded parking lot. You don't need a plan, that's kind of the point.
The Nature Station Is a Real Slice of Forest Off Louisiana Avenue
Acadiana Park Nature Station sits on 110 acres in the northeast part of town, tucked back off East Alexander Street near the Louisiana Avenue exit off I-10. The nature trails are open every day from dawn to dusk, and the station itself runs 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. With more than three miles of trail between the North and South loops, this is the closest thing Lafayette has to real backwoods without leaving the city limits. Admission is free, and honestly, if you want to actually forget you're in a city for an hour, this is the spot.
READ MORE: ULTIMATE LAFAYETTE RUNNING AND WALKING TRAILS GUIDE
Sometimes the Getaway Is a Hotel Pool
This one might sound funny, but hear me out. Some of the best "vacation without leaving town" days I've had were just an afternoon by a hotel pool. There are plenty of hotels in the area that offer a pool, and after checking in, you might even forget you're still in town. You don't have to fly anywhere to get that lounge chair, sunshine, and quiet feeling, sometimes a change of scenery a few minutes from your own house is all it takes.
You don't need a passport or a tank of gas to feel like you got away for a little while. Pick one of these, turn your phone on do not disturb, and give yourself the afternoon.
Things You MUST Experience When Visiting Lafayette, Louisiana
Gallery Credit: Joe Cunningham
