Louisiana is a great place for an adventure. Filled with many trees, lakes, and spectacular scenery, this state is a trailblazer’s paradise. If you’re looking to enjoy a peaceful slice of nature, here are five popular walking paths and hiking trails in the Lafayette area for you to enjoy.
1. Bayou Vermillion Nature Trail
The Bayou Vermilion Nature Trail is a lovely walking trail where you can enjoy a pleasant stroll with your family. Along the path, you can get up-close and personal with wildlife such as otters, snakes, and wild mushrooms. This rustic trail follows the Vermillion River and is perfect for getting lost in nature. It’s also an ideal spot for walking your dog or taking a quick jog.
2. Acadiana Park Nature Station
The Acadiana Park Nature Station is the perfect destination for hikers of all skill levels. You can enjoy a soothing hike through densely wooded forests as you share the tranquility with animals such as squirrels, birds, and raccoons. Some of the trails have elevated boardwalks with plenty of shade, which is great for hikers who do not want to get their shoes too muddy.
The midsize SUV class is quite competitive, but the new 2020 Chevy Blazer holds its own with impressive features. It comes as a largely competitive SUV with agile handling and sporty driving characteristics. It falls on the segment’s stylish side, battling it out with Nissan Murano and the Ford Edge. Let’s look at some of the reasons drivers love the new Chevy Blazer.
1. Stylish Exterior
The new Blazer introduces a muscular inspiration of a sleek sports car into the crossover segment. The cool exterior design borrows heavily from Camaro. It features a large hexagonal grille, ultra-thin LED daytime running lights, and angular lines that add a hint of sportiness.
Though drivers have an option of up to nine colors, the gorgeous Red Hot shade blends with the design cues and highlights the SUV’s sporty undertones.
2. Impressive Performance
With up to six trims and three engines available, the performance varies greatly. The Blazer features a standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, which produces 193 horsepower. There’s a 2.5-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine producing 230-hp, and an optional 3.6-liter V-6 capable of 308 horsepower.
All three engines are mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission.
Plan Your Trip to Zoosiana: 5 Tips for Visitors
Planning any kind of trip these days is difficult, particularly if you want to visit an attraction such as a zoo or museum. For this reason, if you’re considering a trip to Zoosiana, be sure to follow these tips to make your experience the best it can be.
Operating Days and Hours
This attraction, also known as the Zoo of Acadiana, is open every day of the week, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. There are some holidays that have limited hours and others when the zoo is entirely closed. For instance, on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, the zoo is open for only three hours, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The attraction is closed on New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
Admission Fees
Admission to the zoo is $14.99 for visitors 13 years old and older. For children between the ages of three and 12, the rate is $9.99, and children under age three are free. Seniors who are at least 55 years old pay the discounted rate of $13.99. The zoo increases its price for special events, but these fees vary. You can also become a member for $29.99 per adult and $19.99 per child to get unlimited visits for a year.
If you want your Chevrolet to run for a long time, keeping up on maintenance is essential. When it comes time for service, you may wonder whether it is better to take your car to the dealership or the corner garage. While service from a local garage may temporarily save you money, there are a few considerations to make before settling on your final decision on where to buy Chevrolet parts.
1. OEM Parts Are Better Than Aftermarket Parts
When you order car parts from a dealer, you know that you’re getting Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts. If you take your car to a local shop for repair, there is a chance you will get aftermarket parts, which are products that are not sourced from Chevrolet.
While these parts are made to work the same, having aftermarket parts installed in your car will usually void its warranty. There is also no knowing how well these parts genuinely perform.
2. Dealerships Are Organized
When you order parts from a dealership, you can count on them to keep perfect records of your car’s maintenance history. Documents come in handy when you’re ready to sell or trade.
If you cannot provide maintenance records or proof of original parts, you may not get as much money back, despite whether your car is truly worth a specific price.
Lafayette is a wonderful place to visit. There’s something for everyone. If you happen to be visiting with the family, then you’ll be happy to hear that there is no shortage of fun and interesting things to do with your kids. Here are 10 of the best for you to consider.
1. Kart Ranch
Kids of all ages can enjoy the attractions at Kart Ranch. It has:
- Go Karts and Kiddie Karts
- Bump ‘N’ Blast Boats
- Adventure Golf
- Batting Cages
- Kiddie Train
- Battle Botz
- Indoor Soft Play Area
- Arcade
- Water Wars
- Castle Clash
2. Southern Stone Indoor Climbing
Newbies, as well as experienced wall climbers, are welcome. There are harnesses, climbing shoes, and chalk bags for rent. Please note that, due to pandemic restrictions, children under 5 are not currently allowed in the building, and others under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
3 Reasons Drivers Love the 2020 Cadillac XT5
The 2020 Cadillac XT5 has a lot going for it: a powerful engine with a silky-smooth ride, plenty of cargo space, and a stylish aerodynamic exterior. This year’s model features some tech upgrades, both standard and optional.
Your Choice of Two Powerful Engines
The base engine of the XT5 is a 2.0 L turbocharged engine with four cylinders that gets you 237 horsepower and 258 foot-pounds of torque. It comes paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission. Standard is a front-wheel drive, but you can upgrade to all-wheel drive if you’re going to be navigating through unstable or slippery surfaces. The all-wheel drive goes from 0-60 miles per hour in 7.5 seconds.
If you’re feeling like you need a little more zip in your drive, there is also a 3.6 L V6 that delivers 319 horsepower and 271-foot pounds of torque. This gets you from 0-60 in 6.4 seconds but costs a little more at the gas pump. The front-wheel-drive gets 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway, all-wheel-drive gets 25 mpg highway.
Spacious Interior
You’ve got plenty of room for all your stuff in the XT5, with 30.2 cubic feet of space behind the second row. If that’s not enough you can fold that row down for 63 cubic feet of space. There’s plenty of legroom, too: 41.2 inches for the front row, and 36.6 for the second row.
3 Best Day Trips to Take Near Lafayette, LA
Located roughly halfway between Houston and New Orleans, Lafayette LA is a good base for embarking on day trips around Louisiana and the surrounding states. If you want to learn more about jazz and French colonial history, New Orleans is the place to go, while for those looking for some Texan vibes and a bustling city, heading down to Houston is the best choice. These are some great ideas of places to go within a few hours from Lafayette.
1. New Orleans, LA
The city of New Orleans is not only popular among inhabitants of Lafayette and other cities in Louisiana, but also among visitors from the rest of the United States and other countries around the world. New Orleans is the most populated city in the state, and its historic French Quarter is lined with fine examples of Spanish Creole and French colonial buildings. This city is also considered the birthplace of jazz, so there is a lively music scene all year-round.
One of the most popular places to visit while in New Orleans is Bourbon Street in the heart of the French Quarter, with many restaurants, bars, cafes, and shops catering to visitors from all around the world. Not far from here, the St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson is considered the oldest Cathedral in North America, dating back from the early 18th Century. Also popular among tourists, Frenchmen Street is known for its live music performances.
2. Houston, TX
The drive from Lafayette to downtown Houston takes a little over three hours, so you will have to wake up early to have some time to explore the city on a day trip. As the most populous city in the state of Texas and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the entire United States, Houston has many touristic attractions and an interesting mixture of cultures that make it worth a visit.
Some of the most exciting places to visit while in Houston include the Museum of Natural Science, the Discovery Green Park, and the JPMorgan Tower’s observation deck. However, the NASA Space Center is the number one attraction for most visitors. This place opened its doors in 1992 and has one of the largest collections of space artifacts. If you are visiting the Space Center, you can avoid the traffic of downtown Houston, as it is located on the outskirts of the city.
Top 6 Features of the 2020 Chevy Equinox
The 2020 Chevy Equinox is changing the game with an impressive lineup of next-generation safety features. The onboard Chevrolet Safety Assist technologies have been designed to ensure that both drivers and passengers can relax and enjoy each journey, knowing that they will arrive safely at their destination.
1. Forward-Collision Alert
This safety system alerts drivers if it detects the possibility of a frontal collision so that immediate action can be taken to avoid an accident. If the driver comes too close to the vehicle ahead, the system will also provide a tailgating alert so that a safe following distance can be restored. Should the driver fail to take action, then the Automatic Emergency Braking System will engage.
2. Automatic Emergency Braking
The onboard AEB system was designed to save lives in the event of an unforeseen emergency on the road. Built-in camera technology continually scans the road ahead for danger. When traveling at speeds under 50 miles per hour, the system will automatically engage the brakes if the driver fails to do so and an imminent collision is possible.
Lake Martin is an 800-acre lake located inside the Cypress Island Preserve, just seven miles from Lafayette in southern Louisiana. It’s a beautiful swampy ecosystem teeming with wildlife and unique vegetation that is loved by locals and thousands of visitors every year. The preserve includes over 9,500 acres of bottomland hardwood forest habitat and cypress-and-tupelo swamp and is easily accessed by car.
Birds and Other Wildlife
The flooded forest is home to the largest nesting colony of waterbirds in Louisiana and is regularly listed as one of the best places to view birds in the country. Packed with over 200 species, visitors can expect to see species such as great blue heron, roseate spoonbill, white ibis, and the snowy egret.
Private bird watching tours are available for eager birders upon request. Read the rest of this entry »
5 Top Features of the 2020 Chevrolet Spark
The 2020 Chevrolet Spark with a hatchback combines style, 1.4L four-cylinder Ecotec engine, and safety alert systems, giving you a sleek four-seat vehicle perfect for traveling with loved ones. You can effortlessly park this subcompact car with its short overhangs and a rear-vision camera, enhancing your and other road-users’ convenience. Improved fuel economy, excellent maneuverability, and a modern interface system ensure you keep boredom at bay as you ride with ease.
Safety and Security Capabilities
The higher trims offer a premium warning and security functions that allow you to drive without compromising your safety.
This Chevrolet presents power locks and windows, ten airbags, stability control, lane-departure warning, a rearview camera, and anti-lock brakes in the impressive Driver Confidence package. Read the rest of this entry »

