Music, cultural experiences and good times are incessant affairs on the bayou. But the serious tourist who wants the real authentic stuff or the best Acadiana offers won't discover it all from a brochure or the local tourist bureau. In fact, when an uninformed visitor first enters the city of Lafayette, the "heart of Cajun Country," she or he could feel disillusioned, even cheated.

Take the Evangeline Throughway exit off I-10 West from New Orleans and you officially enter the "Gateway to L...