Natalie Chustz and her husband planned a staycation in the heart of Cajun Country and she shared their experience with us for our featured guest post.
My husband and I recently celebrated our 8th anniversary. Traditionally, we like to go on a little vacation/getaway for our anniversary. We have visited Fredericksburg, Texas, Hot Springs, Arkansas, and little places here and there. We have never experienced a staycation/hometowncation– yes, I just made that word up. We decided to save a little bit of money and try it out!
Mr. and Mrs. Chustz headed to Ragin Cajun country and visited some local places while finding some new things to try.
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The rental we found was an AIRBNB (Conveniently located Lush 1 Bedroom with California King) which was actually one we stayed at in March for one night and loved our quick stay then. This rental was clean, cozy, in the heart of Acadiana, and we got a really good deal since they were changing ownership. For $80 a night, this is a steal and you will not find this quality and bang for your buck with other rentals or hotels in the area.
My husband surprised me with some wine from William and Chris Vineyards in Fredericksburg. Since we were saving money and not doing a big trip, he figured he would bring something from our first anniversary to us. Friday night was just a night for us to hang out, catch up, and enjoy being without the kiddo and our puppy.
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On Saturday, we decided to have a quick breakfast so we could set out to “explore”, as our 5 year old states sometimes when at new places. We had some leftover cinnamon bread from Great Harvest Bread Company. We researched where our UL bricks would be and set off to find them. The AIRBNB was the perfect location because we were only a short block away from the UL campus. We found our bricks and then made our way explore the new Student Union, the bookstore, and then headed to the UL QUAD. I spent lots of time in the QUAD since most of my classes were at Maxim Doucet Hall since I was an education major. They had a STEM kid camp going on this Saturday and it was great to see the kids' experiments in action when we were walking through campus.
All the walking and beautiful weather made us hungry for a quick lunch and Bloody Mary. We decided to go to one of our favorites, Spoonbill. Before the name change and menu change it was called the Filling Station. I remember going there as a kid with my dad and a few times with my husband and dad before the name change. We were there a few months ago for an evening drink, but we never had lunch there together. We decided to get the crab quesadillas, spring rolls, and a Bloody Mary.
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After lunch, we decided to go back to the AIRBNB to rest and relax before our evening. I decided to do my Freedom Bible Study while my hubby took a short nap. At 3pm, we had a reservation at Painting with a Twist. My husband and I wanted to do something different; therefore, we decided to give it a try. All in all, we had a fun time and learned a few things about each other in regards to artistic talents. I became very impatient with my artwork and my husband was just the opposite. He enjoyed focusing on his artwork and letting his creativity flow.
Sunday morning quickly came and it was time for us to enjoy a nice, quiet, and simple breakfast before church and getting our son. Andrew cooked some eggs and toast with a side of cranberry juice. After breakfast, we had a little relaxing time before we headed to church. We decided to attend First Baptist of Lafayette since we needed to meet up with my sister who was watching our son over the weekend. The sermon was very nice and something we needed to hear as a family. After that, we visited my aunt and uncle who live Downtown and headed back home to get ready for the work week.
My dear friend, Katie, owner and founder of Katie Kennels, kept our crazy pup over the weekend. He had a good time playing with other animals and she dropped him back off home before we got back in town. Overall, I would recommend her in a heartbeat with anyone’s fur babies. She goes above and beyond and treats your fur babies just like her own.
If you are contemplating a staycation/hometowncation, GO FOR IT! I am so glad we did not cancel this trip at the last moment. We needed time to reconnect, relax, and recharge. Especially when life gets hard with a little boy and a crazy pup, it is great to put your marriage and yourself first for a few days and remember why you got married after all.
About the Author:
Natalie Chustz is what we like to call in the biz, a Mompreneur! She is a mother, a teacher, an Independent Consultant with Pampered Chef and founder of Chuzts3: Camp, Creativity, & Chef LLC. providing a summer camp program as well as during holidays for parents seeking camp options. From parenting, to teaching, to cooking and even child care, she does it all!
Thank you Natalie, for sharing your staycation experience with us!
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