I visited the quaint, historic town of Franklin many times to research my historical romance, "A Cajun Dream." The book is set in the town named for Benjamin Franklin, a unique American city in the midst of French South Louisiana. The novel deals with the merging of several cultures, centered around René Comeaux, my Cajun hero, and Amanda Rose Richardson, the daughter of the town's American judge. There's more that meets the eye in this Romeo and Juliet story, but you'll have to read it to find out.
This past Saturday I was honored to speak at the Franklin Library and revisit this sweet town on the banks of Bayou Teche. After a stroll through town and a visit to the delightful Lamp Lighter antique store (where I purchased this awesome red scarf and black necklace), I had lunch of seafood gumbo and tamales at Joe's on the Bayou. I'm a food writer by day so I chose the tamales since the menu said they were specialties of the restaurant. And boy were they good.
Bayou Teche runs through South Louisiana, originating northeast of where I live and ending at the Gulf. It's a great waterway for canoeing and kayaking, offering races throughout the year and the Tour du Teche race in the fall. You can rent canoes and kayaks at the Bayou Teche Experience in Breaux Bridge, a town that's also famous for antique shops and good eating (be sure and visit Cafe des Amis for Saturday's zydeco brunch).
The bayou is mentioned in several of my books, including "A Cajun Dream," "The Letter" and "Gabrielle."
