NEW IBERIA, La. --- Two Iberia Parish assets have recently been featured on national media top lists.
The gardens' gorgeous and exotic scenery make it a perfect backdrop for weddings and engagements. Conveniently located close to New Iberia and Avery Island with their abundance of attractions and eateries, it's also a favorite for romantic getaways with locals and visitors alike.
Couples can watch birds at Rip’s Rookery, stroll hand in hand through the semi botanical gardens under the watchful eyes of friendly peacocks, visit a 19th century Victorian home, and have lunch at Café Jefferson. The restaurant's glassed-in porch, nestled in a grove of 350-year-old live oaks, offers a breathtaking view of the gardens and Lake Peigneur. This Valentine's Day, the cafe will also exceptionally serve dinner. Reservations are required.
After dinner, couples can sip on a Peigneur Cocktail or a complimentary bottle of wine while watching the sunset on the lake, before retiring to their bed and breakfast cottage furnished with a luxurious handmade mahogany king-size four poster bed.
Another New Iberia asset, the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff, figures on CNN's
"20 of the World's Best Soups" roundup. Writer Jen Rose Smith picked gumbo to represent America.
"Every possible version is on display each year at the World Champion Gumbo Cookoff in New Iberia, Louisiana, where cooks battle for some serious soup-master bragging rights," she writes.
Always held on the second weekend in October, the free two-day event celebrates Cajun and Creole cuisine and music. Taking over award-winning historic downtown New Iberia, it is the only gumbo cookoff sponsored by TABASCO® Pepper Sauce.
Attendees can try as many types of gumbos as their heart desires in a fun, family-friendly festival with an eclectic mix of locals and visitors of all ages (some travel to New Iberia every fall just to sample our gumbo!).
"What a romantic getaway itinerary Rip Van Winkle Gardens would be on World Championship Gumbo Cookoff weekend!" said Fran Thibodeaux, executive director at the Iberia Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Can’t make it Gumbo weekend? Check out Iberia Travel’s event calendar for another exciting event!"
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