FROG CAPITAL OF THE WORLD
by Mary Fonseca
A smiling bullfrog painted on an Interstate 10 exit, west of Lafayette, Louisiana, invites you to visit Rayne, a hospitable town that has adopted the bug-eyed amphibian as their mascot. When Rayne was a young settlement, so many oua-oua-rons, as the Cajun townsfolk call them, used to hop about the wetlands around town, that some quick-handed entrepreneurs built a thriving business selling frogs to biological supply houses. Rice soon supplanted frogs as the town's major commodity, but several years ago the citizens of Rayne adopted the oua-oua-ron as their mascot and started painting the town green. Today, nearly 30 bullfrog-accented murals decorate buildings all over Rayne, and frogs are the central theme of the town's annual September festival, and Mardi Gras ball.
It is great fun to spend a day in Rayne following the trail of bullfrog murals and shopping in several emporiums for frog souvenirs. At Worthmore's 5, 10 & 25 Cent Store, whose motto is "If you can't find it here, forget it," you will find old-time articles as well as frog souvenirs, and at Maison Daboval, an inviting bed and breakfast in the heart of town, you will be given a friendly welcome by Martha and Gene Royer, and a lesson or two in Cajun cooking if you wish. The Royers, or the Rayne Chamber of Commerce, can direct you to Guidry's Friendly Lounge and Borque's Club in nearby Lewisburg where you can enjoy Cajun dancing and the joie de vivre that is a hallmark of the Cajun people.
Frog Mural - Rayne, Louisiana
To learn more about attractions and accommodations in Rayne, contact the Rayne Chamber of Commerce, 1023 The Boulevard, Rayne, LA 70578, (337) 334-2332. 9 A.M.-noon; 1-4 P.M.
Feature Story Archive
Christmas in Louisiana
Hail! Hail! King of Cakes
The Mistress of Chretien Point
The Schepis Museum
Touring River Road
Frog Capital of the World
Jeanerette
Tea Cozy
Black and white photos by Mary Fonseca
© 1999 Mary Fonseca. All rights reserved.
