The Train Wreck Inn is a cluster of four lodgings built from a vintage train car and a caboose and an old train depot and ticketing office, with a shared patio between them. They were all brought here from elsewhere , and through a yearslong effort with local talent, slowly converted into today’s inn.

The Train Wreck Inn is made up of two old train cars and two train station buildings that were moved to a space in downtown Grand Coteau.

These are one-bedroom cabins with a sleeper couch for more guests, and a kitchen/den in each, and they’re run as Airbnbs for bookings.

The atmosphere is transporting in an analog retro romantic way. Vinyl records spin on the turntable. The design choices very overtly emulate the aesthetics of a Wes Anderson film. The close contours of the train cars in particular, either the boxy little yellow caboose or the Art Deco/industrial curves of the midnight blue freight car, complete the scene.

Town tour

St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church was established in 1819 and stands as a center point in Grand Coteau.

Grand Coteau, with the religious institutions at its center and the historic Academy of the Sacred Heart just down the country road, is rich in history , if short on destinations for visitors with a culinary bent,. Still, we hit a few fun spots.

The Hive Market ( 202 E. Martin Luther King Dr.), steps from the train cars, is a deli/coffee shop/sno-ball stand with a modern feel inside a historic building, supplied by many local growers and artisan producers. The case of sweet treats is especially popular with the local school kids after class.

Connie St. Romain is pictured with her fused glass art at her shop Petite Rouge Antiques in Grand Coteau, La.

The Petite Rouge antique store (272 E. Martin Luther King Dr.) is a Russian doll of a cottage, progressing from one room and chamber to the next, encrusted with antiques and curiosities, loose tea, oils, seeds and herbs.

A block away, the Kitchen Shop (296 Martin Luther King Dr.) is a long-running attraction, a culinary store fused to a gift boutique and a bakery. If all the kitchen gadgets and jewelry don’t tick something off your list, you can do whatever everyone seems to do and leave with a slice of the gateau na-na.

This dense torte has a filling that's somewhere between pecan pie and praline candy, baked inside two thick layers of dough. It travels well for a gift to bring home and it’s a fitting signature for a town that does hold the title of Sweet Dough Pie Capital of Louisiana .

Venture out

With a train car to yourself, Grand Coteau could be just a peaceful place to unwind for a spell, or a quiet home base for other Acadiana excursions. And eventually, you’ll want dinner.

For one idea, follow the main road a few curving miles to the outskirts of Arnaudville and keep your eyes peeled for the NUNU Art and Culture Collective, a find almost as unexpected as train car lodgings (just don’t confuse NUNU with na-na from the Kitchen Shop).

Built in an old barn, NUNU opens with a modern gallery and performance space for this regional arts group, with the work of many of its members in different media on display. It’s a striking contrast to bushy fields waving just outside.

Continue to downtown Arnaudville and the best restaurant I've found for (many) miles around. That's the Little Big Cup (149 Fuselier Rd.), with outdoor patios proceeding terrace-like down to Bayou Fuselier and a fun bar if you neglected to make a reservation .

Cross the bridge over connecting Bayou Teche, and a mile down the way there’s Bayou Teche Brewing (1002 Noth Ln.), which is the only place you can now find this popular beer, with its many Louisiana themes. Much more than beer , the tap room also encapsulates a pizzeria with gelato, an arcade game room and a tiki bar with cocktails and its own menu of Polynesian-esque snacks.

I returned from this trip with many Cajun butcher shop delights in the ice chest (highlights: regular boudin and deer boudin from the original Kartchner's in Krotz Springs, thick andouille and smoky tasso from Kelly's Country Meat Block in Opelousas, and a long-time favorite boudin from Charlie T's in Breaux Bridge on the way back east).

Will it be enough to get us through whatever the rest of football season has in store? We'll take that question by the link through games of inches. But in the meantime, this Louisiana road trip nailed a railroad bucket list experience into the memory banks.