Dinosaurs invade St. Martin Parish!

Lee Venable, the visionary behind the immensely successful Cajun Palms RV Resort, is planning a “monster” expansion of the site’s recreational amenities.

Cajun Palms, located north of Interstate 10 and east of Grand Point Highway, boasts some 350 RV campsites, 25 cabins, a 19,000-square-foot clubhouse, 56-seat theater, concession stands, meeting rooms of various kinds and three huge swimming pools – including one for the kiddies with 14 slides, a pirate ship and colorful sea creatures.

And that’s just the beginning.

The next step in the eight-phase development of an adjoining 80 acres is Prehistoric Park, featuring over two dozen life-size models of dinosaurs like Camarasaurus, Triceratops and of course Tyrannosaurus Rex. These realistic-looking steel-and-fiberglass monsters will be situated on eight heavily wooded acres through which will wind a half-mile long, 10-foot-wide concrete walkway. Plaques along the way will give the name and information on each prehistoric beast while the recreated sounds of the dinosaurs resonate through the woods.

There will be a concession stand, gift shop and an exhibit hall with 11 animated life-size dinosaurs, and a large sandbox with buried bones and maybe even an actual fossil to be discovered by young would-be paleontologists.
This educational attraction will obviously be especially suited for school field trips as well as the general public.

The first shipment of a half dozen prehistoric animals is in and being assembled. Completion date of phase one is scheduled for late spring of this year.

In phase two and three of Venable’s plan, he will build two go-kart tracks, including a large high-performance track with at least 25 state-of-the-art, high-tech vehicles valued at over $5,000 each. Sandwiched between Prehistoric Park and the go-karts will be a miniature golf course.

Phase four will be an upscale, 20,000-plus-square-foot conference facility for large family reunions and the like needing shelter from rainy Cajun weather.

Phase five will be a three-story resort condominium building with 80 two- and three-bedroom units to start.

The condos will overlook phases six and seven, the much-anticipated Cajun River Water Park. Venable plans to construct one of the finest “lazy rivers” in the United States and surround it with some very large pools, both outdoor and indoor, and of course a large tiki bar.

The eighth phase will be a shopping center for drinks, clothing and food available to the general public as well as park guests. Venable said he already has several businesses ready to make the move.
And there will still be room on the property for a hotel if the demand arises.

“We grew Cajun Palms to what it is today by trying to incorporate as much as we can for our customers and clientele over the last six years,” Venable said.

“We added more sites, for more customers and their friends. It grew to this fun place that I enjoy. I’m going ahead to serve our customer base, their needs and requests, as well as serve even more people to what our area can offer to the surrounding states – if not beyond that geography.”

Completion of the entire concept is about four years down the road, he said.