One of my absolute favorite parts of our recent trip to Louisiana was taking an airboat tour in the swamp about 30 minutes from New Orleans.
This was something totally new for this Midwestern girl and I boarded the airboat with fingers crossed we would see a gator or two.
And we did!
There were times this fellow came a little close for comfort. I mean, we’re talking within maybe a yard of my flip-flopped feet because I struggle to ever wear appropriate shoes for what I’m doing that day, but I loved seeing him up close.
Our tour guide was Randy, a sixth generation resident of the piece of land and water we were touring. His wealth of knowledge about the history and ecology of the land was fascinating. As someone whose family has also been on our land for many generations, I appreciated his take on the stewardship of place he calls home, be it through hunting, managing invasive species of plants and wildlife, and teaching others about it.
Blue crab are another one of the many creatures inhabiting the area.
The cypress trees were picturesque. The swamp tour offered a very peaceful escape from the bustling city.
My husband held this baby gator.
I opted to hold this bigger guy because I like a challenge, but oops, I guess we didn’t get a photo of that.
Our tour was with Jean Lafitte Swamp Tours and they were absolutely fantastic. A nearly two-hour tour is $85 for a small boat with eight passengers. A larger boat is a little less expensive, but I would totally recommend spending a little more money and opting for the small boat because we really got the full effect that way.
This post was not sponsored, I just wanted to share the experience.
A HOUSE WITH CHARACTER 