[We really are getting closer to the end of the New Orleans series!]
Toward the end of our trip, Peter arranged for us to take a swamp tour. I figured it would b neat, but hot, sticky and full of mosquito. But if you’re in Louisiana, how could you not take the time to visit a swamp? Peter found a tour that would pick us up and drop us off at our hotel. The tour bus was super comfy – a nice change from walking everywhere!
It was about an hour until we got to the docks. There were two options of tours – one was on a speed boat, the other was a covered tour that was much slower. Peter knows me well enough to know that I would want the slower and covered one. Our guide was awesome! He’s a local, so he was able to give us stories about the different places we saw along the way (like the cemetery that got flooded three times, so his friend finally had to put holes in his grandma’s coffin to keep it from floating away!)
As promised, we got to see alligators! Apparently they’re attracted to white things that float in the water, so he kept throwing marshmallows to draw them closer. He was full of fun stories about how he taught his kids to swim and stay safe in the swamp. He gave us all the ins and outs about hunting gators, and how much they end up being worth. It turns out, the swamps may be hot, but if you go during the heat of the day, you don’t run into mosquitoes because they prefer dawn and dusk!
One super interesting anecdote he threw in at the end. When Disney was doing research for “The Princess and the Frog”, they actually went on one of his tours! And he inspired one of the characters – apparently he even gets an acknowledgement in the credits. (Confession: I haven’t seen the movie. I should get on that).
This incredible photo was taken by Peter!
Discovering Denver 