Louisiana Bayous

A staple of Louisiana culture is the many bayous that cover the Gulf Coast. People travel to the bayous of Louisiana from all over to go on

an exciting swamp tour. A bayou is a shallow body of slow-moving water, usually found on dry, flat lands. Alligators, crocodiles, shrimp,

crawfish, frogs, and other creatures call the bayous their home. Many Cajun & Creole groups

set up settlements along the bayous because of the

ease of transportation that they offered. The Acadians were the first group to do so, locating themselves on the Bayou Teche.

Swamp tours are offered all around bayou country. Also scattered around

the bayous are rest stops, offering "gator jerky" and other foods that

would seem unconventional in other regions of the country.

I recently was able to visit an old plantation located right on the

Yellow Bayou. The plantation was filled with beautiful oak trees that

were covered in hanging Spanish moss. A little dock led out to the bayou

itself, and I was able to go out in a canoe and paddle around for a bit.

Unfortunately, I didn't encounter any alligators or crocodiles, but

there were a lot of frogs. Also in the bayou were these little fish that

would throw themselves out of the water to catch bugs to eat. I would

definitely encourage everyone to try and make it out to the Bayou

country because it is completely stunning and an overall great

experience.