Hello Bloggineers. Today we will be taking you around Louisiana. And we will show you the fun things you can do in Cajun Country.
Hotel accommodations was provided by Hampton Inn & Suites Lafayette.
Our first stop is Cajun Country Swamp Tours in Breaux Bridge.
Today we will be going on a two hour open boat excursion with a Cajun naturalist, Mr. Bob.
He handed out some Mardi Gras beads to get the party started.
And the way we go.
We're going to explore a moss draped cypress swamp well known for its scenic beauty and wildlife.
[Brother] I am recording you.
We spotted a white egret, and Mr. Bob is telling us how it gets its food.
[Mr. Bob] Its toes are grabbing all the grass and stuff at the bottom of the swamp floor.
[Mr. Bob] It makes this unnatural movement. All the little fish gets scared and come on the top.
[Mr. Bob] And it gets to eat them.
Mr. Bob is an entertaining guide with an intimate knowledge of the swamps and Cajun culture of the area.
We're passing by a section of decoy ducks next to a hunting blind.
Mr. Bob is telling us what you can do with an oar.
[Mr. Bob] You can do four things with this. Number one, it's a paddle. Number two...
You can measure the depths of the swamp.
And number three...
[Mr. Bob] Sometimes I use it to push the boat off the wall.
And number four...
[Mr. Bob] It's a husband beater.
We're gliding by some fishermen
and trees filled with Spanish moss.
Mr. Bob pulled an invasive weed out of the water.
[Mr. Bob] Some of y'all may have seen this before.
[Mr. Bob] It has a beautiful lavender flower.
[Mr. Bob] But if you see things long feather like roots.
[Mr. Bob] Each one of these clumps can have 30 or more of these roots. These roots can get three feet long.
[Mr. Bob] And all these little hairs on here, they are taking all the nutrients out of the water thousands of times
[Mr. Bob] more quickly than the native plants can keep up with. That's how it gets in and takes over.
Then he showed us a water nymph that will grow up to be a dragonfly.
We're going to see if we can find any alligators.
There are approximately 500 to 1,000 alligators here depending on the season.
We found an alligator but it's really hard to see because it's camouflaged.
Because it's winter and alligators are cold blooded, most are keeping warm in the mud at the bottom of the swamp.
We were lucky to spot one on a log waiting to catch a turtle.
[Mr. Bob] When he gets the turtle in his mouth.
[Mr. Bob] If he gets him long ways, every time he squeezes, it's going to slip out of his mouth.
[Mr. Bob] So he's got to get it perpendicular. And once he gets it perpendicular, that's it for the turtle.
The alligator took too long, and the turtle got away.
As the tour's coming to an end, Mr. Bob threw a fake snake on the boat.
We had a fun and educational time at Cajun Country Swamp Tours.
Now we're going to do some hiking at Acadiana Nature Trails.
This 110 acre facility in the northeastern corner of Lafayette.
Brother is taking a picture of his stuffie.
There are more than three miles of trails here.
[Brother] Choo choo! Full speed ahead!
Watch out, the planks might be slippery.
[Brother] Watch out!
Hey!
[Brother] We got ran over by a beaver.
We enjoyed the hike here.
Our next stop is the Children's Museum of Acadiana.
Because it's New Year's Eve, they gave us some noisemakers.
This museum encourages imagination, curiosity, creativity, and fun through ‘Learning by Doing'.
First we're going to learn about dinosaurs.
Brother is digging for treasures.
[Brother] I am building a mansion.
I'm having fun with the mirror.
And so is Beaver.
Brother is pretending to be a scientist.
Now we're going to play some carnival games to win prizes.
We're trying a life size version of Angry Birds.
Next we're tossing chili peppers
and popping balloons.
Cue the montage.
Now we're waiting for the countdown.
[Crowd] Three...two...one. Happy new year!
Let's head to the next stop.
Now we're going to tour the rice mill of the Konriko Company.
Established in 1912, this is the oldest independently owned rice mill in the United States still in operation.
Our tour starts with an informative slide show presentation.
Then the docent is taking us to the factory.
She is showing us what the three levels of the rice mill looks like.
Brother is examining a bottle of brown rice.
The guide is showing us how they package the grain.
Lastly, we're visiting the gift shop, and Brother got to sample some pecan rice.
Let's take a picture before we leave.
Our next stop is the Rip Van Winkle Gardens.
This is a beautiful fifteen acre semi-tropical gardens, located in the middle of New Iberia.
Shoo, mosquitos.
We're passing by many landmarks along the way.
Soon we reached the Joseph Jefferson Mansion.
Now we're going to tour the house.
[Guide] Come on in.
Unfortunately photography is not allowed inside.
Let's go to our final destination.
We're checking in our hotel in Lafayette.
We're at Hampton Inn & Suites, and Brother is going to give you a tour of our hotel room.
[Brother] There's a mini fridge.
[Brother] And a microwave.
[Brother] Coffee.
[Brother] There's a little couch.
[Brother] And then a little desk.
[Brother] A TV with remote control.
[Brother] And then you do this.
[Brother] Turn it off.
[Brother] Queen size bed.
[Brother] And there's a telephone.
[Brother] Hello. Uh. Hey, it's calling someone.
[Brother] Little shower.
[Brother] And a toilet.
Please don't touch it.
Wash your hands.
We had so much fun in Cajun Country.
Plan your trip at lafayettetravel.com.
Please hit the subscribe button and remember to look for your own adventure.