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Why the
Bayous
are special
The small, narrow, secluded, slow-moving coastal streams called Bayous cut
through tranquil forests. The Cajun people who live in these waterways have a
rich culture of music and food, and an interesting history.
Bayous
tips & insights
 The
ancestors of the Cajuns were Acadians, people of French descent who lived in
Nova Scotia, Canada. In 1755 the British began to kick them out and many
eventually relocated to the remote Louisiana bayous.
The
bayous stretch along the Gulf of Mexico west to east from Houston, Texas to
Mobile, Alabama. The Louisiana bayous lie between those two states.
You
will generally find the most interesting bayous in Louisiana even though Houston
is nicknamed the "Bayou City".
Bayous
are created by river delta systems (in the case of Louisiana, the Mississippi's). They empty
into the Gulf of Mexico.
Though
some roads now crisscross the bayous, the boat is still the most efficient means
for many denizens to get around.
Tours
from New Orleans are readily available. The waters are shallow, so the craft has
to be a pontoon boat, airboat, or other shallow-bottomed vessel.
Most
New Orleans based tours go to bayous near that city. The ones farther west offer
several advantages. You'll get a more authentic feeling of bayou life. The
surroundings will be quieter (fewer motors running). Sometimes your vessel
will be the only one in your neck of the woods.
The
star of Cajun cuisine is the crawfish (looks like a tiny lobster). The
area has many crawfish festivals and restaurants specializing in cooking that
crustacean.
Cajun
music is folk, energetic and a treat. Visit a local nightspot that features it.
The
waters teem with alligators (locals call them "gators"). They can grow 15 feet
or so in length.
Though
normally extremely circumspect, alligators will come very close to your boat
because they have become habituated to receiving free handouts from the tour boat
guides. Be sure the hand out isn't yours.
 
American cuisine
 
 
 
 
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