Swamp Tour

I have been loving New Orleans this summer with all of the stuff to do and new things to experience. Our latest adventure was a swamp tour. I don't think a trip to Louisiana is complete without one!

We rode in a pontoon type boat for an hour cruising around the swamp. We saw probably 10 alligators and got to hold a baby gator. It certainly wasn't your high thrill adventure, but it was cool to see alligators in their habitat and watch them swim right up to the boat. (They are just like any animal, if you feed them, they keep coming back!)

Shane with a baby gator

Note : Shane and I both held the baby gator. However, the picture of me was sub par and since blogs are where we show off about everything, I didn't feel it was appropriate to post such a lousy photo.

I hope I never find myself in water like this!

Swamp guide "calling" a gator over. This guy or gal was medium size. (I never really thought that alligators could be ladies. Just like most everyone thinks all dogs are guys and cats are girls...alligators are all dudes to me.)

If you ever find yourself close to an alligator you can touch the tail or the nose, but don't approach from the side. ;)This big fella is Joe. He is king of this part of the swamp.

Gator hand/claw. This is about the size of Joe's

This huge head is about the size of Joe's too.

Alligator snapping turtle shell. Shane decided this is the size of the Ninja Turtles' shells

This was not in the swamp...these are graves.

Tourist Fact: Most everyone is buried above ground since it is below sea level here. If someone is buried in the ground, a big concrete slab is put over the grave to prevent the coffin from floating up. My dear friend Kristen is so nicely showing how the concrete slab grave looks in the picture below.

When in New Orleans, one must get beignets from Cafe Du Monde. It's been there for 147 years!