Along Bayou Lafourche

The Petit Caporal, named after Corporal Napoleon Bonaparte, was the first motorized commercial fishing vessel in the Golden Meadow area.  Its owner, Leon Theriot, Sr., rigged his sailing vessel with a 3-horsepower tractor engine in 1902.  He requested that the boat be permanantly displayed along Bayou Lafourche as a historical landmark.

The Talking Tree of Golden Meadow is an example of a "living museum"
in Lafourche Parish.  Old men congregate daily to speak
French to one another.  Visitors are invited to stop by and chat - in French!

Gautreaux's Bed and Breakfast in Golden Meadow offers
accomodations to visitors on the lower Bayou Lafourche.

From Thibodaux south to Cocodrie

Historically, Thibodaux has been an important center of trade and finance in bayou country.  Today, tourists can browse shops like Debbie's Antiques.

Annie and brother Clyde Dionne (center & right in upper-right picture) at Annie's Restaurant in Dulac.  Clyde has been a friend of the sociology department for many years.  The occasion here is a photo-shoot with a New York gourmet magazine.

Shrimp boats and shrimp sorting around Dulac and Cocodrie

Crawfish, crabs, andouille sausage, potatoes, and corn.  Come to
the annual Sociology Department crawfish boil, and you can try some.

...And of course, there's fishing...

Crabbing off a small bridge in Dulac.  By the end of the day,
we had two coolers full, enough to invite lots of friends to a crab boil.

Swamp Tours
Okay, admit it: is this what you came here to see?

Alligator Annie's swamp tour, near Houma.  Annie is in her 70s and decided to retire -
and her son (upper right) took over the tours - but then decided she missed it too much
and came back.  They guarantee you'll see gators - because they feed them!

Dr. Paul Wagner, operator of the Honey Island Swamp Tours, on the Pearl River
near Slidell, is more of a purist.  He holds a doctorate in wetlands ecology from LSU,
and the Nature Conservancy has bought his swamp to preserve it.

Swamp scenes in winter, including Ibises in the tree (bottom).  
Bald Eagles have also nested in the swamp.

Nutria, a large rodent, were introduced by accident into the Louisiana wetlands
and have caused ecological damage by eating plant roots.  
However, they're not unfriendly and are known to adopt humans ... like Dr. Wagner!

Thanks to Jennifer Melancon for providing some of the photos & captions on this page.  See her article in the South Baton Rouge Journal, "Havin' Some Fun on the Bayou," May 2000