See North America’s largest river-basin swamp, eat etouffe, jambalaya, or gumbo, dance to zydeco music, and visit a restored 1834 sugar plantation home.
Originally a section of a 19th Century Spanish frontier trail, this 109-mile, 3-hour trip through southern Louisiana Cajun country is best accomplished in the spring and fall, as summers are naturally hot and humid. Begin in Houma, the center of Terrebonne Parish and a seat of Cajun tradition. Feast on some of the local etouffe, gumbo, or jambalaya before heading west on Bayou Black Drive (U.S. 90), skirting the bayou. Colorful operators along the way provide tours of the Atchafalaya Basin, North America’s biggest river-basin swamp. Outside Houma, look for the turnoff on the right for Wildlife Gardens, which features swamp tours, an alligator farm, and trapper’s cabin. Read more . . .