Welcome to Bayou Country
Drive an hour south of New Orleans and you’ll find 300 years of history, 2,500 square miles of moss-draped wetlands, rhythmic Cajun music, world class fishing, and delicious cuisine in Houma, Louisiana’s Bayou Country.
Thank you for joining us on our blog, The Bayou Side. We’d like to take a moment to introduce you to our area.
Our swamp tours take visitors through picturesque areas with slow moving water and moss-draped cypress trees. There are a variety of styles in which one can take a swamp tour in Houma, including a traditional pontoon with a Cajun guide, a fast-paced air boat ride or an ecology-based tour featuring information on wildlife preservation and coastal land loss. If you’re interested in getting up close and personal with an alligator, the Greenwood Gator Farm is the perfect place. Featured on History Channel’s popular program Swamp People, Tim Domingue will take guests through the alligator’s life cycle, from hatchling to beasts of the bayou.
For the outdoor enthusiast, Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge offers a one-mile hiking trail through their 4,000 acre freshwater marsh and cypress-tupelo swamp. The hike includes areas for phenomenal nature photography and a birdwatching deck. If birdwatching is an interest, the Houma area is part of the Mississippi Flyway and an excellent location to scout out brown pelicans, rosette spoonbills, snowy egrets and much more. If a fishing trip is on your mind, the Houma area has over 50 charter fishermen who would be happy to take you into our fresh, brackish or off shore waters. Another way to experience our beautiful scenery is on the Wetlands Cultural Byways. This scenic drive includes views of bayous, swamps, and coastal marshes as well as plantation homes, Native American mounds and museums.
Ever wonder, “what is the difference between Creole and Cajun?” As the heart of Bayou Cajun country, we would be glad to share our half of that explanation. Our meat markets and restaurants serve authentic Cajun dishes that have been passed down from generations past. The Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum explains how the local people lived off the land (and water) through exhibits on fishing, hunting, wildlife and local customs. Outside of the Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum is the Acadian Deportation Cross Monument. This statue is one of ten monuments throughout the world that commemorate the areas the Cajun people sought refuge in after being exiled from Canada. The monument features explanations of the events leading to the deportation as well as maps of the voyage in English and French.
Consistently named one of the Happiest Cities in America, Houma is an outstanding destination for your next family vacation. To learn more about the area, visit www.houmatravel.com.
Now that you know a bit about us, tell us a bit about you? Have you ever visited south Louisiana?
