Cajun Country Swamp Tours
Turn off that swamp people reality TV show and get a taste of an actual cypress-tupelo swamp in all of its natural glory. Father-son team Butch and Shawn Guchereau invite as many as 19 guests each aboard two open crawfish skiff boats for a two-hour trek just outside Lafayette. The excursion explores the Cypress Island and Lake Martin Swamp areas, which gators, egrets, bald eagles, snakes, turtles, herons and other wildlife call home. Curtains of Spanish moss drape the knotty cypress trees, offering photo ops galore. Tours take place daily, including holidays, but start times vary, depending on demand, time of year and weather.
1209 Rookery Road, Breaux Bridge, La. 337-319-0010, cajuncountryswamptours.com.
Cajun Fishing Adventures
Corporate groups and families regularly get their hooks into this service, which offers both fishing and duck hunting. Anglers can fish for spotted sea trout, redfish, flounder, black drum and more in the Mississippi River Delta. During duck season, hunters get shuttled across the Mississippi in water taxis to the mouth of a river diversion, a hotbed for migrating quackers. The owners compare the lodge accommodations to a three- or three-and-a-half-star hotel. Amenities, including a billiards table and an on-site pool, wash away the concept of roughing it.
35427 Highway 23, Buras, La. 985-785-9833, cajunfishingadventures.com.
Beer and Bike Tours
This travel company rolls out multi-day bicycle jaunts in seven states, as well as Germany and Japan. Its guided Louisiana tour, which thankfully features flat terrain, takes cyclists around New Orleans, through a portion of the Great River Road along the Mississippi, into wildlife refuges and other choice spots. The fee includes overnight accommodations in New Orleans, Vacherie, Baton Rouge and Mandeville. The same goes for daily breakfast, plus beer tastings and tours at select breweries. A support van follows the riders in case someone gets tired or a bike has a flat. They’ll even transfer your luggage and gear between hotels. Most folks opt to bring their own bikes, but rentals can be arranged at an extra charge.
970-201-1085, beerandbiketours.com.
About the Author
