Florida Spring Training 2017 - Day 70

We went on a swamp tour today at Lake Martin, just south of Beaux Bridge, LA (about 7 miles from the RV park).  We went on the same tour several years ago with the same outfitter and we wanted to do it again.  The lake doesn't have a discernible shoreline as cypress and tupelo trees are growing in the water along the shore.  The lake is home to at least 2,000 alligators, cottonmouth water mocassins, numerous birds, fish, and other assorted wildlife.  There is a lot of fishing going on as well as permitted duck hunting in season.  Several established duck hunting blinds have also been built in the lake.  It is definitely a multi use area with three swamp tour operators who regularly take tourists out to experience this very special habitat .

The tour today was outstanding.  We had a knowledgeable guide ( a Cajun named Bob) who was not only funny but had a lot of interesting information about the lake and all the critters who call it home.  He said he has given over 1300 tours. The weather was great, we had a good group on the boat (mostly from France, England and Greece and a guy from Africa who knew about crocodiles) and we saw just about everything the lake had to offer (except for the snakes which was O.K. with us).  Without question this is the best swamp tour we have ever been on and we cannot imagine how anything else could be better.  The tour lasted two hours and the pictures can describe what we saw better than I could ever do.

Day 70 Pictures - Swamp Tour

After the tour we travelled into Lafayette and had lunch at a recommended Poor Boy sandwich shop called the Olde Tyme Grocery.  It is located near the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Campus (the Ragjn' Cajuns).  We each had a half Poor Boy sandwich and a praline for desert.  They were very good and an authentic taste of Louisiana cusine.

Day 70 Pictures - Olde Tyme Grocery

We had dinner in the RV tonight after another day of excellent adventure.  We have a long drive to Austin, TX tomorrow and a two night stay there.  After that, the sightseeing is over and the rest of the trip will be the long ride home from there, staying one night in each place along the way.