16 hours in a Volkswagen Bug, diesel one one that black smoked like a truck. It cost $80 dollars in fuel to get from Indiana to Louisiana, so what it lacks for in size it makes up for in fuel efficiency. We stayed on a small island called Grande Isle, known for its fishing. It is a whole different world down there. All the house are built on sticks, about 10-15 feet off the ground Incase of a flood. Before the island that is full of mostly nice houses you pass a lot of house trailers and travel trailers, some with ratchet straps holding the roofs on. It’s very interesting to say the least. During our week there we went to the beach, spent a day in New Orleans, went to see Plantation houses, got voo-doo cursed by a woman in a CVS parking lot, and went on a nature walk. Mandalay National Wildlife Refugee is a nature walk, basically though the swamps in Houma. We found it on Trip Advisor and decided to go. All through the drive there, down a two mile gravel road you are told to stay in the car.

Once you arrive you are told to leave firearms in the car and to not interact with the wildlife. The mile long hike into the forest takes you to a big marshy lake that has signs that say swimming in designated areas only, but there’s also signs that say to watch for alligators. Obviously we did not do any swimming. We didn’t see any gators since it was February but it would not be a trail I would like to take in the summer. All through the trail on the wooden walks there were claw and scrap marks from the gators.

The food is one of the most interesting things I have experienced. One of the places the locals rave about is called Spahrs at the Station. It is literally a gas station with a restaurant attached to it. Of course we had to try it and we were very surprised to find that is was actually expensive, but delicious. I don’t think that I would eat something like that in in Indiana, but I really like seeing people’s faces when I tell them I’ve ate seafood pasta from a gas station in Louisiana.