The Marriott Hotel on Canal Street, New Orleans, 7/4/12
The bass drum is like the foundation of brass band music. If you see somebody with a bass drum in New Orleans, that’s a really good sign. Follow him and see where he’s going, because there’s probably about to be some really good music going on.
Canal Street, Afternoon,New Orleans, 7/4/12
A Storm on the Swamp
Our tour of the Honey Island Swamp was cut short by a sudden thunderstorm, and we were soon drenched to the bone. When it became apparent that the storm wasn’t stopping anytime soon, we returned to the dock.Â
Alligators in Honey Island Swamp
Not surprisingly, alligators are common in the Honey Island Swamp. Our tour guide explained to us that they are not particularly aggressive however, and the last human fatality from an alligator in Louisiana was in the 1950’s. These alligators seem to like marshmallows and hot dogs.Â
On the West Pearl river between Slidell and Pearlington, 7/4/12
Exploring the West Pearl River near Slidell
On the morning of the Fourth of July, I went on a swamp tour with Cajun Encounters out near Slidell, Louisiana, along the West Pearl River and the Honey Island Swamp. While we didn’t see any black bears, we did see many water birds and alligators.
Noted artist George Rodrigue is from Lafayette, but his trademark blue dogs are everywhere in New Orleans, including on the front of the Sheraton Hotel on Canal Street!