 |
Life On The Edge
It’s safe to say that the town of Henderson is on the edge of Louisiana’s greatest swamp, the Atchafalaya Basin. A tall levee separates the gas stations, churches and homes of the town from the people who live and work on the water. Like generations of Cajuns before them, they live off the swamp. But in addition to fishing and trapping the abundant wildlife, this generation sustains itself by showing off the Atchafalaya Basin’s beauties. Mark Allemond and his family have introduced visitors to the swamp for over 15 years. They own McGee’s Landing and Atchafalaya Basin Tours, where guests can grab a meal, stock up on souvenirs and board a sightseeing boat for an hour-and-a-half tour of the basin. Traveling into the streams, bayous and lakes of the swamp, tour guides point out the indigenous plants and wildlife – egrets, herons, alligators, deer, rabbits, squirrels, frogs, turtles, snakes and thousands of other animals, as well as cypress, willow and oak. The tour dialogue is full of local myths and lore, as well as personal experiences of the swamp and irrepressible Cajun humor. The swamp has served thousands of purposes, from providing a hideout for Jean Lafitte’s treasures to yielding millions of pounds of crawfish harvested by commercial fishermen. Signs of industry linger in the form of giant cypress stumps left by loggers and oil fields abandoned by drillers. The 800,000 acres that stretch across south Louisiana are continually changing as silt deposits make their way through river systems from the north and settle in the basin. Allemond’s tour guides point out the visible signs and reveal the swamp’s legacy through their stories. “For those of us who take visitors into its essence each day, the Atchafalaya Basin is our lifeblood, and it retains with it the stories of our ancestors which we are entrusted with to keep alive for future generations to come,” says Allemond. Tours leave from McGee’s Landing daily at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. On Saturday nights, cocktail cruises offer a different view of the swamp. Complete with hors d’oeuvres from McGee’s Landing and a cash bar, but absent the usual dialogue, the cocktail cruises give locals and visitors a chance to take in the nighttime sights and sounds of the swamp. Allemond and his neighbors on the edge of the Atchafalaya Basin have come together to inform visitors and remind locals about their corner of the swamp, Henderson Lake, which they describe as Acadiana’s Natural Waterpark. From spring to fall, fishermen, water skiers, canoeists and kayakers play among the moss-draped cypress trees. Floating cabins are pulled into quiet coves for instant weekend retreats. Local musicians fill the dancehalls with Cajun tunes, and the restaurants serve some of the best Cajun cooking to be found. Henderson may be on the edge of the swamp, but it’s at the center of the good life, Cajun style. |