The first order of business this morning was a visit to Cafe du Monde to sample their world famous beignets. The bar was set very high. Next, it was off to the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, first for a short hike and then for a boat tour of the bayou (swamp). Spotting a bald eagle before even setting a foot outside the car was a good omen for the encounters with wildlife that would follow.

This armadillo, also known as a Texas speed bump, was our first sighting on the bayou.

Next an array of turtles and numerous birds (Snowy Egret, White Ibis, Blue Heron).

We did not see any of the five venomous snakes that are native to the bayou but we did find several alligators. The one pictured here is of a mother in her den with one of her babies. Only the tip of her mouth is visible but an interesting perspective nonetheless.

Alligators in Louisiana can grow to 14 feet in length but the largest we encountered were about half that. It does most of its hunting in the water, swallowing small prey whole and drowning larger prey by dragging it underwater. They have up to 80 teeth which are replaced when they wear down. Over an alligators lifetime, it may go through 2,000-3,000 teeth.

Not expecting to find any fine dining near the bayou, we were quite surprised to enjoy one of our best meals at the Restaurant des Families just outside the park.