One of the first places I wanted to visit were the swamps - I find Spanish moss beautiful and I couldn't wait to photograph it. We took a boat tour around the swamps and made a few friends along the way. Once the sun came out, so did the gators. We also saw egrets, turtles, and a family of wild pigs - normal, right? 

New Orleans sure knows how to make an impression on its visitors with its food. Suffice it to say that Cajun food is delicious and I'm craving corn and (insert type of fish here) bisque - so good!

Aside from the cuisine, we visited the French Quarter (of course) and the architecture was gorgeous. I couldn't put my camera down. On the sides of St. Louis Cathedral there were several artisans selling their work, which reminded me of a street in Krakow, Poland that offers a similar experience. After a wait at Cafe Du Monde, I indulged in their famous beignets and cafe au lait - don't monde if I do!

We continued on and checked out the waterside view of New Orleans. No trip is complete without a night on Bourbon Street, but I was excited we had some extra time before our return to explore the Barataria Preserve, about 30 minutes south of downtown New Orleans. A beautiful area full of marsh, forest, and swamps, we started out on the Palmetto Trail and checked out an overlook afterwards, which ended up being the best part. We even passed by a maple tree and I couldn't help but throw some of its fallen helicopter leaves in the air.

The trails are very well-taken care of, and there's a wooden path for majority of it. There are plenty sightings of snakes, turtles, and insects, but we wanted to see gators most. On our trek to find gators, we stopped by some stunning trees that were hundreds of years old, and panoramic views of the marshland that we can't find in central Texas. Toward the end of the trail, we passed by two guys who mentioned there was an alligator off to the side soaking up the sun. Up to this point, we'd only seen 3-5 foot gators so it was a must to find this one. The catch? This one was 8+ feet. Curiosity intrigued us and we ventured off to find this alligator. We reached the overlook and after heading down the other side, we stood about 30 feet away from a huge gator and we couldn't help but walk closer toward it. 

After a few snaps with the gator in the background, we retrieved to a safer spot. Overall, the preserve is beautiful and a great way to see more of the swamps on your own terms. I had a wonderful time in Louisiana and hope to go again soon.