Barataria Preserve

Yesterday, one of my days off, I decided to begin exploring south Louisiana. I started by seeing another part of my own park, the Barataria Preserve. Even though the calendar reads "November," it reached 85 degrees yesterday afternoon. Whew. I stopped at the visitor center, talked to the ranger there for a bit, then decided to take a short hike. I had dinner plans and was on somewhat of a schedule, but even the short time I go to spend exploring the small portion of the park was amazing. I stuck with the Visitor Center Trail (though, walked down the Palmetto Trail a short distance).


The boardwalked trail had minimal signage.


The mystery and lore contained in the idea of a swamp was evident (to me, anyway).










As I reached the end of the boardwalk, I could hear distant rolls of thunder and smell warm, heavy scent of a possible rain.




I decided to start back when the I felt the plops of huge drops.




My pace broke into nearly a run as I realized I would be soaked in a minute's time if the rate of rainfall kept up. Eek! I had to go to dinner and I did not bring another nice oufit! But as quickly as the downpour started, it stopped. And the swamp turned into a warm, sticky sauna. That was my cue to head back to my car and work my way over to New Orleans. Now that I got to spend some time at the Barataria Preserve and know what is available, I know for the next visit what to pack in order to be better prepared for a longer visit.

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