Cajun Lifestyles

We travel to the end of Louisiana today on five different bayou communities. We view Cajun and Indian Villages where people still make a living off the land and the sea. Local residents are employed in fishing, oil, or farming. We view shrimp boats, oyster boats, marsh and swamp land, ship building, crawfish ponds, sugar cane farms. The Cajun people have retained their culture and we view the lifestyle of the people as we meet and talk with them.

Visit a NET MAKER and view how shrimp nets are made and how they operate. Net maker will talk to visitors and we will observe him demonstrate how a net works. We use a small net to show visitors. We also have a video so visitors can watch the operation in the water.

Visit private property and view alligators in wild.

Visit a SHRIMP FACTORY and view how shrimp are unloaded and processed. We view the way a shrimp boat unloads and we also view the shrimp peeling machine that was invented by a local man, and used the world over, today.

View an INDIAN VILLAGE in lower Dulac that is owned by the Methodist Church. The church was first to put in a 12th grade education for Indian Children. The church still sends college students to help make improvements in the Indian Village. Houmas Indians live off land and sea. Visitors view lifestyles of local Indians.

Drive through eight miles of marshland and observe muskrat dens, animals, waterfowl, etc. The property is used for trapping, fishing, and hunting. The marshland has a purpose in our area and the guide will explain why. We view flocks of pelicans in Winter, and often view alligators in the Summer.

Visit LUMCON - Louisiana University Marine Consortium - a marine research center that does research on local environment. This is a good restroom stop and a place for a good view of the marshland. There are times of the year that we cannot stop but we always stop if permitted.

Visit SOFT SHELL CRAB FACTORY. Hear history of the blue crab. The crabs are bought when they are ready to shed their shells. They are put in tanks and observed until they shed. After the crabs shed, they are wrapped up in clear wrap and put in a freezer. Worker explains the life cycle of soft shell crab.

Lunch on own

We travel to Montegut and visitors view site of largest sugar refinery in the world. The refinery has been sold but we hear history and view remains of factory. The local guide will explain how sugar cane farming affected the community.

We view site of first OIL INDUSTRY in Terrebonne Parish. We also hear history of oil.

Visit ISLE OF JEAN ST. CHARLES. This is island where Indians have lived off the land and sea. Residents are involved in fishing or fishing related businesses.

Visit an ALLIGATOR HUNTER and hear about his life experiences. Mr. Naquin shows visitors how he catches alligators. He also plays music, blows a duck call, and talks about salt water taking his land. His native language is French but he learned to speak English when he was about twenty-one. He has been filmed by National Geographic, Jacques Cousteau, ESPN, Turner Broadcasting, ABC, CBS, NBC, BBC, and many others.

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