Volume 33 Number 3 April 14, 2009

Travel Excursion - Houma, Louisiana
Unique landscapes & attractions captivate visitors

By Patrice Raplee

Photos by © Patrice Raplee

The Petite Caillou Bayou drifts languidly past heightened houses of cloud blue and muted yellows, while pelicans and snowy egrets stand motionless scanning the marshes for fish in Houma, Louisiana’s warm, morning sunshine.

Houma, Louisiana, located 57 miles southwest of New Orleans, is part of Terrebonne Parish; the second largest parish (county) in Louisiana is dubbed the “Heart of America’s Wetland.” This scenic territory consists of 65 percent wetlands and open water with numerous exotic plants, bird and wildlife species, threaded into a delicate eco system. Wild muskrats, armadillos and nutria roam these marshes and even dolphins are seen breaching in the brackish bayous. In addition, the bayous proffer excellent fishing with copious amounts of speckled trout and redfish. In fact, the bayou and deep-sea gulf fishing is world-class in Louisiana’s most southern region.

The beautiful and diverse landscapes of the coastal marshes are stunning and often visually contrasting with vast swaths of lush sea grasses, dense copse and areas of the unearthly “Dead Forest” that is caused by saltwater intrusion. Moreover, Terrebonne’s coastal marshes are eroding and sinking at an astonishing rate. This portion of the Louisiana coastline is vanishing faster than any other land mass on earth (the size equal to a football field every 30 minutes); and with hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the process has accelerated. Yet, within this complex and fragile coastline, the residents demonstrate amazing fortitude and manage to adapt to rapidly changing environmental conditions. Between the marshlands, communities are nestled along the banks of the bayous. Modern and older homes are built far above the ground to avoid flooding conditions; and most residents in the outlaying areas, such as Cocodrie, commute by boat.

The coastal marshes are a fascinating place to explore. An excellent way to see the bayous, swamps and wildlife is to take a Cajun swamp cruise. Alligators, deer, wildcats, black bears and herons, as well as a multitude of wildlife, live in the swamps and adjacent wetlands. The cruise meanders through waterways carpeted in flora and set against a picturesque backdrop of Spanish moss-draped cypress trees and purple water hyacinths. With the lulling sound of Cajun music in the background, the mysterious surroundings are reminiscent of a dream. For additional information, visit www.cajunman.com.

Houma, Louisiana, is a tremendous amalgamation of nature, rich Cajun heritage and captivating attractions. One particularly enigmatic site to visit is Chauvin Garden, located in Chauvin, a few miles outside of Houma. Kenny Hill, a reclusive Chauvin bricklayer, created the garden over 20 years ago. Today, the garden is considered to be among the top three examples of folk art in the world. Hill created the unusual garden on his property over a 12-year period and then disappeared in 2000. This landscape of incredible painted and hand-sculpted statues of angels, people, a lighthouse and mysterious symbols is by far a puzzler. Hill never elaborated about the garden’s meaning, nor its seemingly cosmological symbols, but clearly, biblical reference is assigned.

Upon entering the garden, you see an arch of sword-wielding sculpted angels, dressed in pink garments, standing sentinel. As the garden continues, various life-sized angels seem to sit and reflect, impart redemption or play a harp and hold offerings of flowers; paths of stone, inscribed with odd symbols, lead the viewer onward. Two of the most interesting features of the garden are the sculptures of souls completely painted in black, apparently leaving purgatory and then changing colors after a touch by an angel. And, the brick lighthouse that stands roughly 45-feet tall is adorned with cowboys, soldiers, a massive waterfall, musicians, a masted sailing ship and other characters in attendance by vision of the artist.

Every inch of garden space is filled with extraordinary, vivid sculptures, detailed columns, minutiae and interpretations known only by its creator. With so much to see, it takes multiple turns about the garden to grasp the magnitude of Hill’s work and the emotional impact it leaves on the viewer.

Mystery still surrounds Hill and his remarkable garden; perhaps its ultimate significance is to offer the visitor a chance to divine their own meaning. For additional information on Chauvin Sculpture Garden, visit www.nicholls.edu/folkartcenter.

Southern Louisiana emanates Cajun culture with a robust verve, with great Zydeco music, fascinating heritage, fabulous cuisine and the royal parade of them all, Mardi Gras! Houma features the second largest Mardi Gras celebration in Louisiana with a family-friendly and safe environment. For 63-years, Houma’s Mardi Gras Krewes have created grand floats with unbelievable flair and imagination.

You may ask, what is a krewe? Krewes are an organization comprised of either men or women that give elaborate parades and balls each year. The first krewe was established in 1857 providing the floats, throws (beads etc.) and masked people in costumes that ride on the floats and throw the precious trinkets. A king and queen are elected each year to reign over their specific floats, celebrations and balls. As a result, Mardi Gras has grown into winter’s most joyous celebration.

Houma’s Mardi Gras first begins within the massive float dens. Here krewes create their parade masterpieces with steel-framed skeletons on wheels that will bear the weight of giant-sized Shrek, dragons and alien characters that emblemize the floats’ façade. Each float carries upwards of 40,000 pounds in beads and loot, not to mention the masked costumed riders and elaborate sound systems that produce a whopping 40k to 50k watts of audio. These giant mobile floats take an enormous amount of work, time and effort to create and maintain. Yet, to the krewes, it is their passion and pleasure to be able to share in the grandest and liveliest carnival of the year with thousands of excited Mardi Gras attendees happily celebrating and cheering.

Houma, Louisiana, offers visitors a surprising palette of activities, enticing events, cultural heritage, Cajun cuisine, plantation homes, gardens, echo tours and a natural beauty of wetlands and coastal landscape to appreciate before they disappear. Moreover, the wonderful Cajun hospitality and friendliness in this endearing city draws visitors back year-after-year to celebrate, participate, explore and marvel at America’s beautiful and natural heritage! For additional information on Houma, Louisiana, visit www.houmatravel.com.