South 'Til You Hit the Gulf of Mexico

I work in Sulphur, Louisiana.  It is 42 miles due west and a little south from our home in Jennings.  I am pretty much a landlubber even though I live so close to the Gulf of Mexico.  I don't own a boat (other than our canoe, "The Garfish").  I primarily stay on land and like soil beneath my feet.

The other day I had to go to Johnson Bayou for business.  Johnson Bayou is right on the coast.  Come along on the trip with me.  We'll head south on LA 27 (or Holly Beach Highway) until you can't go south anymore or you'll get wet.

We'll pass by the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge.  People are crabbing on the side of the road and there are shrimp boats heading out to catch.  There is marsh grass growing as far as the eye can see.  During the winter there are geese here as far as the eye can see.

The marsh grass grows tall.  People move their cattle down here and they eat grass all winter.  They find holes that catch rainwater to drink.  The cows are fat and happy.  It must be hard to find them, though in the tall marsh grass.

I pass a sign that says, "Controlled Burn in Progress.  Do not call to report fire."  Smoke is billowing upward and can be seen as far away as Houston if the wind is blowing right.  They burn the marsh grass each year to allow for new growth.



The landscape is black and barren after a burn, but in no time it will be bright green.  Birds by the thousands flock to eat whatever the fire has exposed.

Finally, in about 45 minutes, we hit Holly Beach and the Gulf of Mexico.  Holly Beach is also called the Cajun Riviera.  This little town was completely leveled during Hurricane Rita in 2005.  About the only thing left standing was the water tower.  In Holly Beach, you hang a right on LA 82 or Gulf Beach Highway.  The Highway is appropriately named as you are right on the beach.  There are jetties of rock along the coast to try to prevent coastal erosion.

On the way south the sky was grey and dreary, but heading back, the sun began to shine as I looked out on the Gulf.  

It was a nice excursion.  I stopped on the beach and walked for about five minutes and picked up a seashell, but I've got to head back north.  It did remind me that we need to plan another crabbing trip!  We had come to Johnson Bayou crabbing back in 2012 that I talked about IN THIS POST FROM 2012.  You can read that last post by clicking the underlined link.  We had a lot of fun that day.