I saw ONE alligator today. As I was heading west on I-10 between Baton Rouge and Lafayette, which is a split highway that runs almost the entire fifty-five odd miles through swamps, marshes and bayous and built about forty feet above the current water level on top of concrete pylons. From my safe vantage point, I would have to guess he was between seven and nine feet long. Following the scenic Creole Nature Trail (LA 82) SW out of Lafayette, then west along the gulf coast through marshes, prairies and a number of hurricane beaten communities. At Cameron, LA I had to board a ferry to take me across the waterway that linked Calcaieu Lake to the Gulf of Mexico and on the seven minute ride I spotted TWO dolphins playing in the ships wake. Further west the gulf coast was less than fifty yards from the edge of the battered road with sandy shores and multiple tire tracks leading away from the road. A bit envious of the previous thrill seekers, and filled with excitement, I made a quick left and then a right and was on the beach myself. Riding west into the setting sun with an enormous smile on my face, until large rocks and a diminishing beach forced me to return to the pavement almost THREE miles later. Then I was in Texas.
