Creole Nature Trail

Scenic Drive

One Hundred Miles through Louisiana’s Outback

Between Houston, TX and New Orleans, LA is an interesting drive along I-10.  The highway is set up on pillars to keep the road above the swamp land below.  It is like driving on a bridge for miles over grass, interesting to say the least.  But as you get into Sulphur, LA you find a turn off to the Louisiana Outback.

Heading south on LA-27 you travel along a very well maintained road that brings you through several Parish’s (Counties for us New England folk) and over the Intercoastal Waterway (a water way that goes from TX to NY).  The scenery along the way is lush with farm land and lined with waterways full of crab pots.  There are many pull-off areas where you can overlook the swap land and bird watch or scout for gators.  No, we were not lucky enough to see any!

As you begin the eastward part of the journey your trip is stopped while you wait to cross a waterway by ferry boat.  We only had to wait a few minutes for the ferry to come back to our side, unload its passengers and take us on.  Got to drive our rental van right to the front of the ferry alongside three other vehicles.  Then we crossed this deep waterway along with shrimp boats and freighters.  Driving straight off the ferry we were back on our drive toward the Gulf of Mexico. 



Homes on stilts painted in bright colors



Oil rigs off the coast



Many side streets brought you down to public beaches along the gulf.  We passed many houses of all sized and bright colors that were up on stilts.  You knew for sure that you were in a hurricane path.  We stopped for a visit at Rutherford Beach.  For a New Englander it was strange to look out over the hazy gulf and see over a dozen oil rigs off in the distance.  The water was warm and filled with shells (that I collected and will decorate a picture frame with.) and was a nice way to spend some time on a hot Louisiana afternoon.

Waterways all along the raodway

Then we were back on the road to finish the eastbound route then North back to I-10.  The views along the outback were beautiful and well worth the 100 mile drive off the straight shot to New Orleans.

I always enjoy taking a road less traveled and this one was less traveled for sure.  We did not see many cars along our three hour trek.  But birds and cows were in abundance along the way.  It was a well-worth it trip and a great chance to see a new body of water.