I spent my last day in the New Orleans area outside the city
at two of the four units that make up Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and
Preserve, a unit of the National Park System dedicated to preserving the unique
cultural history and environment of southern Louisiana . So who was Jean
Lafitte? He was a French-American pirate/privateer. Aaaargh!

Chalmette Battlefield is located in what is now an eastern
suburb of New Orleans named Chalmette was the site of the Battle of New Orleans
in 1815, something I remembered almost nothing about from my history classes
other than it somehow made Andrew Jackson famous. Anyway, it was the last
battle of the War of 1812 between the U.S. and Britain when Britain was trying
to capture the land the U.S. acquired from France in Jefferson’s Louisiana
Purchase. It actually took place a few weeks after the Treaty of Ghent ending
the war was signed, but word hadn’t gotten to America about the agreement yet.
And, yes, Andrew Jackson was the American general who won the battle and
prevented the British from capturing New Orleans, a victory that he’d
ultimately ride to the presidency.

A few miles farther out from and south from the city is the
Barataria Preserve unit of the park, an interpretive center in the swamp that
has wooden nature trails over the marsh and swampland . Apparently at some times
of the year, maybe the really horrendously hot ones, the park has canoe tours.
I thought when you’re in Louisiana you’re supposed to take a special swamp boat
propelled by a big fan like Madame Medusa had in Disney’s “The Rescuers”.

To me a swamp is only so exciting as far as the natural
world goes. I don’t care if there may be great wildlife lurking in it or that I
might get to see an alligator. The presence of humidity and spider webs, and
swarms of mosquitos make swamps less than pleasant. Give me the mountains any
day! Don’t get me wrong – I recognize the ecological value of swamp and marsh
land and am all for preserving it. I’m just not all that keen on spending much
time in it. I spent an hour or two walking the boardwalks and trying to find
some examples of fauna between the Bald Cypresses draped with Spanish moss
until the drizzle began, which I took as a good excuse to continue on. No
alligators nor water moccasins spotted, though.

The drizzle turned to a hard driving rain with gusty wind as
I got back to my campground in New Orleans where I found my cheap $20 tent from
Wal-Mart had been obliterated by the elements and my sleeping bag and other
gear in it were all wet. Oh well, looks like I’ll be sleeping in the car again
tonight!