The Atchafalaya Basin Bridge, or Atchafalaya Swamp bridge, Louisiana French "L'Atchafalaya"…read more is a 18.2-mile bridge, one of the few roads from Grosse Tete, Louisiana, to Henderson, Louisiana An 18.2 mile bridge that crosses the largest swamp in the US, or if you rather, the largest wetlands in the US. A "Swamp" is a forested wetland. It's an enchanting sight for sure. Nothing like it in the world. It has its own beauty like none other. Home to the Alligator & Nutria. Nutria is a swamp "rat" that is trapped for its luxurious fur. Fur more luxurious than a mink. Cooks up better than a chicken & you can train them as pets. haha. The Atchafalaya swamp is best known for its iconic cypress-tupelo swamp trees, roughly 260,000 breathtaking acres, the largest remaining contiguous tract of coastal cypress trees in the United States. Mostly destroyed by the loggin industry in the 1800's. From 1830 to 1953, the community of "Bayou Chene" the native Chitimacha tribe, lived & thrived there logging, hunting, trapping & fishing the shallow waters. There were a few Chitimacha villages or "towns" there, the "Village of Bones" or "Namu Katsi" the "Cottonwood Village" known as "Kushuh Namu" in the Chitimacha language. That's all gone. Completely gone. Like it wasn't even there. Vanished into the silty shallows. You can research it, it's an interesting read if you enjoy Native American History. Long story short, after years of flooding, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers screwing it up, turning it into a permanent flood zone, with disaster after disaster of rising waters, the community left with the closing of the United States Post Office at Bayou Chene in 1952. Most of the residents of Bayou Chene relocated to the nearby basin towns like New Iberia, St. Martinville & Breaux Bridge, like my grandfather. Today, absolutely nothing remains of the native American "swamp community." The government loves to destroy, "order thru chaos" next it will be "fill in the blank" community. It's history & memories buried underneath the murky waters of the Atchafalaya Basin. It's only visible reminder of what once was, is ugly cut down ancient cypress tree stumps from the loggers that will never grow back. Not for centuries, if ever. Long time ago, my Grandfather had a fishing cabin here, his father b4 him. We all have many great childhood stories & memories staying with my grandfather in Breaux Bridge. With my father away at war, mother visiting her parents, my grandparents, I was born here, in Louisiana, even thou we lived in Pensacola at that time. All that I have left, all that remains of it now, is this photo I have of my mother & her cousin, my Uncle playing outside there on the Atchafalaya Basin. You can see the iconic trees in the background. My mother sure does look adorable in her cowboy boots. A real beauty like none other just like the Atchafalaya basin. My heart aches for a people erased, a one of a kind ancient forest lost. But my memories of her, and our time together there, will forever remain. Highest recommendations.

I do love a good bridge! And even better is when they seem to be stable and not so scary you feel…read moreyou will fall from. This has a peaceful view that is relaxing. It is a long bridge over a bayou/swamp area, I guess the Atchafalaya Basin. I can imagine boaters going along fishing, swamp creatures doing their thing, wild boars doing whatever they do. Being fairly straight, at some times the sides narrow in, at least there is a breakdown lane for the most part. I can also imagine a hunting or fishing shack being somewhere in the middle and a family having owned it since the beginning of time. I really like this bridge.

Kelly and Robin are great. They are so talented and are very accommodating. Every time I go to…read morevisit the shop I find something for myself or for a gift. I mostly find something for myself. I enjoy talking with Kelly after I find a unique item and he explains his thoughts behind the art. The art work is detailed and prices are great.

Robin and Kelly Guidry adds to the fun and spunk of Breaux Bridge with the addition of the Pink…read moreAlligator Gallery in the heart of downtown! Kelly's artistry and Robin's creative curated selections make this gallery the perfect stop for a unique and inviting experience. They have created something that is more than a gallery..... it feels welcoming and comfortable enough to hang out and look at everything they have to offer. Their offerings are within reach for anyone looking for a small gift or they have larger pieces that move the soul. The Pink Alligator is definitely a special place!

I started going to this with my parents starting back in 1968. Now, it's gotten too expensive and…read moretoo commercial

Dirty tables overpriced poor service Restrooms not clean…read more Young underage little girl approached while they were still eating and ask to clear table. Same underage girl was serving beer.

Highly recommend this tour for anybody who wants to see and learn a lot! Bruce was an amazing guide…read moreand makes the tour interesting with constant facts and jokes. You will get to see a lot of alligators and get a glimpse of the peacefulness in the lake.

Bryce was the BEST! If you want a personal feeling swamp tour you've gotta come here! This is my…read moresecond time in a tour with Bryce and it only got better!! He's a one man show and it doesn't feel like a business that just wants your money. He's such a personable person and i had an overall amazing experience

I admit, I've seen an abundance of these recreated villages, all across the US. Growing up, my…read moreparents were fond of them, so they've been a part of most vacations, and many of them tend to blend into one another. Vermilionville, however, stood out as one of the best, and is a memory I'll hang onto for a while. The attendants in period garb were friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to answer our questions. The woman with her spinning wheel even gave us a demonstration. She had taught herself to spin whilst working there and explained the excessive amount of hours it took to finish even one sweater. She also made it possible for me to try the bread pudding I'd been eyeing on the restaurant menu; she warned me they were closing in just 15 minutes so we rushed over and put our order in. Now, I'm not sure if their restaurant has its own yelp page so I'll just review it here. That pudding was the most delicious, most perfect bread pudding I've ever had, and I've tried quite a lot from some of the best places in NOLA. The top was crisply caramelized, and the center was a buttery custard infused with vanilla and cinnamon--an aromatic taste sensation. The server brought me two containers to go (an extra as I'd only asked for one!) and I was so excited to try it, I devoured the first one while wandering between the houses. There were some rather beautiful little homes, furnished with accurate historic decor, and I appreciated that we were able to look at things on our own, at our own pace, free from having to follow a guide. We visited on a day it was set to storm, but we were able to see most of the buildings before the sky opened up on us. We foolishly forgot to bring umbrellas of any kind, so we ended up darting between structures, and eventually taking refuge in the old church while the worst of the rain passed. It was atmospheric and memorable. We found some charming animals in a little barn--a donkey and two sheep and we said hello. There were even mushrooms, and among them we found a single chanterelle, so keep an eye out, fellow mushroom hunters! Lastly, you must leave adequate time to check out the gift shop. They have something for everyone, and much of it made by local artisans! I would recommend Vermilionville to anyone with an appreciation for southern history.

We arrived on a Thursday when they opened at 10am. The historical preservation and restoration work…read moreis wonderful. We talked to people dressed in period clothes. They shared historical details in a fun way, bringing the old houses and artifacts to life. The restaurant is onsite so we ate lunch. The food was absolutely amazing! The etouffee arrived in a cup with great flavor and plenty of crawfish (which I forgot to take a picture of). The etouffee menu item comes with a choice of 2 proteins, we selected shrimp and fish. The picture was after we ate half, so you get plenty of food. Every thing we ordered was perfectly seasoned. The bread pudding with praline sauce was wonderful (also not pictured). We would definitely recommend the restaurant as its own destination! The restaurant hours are 11am-2pm and the historical views are available 10am-4pm. Enjoy!

Great tour. Really interesting and saw lots of wildlife. Highly recommended! We stayed with harvest…read morehost and it was awesome.

We had a great experience on this trip. We took a 4:30pm ride (close to sunset). Most of the trip…read morewas peaceful, quiet ride through the swamps watching birds, alligators and beautiful trees. We did get a few fast rides across the late which the kids loved! Our guide Brandon kept us entertained.

Super fun tour! Came as part of Cycle Zydeco and so glad I made this tour. Staff was super (thx…read moreChristina-you rock)! Captain Cal made it a great time showing us the beautiful swamp area and its inhabitants. So much fun!!! Book this one and then have lunch or dinner! Yummy!

The absolute best experience you can have while visiting the area. Captain Layne and his crew do an…read moreamazing job providing a fun, educational experience. I only wish the tour was longer, but well worth the price. We'll definitely be back.

I purchased a Groupon which allowed us to get more tokens on the card for less money . They have a…read moregood amount of games inside. There's mini golf as well as go kart racing. You can tell the go karts have been used a lot , nonetheless they still work. We enjoyed coming here after we left prehistoric park next door.

Will not be returned. Spent $300.00, got conned out of two "games" of laser tag and all of the SO…read moreCALLED SLICK TRACK they said they remotely turned down the speed on the cars. Any other folks out there who enjoy engine building? Hmmmm.... We drove a long way for the advertised adventure and to find the front desk rude, texting and sighing while being asked why the machines weren't available. Not good business. Broken laser tag, we can find much closer to home with a refund and an apology at least. No thanks. This was our second new margaritaville experience and second bad one. Thats on me I guess. Sorry for the long post.

I recently returned from Cycle Zydeco. Hear are my impressions. 1) Routes are flat, rough And not…read morescenic. I was also very windy but of course that may not always be the case. 2). Rides were poorly supported. First rest stop on day one was at 25 miles and they actually ran out of water.... 3). We stayed in Lafayette at one of the designated hotels and shuttled to and from the ride each day. They bill the shuttle as an extension of the party. Nope, you are stuck on a school bus for 30-40 minutes each way. No parties were happening on those buses. 4). The music was not during the ride rather afterwards. The bands were good however, you really didn't want to ha GE around and party after the rides so we caught An hour or so over a beer after each ride and then went off to dinner. 5). Don't shop your bike to them. They poorly packed my bike on the return and it arrived damaged and missing parts. I've reached out to them and have been ghosted. Par for the course. 6) The average age of the riders must be around 65-70. It's an old group. 7) Outside of the actual ride, Lafayette is a nice town with great music and food. My bottom line is there are far better rides Than this one. Lafayette is a very nice little town to visit if you are in the area but I wouldn't go out of my way.