Swamp Tour, McGee's Landing, Louisiana

We loaded up on a air boat for an afternoon tour of the Atchafalaya Basin.

The basin looks like a really big lake. It's a spill over of river water as the Mississippi makes its way to the Gulf.

But looks can be deceiving. Even though it looks like a lake from the shore, or from the highway that passes directly over it, the basin is actually a swamp.

Cypress trees reach up and out of the water. Spanish moss hangs from their branches and sways in the wind, giving the trees an eerie sort of decaying air.

Alligators lurk. Sizable birds perch above. Crawfish populate the murky depths.

We boarded the air boats at McGee's Landing, making sure to eat lunch in the restaurant before heading out for our afternoon adventure.

And we would have stayed there overnight as well had the floating cabins not been completely and totally booked!