Useful Info
Mosquitoes:
There is no need to use insect repellant while in the boat at Lake Martin because there are no mosquitoes during daylight hours. However; if you go walking in the woods nearby mosquitoes will find you.  Because dragonflies patrol the lake in daylight hours and eat every mosquito that moves you will be safe so long as you are in my boat.
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Alligators:
Alligators do not eat people!  We eat them, and because we are their only natural enemy, they know their survival depends upon avoiding contact with humans.  And because humans hunt them in boats they generally hide at the approach of the tour boat. Crocodiles do eat people, but we do not have crocodiles in Louisiana.  Hollywood-generated images portray alligators as crocodiles and mislead the public to fear them.  I have been swimming with alligators all my life, but my dogs are a different story!  If you bring a dog to Louisiana, be very careful with your pet anytime you are near a natural waterway.  Alligators love to eat dogs and they are very aggressive and successful in the consumption of everything except humans.  So do not swim with your dog at Lake Martin or in any other natural waterway because alligators abound.
Please do not feed the alligators!  You are not doing them a favor.  "A Fed Gator is a Dead Gator"!  Feeding alligators causes them to lose their fear of their only natural enemy and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will destroy any aggressive alligator for which they receive a complaint.
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Crawfish (not "mudbugs"):
We have numerous species of crawfish in Louisiana.  Only two are large enough to be considered edible.  We have crawfish farms producing "pond-raised" harvests, and the swamp wilderness produces the "natural" harvest.  In the wild crawfish are harvested primarily from the Atchafalaya Basin.  Slow-moving deep water Atchafalaya Basin crawfish are considered to be superior to the pond-raised variety.
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Wild Game:
Cajuns are blessed with being born into the greatest pantry of wild foods in North America.  But because we have so many good things to eat, many people believe we eat everything.  We do have a lot of wild game in Louisiana but wildlife protection laws prevent its sale.  As a tourist you will only experience this aspect of our culture if you get an invitation to the home of someone who cooks wild game.
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Cajun Music:
Live Cajun music can be found seven nights a week at three family restaurants in the Lafayette area.  Other music venues which are late-night and widespread throughout Cajun country will be referred by me if requested.  You may refer to the Useful Links page for more information on live music.  Bear in mind, many of my favorite dance halls cannot be found on the web.  I will share these references with you personally if asked.
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Zydeco Music:
Zydeco Music is very different from "Cajun" and is usually limited to Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights in the Lafayette area.  The best reference for Zydeco is Café Des Amis on Saturday mornings where you can have Zydeco with your crawfish for breakfast.  Other references for Zydeco, like Cajun Music, can be provided upon request.
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Bed & Breakfast Accommodations:
In Lafayette’s downtown residential district the Blue Moon Guest House with the Blue Moon Saloon behind it provides convenient access to downtown activities such as Mardi Gras, Festival Internationale, Festivals Acadiens, and Downtown Alive.  T’Frere’s Bed & Breakfast, situated in an Acadian Colonial style house on the outskirts of Lafayette, offers warm down-home Cajun hospitality and their world-famous "Oooh La La" breakfast.  Bayou Cabins, located in historic Breaux Bridge, offers individual cabins which are antique structures recently renovated and meticulously maintained, and within walking distance of live Cajun music at Mulate’s restaurant.  The food in the adjoining café is country-style Cajun cuisine as good as it gets.  Cajun Country Cottages Bed and Breakfast, located on the old Magenta Plantation site near Breaux Bridge, offers delightful cottages on a five acre lake.  This property is secluded, quiet, and relaxing.
 
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