Bayou

Louisiana was originally settled by the French. Although the language is no longer spoken, French names are still pronounced correctly. For example, Thibodeaux would be completely mispronounced elsewhere.

Northwest, in Shreveport, huge sweetgums and cypress tower over modest homes. Why do trees grow so tall here? More manure, I guess.

Southeast, near the mouth of the Mississippi, sits the famed city of New Orleans, Nawlins, The Big Easy. What is most impressive are all the bridges, overpasses, and long, long causeways that criss-cross the entire region. In fact, most of the major roads are raised above the swampy ground.