The end of the road down bayou way is 70 miles southeast of Houma, in Grand Isle. The windswept barrier-island town seems to consistently take a beating from hurricanes and disasters like the BP Gulf oil spill, yet this beach village retains charm and character. In addition to seafood shacks and fishing camps, boat charters are the big business here. Watching the waves lap ashore at Grand Isle State Park, it’s easy to imagine the power of Mother Nature.
Rent canoes ($20 per day) to explore the inland canals or just watch as brown pelicans, the state bird, dive for fish offshore.