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| Bayou Teche at Arnaudville |
The beautiful and sometimes mysterious Bayou Teche snakes 135 miles through some of the most beautiful country Louisiana has to offer (and that's saying something!). It begins in Port Barre and ends in Patterson at the Atchafalaya River.
I've not yet seen the Teche from a canoe or kayak; that privilege is still ahead of me. But I've seen a good bit of it from vantage points on land and there is something mysterious, beautiful, and magnetic about Bayou Teche. A Cajun friend used to say "The Teche calls you." He wasn't wrong.
The waterway used to actually be the Mississippi River channel but over a period of thousand or so years the river parted ways with Acadiana and left us Bayou Teche. The Teche is a muddy, chocolate brown at the upper end and as it flows further south it flattens out, widens out, and changes to a greenish, dark tea color. Wherever you stand on the bank, if it's in Arnaudville, Breaux Bridge, St. Martinville, Franklin, the deep history of the Teche is palpable. From earliest Native Americans, to French and Spanish settlers, to Civil War battles and even modern day urban legends and comic/tragic stories, the Teche holds more stories and secrets than is her fair share.
In 1755 the Acadian diaspora brought the French speaking Acadians deported from Nova Scotia. The Teche has provided food, livelihoods, lumber, and a means of transportation for generations of people. Today, Bayou Teche is celebrated and protected for the treasure that it is. The locals know it is a tourism draw, a bird watcher's dream, a magnet for historians, and a mecca for canoeists and kayakers. One of the most notable groups advocating for Bayou Teche, and protecting it, is The Teche Project.
The Teche Project was formed about twelve years ago with the mission to clean up the bayou and to install trailhead docks (floating docks for kayaks and canoes at each of the fifteen towns along the Teche). They've accomplished that and now their focus is paddle trail promotion and working on ecotourism opportunities with a national vision. The group holds events such as wood duck workshops which promotes building and placement of wood duck boxes and preservation of the species; they also spend time cleaning the bayou, cleaning and picking up trash, clearing debris that collects under bridges and overpasses, and ensuring the bayou stays clear, clean, and navigable. Bank preservation is also a key focus but there is time for fun too!
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| Paddle Parade at Breaux Bridge |
Steve and I have been several times now; like everything else, Covid dampened the party for a year, but it has returned with vigor and with true Cajun joy, heart, and love!
Come dance in the park on a beautiful fall afternoon as the paddlers come in dressed in their bird feathers, boas, and often with their dogs as crew. Or join the paddle parade yourself! Sign-up at Eventbrite. In Breaux Bridge, if you aren't padding in the parade, you can even do the Zydeco Breakfast at Buck and Johnny's then walk a couple of blocks down to the park and do lunch there as the boaters come in! Bring a lawn chair or a blanket, buy a t-shirt or a poster, enjoy the aroma of delicious food from food trucks as you listen to zydeco, watch the dancers, and wait for the boats to come in! Dress like a Northern cardinal and you might win a prize!
But best of all, you'll meet the friendliest people!
This year Shake Your Trail Feather is October 21. We will absolutely be there!
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| Scarlet Tanager |
Further Reading:
Teche: A History of Louisiana's Most Famous Bayou by Shane Bernard
